What It Was Like Having Double (And A Half) Hernia Surgery In Mexico

Because the proprietor of one of many main corporations that strikes family items to Mexico, along with being requested concerning the process for importing family items, I get requested all kinds of questions on what it’s wish to stay in Mexico, reminiscent of:

What’s the climate like?

Reply: Scorching on the seashore in the summertime and fairly ideally suited within the Highlands just about all yr.

Will I be killed by cartel members?

Reply: There’s likelihood you gained’t. In my complete time in Mexico, I haven’t but been killed by cartel members, not even as soon as. The identical is true for my spouse; she’s nonetheless alive. And neither of us had any points with violence, by any means, both. Why not? Two causes: 1) we’re Individuals, and as such, we’re a protected class; and a couple of) extra importantly, now we have not been concerned with the drug commerce, additionally not even as soon as.

Can I’ve a greater way of life than I do within the US on the identical amount of cash?

Reply: Your way of life will be a lot, significantly better in Mexico for a similar amount of cash as within the US or Canada.

I additionally get requested concerning the healthcare in Mexico and over the past a number of years, I had some private expertise, however nothing like a surgical procedure the place they put you below normal anesthetic.

It was Mark Twain who stated, “Nothing so focuses the thoughts because the prospect of being hanged.”

The identical may be stated about one’s reply about virtually something within the summary when the fact is about to occur. Like, for instance, giving glib solutions concerning the healthcare in Mexico within the summary with out ever experiencing a extra concerned surgical procedure oneself.

That was about to alter.

How would I reply the query about healthcare after I had a extra severe surgical procedure?

Upon listening to that I wanted the surgical procedure, would I panic and need to return to the US?

No, I wouldn’t.

We stay about half of the yr at Lake Chapala, which has, as a significant profit, the healthcare amenities of Guadalajara about 45 minutes to an hour and a half away, and these amenities are identified for his or her very trendy, very high-quality care. It’s one of many explanation why we stay right here. Whereas I’m not an professional, and relative to private expertise (fortunately) I can’t converse with authority concerning the high quality of the healthcare in different areas of Mexico, I assume that Mexico Metropolis and a lot of the main expat areas have good high quality healthcare, together with Merida, within the Yucatan, which can be identified for excellent care.

After I was rising up within the Los Angeles space, I had an American pal who went to medical faculty in Guadalajara after which practiced within the US. He was a reasonably good physician, in order that was signal.

Different good indicators had been just about every part else I heard concerning the healthcare right here, particularly for individuals such as you and me.

Why do I write “for individuals such as you and me?”

As a result of, whereas within the US, you (possible) and I (definitely) are simply common individuals who get common medical care, whereas in Mexico, we’re considered as a part of the higher class, so we get higher class medical care. It might not be honest, however it’s true. My major level of bringing this up is that the expertise I’m about to explain with the Mexican healthcare system is for an upper-class degree of care, which is given to virtually all expats. Do all Mexicans get this degree of care? No, they don’t, identical to within the US, should you needed to go to a clinic for individuals with no cash, you wouldn’t get Johns Hopkins’ degree care, both.

Right here is my timeline:

Tuesday, after an superior pickleball efficiency: I see a lump and suspect an issue.

Wednesday at 11:30: I present up with out an appointment on the native hospital at Lake Chapala, not in Guadalajara.

Wednesday at 11:45: The physician sees me, and suspects I’ve a hernia.

Wednesday at midday: They do an ultrasound, which confirms that I’ve an inguinal hernia, which is the commonest in males and particularly in males my age.

Wednesday at 12:15: I meet with the physician to overview the results of the ultrasound, which I used to be already informed by the technician doing the ultrasound: I had a hernia.

Wednesday at 12:30: I’m prepared to take a look at. The hospital tells me that the entire invoice, out of pocket, with out insurance coverage, is $1,800 pesos (a bit over USD $100).

Wednesday at 12:31: I pay the invoice hurriedly and depart the premises earlier than they’ll change their thoughts.

Wednesday at 12:32: After evaluating what the fee can be within the US, on behalf of my funds, I pause to specific thanks once more for being in Mexico. It’s a good second.

Wednesday at 9 PM: The physician on the hospital emails me the ultrasound report.

