[NJ Gene]

Originally Posted by JeffR

If I was in the US facing surgery without insurance IN ALL CASES then I would go to Europe in a heartbeat. The surgeons there have better discs available, the best have done more ADRs than US doctors and the cost would be less in most cases (at least it was WAYYY less for me), i.e. 75K in the US versus 43K in Europe (this was a while back though and I understand prices have gone up considerably).

I think the fear of lack of follow-up is overstated, you just need to find a sympathetic doctor which isn't that hard to find - many doctors will be very curious about your new device and would welcome the chance to learn something. The odds of something going south post surgery are VERY low and I don't think it really matters if you are here or there if that occurs, you still will have to pay out of pocket and likely travel.

-Jeff

Jeff, I might be the exception to the rule. I'm having one level done at TBI for $22,375. That covers the surgery, anesthesia, one night in hospital, follow-up, etc. It does not include travel and lodging, but that's obviously much less staying domestic vs overseas. I will of course take a nice tax deduction when I prepare my 2015 taxes.

Gene