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American Surgeons Decades Behind Indian Surgeons Experts Say
While doctors in the US have only completed their second hip resurfacing procedure ever, Indian doctors have been performing this procedure regularly for the past 10 years
By SABRINA BADAL
It was only within recent months that orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. began performing the state of the art hip resurfacing procedure; a less invasive and less traumatic alternative to hip replacement surgery.
Hip resurfacing has been around for nearly 10 years in Europe, India and Asia, but it was only approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2007.
Only two American doctors have performed this procedure so far, however the price has proven to be so unaffordable for North Americans that many of those that are in need are seeking this procedure elsewhere.
An increasing number of North Americans are turning to the Medical Tourism industry for help. It costs over $40,000 to have hip resurfacing in the U.S.; however in India it only costs a patient $8500. Procedures are performed by highly skilled surgeons in state-of-the-art facilities.
Dr. Vikram Shah, head orthopedic surgeon at the Krishna Heart Institute in Gujarat, India, says that he has operated performed more than 200 hip resurfacing procedures since Krishna began offering the surgery in 2002.
"The treatment we offer in India is the best and we use the same methods as used in the western countries at a fraction of the cost," says Dr. Shah.
With the comparatively lower cost of living and weaker currency, India is an economically sound alternative for medical treatment.
Some critics of medical tourism say that foreigners are taking away much needed medical care from locals; however, this is not the case with some hospitals. The Krishna Heart Institute is a hospital dedicated to charity, meaning that every dollar in profit generated from North American clients helps fund procedures for locals.
MedSolution.com, a Canadian Medical Tourism company, is the North American partner of the Krishna Heart Institute. They have been helping North American patients safely access international hospitals for various orthopedic, cardiac, fertility and cosmetic procedures for the past year.
According to MedSolution.com, safety is paramount for those considering traveling abroad for high tech procedures like hip resurfacing. MedSolution.com states that all of the hospitals and staff are fully accredited and the hospitals go through rigorous site inspections before any North American patients are sent there for treatment.
Krishna Heart excels in all aspect of patient care, offering service equal to if not better than that which you would receive in a North American Hospital. Additionally, members of the medical tourism industry argue that most international hospitals offer a level of care that is much higher than North American standards because of less demand on their systems.
"Right from airport pick-up, providing wheelchair, relieving the patient from anxiety regarding cleanliness, nursing care, transparency in business transactions, adding value to customer satisfaction is very important" says Dr. Chokshi, who is Medical Director of the Overseas Patient Department at the Krishna Heart Institute.
For more information about getting Hip Resurfacing or other medical procedures India at affordable prices, please contact MedSolution.com at 1-800-984-0457 or by email at info@medsolution.com
With files form Associated Press and The Times of India
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