Spotlight on Health: Dental and Cosmetic

Besides the obvious cost savings, there are many great reasons to choose the Riviera’s selection of health care providers. As today brings the reality of a global healthcare marketplace in medical tourism, this trend offers a new option to the prospective patient. With the current challenges facing the US health care system, going abroad is a practical step. Most of the Private Mexican physicians can now coordinate treatment plans on the patient’s behalf from the in U.S. This allows for customized and accurate steps to be laid for effectively insuring that a patients operation is achieved seamlessly.

Dental care in Mexico is a great option for American or Canadian patients looking to save money without sacrificing quality of care. Whether in need of a few fillings, orthodontic treatment, a couple of crowns or implants, a clinic in Mexico can offer savings of up to 80% off what you can expect to pay in the United States.When considering the opportunity to take advantage of this option, an informed patient should be sure to understand the specific areas that offer the strongest match for their elective procedure.

A visit to ones local physician or dentist to have their counsel on the procedure you are considering is a good starting point. Discuss all the risks and benefits, recovery times and all associated costs. Does their fee include anaesthesia, hospital fees, all crowns bridges and abutments (regarding dental care, ie ). Medical tourism clients usually seek dental and plastic surgery procedures, everything from Botox to full face lifts, and dental makeovers, including implants. (An increasing area of interest is also for joint replacement procedures...primarily knee and hip, which will be covered in our upcoming blogs)

Then the following election should aim to carefully take advantage of the contrast in public and private health care providers. The majority of value is to be realized by the prospective patient when choosing and elective procedure. As the elective surgeries are almost always not covered by US health care plans, the cost savings and professionalism of the performed procedure is to be fully realized. As technology for dental work and cosmetic operations have reached a strong position with the health care providers in Mexico, the opportunity to safely engage is yet another good option.

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Landmark Corneal Transplants in Merida

The Hospital Augustine O'Horan, located in Merida witnessed a historic event for the facility. Performed recently were the first two corneal transplants to take place in the hosptial, of which experts believe marks a new phase for the donation and transplantation of organs in the body within the region.

Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft) in its entirety (penetrating keratoplasty) or in part (lamellar keratoplasty). The graft has been removed from a recently deceased individual with no known diseases or other factors that may affect the viability of the donated tissue or the health of the recipient. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. The surgical procedure is performed by ophthalmologists, medical doctors who specialize in eyes, and is often done on an outpatient basis.

The interventions were conducted in the newly opened Ambulatory Surgery Units, located next to the main entrance of the hospital. According to staff within the hospital the first transplant was successfully performed Monday afternoon on an older adult and according to reports, Sunday from 2:30 pm marked the time surgery began on the second, the recipient being a young adult. Experts expect a full recovery in both cases.

The family of the donor can live comforted knowing that two people have regained the joy of sight as a result of their goodwill and generosity.


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Scalpel Tourism

It’s called scalpel tourism, not the nicest sounding name ever, but is the term coined for tourism that is directly related to undergoing a medical procedure in a country that is not your own. According to data from the Global Congress of Health and Medical Tourism World, which will hold its fourth edition in October 2011 in the city Chicago, this tourist sector is one of the most successful and rapidly growing global items with many tourist destinations in the world directing their efforts to promote this medical form of tourism.

In layman’s terms scalpel tourism is essentially: taking a vacation, getting your operation done, taking some time to heal and returning home a new you.

Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism estimates that Mexico has been the beneficiary of over $304 million dollars in the state of Quintana Roo alone for the year of 2010, which according to a Deloitte survey of medical tourism will have increased by more than 14 times in seven years (2007-2014) up to 750,000 patients.

Data taken from the State Committee for Development and Promotion of Medical Tourism and Health in the state shows approximately 450,000 U.S. and Canadian tourists visited in 2010 in order to some procedure or another performed, leaving an estimated economic benefit of approximately $90 million.

Internationally, Mexico ranks as one of the favorites in dental and plastic surgery, bariatric (obesity treatment) and orthopedic procedures, vision and weight loss. Domestically, Mexico has fierce competition for this market also, especially when it comes to surgical procedures, the states Quintana Roo, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, Sonora, Guanajuato, Jalisco and Baja California all battling to attract scalpel tourists with highly qualified practitioners.

In this regard Eduardo Paniagua, president of the Association of Travel Agencies in Quintana Roo Internet, explained that Cancun offers services "unsurpassed for other destinations," with not only the low cost of surgeries but sun, ocean, beach and numerous various activities that serve a selling point for having surgery done in the area and adds to the overall purchasing power.