Thursday at 11:00: I depart a message for my medical health insurance agent, Andre Bellon.

Thursday at 11:50: Andre calls me again, explains the prices (about equal to my deductible of $100,000 pesos, or rather less than USD $6,000) and totally different doable procedures and recommends Dr. Valenzuela, who had extraordinarily skillfully carried out a minor surgical procedure on my spouse a couple of years earlier. (He was nice. There was no scar and I paid him in money within the foyer of the hospital.)

It seems that Dr. Valenzuela has privileges at a number of hospitals within the Guadalajara space and is an professional in robotic surgical procedure. Andre tells me that the machine to do the robotic surgical procedure is at a hospital that isn’t in community, so there can be round a $15,000 pesos penalty (round USD $900), if I made a decision to have the robotic surgical procedure.

Thursday at 12:20: I depart a textual content on WhatsApp for Dr. Valenzuela, together with my ultrasound report.

Thursday at 12:50: Dr. Valenzuela responds and instructs me to make an appointment at his native workplace at Lake Chapala for Monday at midday the place he would meet me there to debate it.

Monday at midday: Dr. Valenzuela examines me and instantly is aware of the issue. It seems that, since he carried out my spouse’s surgical procedure, on condition that he had finished so many hernia surgical procedures, he had taken on the identify “Dr. Hernia”, and I consider he even copyrighted or registered it in Mexico. Dr. Valenzuela was such an professional that he teaches the process to different docs and had finished 1000’s of them. One other good signal.

Monday at about 12:15 to 12:19: Dr. Valenzuela explains the choices, that are just about restricted to the robotic surgical procedure on the hospital that was out of community and laparoscopic surgical procedure at a hospital that was in community. Dr. Valenzuela tells me that the robotic surgical procedure wouldn’t be wanted for me, as a result of I hadn’t had different surgical procedures within the space and mine can be fairly easy (for him). After I defined that Andre had informed me that my insurance coverage deductible was in all probability greater than the price of the surgical procedure, Physician Valenzuela stated that I may simply pay him a specific quantity lower than my deductible of $100,000 pesos and he would pay all the opposite payments, utterly.

Monday at 12:20: I conform to the funds.

Monday at about 12:21: Dr. Valenzuela explains extra about how the surgical procedure can be finished, together with drawings, photos, a couple of movies that I didn’t actually need to see and a proof (with photos in fact, and one other video I didn’t must see of it being finished) of how they may insert three small tubes by way of tiny incisions in and round my navel, inflate my belly cavity with carbon dioxide so they may see higher, push mesh by way of the tubes, push or pull the hernia again, and fasten the mesh on either side, all with devices manipulated by way of the tubes, a digital camera and a lightweight, and watched on a tv display screen. The entire thing would take lower than 90 minutes, after which, he and the opposite medical professionals would have lunch and another person would wheel me again to my room.

Thursday: Our driver Gilberto picks up my spouse and me from our dwelling at Lake Chapala and drives us to Hospital Joya in Guadalajara. On their web site you’ll be able to see an image of the doorway to the hospital with a lot of individuals lined up and a Mariachi band. They in all probability took this throughout Covid, as a result of once I arrived, there was near no one there, and I didn’t get the serenade, both.

Within the foyer, they put me in a wheelchair, I stated “Goodbye” to my spouse and Gilberto, they usually wheeled me as much as my room. My first impression of my room was that it was very massive, non-public, and had a sofa giant sufficient to sleep on. My second impression was how good it was that, by way of the again door, seconds later, emerges my smiling spouse who I had left about 5 minutes earlier, together with Gilberto, holding all my spouse’s provides.

They had been going to stick with me in my room.

That is the best way it’s usually finished in Mexico. If it’s a must to keep in a single day, so will your loved ones. They get a mattress or a giant sofa they usually even get meals. Later, whereas Dr. Valenzuela can be manipulating devices into my gassed up stomach a bit down the corridor, my spouse would take a pleasant nap on that sofa, on prime of the sheet and cozy pillow she had introduced for simply such an event.

I wasn’t going to be there in a single day, however it was very good that I had a really massive lavatory with good toiletries (identical to you’ll count on in a pleasant resort) with a very nice, massive bathe, and so on. (It was all very nice.)

