Treatment abroad - Consider Poland!

Over the last couple of years, medical tourism industry gained a new exciting destination – Poland. Private hospitals and private clinics with state of the art medical equipment, staffed with best specialists are opening their doors for patients from abroad.
For widest range of services I suggest Warsaw and Krakow, but there are also small specialized clinics in Szczecin and Gdansk, right by the sea, and in the south of Poland, in the Tatra mountains region.
If you are in search of a quiet place, perfect for recuperation or rehabilitation in Poland – it’s the place to look into with its wide range of rehabilitation and spa resorts.
Do not take my word for it – check everything before you go!
Altough I have full trust in the Polish clinics we promote, I am sure there is no way anyone would make a decission based on just one oppinion. Remember to do research, read as much as you can find on the subject, talk to people wo have had surgery or any treatment in Poland ask to speak to former patients of clinics that you are considering. If you are interested in cosmetic treatment, ask for before and after pictures.
Another important thing is credentials and services of clinics, qualifications of the doctor or dentist, ask if they speak English where you are planning to go for treatment.
Carefully examine any documents before you sign – make sure you fully understand what it is exactly you will be paying for, what is included in the price and what is not. Ask about unexpected problems, cancellation policy and so on. Check how currency exchange rates affect the price you pay, to make sure there will be no surprises!
Usually the price is first fixed in local currency, so paying attention to exchange rates over a couple of days can save you some extra money, making your treatment abroad even cheaper!
Don’t be afraid to express your doubt, go with your instincts. If thres is antythinhg in the offer that seems suspicious or makes you unhappy with the clinic, look for another clinic.
Go through some “what if’s” – what if something goes wrong? What about warranty? What if there are complications? All your questions and doubts need to be cleared before you go.
You might also consider taking your family or friends along – they will keep you company, and in some cases that extra supprot makes a big difference. Plus, Poland offers lots more that just great medical care! Three are many tourist attractions for everyone to enjoy, and again on the medical savings note, visiting a dentist even to fill some cavities might save your co-travellers more than the flight cost!
If you feel confident enough, you can go through with finding a clinic and arranging everything yourself, altough I must warn you, without knowledge of the Polish medical services market, it would be a big gamble.
There is an easier way – choose from a number of companies specializing in organizing treatment for foreign patients in Poland. They will find the clinic which suits your needs best, in addition you can count on help with travel arrangements, accomodation, airport pick up and local transfers. You might even get a prepaid starter so that you can be in touch with them and the clinic without roaming charges. Some agencies have a 24h helpline you can call with any problem medical treatment related or not, even for local shopping advice!

Need your hip replaced?

For those people who are not viable candidates for the newly approved hip resurfacing procedure, or for those people whose insurance will not cover hip resurfacing, the traditional hip replacement is the remedy for many who live day to day with hip pain. A total hip replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the diseased cartilage and bone of the hip joint is surgically replaced with artificial materials. The normal hip joint is a ball and socket joint, the socket being a “cup-shaped” bone of the pelvis called the acetabulum and the ball is the head of the thigh bone (femur). Total hip joint replacement involves surgical removal of the diseased ball and socket, and replacing them with a metal ball and stem inserted into the femur bone and an artificial plastic cup socket. The metallic artificial ball and stem are referred to as the “prosthesis.” Upon inserting the prosthesis into the central core of the femur, it is fixed with bone cement called methylmethacrylate. Alternatively, a “cementless” prosthesis is used which has microscopic pores that allow bony ingrowth from the normal femur into the prosthetic stem. This “cementless” hip is felt to have a longer duration and is considered ideal especially for younger patients.
Who is a candidate for total hip replacement?
Total hip replacements are performed most commonly because of progressively severe arthritis in the hip joint. The most common type of arthritis leading to total hip replacement is degenerative arthritis of the hip joint which is generally seen with aging, congenital abnormality of the hip joint, or prior trauma to the hip joint. Other conditions leading to total hip replacement include fractures of the hip joint, rheumatoid arthritis, and death (aseptic necrosis) of the hip bone. Hip bone necrosis can be caused by fracture of the hip, drugs (such as alcohol or prednisone), diseases (such as SLE), and conditions such as kidney transplantation, where immunosuppressive drugs are given. The progressively intense chronic pain together with impairment of daily function including walking, climbing stairs and even rising from a sitting position, eventually become reasons to consider a total hip replacement. Because replaced hip joints can fail with time, whether and when to perform total hip replacement are not easy decisions, especially in younger patients. Replacement is generally considered after pain becomes so severe that it impedes normal function despite use of anti-inflammatory and/or pain medications. A total hip joint replacement is an elective procedure, which means that it is an option selected among other alternatives like hip resurfacing. It is a decision which is made with an understanding of the potential risks and benefits. A thorough understanding of both the procedure and anticipated outcome is an important part of the decision-making process. During total hip replacement, diseased hip cartilage and bone is replaced with artificial materials. Risks of the surgery include blood clots in the lower extremities, dislocation infection, fracture and prosthesis failure.

Medical Tourism Magazine, March 2008, "Need your hip replaced?" By DR. JAIRAMCHANDER PINGLE