Jarrod,
I am sorry about your complicated cervical issues. All of us here have slogged through the physical pains, and the terrible process of trying to calculate the best treatment options. Both journeys are too painful!
As always, my opinions here are my own (and usually rushed and for that I apologize). My bias is avoiding
medical tourism for a long list of reasons; some of them include:
- spinal arthroplasty has now been practiced here 10+ years and there are plenty of good ortho and neuro spine docs here in the US;
- traveling is logistically difficult, and painful, for the patient;
- follow-up is difficult with any doc overseas and almost impossible, which is especially important should compllciations arise;
- the cleanliness of US hospitals (ironically) is getting better in terms of bug control and reporting; overseas is a bit of a crapshoot (do your homework on MRSA and NMD-1, both of which we’ve discussed here. Do a search using these terms within this community);
- one must always be suspicious of brokers and marketers in the tourism area; many folks here in this community have been burned seriously as a result of their interactions with “advocates” and “consultants.”
Sorry if I’ve given you more “homework” than answers, but it’s probably better to do it now than later. Or at least, I hope that’s how you receive this message of compassion.
That said, many folks have been happy with their procedures done abroad, and you can find them in the post-op forum with their comments about their recoveries. Find a way to get comfortable to review as many posts as possible; reach out to these people by PM or posts. Most people will respond when/if they receive your message.
Good luck on your next steps...
