Sex Change Surgery in India - New Trend in India's Medical Tourism Industry

Patients from all part of the blog have been visiting India mainly for procedures like joint replacement, hip replacement, surrogacy, weight loss surgery, cosmetic surgery, dental care, organ transplants, Ayurveda etc. However, there was not or unknown numbers of medical tourists who visit for sex change surgery. Ideally, Thailand has been one of the most preferred location for sex change surgery. This trend in now changing and there is a growing number of foreigners who visit India for affordable sex change surgeries. Major part of those tourists consists from UK, US and Australia.

What is Sex change Surgery?

Sex change surgery also known as Sex reassignment surgery, Gender Affirmation Surgery (GAS), Sex Re-alignment Surgery or simply called a Sex-change operation. This is a procedure performed where pateints wants to changes in their sexual characterstics so that their sexual function and physical appearance resemble to the opposite sex. Most of the people who opt for sex reassignment surgery included those suffering from Gender Dysphoria (a kind of gender identity disorder) or the transgender people.  The two kinds of processes are Male to Female and Female to Male. Female to male is more complex as compared to Male to Female. Both the surgeries include change of sexual organs and further procedure like vocal chord surgery for required change in the voice.

Why India is preffered location for sex change surgery?

• M Visa - New medical visa is quick to get and are valid for a year. Thanks to the Indian government approach to boost the medical tourism industry.
• Cheaper, fractions of what is costs in homeland and even cheaper as compared to Thailand.
• No waiting period
• Well connected flights from all over the world 
• Advance health care facilities
• English speaking staff at most hospitals and easy availability of translator for non-English speaking patients. 

 However there are some things that patient like to know prior to visiting India for sex change surgery.

• Conservative approach on this topic
• Rejected transgender community in India 

What are the requrement for gender change surgery in India?

• Spousal Release Form if married
• Patient must be abover 10 years of age (Major)
• In case of minor a parental release form is required. 
• Must be in stable frame of mind, and are living in society as the new desired external appearance (Real Life Experience) for at least 1-year. 
• Continuous consultation & counselling with psychiatrist (mental health physician) for at least 1-year; and approval with two independent Psychiatrists for surgery at two different intervals (a gap of at least 6-months) to rule out any abnormal mental status or infatuation or temporary attraction and IQ of patient. - 
• Affidavidt from patient that he/she is a major and is capable of taking the decision for the procedure independetly. Patient must aso recognize that he/she understants the pros and cons of the proedure.  Also knows the fact that process is irreversible.

Are there any complexities involed ?

Like all other medical prooecdure there are fear of infection and post-operation pain. But with advance technology these thing are taken care and there is no need to worry about. So far there aren't any reports of death during procedure thus we can say its relatively safe :). Morevoer majority of the patinets are said to leave happy life but a percantage of sucidal death of death due to unknown facts are also reported.Some other issues include:

• Patient might not be satisfied with the desired results of sex changes
• Dysfunctional penis in male to female procedure. 
• Process is irreversible
• Once gender changes patient can't become father or mother.

Chandigarh as a medical tourism destination

India is knows destination for medical tourism and cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat are already attracting thousands of medical tourists annually. Chandigarh also know as the city beautiful is also getting popular as a medical tourism destination. Though foreign national have recently started to visit this place for various medical procedures, there is a long history of NRI Punjabi's getting treated here in Chandigarh while they visit India to meet the family members, to attend some weddings etc or a vacation trip.

Recently the city administration has also started to promote medical tourism. There are various public and private hospitals and clinics in Chandigarh with state of the art technology and highly skilled doctors and surgeons. Chandigarh is a city free from pollutions, crowd and traffic jams. Also it is very near to tourist places like Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Leh etc. Medical tourist can get treated and visit nearby places if medical condition allows them to do so. Even in Chandigarh there are lots of tourist attraction places.

What Chandigarh has to offer to the medical tourists:

Chandigarh is a planned city, with lots of greenery. Making it a best place for treatment. The incidents of crime are very rare here as compared to other metros etc. So medical tourist are safe. Cost are one of the major advantages of getting treated in Chandigarh. Various procedures here could cost up-to 80% less as compared to the costs in US, UK, Australia etc. To summarize here is what Chandigarh offers as a medical tourism hub:

• Discounted medical care
• JCI accredited hospitals like Fortis, Chaitanya, Grewal Eye care
• Easier Medical visa 
• Easy connectivity by Air, Rail and Road
• Experienced and English speaking staff
• No waiting 

In Chandigarh you can get all kinds of latest medical facilities like Spine surgery, Dental Implants, Hair Care, Skin Care, Cancer Treatment, Hip Replacement, Infertility treatment, Surrogacy, Thyroidectomy etc.

I hope you like this post. In case you are looking for treatment abroad, I'd like to suggest that you read questions to ask before seeking a medical trip here. This is a must read post for every medical tourists.

In case you've any experience with treatment in Chandigarh. Please share your story and we'd be happy to post about it.

Dubai Emerging as new Medical Tourism Destination - Medical Tourism In Dubai

Dubai is a new and rising destination for medical tourism. To help country rise from among top 20 nations for medical tourism to top 10 the Dubai Health Authority has already started meeting with private hospitals for discussion from last month. Dubai Health Authority is serious about discussion with these hospitals about constituting new medical tourism strategy and providing instruction to hospitals about things to do and include in promotion of medical tourism in the nation.

Dubai as a country has grown tremendously in last 2-3 decades. Country which was previously known to be a desert in now the world attraction for real estate business, tourism and annual international business fairs. Country has also grown a lot in health care industry. Dubai boasts of western standard health care facilities but at much cheaper costs. Various treatments and procedures in Dubai cost around 30 to 80 percent cheaper as compared to costs in countries like US, UK and Australia etc.

