Friday, August 14, 2009

MedTrava helps Patient get Spinal Fusion

When Dallas resident Jeremy P. needed spinal fusion surgery, his first instinct was to go to a local hospital and get the surgery. But after meeting with some surgeons, he was unpleasantly surprised.

“The doctors seemed like they didn’t really care about their patients, they seemed cocky,” his wife, Rachael, says. That attitude, combined with a six-digit price tag, prompted them to look elsewhere.

They quickly realized India offered the best value, combining some of the world’s best spinal surgeons with some of the lowest prices for spinal fusion.

While the couple initially tried planning their entire medical journey alone, they soon reached out to MedTrava for help when they realized the number of details that goes into planning a medical trip overseas. MedTrava was able to provide expert assistance with everything from corresponding with the hospital to recommending hotels and flight plans.

Jeremy was able to get his surgery done at Apollo Hospital in Bangalore for a fraction of the price the U.S. hospitals wanted to charge him.

Plus, says his wife, “Jeremy’s doctor was awesome, he was very down to earth. Jeremy’s back looks good, and the doctor personally checked up on him every day he was in the hospital.”

Despite having never traveled outside of the U.S. before, the couple had no problems with language barriers on their journey. They encountered a few cultural obstacles, such as getting used to drinks served without ice, but they managed to combat some of their culture shock by indulging in Pizza Hut deliveries in the hospital.

Asked the million-dollar question of “Would you do it again,” Rachael responds enthusiastically. “Definitely. If either one us ever had to have a surgery that costs more than $20,000 in the U.S., we would go back to India in a heartbeat.”