Download PDF - Medical Tourism Magazine

MEDICAL TOURISM
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY IN
COSTA RICA
Although Costa Rica is known for its excellence in cosmetic and dental surgery,
the specialties found in most American hospitals can be found in Costa Rica.
Many of the surgeons are board certified and trained in the U.S. and their
medical practices overseas are second to none.
They care for the whole patient, not just the medical problem.
By OSCAR OEDING B, MD
When I was asked to write an article for publication in a Medical Tourism related
journal, I thought of giving a medical report including statistics of results obtained in Total Knee
Replacement, Total Hip Replacement, Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciform Ligament,
Rotator Cuff Plasty, etc.
New York Health Crisis
Reuters reported that one out of 6 New Yorkers lacks health insurance, even though
almost two thirds of these individuals are employed. Forty one percent of those
without insurance did not seek medical care due to not having health insurance. New
Yorkers without health insurance were four times more likely to not seek medical care
as those with health insurance. Dr Frieden, New York City’s health commissioner
stated “All of this adds up to people landing in emergency rooms with costly,
devastating health problems that could have been prevented or treated.”
28 DECEMBER 2007
All these are procedures we do in the branch of
orthopedic surgery. Instead, I asked some of my former
overseas patients for advice as to what they would like
to read about in regards to Medical Tourism in Costa
Rica. Almost all agreed their attention was called
primarily to the type of care they had received in our
Clinic, including my care, the care provided by the medical
team, as well as the entire staff in charge of their care.
We are a group of professionals devoted to solving
your medical problems without forgetting to care for
the person behind the ailments. We want to see that
you recover well from your surgery, but also feeling
emotionally well throughout the entire process. Unlike
in America, patients are not just numbers in a
production line. Fortunately, thus far, we have achieved
this commitment. All our patients not only leave
satisfied with the medical result obtained, they leave
thankful for having found a different way of medical
care.
From the medical point of view, it behooves just to
mention that in Costa Rica we have the highest
longevity index of Latin America, comparable with USA
and Canada. This compels us to have extensive practice
in procedures frequently performed on patients beyond
age sixty as are joint replacements. With a Social
Security institution giving coverage to 100% of the
population and offering highly efficient services, we
have experience in handling implants from the best
manufacturers, both American and European (Biomet,
Zimmer, Depuy, Johnson & Johnson, Synthes, etc.)
In sports, our national soccer football team ranks around
the 35 th place worldwide. This is the most practiced
sport in our country, bringing us frequent injuries such
as Meniscus Tear, Anterior Cruciform Ligament
Rupture, Damaged Cartilage, etc. Needless to say, we
have quite a bit of experience resolving orthopedic
problems.
For years, Costa Rica has been a strong medical
tourism destination with Plastic, Dental and Medical
Surgery. Accordingly, we have plentiful experience with
private hospital infrastructure and patient recovery and
we have excellent rehabilitation centers that our
orthopedic patients now are using.
I look forward to some day showing you the Costa
Rican way we care for patients.
OSCAR OEDING B, MD is an orthopedic
surgeon at the Hospital Clinica Biblica in
Costa Rica