"There are many examples low cost of procedures, but a very significant one is the placement of a gastric band. In the United States it can cost you up to $40,000, whereas in Cancun package (accommodation and intervention included) costs about eight thousand dollars which makes it available to almost anyone.” he said.

For his part, the new mayor of Cozumel, Aurelio Joaquin Gonzalez said he recognizes that medical tourism is a very powerful growth option concerning the sector and will be working hard to potentiate medical tourism in the future.


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Healthy Tacos at Los Aguachiles in Playa del Carmen.

When one thinks about health food, something friendly to the heart and wasteline, tacos really don't spring to mind. When was the last time your cardiologist put you on an "all taco diet"? Exactly. Mounds of meat cooked in lard or deep fried shrimp piled on a torilla don't exactly fit the bill for most healthy eating plans. Well, maybe our doctors need to make a visit to Los Aguachiles for a plateful of delicious seafood tacos or a heaping bowl of ceviche.  

Rather than the deep fried versions (let's be honest...they're really yummy) made famous in Playa del Carmen by Dr. Taco and El Oasis among others, these tacos are all made with fresh ingredients that have either been sauteed in olive oil or "cooked" ceviche style in fresh lime juice. Each taco is served piled high with grated cucumber, pickled onion, cilantro and purple cabbage.

The restaurant offers your choice of corn or flour totillas as well as crispy tostadas and bib lettuce. That's right, for those of you watching excess carbs, all this tasty goodness can be wrapped up in giant lettuce leaves. Completely guilt free tacos!! For those of you less concerned about your figure, there are a selection of delicious salsas, several of which are mayonnaise based, with which to adorn your taco. Choose from creamy cilantro, chipotle, jalepeno, strawberry-,habanero or tamarindo.

Normally, I lean toward flour tortillas with my tacos, (that's gringo style) but the corn tortillas here are like none I have ever had. They are obviously home made and served just slightly fried, crunchy and yet soft at the same time! The tostada shells are good but fairly pedestrian, so make sure you order at least one thing from the Taco menu. I highly recommend you try them. Los Aguachiles has a liquor license so feel free to wash down your tacos with an ice cold cerveza.

Los Aguachiles is located on the corner of Avenida 25 and Calle 34 in Playa del Carmen.

By Michele Kinnon 

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Located in Playa Del Carmen, Angel Notion is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and donations to provide education, medical aid, and opportunities for people of lesser means and special needs.

The diversity of this population and the presence of epidemiological factors specific to the citizens of Quintana Roo impose unique requirements on a health care system. Statistics from the Institute of National Health in Mexico identify diabetes as the #1 cause of death, and cardiac and obstetrical diseases among the most important contributors to death and disability. Congenital heart disease appears to occur with a significantly higher frequency than it does in the rest of North America. The existing publicly funded health care system does not have the capacity to provide access to health care for the rapidly growing numbers of citizens and does not have the first world resources increasingly desired by citizens. Private, for profit hospitals are proliferating to take advantage of aspects of this market but many citizens are people of lesser means, unable to afford for profit health care.

The Vision of Angel Notion is to provide the disabled children of Playa del Carmen with:

• Customized medical attention and rehabilitation to achieve physical and mental capacities of functioning that could not otherwise be reached
• Specialized treatment and surgery
• Seminars on Life Skills to promote independence in day-to-day living
• Seminars on Work Skills to enhance opportunity for job placement
• Love, support and guidance as they find their own way in the community and society at large.

Angel Notion has a clinic with Psychological counseling, Gynecology, Dentistry, Pediatrics, Language Therapy, Orthopedics, General Medicine, Optometry, Nutritional Therapy and ultrasound.

The Association has a Pediatric Cardiology program, with the necesity to help repair, at a very low cost, broken hearts of babies and children who are at risk of dying. During all this time we have been able to save 120 children's lives in Quintana Roo, and other states of Mexico.

There are many different areas for volunteers to be involved in many areas and receive lunch and 50% discount off clinic services.

Angel Notion has the support and generous donations from businesses and individuals of this community and the world. There are many ways to help: you can sponsor a child providing the funds for an urgent surgery such as open heart surgery or sponsor the clinic to buy medicine, medical supplies, medical equipment, computers, maintenance supplies.
http://angelnotion.org/