Anyone ever had a surgical procedure done outside of Canada

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Ace

I would try making an emergency room visit. If for example your wife can't put weight on the foot, you're in, jump to the front of the line.

That's how our system works, you need to get classified as emergent.

If at first you don't succeed try try again.

1) No, that isn't how our system works.
2) No, it isn't emergent
3) No, that is how you waste the emergency department's time and money
4) Every single doctor would be able to pull up your netcare and see that there is already a consult in place.

[Ace]

^I'm only suggesting the emergency visit if "it gets worse" than the original consult.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Even then it isn't an emergency room problem. I have worked in emergency departments, someone with acute on chronic foot pain with no other symptoms would be triaged very low. This is the perfect case for a GP, which he has already done.

[Fuzz]

The solution is obvious. You need to escalate the situation to make it ER worthy.

Spoiler!

[Ace]

Duplicate

[Weitz]

Hell if it takes 6 hours to be seen by someone with something in your eye, I imagine some foot pain would be pretty low on the list.

[4X4]

There's an outfit that advertises on QR all the time. Docere clinic I think. I'll try to listen to the commercials today and find out. Funny, there was just a segment on Danielle Smith about a little Calgary girl that got a liver transplant in Cincinnati.

[CaptainCrunch]

I went to Vegas one time and woke up in a bathtub full of ice, a cellphone glued to my hand and I was missing a kidney. Does that count?

[OutOfTheCube]

I would imagine a discount third world surgery is a lot like buying stuff from the Dollar Store.

Is there some stuff that works out alright and you're happy with the great deal? Sure.

Is it mostly a bunch of crap and you're left wishing you'd just spent more money to get something actually decent? Also correct.

Important difference being the crap surgery you get isn't just a cheap lightbulb that burns out in a week.

When it comes to stuff like this, I'd just pay whatever it costs to get it done right and worry about the cost for it later. The (potential) effects on your health just aren't worth it.

[Zarley]

It seems like many of you are overrating the quality of healthcare in Canada. Our system is adequate, but not really that great.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Zarley

It seems like many of you are overrating the quality of healthcare in Canada. Our system is adequate, but not really that great.

And yet in comparison to the horrors I have personally seen come out of a much more unregulated environment in Mexico we have an amazing healthcare system. You have to ask yourself, why does it cost so much less in Mexico than it does in other more developed countries, why would qualified doctors want to get paid less to work in Mexico rather than the United States?

I have seen people come back from South American countries which have beautiful hotel like hospitals and massive pressure ulcers covering half of their body after two weeks. People who have had cancer treatments in which their intestines have been irradiated to the degree that they were necrotic. Stomach banding in which the number of adhesions has resulted in future surgeries being impossible.

Also if something goes wrong, good luck finding any surgeon who would be willing to even look in your direction if they find out that you have had a Mexican surgery.

[Sylvanfan]

First thing, we live in St.Albert, as opposed to Calgary. So it's possible that our GP is only considering Edmonton region specialists in the time line. Remember...most people who can avoid living in Edmonton generally do. Doctors would qualify as those types I would think.

Obviously we'd rather get something done in province if possible, and travelling to Calgary is easy enough to do.

Thanks for those who gave useful replies.

Oddly enough she suggested she just break her foot to the GP one day and than go to Emergency...he snarked...that's probably the quickest way to see a specialist.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

Read this post from an emergency dental clinic in Calgary.

https://www.facebook.com/EmergencyDe...98075950625772

If you scroll down in the Facebook comments on that post there is an Alberta woman sharing her own personal experience with Mexican dentistry.

Christ... so glad I have amazing benefits now because I considered this

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

I'm curious why you say this. From my knowledge they're mainly trained in the states and their training is equivalent to medical doctors and often go to the same schools but specializing in the foot instead. This was of course talking to family in the medical field (not podiatrists).

They are orthodics sales people. You go in to see a podiatrist or chiropodist, you walk out with a prescription for $500 custom orthotics. Research also shows that only a small subset of specific injuries actually benefit from orthotics, yet every time - "this will fix you!".

That and some of them will perform needless surgery.

[zarrell]

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

They are orthodics sales people. You go in to see a podiatrist or chiropodist, you walk out with a prescription for $500 custom orthotics. Research also shows that only a small subset of specific injuries actually benefit from orthotics, yet every time - "this will fix you!".

That and some of them will perform needless surgery.

Substitute orthotics for pharmasueticals and podiatrists for doctors and you have our modern healthcare​ system as it is now. Not that you aren't right about podiatrists; I don't know.

[Weitz]

It all depends on where you go and what Doc you see.

My father is a Doc here in Alberta and has many Surgeons/Docs he recommends to friends who want to get work done out of country.

[Rutuu]

Noticed Sylvanfan posted a thank you so I feel like that's an ok to go a little off topic.

So... Podiatrists are bad? I got orthotics a year ago which solved my right ankle pain. Not defending them, just want to fit them in the right prejudged category.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

And yet in comparison to the horrors I have personally seen come out of a much more unregulated environment in Mexico we have an amazing healthcare system. You have to ask yourself, why does it cost so much less in Mexico than it does in other more developed countries, why would qualified doctors want to get paid less to work in Mexico rather than the United States?

I have seen people come back from South American countries which have beautiful hotel like hospitals and massive pressure ulcers covering half of their body after two weeks. People who have had cancer treatments in which their intestines have been irradiated to the degree that they were necrotic. Stomach banding in which the number of adhesions has resulted in future surgeries being impossible.

Also if something goes wrong, good luck finding any surgeon who would be willing to even look in your direction if they find out that you have had a Mexican surgery.

That's some convincing anecdotal evidence right there.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Zarley

That's some convincing anecdotal evidence right there.

I can tell you what I have personally seen in an ICU environment.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...ning-1.2560052

According to her doctor, what remains of Kempton’s stomach is partly blocked by scar tissue and she struggles to swallow the smallest amounts of liquid and soft foods.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...xico-1.3531912

"Our GP has sent out six referrals and they will not see her," says Reed. "And I think it's due to the fact that she went to Mexico."

http://globalnews.ca/news/1581936/no...ery-in-mexico/

“There was a hole in my stomach, so everything I had been consuming after surgery had been seeping out into the void,” she says. “It created an 11 cm abscess just off my stomach.”

That took 15 seconds of searching. It is dangerous. Every surgery has it's complications but doing budget surgery in a developing nation in which you can't be certain of the doctor's credentials, the quality of the materials being used, the sterilization procedures for equipment, the nursing care provided, or the pre/post operative care being offered. There are issues with the medical system, of that no doubt, but I don't trust medical tourism at all, things could go right most of the time, but when they go bad... they go really, really bad.

[snootchiebootchies]

My mom got some dental work done in Taiwan earlier this year. My mom said the cost was about one-sixth of what she was quoted here, and my mom was very happy with the work. She has a brother who lives in Taiwan and he was the one who recommended the dentist. I doubt she would have gotten dental treatment there if it wasn't for the recommendation.