Dubai is already on the way to offer medical tourism packages to patients that will include visa, stay and leisure activities and those accompanying the patients.  All the hospitals and clinics will be required to provide these all inclusive services and also get registered with Medical Tourism Club as per new medical tourism policy that would be effective from Sept-2014 onwards.

Highlights of medical tourism industry in Dubai:

• 10+ JCI accredited hospitals and clinics
• Dubai got the first hospital in middle east to be accredited by JCI
• Staff at Dubai hospitals and clinics is fluent and comfortable speaking in English
• Translators also available 
• Free Visa on arrival at Airport
• A small Visa fee is you are entering Dubai by land route
• Daily flights by various carriers from around the globe
• Lots of tourist attractions & luxury shopping destinations - Upon treatment one must not miss a camel ride and belly dance.
• Quality hotels and restaurants for your stay (Though it's difficult to find a budget hotel in Dubai, there are few budget hotels)

If you've any queries regarding medical tourism in Dubai, send us an email. 

Thyroid Disorder Treatment Abroad - Medical Tourism for Hypothyroidism

Thyroid is a organ of human body located near the neck, immediately below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid hormone aids in the growth of the human body and responsible for proper metabolism functions. Thyroid hormone should be remain at a certain level in the bloodstream of the body. If their is increase or decrease in the this level, then this is termed at thyroid disorder.

What is Thyroid disorder?
Thyroid disorder means that the gland are not secreting the thyroid gland in proper amounts. It is either too low or to high.

Kind of Thyroid disorders: There are various kind of thyroid disorder diseases like:

1. Hypothyroidism - When amount of thyroid hormones is less that the normal amount, it is termed as hypothyroidism
2. Hyperthyroidism - When amount of thyroid hormones is less that the normal ammount, it is termed as hyperthyroidism
3. Thyroiditis - Inflammation in the thyroid gland
4.  Thyroid cancer
5. Goiter - Enlarged gland

Symptoms of Thyroid disorder: Though the symptoms og thyroid disoroder may vary from individual and could be hard to diagnose at the early stages. The common symptoms of thyroid disorders in human body includes: 

• Quick weight loss or gain in weight when eating properly
• Menstrual irregularities in females
• Hair loss
• Increased sensibility to cold
• Swollen neck
• etc...

Normally thyroid can't be detected easily as people mistaken the symptoms with other diseases. So the best way to know is to get yourself diagnosed by three test i.e. T3, T4  and TSH to know about abnormalities in thyroid. 

Thyroid disorder treatment: If thyroid disorder levels are not that excessive then it can be treated by oral medications that are taken early in the morning empty stomach. However if there is excessive malfunctioning then thyroid can be treated by surgery. It could also lead to tumors etc then patients might need to have surgery or undergo internal therapy using radioactive iodine after surgery.  

Thyroid surgery abroad: If any person needs thyroid surgery and if the surgery costs are higher in the country they live. Then  treatment abroad to medical tourism hubs like India, Mexico, Korea,Japan etc can be a cost effective option to choose from. All these countries have an excellent medical care facilities, experienced doctors and the treatment cost is fractions of what it could costs in countries like US, UK, Canada, Australia etc.  Also read this post on "Thyroidectomy Surgery Abroad".

Here is list of some hospitals you can research or ask for quotes: 

1. Acibadem Maslak Hospital, Turkey
2. HM Hospitales, Spain
3. Nova Medical Center Koramangala, India
4. Liv Hospital, Turkey
5. Chaophya Hospital, Thailand

Dermatologist & Cutaneous Surgeon in Delhi - Dr. D.M. Mahajan

Dr. D.M. Mahajan is known dermatologist & cutaneous surgeon in Delhi. He is an experienced surgeon with years of expereience working at the famous Apollo hospital in Delhi. He is alspo the founder of Skin plus, a skin care clinic in Delhi that offer wide range of hair and health care services in Delhi that includes:

• Plastic Surgery
• Acne Scar Removal
• Hair Loss Treatment
• Mesotherapy
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Liposuction 
• abdominoplasty 
• Blepharoplasty
• face lift
• rhinoplasty
• cheek /chin implant
• male breast reduction
• Acne scars
• Pigmentation
• Wrinkles
• Ear surgery
• Under eye dark circles
• Rosacea 
• Smile lines
• Birthmarks
• Freckles
• Tattoo removal
• Moles / warts
• Botox
• Dermal fillers
• Chemical peels
• Photorejuvenation
• Body shaping
• Permanent hair reduction
• Stretch marks
• Mesotherapy
• Cellulite control
• Vitiligo
• Psoriasis
• Spider veins / varicose veins
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Apart from his experience Dr. Mahajan is higly qualified as well. He has done his M.B.B.S. and M.D. (Dermatology) from Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi. He is consultant to various association and research works and also a Member of International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology, USA.

With over 10000+ international patients, Dr. D.M. Mahajan could be your preferred choice for  Medical Tourism in India.

Let us know if you've any questions.

