Medical Tourism - Are Hip Replacements in Mexico As Good As in the US

With America's changing population demographics, health care costs have risen along with the aging of the current population. As more senior citizens require increased care, Medicare and private insurers have had to increase rates and reduce services -- ultimately leading to hardships. Orthopedic hip and knee replacements, for example, have nearly doubled in the past five years and are expected to reach a total of two million procedures in the year 2015.

In order to address the issue of healthcare services, a whole industry of Mexico medical travel has been created. Mexico medical travel is an option for many Americans, providing access to healthcare services from doctors and hospitals in other countries. This allows patients to pay much less than what they would pay for the same procedure in the U.S., even if they have medical insurance or are on Medicare. Out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles, are often more expensive than the total cost of a procedure in another country, especially for elective surgery.

Mexico Medical Travel

Low cost options for health travel, especially for those in need of orthopedic care, used to focus on taking patients to India for treatment. However, the 15-hour flight and language barrier quickly proved to be prohibitive for many Americans. The high cost of travel and lodging in a developing country was far from ideal.

Today, Mexico medical travel is among the best options for healthcare abroad. Health travel to Mexico combines the convenience of short travel times with reasonable prices and facilities and doctors that rival or surpass their American counterparts. The language barrier between Mexico and the US is practically nonexistent; English is very commonly spoken in nearly every major Mexican city.

Tijuana Medical Services

Tijuana exemplifies the benefits of health travel to neighboring Mexico. The metropolitan area is the sister city to San Diego, California, and sits directly across the border. This location offers American patients the ability to completely avoid international flights. For example, many patients use airlines that fly directly to San Diego and then cross the border via Hospital Angeles Tijuana or other hospital medical shuttle services.

Hospitals in Tijuana have treated more Americans traveling abroad than any other hospitals in the world. With a focus on delivering top tier medical care with the most modern technology and services - including state-of-the art operating rooms and diagnostic services across all medical fields - Mexican hospitals attract top medical talent from around the world.

About Hip Replacement Surgery

A total hip replacement, also called a hip arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure that re-forms the hip joint. In this procedure, the head of the femur is removed along with the surface layer of the socket in the pelvis. The head of the femur, which is situated within the pelvis socket, is replaced with a metal ball and stem. This stem fits into the shaft of the femur. The socket is replaced with a plastic or a metal and plastic cup.

For nearly a century, doctors have been putting various materials into diseased and painful hip joints to relieve pain. Up until the 1960s, outcomes had been unreliable. At that time, the metal ball and plastic socket for the replacement of the hip joint was introduced. Today, the artificial components used in a total hip replacement are stronger and more designs are available.

There are many different shapes, sizes, and designs of artificial components of the hip joint. For the most part these are composed of chrome, cobalt, titanium, or ceramic materials. Some surgeons are also using custom-made components to improve the fit in the femur. Hospitals in Mexico use the exact same medical implants for hip replacement (and all joint replacements) that are approved and widely used in the U.S.

The Future Of Medical Tourism

Medical tourism companies have been established to act as guides, facilitators, and translators for those in need for serious procedures like hip and knee replacements. Health travel packages are available that allow patients to pay one fee that covers all of their pre-operative testing and exams, the in-patient procedure and hospital stay. These days, no American has to face a health care crisis alone.
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Change may eventually come to the health care system in America, but for many people, waiting is not an option. There are many patients who have lived with pain far too long and are taking advantage of the care provided in Mexico. Health travel is predicted to continue to grow over the coming years and will be an important option for more and more Americans.