Tuesday, August 7, 2007
The Fourth "S"
The Philadelphia City Paper has an in-depth article on medical tourism by Ted Hesson, which chronicles the experiences of medical tourists, contains quotes and gems of wisdom from experts and has a nice and precise 'The Dos and don'ts of medical tourism'.The title of the piece, the fourth 'S', comes from a quote by Dr. Milica Bookman ( see interview ) in her book, in which she says,"Mostly people from the West go to Third World countries for the three S's. Sand, sea and sex — and now you can add to that: surgery."
Dr. Bookman, I'm pretty miffed! How come you reserve quotes like this for the book, and leave us high and dry?
Ted hesson also writes about Rafeal Richards, who went to Belgium for Hip resurfacing.
Once the anesthesia kicked in, he passed out, and when the haze cleared he noticed that all of his pain had disappeared. His hip was sore from the surgery, but the joint felt great.The hospital moved him to a Hilton hotel across the street for the recovery, and his physical therapist and nurses visited him there. He began rebuilding his life after returning to Boston. He started jogging again and playing squash and soccer in his free time.
Recently, though, his other hip socket has felt sore. Although it isn't as bad as the original socket yet, he thinks another surgery is inevitable.Hip resurfacing has since been approved in the U.S., but when the time comes, he plans to travel back to his original doctor in Belgium.
"I am 100 percent satisfied that I made the right decision; it was the right thing for me to do," says Richards. "The standard of care I received was as good, if not better, than what I'd have gotten here."
Recently, though, his other hip socket has felt sore. Although it isn't as bad as the original socket yet, he thinks another surgery is inevitable.Hip resurfacing has since been approved in the U.S., but when the time comes, he plans to travel back to his original doctor in Belgium.
"I am 100 percent satisfied that I made the right decision; it was the right thing for me to do," says Richards. "The standard of care I received was as good, if not better, than what I'd have gotten here."
As for Ted Hesson's medical tourism do's and dont's, here's a sample:
Do : Go sightseeing, if possible.
Don't : Think that this will be a vacation; the beach isn't very fun when you're in sutures.
All said and done, a very comprehensive look at medical tourism, with the right focus on the possibilities, first hand experiences and a brief look at the impact of all those healthcare dollars flowing abroad. Now if only Hesson could make up his mind on whether medical tourism includes some beach front frolicking or not...
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