Neonatologist in Chandigarh, India - Dr. Sunil Kumar Agrawal

For all those who have missed our post on Neonatology in Chandigarh, Mohali, you can follow the link to read it. This post is about expertise and experience of Dr. Sunil Kumar Agrawal, Neonatologist in Chandigarh & Mohali.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Agrawal is one of the most experienced Paediatrician and Neonatologist in India, especially North India. He works in  the reputed Fortis hospital, locate in Mohali, near Chandigarh. Fortis is known for its excellence in medical care and this chain of hospitals in popular not only among locals, but people from other states also visit Fortis for getting best medical facilities. Fortis is also a known name among medical tourist, people from many countries visit Fortis for treatment abroad or medical tourism purpose. Medical tourism saves hundreds of dollars for patients and along with the treatment they can enjoy a holiday in India as well. Recently Fortis have opened an hospital in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh and this place is just around 40 kilometres from famous hill station in India known as Dharamshala. Dharamshala is home to the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama so this can be further tempting to medical tourist.

Sorry for taking this post off-topic. Coming back to Neonatologist in Chandigarh, Dr. Agrawal is highly qualified and highly experienced is his field. After completing his M.D. in Paediatrics, Dr Sunil completed his DM in Neonatology from PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Agrawal is committed to provide best quality health care services to infants and he, along with his  is credited to saving life of many premature babies in India. The smallest premature baby to survive in India weighing 450 grams was also saved by his team.

He is available from Monday to Friday with or without prior appointment at Fortis, Mohali. However a prior appointment is recommended. Hope you like this post, please feel free to share it over social media and comment if you have any queries, feedback etc.

Hair Care Clinic in Chandigarh for Hair Loss Treatment

Hi All,

We are happy to get the feedback about this blog from you all and this post is for Mr. Mukesh Kumar who asked us about a review for a Hair Care Clinic in Chandigarh. Mukesh is suffering from hair loss from a long time and he now want to get medical treatment to control hair fall. I already gave him some of the tips to control hair loss like:

1. Increase intake of Amla in daily diet. Amla is known as Indian Gooseberry in English and is very good for controlling hair fall. You can take amla in any form like eat as a fruit, pickle, muraba, candy etc. Amla has properties to turn grey hair black as well. 
2. Start Yoga: Yoga has great health benefits. Yoga heals the body naturally and you can prevent hair loss by Yoga as well. You can find particular Yoga to control hair fall by searching online. 
3.  Reduce stress: Stress is also a reason for hair loss so one must keep stress in control. 

Mukesh was particularly interested about Dr. Batras Clinic. No doubt that everyone in the country knows about Dr. Batra hair & skin care clinic as there is strong marketing of the clinic. Even they have tied up with large corporate s in the area, where employees can get free consultation or some discounts on various treatment offered by Dr. Batra's Clinic in Chandigarh and Panchkula.  

Since I never been to Dr. Batra's clinic for treatment and also none of people in my contract list, social network contacts have been there for treatment so I hesitated to recommend the clinic to my friend o anyone else. However I'm adding details of few hair care clinics in Chandigarh that can be considered for treatment of hair loss or other hair related problems: 

Dr Batra's Positive Health Clinic Pvt. Ltd. 

SCO-346,1st floor Sector-9, 

Near Baker's Oven, 

Chandigarh - Haryana, 134109, India

Timings Weekdays: 12 am to 9 pm

Timings Weekends: 10 am to 9 pm

Dr Batra's clinic Chandigarh

Site No-SCO -16/17 ground floor 

Madhya Marg Sector-9, near ICICI Bank 

Chandigarh - 160009, Haryana & Punjab, India

Timings Weekdays: 10 am to 9 pm

Timings Weekends: 9 am to 9 pm

Dr Bakshi Cosmetic Clinic

Alchemist Hospital Sector-21, Chandigarh - 160022

Phone: 4981203

Darling Buds Hair Trasplants centre

SCO-73-74-75, House of Shri Gurudev, Sector-17-D, Sector-17, Chandigarh - 160017 

Phone: 4983975

Salt Clinic in Chandigarh - Salt Room Therapy in India for asthma, sinus and respiratory health

Recently I got a promotion SMS about Salt Clinic in Chandigarh that can be used to treat respiratory issues like Sinus, chronic bronchitis,  tonsillitis, respiratory allergies etc. This sound interesting to me and I immediately called the given number to know more. The lady over the phone explained me a bit and then scheduled a free consultation for Salt Clinic in Chandigarh. I got an immediate confirmation about the appointment by sms and got reminder one day prior to the appointment. This was something great.

First visit to Salt Clinic in Chandigarh:

I visited the Salt clinic for my first free consultation and I was amused to see the clinic. The staff is very polite and they asked me to fill up a form after that I had a session with the doctor who explained me the benefits of the Salt room therapy, how it works, where the salt is taken from. She asked me about my medical condition and then explained how salt therapy can improve my condition. She advised around 9-15 sessions that will last one hour each.

Here is the address of the clinic:
Salt Clinic
SCO:21-22, FF, Sector 19-C
Above SBOP, Chandigrah 160 019
TEL : +91-172-5052-700, +91-735-5660-700
Email : saltroomchd@gmail.com

Though my office timings doesn't allowed me to take the salt cave therapy sessions but I plan to undergo the therapy soon.  I'll share my experience about the same in near future.

Thanks for reading this post and in case you've any experience with the salt therapy, kindly share it with us. 

Dr Malika Sachdev - Skin Care Specialist in Chandigarh

This post is regarding a patients (Mine) experience at one of the skin care clinic in Chandigarh. The clinic name is "Skin, Cosmetology and Laser Clinic" and is managed by Doctor Maleeka Sachdev. Dr. Malleka has done MD in Skin from PGI Chandigarh. She is consultant dermatologist and cosmetologist.

Dr. Malika Sachdev is highly expereienced skin specialist and my experinece of skin treatment with her was great. She is soft spoken doctor that listended to my skin problem, analysed it and then explained the condition and treatment in full detail. Surprisingly my skin conditions got healed quickly which no other skin doctor in Chandigarh was able to treat. I've visited many skin care clinics in Chandigarh and Mohali without any positive results. One of my friend referred me to "Skin, Cosmetology and Laser Clinic". Clinic is located at Sector 18C, Chandigarh and is opposite to the famous Tagore theater.

