patrick.net

“Anything you wanted, they got,” he says. “Everything was top-of-the-line. They had doctors come to the hotel (after discharge), change the dressings, check it out, ask me if I needed anything.”

Could be like the article says.. but the lack of details in the article suggests that there wasn't much investigative reporting to verify the story. Sounds too good to be true.. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22400533/ From the linked report:

Thrifty patients pay price with botched surgery
Mexico aims to attract U.S. citizens, but no recourse if operation goes awry

..Full mastectomy performed for treating back pain
But patients and their families denied that they were responsible for the outcome of the procedures, and said they simply want justice.

“I’ve given up,” said Montzerrat Ramirez, 21. “I’m not charging him with homicide — I just want my money back.”

Ramirez’s mother Lorena, 39, saw Huerta in July because her back was hurting. He recommended breast reduction, a tummy tuck and liposuction, even though she had diabetes and hypertension. Once she was under the knife, Huerta performed a full mastectomy, replacing her breasts with implants, the daughter said.

Following the surgery, Lorena Ramirez’s incisions repeatedly opened and became infected, and she spent 37 days in the hospital, racking up medical bills of more than $23,800, her daughter said. She died of a heart attack in October.

In another example, the report talks about how a mexican "Doctor" only had accounting degree, reporting that such cases of medical fraud are "surprisingly common" in Mexico. It's great that folks shop for affordable options in healthcare. Just be careful to check out the track record of the doctor and facilities.

Leigh says

Dr. Max Greig, who is listed on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website as an international affiliate, performed the surgery. Hours later, Krois was already starting to get back on his feet. He had a private room, and the food was great.

I believe that Leigh's point is that our system is, like, horribly fucked up - when someone can only afford to get surgery by leaving the country. He did his homework. Had he chosen to get the surgery here in the US, he could have paid 1/3 of billed charges up front - about $20k or so - rather than the $12,000 he paid in Mexico. He chose a good doc and did well.

ZippyDDoodah says

Thrifty patients pay price with botched surgery
Mexico aims to attract U.S. citizens, but no recourse if operation goes awry

People don't necessarily go to other countries to be thrifty - care in the US is unaffordable much of the time. It's not the physician's charges - it's all the add-ons. It's horrible that the woman had to go to Mexico to treat her back pain, but unless you have the $ upfront, you're screwed.

(elliemae painfully climbs up onto her soapbox - she hurts today but is grateful she has healthcare insurance partially subsidized by her employer)
Healthcare should never, ever be an option.
(elliemae gingerly steps down and is grateful she didn't hurt herself doing so, because her $1,000 deductible is in addition to her co-payments and premiums)

Yea - I also know of a woman who was from Peru and went back there to get lipo. She nearly died, because the doctor that charged her a couple of thousand dollars did the procedure in his "office" and neglected to sterilize anything.

There is a huge difference - and people need to do their homework. Apples & oranges between the two articles.

I have two experiences with foreign health care. The first was in Canada and it was excellent.

I've had two experiences with foreign health care too. In Norway and Canada.. both were disasters. The Canadian doctors in Montreal actually pulled out a book to try and diagnose a rash on my back, telling me it was chicken pox when I had chicken pox as a 5 yr old child. When I flew to New York two days later to a 24 hour doc-in-the-box medical intern, they immediately solved the problem. Many Canadian doctors are quacks, because the better doctors in Canada come to the US to practice medicine because the pay and the regulations are better. That leaves Canadians with the 2nd rate leftover medical practitioners, generally speaking, to treat their ailments. Those that weren't up to snuff to come over to the US system.

There are good docs and bad docs everywhere. Sorry you had a bad experience, but that doesn't mean that every doc in the country sucks. As I've said in other posts, I've seen drug addicted docs, homeless docs, crazy docs, alcoholic docs, and some of the finest physicians I'll ever meet. Some were so great I'd let them cut into me anytime, while some had diplomas I wouldn't wipe my ass with.

Every single one of them was in the U.S. By the way, the drug-addicted one punched another physician right in front of me and yet continued to practice. None of the medical staff would back up the nurse who reported him (several of us wrote letters of support, but she was transferred to the medical floor - a no man's land, btw, put on per diem shifts, and fired).

Doctors are people, and you're paying for their opinion. If you don't like their opinion, find another.

ZippyDDoodah says

I have two experiences with foreign health care. The first was in Canada and it was excellent.

I’ve had two experiences with foreign health care too. In Norway and Canada.. both were disasters. The Canadian doctors in Montreal actually pulled out a book to try and diagnose a rash on my back, telling me it was chicken pox when I had chicken pox as a 5 yr old child. When I flew to New York two days later to a 24 hour doc-in-the-box medical intern, they immediately solved the problem. Many Canadian doctors are quacks, because the better doctors in Canada come to the US to practice medicine because the pay and the regulations are better. That leaves Canadians with the 2nd rate leftover medical practitioners, generally speaking, to treat their ailments. Those that weren’t up to snuff to come over to the US system.

That is the most idiotic thing ever posted

bob2356 says

That is the most idiotic thing ever posted

I beg to differ - read some of his other posts.

Canada has excellent healthcare. Their doctor's drive beamers and the country also has indoor plumbing, contrary to what the extremists say.
Emergencies get priority. If you have a hangnail, you wait your turn for the next available doctor.
Cuba has socialized healthcare, not Canada.

Zippy, and what did them socialist Scandinavian doctors bestow upon you?

Canada has plenty of good doctors. I've met my fair share of incompetent doctors in the US. My father is a prenatal care specialist. He claims a monkey can do what he does. Doctors in this country have it good. The Medical Establishment has been consistently been defended by protectionism both in and out of the country. They prevent anyone from entering the domestic market for even the simplest procedures while they constantly enjoy the benefits of legislation that outlaw us from obtaining things like prescription meds or equipment/supplies from outside.

elliemae says

Yea - I also know of a woman who was from Peru and went back there to get lipo. She nearly died, because the doctor that charged her a couple of thousand dollars did the procedure in his “office” and neglected to sterilize anything.

Elie that Doctor was a Goddamn Animal, and these Animals come to America to do the same crap.
SoFla news is riddled with foreign doctors, and unlicensed doctors, dentists, plastic surgeons that butcher people at least three stories a month.

Point is, you don't have to go to Peru to get Abdul the butcher to perform his handy work on you.

Yea - it wasn't Peru that was the problem, it was that she was cheap and not only didn't do her homework on the doc, but didn't have any way to get treated appropriatly in the teeny town she went to.

I've seen reports on "doctors" all over the world, US included, who perform procedures they shouldn't have done. Priscilla Pressley was the victim of an unscrupulous plastic surgeon who apparently injected her with industrial silicone similar to what mechanics use.

There was also an episode of American Greed this past week about a Dermatologist who performed thousands of unneccesary surgeries just to pad his pockets, telling people that they had cancerous lesions just to get them to allow him to cut into them. You can find crappy docs everywhere, but overall I'd say that the physicians with whom I've interacted are wonderful, dedicated professionals. You'd have to be to deal with the public on such a personal basis, be available 24/7 most of the time, etc.