# Recommendations needed for hernia surgery... Mexico or ?



## librefly

I need to have inguinal hernia surgery and soon... and need guidance as to how to go about making arrangements and some recommendations for places / hospitals / doctors. I'll be paying cash and don't have a preference on country or hospital. If I had my pick, though, I'd probably choose Monterrey, due to this being outpatient surgery, I could drive back to US the same day (maybe even get dental work done on the same trip).

I've sent emails to CIMA in Monterrey and San Jose, CR as well as Guadalajara, Panama, Ecuador and Chile. So far, I only have a response from Guadalajara for $2,800. Europe is actually cheaper but cost of airfare negates any savings. 

Has anyone had this procedure done in Mexico?
I know the responsibility is ultimately mine... just looking for some guidance. Thank you for the help.


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## Marishka

When my husband needed hernia repair surgery in 2008, he opted to go to Mexico instead of having it done here in Dallas. The surgery was done by a board certified surgeon at a hospital in Hermosillo that is affiliated with Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. The surgeon wanted my husband to have a physical before he went to Hermosillo, including blood work and an EKG. It would have cost $1,000 in Dallas for all those tests, so instead of doing the tests here, he went a day early to Hermosillo and had the same procedures done there for only $100! Everything including the surgery, EKG and blood work, hotel, meals, etc. came to less than $2,700. 

Since you are in the U.S., have you considered having your surgery done in Oklahoma City? It has become a medical tourist destination for people from all over the United States and other countries. Many Canadians go there for surgery.

For example, at The Surgery Center of Oklahoma, a 32,535 square foot, state-of-the-art multispecialty facility in Oklahoma City, owned and operated by 40 of the top surgeons and anesthesiologists in central Oklahoma, an inguinal hernia repair costs $3,060. According to their website, that price includes the facility, surgeon and anesthesia fees, and the mesh.


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## librefly

Marishka said:


> ...have you considered having your surgery done in Oklahoma City?


No I haven't. My opinion of US medical care is that they would probably cut a square out of a potato sack to use as "mesh" in order to increase their profit margin. However, I've done some reading on the place in OK... price is good and I like the fact that the founder is libertarian... but I haven't been able to find a single review or anyone who has any experience getting care there... still looking.


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## Longford

librefly said:


> No I haven't. My opinion of US medical care is that they would probably cut a square out of a potato sack to use as "mesh" in order to increase their profit margin. However, I've done some reading on the place in OK... price is good and I like the fact that the founder is libertarian... but I haven't been able to find a single review or anyone who has any experience getting care there... still looking.


First, :welcome:

Second, It's not wise, IMO, to be seeking medical advice on internet forums. 

Best of luck dealing with life's challenges.


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## AlanMexicali

librefly said:


> I need to have inguinal hernia surgery and soon... and need guidance as to how to go about making arrangements and some recommendations for places / hospitals / doctors. I'll be paying cash and don't have a preference on country or hospital. If I had my pick, though, I'd probably choose Monterrey, due to this being outpatient surgery, I could drive back to US the same day (maybe even get dental work done on the same trip).
> 
> I've sent emails to CIMA in Monterrey and San Jose, CR as well as Guadalajara, Panama, Ecuador and Chile. So far, I only have a response from Guadalajara for $2,800. Europe is actually cheaper but cost of airfare negates any savings.
> 
> Has anyone had this procedure done in Mexico?
> I know the responsibility is ultimately mine... just looking for some guidance. Thank you for the help.


Knowing a little bit about medical care both public medicine and private medicine in Mexico and the limited liability that is present here I might venture to say that it might be an overnight stay or even an extra day in a private hospital here and the pain meds would not be as strong as NOB as the surgeons seem to think no pain will cause a patient to not slow down enough after surgery and cause a problem. 

You could ask about the extra costs also as a package from start to finish beforehand if you decide to get it done down here. Phoning these places might get you better answers. Alan


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## tepetapan

Marishka said:


> ................
> 
> Since you are in the U.S., have you considered having your surgery done in Oklahoma City? It has become a medical tourist destination for people from all over the United States and other countries. Many Canadians go there for surgery.
> 
> ...........


 Oklahoma City a medical tourist destination!? Surely this is a sign of the coming apocalypse.


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## Marishka

librefly said:


> If I had my pick, though, I'd probably choose Monterrey, due to this being outpatient surgery, I could drive back to US the same day (maybe even get dental work done on the same trip).


Sorry, I just noticed this part of your post. Even if you have someone to drive you, I don't think it's a good idea to drive anywhere after your surgery, other than to a nearby hotel.

After my husband had his hernia surgery in Hermosillo, they kept him for a few hours at the hospital. I'd have to ask him because I don't remember how long he stayed there, but I think it was about four hours. Then they served him a meal (he said it tasted great!) and called a taxi to take him back to his hotel.

The surgeon, accompanied by some interns, made a house call to the hotel the following day and one more the day after that. Then my husband flew home, but he was still dopey from the pain medication and rested at home for a few more days before going back to work.


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## Marishka

tepetapan said:


> Oklahoma City a medical tourist destination!? Surely this is a sign of the coming apocalypse.