However I had bad experience with the reception and help staff at the clinic. They are not at all polite in speaking and have very unprofessional attitude towards the work. Space is another issue in the clinic and you might have to stand in the ground floor the the first floor to wait for your turn to be examined by the doctor.

Thus I'd give 5 star rating to the Dcotor. Thanks for your help doctor.

Here is some more information about the skin care clinic that you can find helpful:

a) Address: 
Skin, Cosmetology and Laser Clinic
SCF 6, Sector 18 C,
Chandigarh

b) Timings:
Morning: 9:30 am to 1:30 pm
Evening: 4:30 pm to 7 pm

Saturday: Saturday clinic is open from 9 am to 2 pm only.
Sunday: Clinic is closed

c) Appointments:
Its better you take prior appointment else you might have to wait longer. For appointment you can call any of the number below:
0172 - 2775454
0172 -5079318
Mobile: 9872612554

d) Medical and skin care facilities:  Clinic offer state of the art facilities for skin care like:

• Laser Hair Removal
• Laser Acne treatment
• Laser Skin Rejuvenation
• Laser tattoo removal
• Dark circle treatment
• BOTOX
• Skin Biopsy
• Patch Testing
• Hair Fall treatment
• Mole removal
• Ear lobe removal
• Fractional laser for Anti-aging treatment
• And more....

 

Surrogacy in India - Myths about India Surrogacy

Recently Indian health ministry changed the surrogacy laws, making unmarried couples and same sex partners unable to get surrogacy services in India.  You can read more about changed in Indian surrogacy laws at http://medical-tourism-guidance.blogspot.com/2013/03/medical-tourism-for-surrogacy-in-india.html

In this post I am going to tell you about some myths about surrogacy in India.  I’d love to hear your comments regarding the myths.

Myths about India Surrogacy

Surrogates Exploitation in India: This has been true in the initial years of surrogacy but its not true nowadays. Indian surrogacy laws are very clearly defined now and they are to make sure that there is no exploitation of the surrogates. All the surrogates have their own child so they are already aware of what’s involved during their life as a surrogate.  Moreover surrogates are well educated and capable of taking their independent decision just like the surrogates in any other country like US, UK, Australia etc.

Surrogates are from poor family and uneducated: Its not true and above all the couple is shown the full profile of the surrogate, so nothing like he being from poor family or uneducated.

 In case you have any doubts regarding Indian surrogacy practices and laws feel free to get in touch by comment form and we'll respond accordingly.

Medical Tourism for Surrogacy in India gets setback

Surrogacy in India was very popular among childless couples from various countries like US, Canada etc. For many surrogacy clinics in India has been earning huge profits by surrogacy medical tourism. However a recent directive from the home ministry has caused setbacks for such clinics and medical tourism companies that used to send patients to India for surrogacy.  Let me clarify what this directive includes. As per the new directive India has banned surrogacy for gay couples. This means that single males or gay couples cannot get the surrogacy services now. The new directive also bans married couples who have been married less than two years from getting an Indian surrogate to give birth to their child.

The worth of the surrogacy business in India is estimated more than 180 to 200 crore Indian rupees. Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat cities in India were the top choice for surrogacy among foreign couples until this new directive.

Abroad many couples live together without getting married legally as marriage can be an expensive affair, so this will cause a further setback to the industry.  However laws are made to be changes later so we can expect government to make some changes in the law. We’ll keep you updated about any news on this.

Japan the new attraction for Medical Tourists

Japan may soon be one of the top medical tourism destinations in the world. People behind the medical and health care industry are very committed towards the growth of medical tourism in the country also known as "Land of the Rising Sun".

Japan is already a top tourist’s destination and given the fact the country offers great quality medical care facilities. In the recent past Japan has received majority of medical tourists from Asia and this is the main reason the Japanese government is taking some positive steps to promote the medical tourism in Japan and attract tourists for medical treatment in Japan.  Heavy inflow of medical tourists in other Asian countries like India, Thailand, and Singapore etc is also the main reason that Japan Government is serious about promoting medical tourism in the country.

Steps taken by Japan Government to promote medical tourism

Japanese government has already taken some steps that are need to attract people t chose Japan while considering health care r medical treatment abroad. Here are some main steps taken:

• Flexible Visa rules for medical tourists:  Time of medical travelers visa has been extended double the normal traveler visa i.e. anyone visiting the country for medical purpose can stay in the country for six month to get treatment
• Certification & Accreditation of hospitals and clinics: This is a clever and planned step I’d say. Since quality of medical care and hygiene is the main concern among the patients. If hospitals and clinics are certified by the government or a certifying body that would gain the confidence f medical tourists.
• Online Marketing: Launching of website and promotion over search engines and social networks is being done heavily.
• Medical Tourism Packages: Packages always help; various medical packages have been developed to attract people for treatment in Japan.
• Promote English Language
• Availability of Translators at hospital
• Provide accommodation in hospital with non-Japanese & vegetarian food etc.
• Target 2020: Japan has set the target to be the number one medical tourism destination by the year 2020 with more than 400,000
• Limit raised for medical schools: Previously  only a few students can get themselves enrolled for medical education in Japan, this limit has been raised recently keep in view the medical tourism 2020 target, Japan government has set up.

What Japan has to offer as a medical tourism destination?

