Medical Tourism in Colombia, Medical Care in Colombia
WHY In the world should patients consider going to Colombia?
Traveling4Health asked that question of Shai Gold, CEO of International-Triage, LLC., and a subject expert on medical care in Latin America.
Gold’s background and expertise make him uniquely qualified to answer this question. He is the former founding Vice President of the International Medical Services Department at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL. Currently his medical tourism company maintains a presence in Florida, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Bahamas and Venezuela.
Over the course of his career, Gold has managed over 3,000 international cases and 170 million dollars in international medical services.
Why Consider Colombia as a destination for Heart Surgery?
Gold responded to the question first by addressing what is unique about Colombia’s medical infrastructure.
Shai Gold (SG): “50 medical schools in a country of 45 million people results in an endless stream of medical talent, “ and the private hospitals are world-class; well-equipped and supported by private foundation capital.
Seasoned physicians and surgeons practice their professional with the aid of great support teams. Low cost environment (50-75% savings compared to USA) and proximity to the USA (3 hours from Miami), make for an optimal destination.
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As a senior healthcare planner and hospital executive in the USA, I spotted these trends and decided to bank on Colombia as our key destination in the Caribbean Region.
Traveling4Health (T4H): Most people are afraid of going to Colombia due to concern for personal safety. Isn’t this an issue?
SG: Up to five years ago it was an issue. Colombia of the last five years has changed. Political stability, national determination to eliminate internal conflicts and US aid have combined to result in drastic improvement in the level of safety and security. Previously unruly places, such as Bogota, Medellin and Cali, are now booming with foreign investment and business opportunities. Colombians are returning home en mass to help the rebuilding process and partake in the economic opportunities. Today’s Colombia is NOTHING like the Old Colombia.
Read why one U.S. cardiac surgeon travels to Cali, Colombia to perform cardiac surgery on U.S. citizens: “Doctor Saves Retired Surgeon From Trauma of Open Heart Surgery”
Cost comparisons of Heart Surgery – U.S. to Cali, Colombia
T4H: Can you give people an example cost savings? Let’s talk about the very expensive cardiac surgeries likely to be needed by baby boomers.
SG: Although heart transplants are not available to international patients in Colombia, what is available is a very good pre heart transplant stabilization procedure (LVAD) that in the United States cost a fortune.”
Savings of 77% or more on Heart Stabilization Surgery
SG: Cardiac stabilization procedures are required for people with very limited heart output. A left-ventricular assistance device is implanted by a highly-skilled surgeon who is supported by a seasoned nursing team and state of the art cardiac intensive care unit.
In the United States, this procedure at a good teaching hospital will run (inclusive of the device and the lengthy stay of 30 days in the hospital) around $400,000. In Colombia, we get that done routinely for approximately $90,000.
T4H: What do you mean by “routinely”?
SG: It means that this procedure is performed routinely by the medical staff for local patients. The team is very experienced and, while it is a complex procedure, it is not an anomaly-type procedure for the surgeon. In a nut shell, experience makes for better outcomes.
T4H: Wouldn’t the need for a heart stabilization procedure be an emergency situation? Would there be time to plan ahead for a trip to Colombia for this operation?
SG: It’s interesting that you mention that. It is an astute observation. “People are on wait lists for a heart transplant as a result of very protracted declines in heart output and performance. Technically, you could be an outpatient with less than 35% or 40% cardiac sufficiency for a long time at the expense of your quality of life.
You have a poor quality of life because anything you do is an exertion that takes a toll on your cardiovascular system and on your pulmonary system. But as long as you are managed and you are stable, and you don’t have too much accumulation of water in your lungs, you’re good to be at home. You have time to plan to take advantage of price and quality of life considerations.
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T4H: That’s an excellent example of both quality and cost comparison. So, you’re saying that Cali, Colombia is one of the places you recommend as a destination for this procedure?
Cali, Colombia – Centers of Medical Excellence for Cardiac Surgery
SG: I happen to like Cali both objectively and subjectively. Objectively, Cali is the beneficiary of terrific cardiovascular physicians. There is an aggregation of many good cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in Cali in a region that 30 years ago didn’t have a single cardiac surgeon.
T4H: Wow. What happened to affect that change?
SG: It was a planned approach. About 30 years ago, an affluent patient and visionary Cardiologist physician by the name , Dr. Waltenberg crossed paths. The patient was shocked to find out that he will have to be sent to Bogotá for treatment, as it was not available at any local hospital. He asked Dr. Waltenberg “what is needed to provide Bogotá quality cardiac care in Cali” and gave the good doctor a large tract of land to build the best hospital in Cali.
Today, Valley de Lilli Foundation Hospital is the largest Cardiac Hospital in Colombia, offering world class services. It has become a focal point for training new generations of cardiologists and surgeons who remained in the community and enriched the choices available for patients. Our medical director in Colombia, Luis F. Rivas, M.D., was the second Chief of Service in Cardiac Surgery and critical care at Valley de Lilly Foundation Hospital, serving 18 years in that capacity. Dr. Rivas cultivated and shaped many generations of young cardiac surgeons in Cali.
Over time, the number of qualified surgeons proliferated, and today there are five or six hospitals in Cali that perform excellent cardiac surgery. The surgeons have excellent interventional cardiac skills, and the hospitals have wonderful cardiac intensive care units.
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T4H: What is the name of the center of excellence you recommend for this particular procedure; or would you rather provide a list of all of the hospitals?
SG: I knew for many years about the Valley de Lily Foundation Hospital as a center of excellence, so that is certainly a place that people should strive to go, but they stopped dealing with international patients. So, I looked for a small boutique hospital that is very efficient and effective and safe, and I settled on a place called Clinica Dimé.
T4H: Why Cali for heart surgeries and not Bogotá?
SG: Bogotá is at 8,500 feet of elevation. High-altitude destinations can be very challenging for patients with pulmonary or heart problems. For people who can’t deal with the very high altitude of Bogotá, Cali’s low elevation represents the perfect solution.
Read about U.S. doctors traveling to Cali, Colombia to perform cardiac surgery on U.S. “Doctor Saves Retired Surgeon From Trauma of Open Heart Surgery”
Visit Shai Gold’s Blog
About the author: Ilene Little is CEO of www.traveling4health.com. She is a reporter in the medical tourism business and she does all of the content reviews for the EscapeArtist Medical Tourism Blog.