I was really surprised when I learned about this, too, because when I hear "medical tourism," I automatically think about places like Thailand and Mexico. I'm not allowed to post links yet, but here is an exerpt from an article written by G. Keith Smith, M.D., one of the founders of The Surgery Center of Oklahoma:



> *The beginning*
> 
> A little over 15 years ago, Dr. Steve Lantier and I began the operation of The Surgery Center of Oklahoma. We invited 10 surgeons to join us in this venture, physicians who like us were tired of the old hospital games. We had grown weary of the way hospitals treated us, the surgeons we worked with and the way they treated patients, frankly. We decided that we could complain about this the rest of our careers or try to do something about it.
> 
> From day one our mission was very simple. Provide a quality surgical experience that was second to none, charge patients fairly and honestly and never deal with the federal government programs, Medicare or Medicaid. In our 16th year now, we have never deviated from our mission.
> 
> Over the years, uninsured patients in the Oklahoma City and surrounding area came to know our facility as the place to go, as we would quote them prices over the phone, prices that were a tenth or less the amount they would be charged at the so-called “not for profit” hospitals here in town. As I tell people now, by virtue of our physician-ownership structure, we had eliminated the most inefficient and greedy profit seeker from the surgical price equation: the big hospital.
> 
> *Unexpected power plays lead to posting upfront and bundled pricing*
> 
> We very naively thought that insurance companies would flock to us, as in a market economy, high quality at very low prices usually brings ample business. On the contrary, insurance companies assiduously avoided us, steering with all the power they could muster (through various “out of network” penalties and deductible tricks) those who were under their policies to the large, more expensive hospitals.
> 
> This “steerage” away from our facility led us to a point where about 4 years ago, we decided to post our prices online for all to see. We could not in our wildest dreams have foreseen the effect this move would have here in Oklahoma City and indeed, in the whole country (even outside of the country).
> 
> We had hoped to make ourselves more “known” to the uninsured population requiring surgery, but primarily wanted to expose the price-fixing arrangements between hospitals and insurance groups. The first thing that happened, however, shocked us. Canadians started calling. And then flying to Oklahoma City for their surgery. Individuals with high deductibles and increasingly, self-insured companies have been drawn to our upfront and bundled pricing as well, pricing that is all-inclusive; the facility, surgeon and anesthesia fees altogether.
> 
> *Price transparency spurs national movement*
> 
> Other physician-owned facilities in Oklahoma City, following our lead, are now providing price quotes for joint replacement and open-heart surgery. Oklahoma City has now become a medical tourist destination for people from all over the United States and beyond.
> 
> Upfront and honest pricing has been absent from health care for far too long. While our price transparency has led others locally to join us in this effort, it has spurred a national effort, as well. Some physicians and facilities are inclined to emulate our model simply because it is the right thing to do. Others are frantic to do so, as patients are coming to Oklahoma City, rather than have their operation in the town where they live, whether in Anchorage or Fort Lauderdale. Surgeons and hospitals far from here don’t like to see patients head out the door for Oklahoma City for any reason, least of all for not having provided them a price for their care. This fear of loss of business we believe will continue to fan the flames of price transparency in this country, leading invariably to a deflationary effect on pricing everywhere.


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## Marishka

librefly said:


> No I haven't. My opinion of US medical care is that they would probably cut a square out of a potato sack to use as "mesh" in order to increase their profit margin. However, I've done some reading on the place in OK... price is good and I like the fact that the founder is libertarian... but I haven't been able to find a single review or anyone who has any experience getting care there... still looking.


I can't help you there, but I do think it's important to get as much information as possible on any hospitals and surgeons you are considering.

If you want to have your surgery done in Mexico, I recommend that you get the book _Mexico Health and Safety Travel Guide_, as it will give you information about top hospitals and surgeons in all regions of Mexico. It will tell you where the surgeon went to medical school, where they did their residency, postgraduate training, board certifications, awards, hospital affiliations, languages they speak, etc. If you buy it, be sure to get the second edition (2007). You can buy it new from Medtogo or used from Amazon.

My husband had his surgery in Mexico set up through Medtogo. It cost no more than if we had made the appointment on our own. An advocate picked him up at his hotel, drove him to the hospital, and walked him through all the paperwork. 

My husband was born in the U.S., but spent his childhood in Venezuela and also speaks Spanish on a daily basis at work because he has a lot of customers who only speak Spanish, but he was grateful that the doctor spoke fluent English (like many doctors in Mexico, he had studied in the U.S.) because he isn't used to talking about medical issues in Spanish. The first thing the doctor asked him was if he wanted to converse in Spanish or English.

My husband had previously had hernia surgery in Dallas years ago. That surgery went well, too. The only real difference was that it cost about $9,000!

We're planning to live in Mexico at least part-time after my husband retires in a couple of years, so having such a good experience with having surgery in Mexico really made us feel comfortable with getting medical care in Mexico in the future.


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## Rich S

librefly said:


> I need to have inguinal hernia surgery and soon... and need guidance as to how to go about making arrangements and some recommendations for places / hospitals / doctors. I'll be paying cash and don't have a preference on country or hospital. If I had my pick, though, I'd probably choose Monterrey, due to this being outpatient surgery, I could drive back to US the same day (maybe even get dental work done on the same trip).
> 
> I've sent emails to CIMA in Monterrey and San Jose, CR as well as Guadalajara, Panama, Ecuador and Chile. So far, I only have a response from Guadalajara for $2,800. Europe is actually cheaper but cost of airfare negates any savings.



Can you remember who the doctor in Guadalajara was?


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## TundraGreen

Rich S said:


> Can you remember who the doctor in Guadalajara was?


Librefly posted a couple of times in April 2013 and has not been back since.


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## GARYJ65

I can recommend am excellent dr in Querétaro, he was president for the mexican national hernia association
Send me a pm


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