It’s hard for Japan to compete on price with other Asian countries like India, Thailand etc. However Japan has got some edge in medical technology that the country can consider a major plus point to attract patients. Here are some unique things Japan offers to its medical tourists:

• Japan is world’s cancer specialists: Doctors in Japan are highly skilled for treatment of various kinds of caners. Radiotherapy and regenerative medicine is considered to be the specialty of Japanese doctors.
• Some high tech medical services are not available in developing nations. Japan can capitalize on this.

 

Hope medical tourism industry in Japan will meet the set targets and benefits not only Japan but people in developed nations like China, USA, Russia who find medical care very costly in the respective home nations.

Liver Transplant in India – The Medanta Story

India no doubt has earned the reputation among medical tourists. There are many hospitals India that are known for medical tourism like Fortis, Wockhardt Hospital, Apollo Hospital, Hiranandani Hospital,Artemis Health Science, Rotunda Surrogacy Clinic, Medanta Medicity . Every year hundreds of medical tourists visit these hospitals for medical treatment.


 However sometimes treatment can go fatal.  One such event regarding treatment at Medanta Medicity, Gurgoan is being shown as breaking news in the media.  What happened at Medanta hospital is something strange and unbelievable. According to the media one Liver transplant donor died after.  Rohit Chadda underwent operation as he was liver donor for his brother in law. It’s still not clear that is was medical negligence that caused death of the liver donor Rohit Chadda or was there some other reason behind his death during the operation.


Gurgaon police has registered against the hospital for culpable homicide. Though no arrest has been made till dat but six doctors are booked for negligence. It’s being claimed by the family of Rohit Chadda that according to reports Rohit wasn’t fir for liver transplant and despite being aware of the situation doctors cut as much as 69 percent of his liver for donation to his brother in law.


So for all the medical tourists of local people who need liver transplant in India are recommended to check the success rate for liver transplant in the hospital they are considering. And one must also learn about the complexities and danger involved in the liver transplant operation.


What is liver transplant all about?


Liver transplant may be required in certain medical conditions like:

• Liver dysfunction
• Liver cancer or benign liver tumors
• Some other liver disease
• Liver injury
• Long time hepatitis C or hepatitis C virus  infection
• Liver damaged due to alcohol consumption over time
• Hereditary liver diseases

In liver transplant surgery the diseased liver is removed from the body of the patient and it’s replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. In most the cases the donor is from the family/blood relation of the patient.  Though liver transplant is common nowadays but it’s a major operation and both donor and recipient must be fit for the operation.  Recipient may need medication regularly after the operation.

There are certain risks involved in liver transplant like liver rejection. You can learn more about the surgery at http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/livertransplant_ez/


Hope you find this post informative. More interesting posts t o follow soon.

Hospitals for Medical Tourism in Costa Rica

Medical tourism in Costa Rica is growing at a faster rate and number of medical tourists visiting Costa Rica for health care and treatment gets almost doubled after every two years. Thus medical tourism has become a very important industry for this country. Costa Rica is promoting medical tourism heavily and investing good amount of time, money and efforts so that medical tourists have a pleasant experience of treatment there.  One can see the efforts in the quality of medical care and the high standard of hygiene maintained in the Costa Rica Hospitals.  It’s said that patients from countries like US and Canada will find no difference in the hospitals and clinics in Costa Rica while comparing to the hospitals of home country.

Costa Rica is one of the highly peaceful democracies in the world with lowest crime rates and high percentage of literacy (95% literacy rate). All the hospitals in the country are known for providing highest quality of health care services at affordable costs (almost fractions of what it would costs in US, Canada, UK etc)  Top hospital that are known for getting higher number of medical tourists are:

• Cima Hospital
• Clínica Católica
• Clínica Bíblica
• Santa Maria
• Santa Rita
• Hospital Hotel La Catolica
• Chetica Ranch Medical Recovery Center
• Rosenstock-Lieberman Center for Cosmetic Surgery

Some dental clinics are also getting good number of medical tourists for dental care abroad. List of dental clinics for dental tourism in Costa Rica is as follows:

• New Smile Dental, San Jose, Costa Rica
• Dental Cosmetics Costa Rica
• Prisma Dental Clinic
• Meza Dental Care Clinic

Hope you’ll find this post helpful. In case you need review of a particular hospital, clinic or doctor in Costa Rics, please feel free to get in touch with us and we’d be happy to provide an neutral review.

 Related post: http://medical-tourism-guidance.blogspot.com/2010/09/costa-rica-medical-tourism.html

Ayurveda in India

India is always the centre of attraction for tourists. The incredible beauty of India is a call for them indeed. There are a lot of cultural and geographical diversities in India; that are full of pleasure and surprises.

Ayurveda – “The science of life” is the prime attraction of Indian Tourism. Every year large number
of tourists are coming to India to take the advantages of Ayurveda. The glory and the treatments of
Ayurveda are based on the natural therapies; it revitalizes our body, mind and soul.

Ayurveda is an art which is 5000 years old and it is also mentioned in Holy Scriptures of Hindus. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word made of two words Ayus and Veda which means life and knowledge respectively. The therapies and treatments of Ayurveda give a healthy life to its followers; these therapies’ are done with the help of natural ingredients like herbs, curd, milk, flowers, medicinal oils and plants.

Therefore India is the ideal destination for the people who wants to enjoy and a healthy tour. Ayurvedic treatments and spas are becoming popular day by day. Some of the basic ayurvedic therapies india are:

Abhyanga: In this therapy complete body message is done with the help of medicated oils. It helps to
nurtures skin and improves eye sight.

Panchakarma: This is a five fold treatment that brings equilibrium to the body.