They’d a TV that my spouse may watch later from the consolation of the hospital mattress I’d have vacated whereas I used to be having mesh sewn into my physique. The monitor had a disconcerting message, however I used to be fairly sure it was solely in reference to the TV sign. (See the image to the suitable and up a bit.)

They put the basic hospital gown on me. In succession, I received requested questions by a number of individuals who launched themselves: a really candy youthful physician with a sweatshirt that learn “Mind Washed Era”, the nurse who can be in control of me after my operation, the nutritionist, and a number of other different individuals.

My spouse handed out individually packaged cookies and water to the medical workers. In fact, I couldn’t eat or drink something. Everybody else was nicely fed and blissful.

They put the IVs into my arm.

Then, from about three toes away, on the finish of my mattress, I used to be handled to the comedian spectacle of two of the feminine nurses attempting to place the compression socks on me. They clearly had each method and willpower, however I assume that I used to be greater than the common affected person, so that they had to herald somebody with extra higher physique power. After about 5 minutes, loads of laughter and loads of wiggling and pushing and pulling, it was finished; the compression socks had been on. Modern, they aren’t, however neither was the gown, as you’ll be able to see for your self. Everybody rested

and congratulated themselves on a job nicely finished. I don’t bear in mind any excessive fives, however everybody had quantity of esprit de corps.

Dr. Valenzuela appeared and we talked for about 60 seconds. He stated they had been ready for us. I received put onto one other mattress, rolled over to simply outdoors the working room, requested extra questions, put onto the mattress into the working room, and requested but extra questions.

Wanting up from my mattress, along with watching the ceiling, tilting my head barely, I may see that there have been maybe 5 – 6 individuals within the working room, all busily preparing for my surgical procedure. They rolled within the monitor they might be watching after they inserted the tubes and pumped me up with fuel.

A person who recognized himself because the anesthesiologist stated hiya and informed me that I’d maybe really feel a bit dizzy in a couple of seconds.

The subsequent factor I knew, I used to be speaking with my spouse about an hour and a half later in my good, massive, non-public room with the great toiletries.

I assume it was signal that I used to be hungry, however I didn’t very like what occurred subsequent.

My spouse and Gilberto needed dinner. They ordered from the menu, through the hospital telephone, like room service on the 4 Seasons. They had been having a grand time. About 20 minutes later two hamburgers with french fries appeared, one plate for my spouse and one plate for Gilberto. They seemed actually good, they usually smelled actually good.

Nonetheless, they didn’t deliver me something, so I used to be left to surprise what my hamburger would appear to be.

Possibly a double with some further crisp pickles, as a result of, in spite of everything, I used to be the one who had the surgical procedure, not my spouse or Gilberto.

Lastly, they introduced in my meal, not but revealed as a result of the plate had a metallic cowl. Stuffed with anticipation, I put my finger within the gap in the midst of the metallic cowl, pulled up and to the suitable, and checked out what was revealed beneath, on the plate. There it was: slices of cantaloupe and honeydew. Properly offered, I’ll grant you, in fairly layers. However a hamburger, it was not.

I seemed up with a little bit of righteous indignation to see my spouse was consuming french fries and Gilberto had that kind of squinty-eyed look of somebody who was actually concentrating on having fun with his meal whereas wiping the catchup from his mouth.

They each smiled and waved, mouths too full with hamburgers and french fries to talk.

After swallowing, my spouse requested the workers what they used to season the french Fries, as a result of they had been so good.

I ate the fruit.

I don’t bear in mind being in any ache by any means; just a few delicate cramping. In a couple of hours, that they had me stroll across the commodious room, after which put me again within the wheelchair for the return journey to the foyer, sans a meaty meal.

Two hours later, Gilberto delivered my spouse and me to our dwelling. 4 days of vegetarian meals with little or no flower adopted, ready lovingly by my spouse, who may be very, excellent at being artistic at making greens and fruits as interesting as they are often.

It’s now been three weeks and I’m doing very nicely, albeit a bit sore. I had one publish op go to with Dr. Valenzuela through which he did his personal ultrasound and verified that everying went nicely. He additionally informed me that, whereas he was doing the surgical procedure, he observed that I had one other hernia as nicely, in my navel.

So, he fastened that one on the best way out, no further cost.