Choornaswedan: The therapy is done with the help of herbal powders bundles in a piece of cloth. It
helps in curing arthritis, sports injuries and neurological disorders.

Njavarakizhi: The therapy is done by trained and experienced therapists; having small bags filled with
cooked rice. This is for complete body rejuvenation.

Udwarthana: This massage is done by herbal powders. It is very effective in loosing fat.

To encompass these therapies there is large number of centers of ayurvedic treatment in India. Kerala is blessed with these medicated oils and herbs. The land is known for its exotic spices, medicated plants and herbs that are widely used in Ayurvedic treatments. That is the reason why Kerala is the thrilling destination for Ayurvedic followers. People come here across the globe to take the best ayurvedic treatments and spas. India Ayurvedic Tour is the best way to relax your body, mind and soul.

Dental Implants in Chandigarh: Get Beautiful smile and the City Beautiful

Chandigarh city in north India is also known as The City Beautiful.
Chandigarh in one of the leading city in India in terms of education,
employment and health care. Many patients from nearby states and from
outside the country visit Chandigarh for medical treatment like dental
implants, heart transplant, eye care and other general diseases.
PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research)
commonly known as PGI is the main hospital where patients from
Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and other parts
of north India visit for medical care. You can see thousand of
patients at PGI on daily basis. PGI is run by the government therefore
patients get a world class treatment at affordable costs. On the other
hand there are lots of private hospitals that offer world class
medical care with special attention. Fortis,Silver Oaks, Inscol are
few of popular private hospitals operating in the region.

Dental care in Chandigarh
One can get dental treatment like dental implants, smile makeover,
teeth whitening, invisalign etc at affordable costs and with great
quality. Dental clinics in Chandigarh maintain high levels of hygiene
and use state of the art technology for treatment. Cost of all major
and minor dental procedures can be as low as 10% of what it would cost
in US and UK. This has contributed to the rise in the number of people
visiting the city for dental care. Chandigarh is also a tourists
paradise also and its near to hill stations like Shimla, Manali where
tourist can extend the vacation for dental implants.  Dental tourism
in Chandigarh is rising year by year and many dental clinics are
upgrading regularly to meet the needs and expectation of dental &
medical tourists visiting the city.

Types of Dental implants: Various type of dental implants that you can
opt for in Chandigarh include:

• Tradional implants
• Immediate implants
• Immediate load dental implants
• 4 in 1 dental implants

Benefits of Dental implants:
- Improved chewing ability
- Look like natural teeth
- Better oral health
- Enhanced smile and makeover

Chandigarh Dental Implants Advantage:
- Low costs
- World class oral care
- State of the art technology used
- High quality hygiene standards
- Dentists in Chandigarh are highly trained and qualified
- Various attractions for tourist in and around the city
- Priority treatments for medical tourists
- Well connected by road, rail and air
- Convenient & cheap local transport with facility of local AC buses
- More developments in city going like upcoming metro project
- Dentists are mostly affiliated in IDA (Indian Dental Association)
AND ADA (American Dental Association)
- English is largely spoken

This was all about dental tourism and dental implants in Chandigarh.
In the later post I'll explain more about frequently asked questions
about dental tourism.  Good bye and take care of teeth, visit your
dentist regularly.

Jordan, the new medical tourism hub

Jordan is slowly emerging as new hub for medical tourism. Lots of people are now considering a dual purpose tour to Jordan i.e enjoy avacation and get health care services in the country at the same time.Given the revenue associated with medical tourism industry the Jordantourism board is promoting health tourism in the country strongly.Though Jordan ranks first in the region as a medical tourismdestinations, number of tourists visiting the country either for vacation or for medical treatments have dropped significantly due todisturbances in the neighboring countries. However the country is still very positive about the growth of health travel and aims tore-evaluate the plan to get more people visit the country for healthcare services.

One very strong point that can be in favor of Jordan over other topmedical tourism destinations like India, Mexico, Spain, Turkey etc is that Jordan is one of the cheapest place for treatment costs. Variousmedical procedures in Jordan can costs about 10 to 25% of what it'dcosts in US, UK or Australia.

Jordan also offer convenient traveling and majority of medicaltourists don't need a visa or get it on arrival. This is pretty helpful for those medical tourists who sometimes due to complexities ofmedical condition can't wait for VISA approval etc.Popular medical procedures in Jordan: Medical tourists visit Jordanmainly for procedures like:

• Cosmetic Surgery


• Orthopedic


• Liver Transplant

Highlights of Jordan Medical Tourism:

1. Ranked 5th in global medical tourism index by world bank .


2. English is widely spoken, though Arabic is the primary language


3. Spring (March to April) is the best time to visit the country and summers are extremely hot and winters can be cool or freezing.


4. Visa can be obtained on arrival at a low cost of 18$ to 34$ depending if you choose single entry or multiple entry visa.


5. Well connected by various international airlines conducting flights to the region.


6. Cheap hotel accommodation, luxury hotels can cost from 90$ to 250$ a night. Various hospitals and clinics also offer free stay for one attendant of patient.


7. Various tourists attraction to visits like dead sea, Petra, world class spa resorts, Mt. Nebo, Jerash, the Crusader castle at Karak etc.

Pleased feel free to post your comments or queries regarding Medical tourism in Jordan. Stay healthy

Spine surgery program - Fortis Hospital Medical Tourism Initiative

Spine surgery abroad is mostly seeked in patients who are unable to bear the expensive costs of the procedure in the home country. Spine surgery if offered in various hospitals in India and Fortis hospitam in Mohali is one of the most advanced hospital that offers spine surgery at affordable costs bust at same level of care and technology as compared to the home country. One important thing is that doctors in fortis hospital are more experienced as compared to other hospitals in developed nations.

Here is one very interesting package brochure by fortis hospital Mohali
Common symptoms in spine diseases:

• Neck pain radiating to upper limbs and back pain radiating to lower limbs.
• Difficulty in walking, not able to walk more than few steps.
• Tingling sensation in hands or feet.
• Numbness and stiffness of limbs.

The Neurosurgeon will have to assess neurologically to decide which patient needs spine surgery and how important the surgery is to prevent future complications. Generally speaking, around 805 of the patients with spine problems can be managed on medicines and physiotherapy after clinical examination and investigation.

The following surgical processes related with Spine are available at Fortis:

1. LUMBAR MICRODISCETOMY- for lumbar disc prolapsed: A small incision is given in back. A small fenestration (hole) is made in vertebra to remove the damaged disc. The patient can walk a day after the surgery and is discharged on the second day.

2. Cervical discectomy/ Cervical Disc Rplacement – for cervical disc prolapsed.

3. Spinal fusion surgery- for spine fractures.

4. Spondylolisthesis surgery- for degenerative/congenital lumbar spondylo-listhesis – posterior
lumbar interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixation is needed. The patient can walk on the second day after the surgery and can be discharged on the fourth day after the surgery.

5.Minimally Invasive Spine surgery –
-Microdiscectomy
- Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation

Benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery are:

• Faster return to normal activities
• Less post-operative pain
• Less damage to muscle and skin
• Smaller scars.

6.Verteroplasty / Kyphoplasty – Vertebrolplasty and Kyphoplasty are radiologic procedures for the treatment of the intense pain caused by vertebral compression fractures that are refractory to conventional therapies such as analgesic use, bed rest and bracing for osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

7. Spinal tumors Surgery: for various intradural/extradural spinal tumors.
Intradural Tumors – done by laminectomy and removal of tumor.
Extradural tumors – done by laminectomy and tumor decompression.

We will ensure you get the best care:
Your choice to go for spine surgery is a decision that should greatly improve the quality of your life!

We will help you to make every day of your life more enjoyable and productive by reducing your pain and by improving the level of your independence.

Our goal is to give you improved levels of mobility and ensure that your safely return home after a short hospital stay, usually two to three days. Your cooperation in following our instructions would help you get the maximum benefit from your spine surgery.

These guidelines will help you prepare well for your spine surgery:

Before Surgery: We would like you to attend our Spine Clinic at least one or two weeks prior to your surgery. This will familiarize you with our Spine Surgery Program as well as will answer all your queries. It will also prepare you for your recovery needs. Pre-surgical testing will also be done in this visit.

YOUR ROLE IN RECOVERY: You are not “ill” like many hospitalized patients. Rather, you will be recovering from a surgery that you have chosen to improve your quality of life. Keeping that in view, you play the most important role in your recovery and will have a lot of responsibility in making sure your surgery is a success.

You will make progress every day, but your will also have some ups and downs and rehabilitation may seem difficult initially. Do not get discouraged. Keep a positive attitude and remember that your pain will be reducing with the passage of each day. He more physically active you are, the faster your pain will recede and the better you will be able to get around. We recommend you to increase your activity daily. Walking will accelerate the return of your body functions to normal.

AFTER SURGERY :

• You may need to wear a lumbar belt or collar post-operative to promote a safe recovery.
• Normal diet is started in the evening on the same day. A soft diet may be necessary for cervical fusion patients.
• Cervical fusion patients may experience a temporary sore throat and trouble swallowing due to swelling.
• If your vital signs are stable and your pain is bearable, the nursing staff will help you in sitting up in a chair on the same day after the surgery.
• A slight fever is normal. It is the body’s reaction to the surgery.

PAIN MANAGEMENT
Post surgical pain is inevitable. Pain medication cannot eliminate pain completely, but our goal is to manage your pain with the help of special anesthetics, scheduled or additional medication (we call breakthrough pain medications), ice and movement.

PHYSIOTHERAPY/ACTIVITY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS OF THE SURGERY.

After your surgery, you may feel like staying in bed. You should try sitting up and your nursing staff will help as and when the need arises.

Physical therapy will begin from the following day after the surgery. The nursing staff and physiotherapist will held you to get out of bed before physical therapy and also later in the day. We recommend you to be up and about at least three times a day. Patients, who are bed-confined, lose strength and motion quickly. They are also susceptible to several complications like pneumonia, blood clots and skin breakdown. Getting up and moving in the hospital corridor is the best thing you can do to recover from your surgery.

RECOVERY AT HOME:

• Incisions heal quickly. They usually do not need to be covered.
• Keep them clean and dry.
• You may shower. If the incisions get wet, simply pat them dry.
• Walk at least four times a day. As you begin to feel stable, increase the frequency and distance of your walks. Change your position (sitting, walking, lying down) every hour while you’re awake.
• Sit on chairs with armrests.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Will be able to climb stairs after surgery?

Yes, you can climb stairs (upstairs as well as downstairs). We will make sure you are able to do so before you are discharged.

Will I need held at Home?

You should be able to walk and take care of your personal needs. Do not bend down or lift heavy weights.

Will I need home Care?

Most patients do not need a nurse after the discharge. If you go directly home as planned, you will require physiotherapy for a few weeks.

Will I be able to have a bath?
You may shower within two days post surgery, but tub baths are not recommended. Once you are back home, bathing will decrease the chances of infection.

When will I be able to go back to work?
We recommend that most people take at least two weeks off from work. Whatever be the nature of your work, you will need to be up and taking short walks frequently.

How long will it take for me to recover after surgery?
Recovery happens very quickly after the surgery, but some stiffness and numbness may persist for months.

Neonatology in Chandigarh, Mohali

This article is presented to you by the courtesty of Fortis Hospital, Mohali. Fortis hospital is JCI and Nabh accredited nad offer state of the art medcial services to the patients from Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and neighbouring stated like Himachal as well. Fortis also provides health care services to a large number of patiewnts from develope countgries like US, UK and Australia etc as patients from those countries get same level of medical care an in their home country at the fraction of the costs in Fortis and other top hospital in India or other medical tourism destinations.

Now let me show you the Neonatology surgery in Chandigarh, Mohali by Fortis hospital, Mohali.

With a vision to provide the state of Punjab world class cardiac and multispectiality care, Fortis Hospital mohali has become the focal point of healthcare for the residents of North India; Fortis Hospital Mohall is one of the internationally recognized hospitals in India and has now successfully introduced a world class Neonatal Centre in its premises. The department of Neonatology at Fortis Hospital Mohall has a medical faculty supported by a team of professionals who have the competence to take care of newborns, especially those that are preterm or otherwise requiring critical care.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Agrawal, DM Neonatology, who heads the Department, is a product of PGIMER, Chandigarh. Dr.Sunil Kumar Agrawal is supported by a team of specially trained doctors and nurses who are in attendance round he clock. The expertise in neonatal care is enhanced by the modern facilities at the hospital.
Care of sic and premature newborns: Neonatal intensive care unit (Level III (NICU)
Fortis Mohall has a state of the art NICU AND STEP DOWN Nursery, which is fully equipped to handle all neonatal emergencies and which meets international standards. The tertiary-level NICU ensures a 1:1 ratio of Nurse-newborn for these critical newborns.

Fortis has the best possible equipments: Giraffe Open Care Systems, Ohmeda Incubators, SLE NEONATAL Ventilators, Fisher & Paykel Bubble CLPAP System, Philips Multi-channel Vital-sign Monitors and Phoenix Double Surface Phototherapy Units. Also the NICU is designed to promote developmental care of these high risk newborns’ (special lighting to promote sleep/wake cycle, low ambient noise level).
The NICU has the following facilities:-

• Incubators and open head warmers(For keeping babies warm)


• Neonatal Ventilation (For supporting breathing problems)


• Intensive care Monitoring (Continuous recording of vital parameters)


• Surfactant Therapy for Respiratory Distress (Special medicines to mature baby’s lungs)


• Blood Gas Analyzer (Measurement of critical blood parameters)


• Digital syringe & infusion pumps.


• Blood Exchange Transfusion for Jaundice(replacement of jaundiced blood with fresh normal blood)


• Double-surface Phototherapy for Jaundice (Special blue lights for treating jaundice).


• Total Parenteral Nutrition (intravenous nutrient delivery).


• Round-the clock Neonatal Surgical Support.

NEONATAL EMERGENCY TRANSPORT SERVICE (NETS)
Fortis has round the clock neonatal Emergency Transport Service (NETS)facility, which is used to transport sick and premature babies from other hospitals and to transfer babies back to the referring hospital following treatment, it comprises of an ambulance fitted in with a Phoenix Neonatal Transport Incubator cum ventilator, which can provide ventilation en-route, MULTI-CHANNEL Vital-sign Monitors and infusion pumps.

Each transfer of a sick newborn has a complete team in attendance a doctor, nurse and a technician. This facility is provided at no cost for the tricity patients.

ROUTINE CARE OF THE NEWBORN:
All deliveries at the hospital are attended by the NEONATOLOGIST WHO apart from providing care to newborns educates parents regarding various healthcare issues like breastfeeding, vaccinations, temperature maintenance, bathing, oil massaging and addresses myths related to newborn care.

FOLLOW UP OF HIGH RISK NEWBORNS:
The Department also provides follow-up care for these high risk newborns as they need close monitoring and regular assessment for growth failure, neurodevelopment disabilities, hearing and vision problems. Early identification and timely treatment will help to minimize their disabilities.

OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES
The department has also round the clock availability of Neonatal Surgical facility, radio imaging including Echocardiography, Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Blood bank and State of the art Laboratory services.
When you need help in dealing with a sick newborn, time is of paramount importance. For this reason, we have a dedicated telephone line to access NETS/NICU AT FORTIS HOSPITAL MOHALI.
NETS/NICU HOTLINE: 0172-172-4692211.

Andhra town is world’s rent a womb mart

Guntur abuzz with ads offering ‘services’ for childless couples. THE rent-a-womb business is alive and kicking in the poverty-stricken town of Guntur, located in coastal Andhra Pradesh.

In fact, promises to deliver through surrogacy are being dangled to childless couples just about everywhere — from advertisements in the print media and active offers on dedicated websites, to posters, pamphlets, hoardings and even crude enticements on autorickshaws.

With clinics converting it into a commercial activity, the practice of surrogacy — a couple hiring the womb of another woman to bear their child — has now turned into an attractive business proposition from being a hush- hush affair earlier.

The worrying aspect of the trend is that irrespective of norms and health parameters, several women of the region from the underprivileged section of society are being lured by unscrupulous agents to rent their wombs. Predictably, the response is huge. On any day, many childless parents can be seen making enquiries about surrogacy at fertility clinics in Guntur.

“Last year, we performed 10 surrogate deliveries. At present, we are taking care of four such cases and another three are under observation,” Dr S. N. Umashankar, a local In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and surrogacy expert, revealed.


Read more at:http://in.news.yahoo.com/andhra-town-is-world%E2%80%99s-rent-a-womb-mart.html