Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG), also known as CABG surgery or bypass surgery, is performed to improve blood flow to areas of the heart, reducing the risk of future heart attacks and preventing death from coronary artery disease. Artery and vein grafts are used to bypass blocked coronary arteries.  

Medical tourism, also known as medical travel or global healthcare, is not limited to just cosmetic surgery and dental procedures. Some of the best heart surgeons in the world that perform CABG surgery are available through Satori World Medical’s Global Network at International Centers of Excellence in India, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Turkey and Mexico. All physicians in the Satori Global Network are U.S./U.K or equivalently trained and Board Certified. In addition to the world-class quality of care, there are significant financial savings when going international for a CABG procedure. While U.S. cost for CABG surgery can cost up to $100,000, CABG surgery through a Satori’s Global Network provider, would cost around $30,000.

By, Kevin Poling, Director of Travel & Patient Services at Satori World Medical

The trend of medical tourism, where Americans are traveling outside the United States for medical care, is becoming more common due to the high cost of surgery in the U.S. Countries all over the world such as Thailand, India, Costa Rica, and Mexico are world-renowned for their medical and dental care.  Below are a few of the most popular procedures among medical tourists:

• Cardiac Surgery: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, stroke and other vascular problems, is one of the deadliest and costliest health problems in the U.S. However, top quality healthcare for heart disease can be obtained internationally at a fraction of the cost than within the U.S. The average heart procedure in India costs a tenth of what it would for the same procedure in a U.S. hospital. The Asian Heart Institute, located in Mumbai, India, performs over 1,200 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedures per year. They are affiliated with the prestigious American hospital The Cleveland Clinic, and provide world-class cardiac care. 
• Joint Replacement: Orthopedic procedures, such as hip/knee replacements are becoming more frequent due to the aging Baby Boomer population, and as Americans remain leading active lifestyles. Having an orthopedic procedure can be done overseas in high quality facilities that can save as much as 50% compared to having it done domestically.
• Cosmetic Surgery: Costa Rica, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil are known for their plastic surgery. Average savings on plastic surgery procedures can be as much a 50%, while the quality of the care delivered rivals that of top U.S. hospital institutions. Top plastic surgery procedures include tummy tucks, breast augmentation, facelifts, and rhinoplasty.
• Dental Procedure: Having dental work done abroad has become popular since most health insurance plans do not cover dental procedures and the average cost savings for dental treatments can be as much as 75%, when compared to the cost in the U.S. Every year, highly trained reconstructive and cosmetic dentists provide dental treatments to thousands of patients travelling abroad for economical dental procedures. Popular dental tourism locations include Mexico and Costa Rica.

By Kevin Poling, Director of Travel of Satori World Medical

Satori World Medical offers many choices in destinations to receive medical care. Whether you are traveling internationally for a shoulder or knee replacement or even a cosmetic procedure, such as a facelift, you and your companion can take some extra time on your trip to enjoy the amenities of your hotel and experience the rich cultural areas in which our International Centers of Excellence are located.

The fifth of the destination cities of the Satori Global Network™ I am highlighting is New Delhi, the capitol city of India.

Your ‘to do list’ while in New Delhi:

• Visit the Akshardham Temple on the outer edge of the city
• Take a spin at Connaught Place
• Go watch the Dances of India – a nightly performance of regional dance
• Make your rounds shopping at Ansal Plaza
• Explore the back alleys of Chandni Chowk for great value on jewelry and more

Transportation

New Delhi is a planned city, and thus, has a vast web of efficient public transportation. Private vehicles make up less than a third of the total transportation demand within the city! There are over 15 subways, over 2,700 bus stops, and a metro railway that can get commuters from place to place quickly. Delhi’s bus system is the largest fleet of environmentally friendly buses in the world. Taxis are also readily available, however aren’t as widely used because the public transport is so easy to get along with. Rental car services are also widely available.

Shopping

Shop for great deals on designer brands where the locals shop – Ansal Plaza. Here you will find great high-end items that are unique, and there is a wide variety of items and styles that will not break the bank. If you are in search of handmade items, but do not feel like haggling with the locals, pay a visit to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium. This is a huge store, with six floors of goods ranging from paintings and clothing, to textiles and furniture.

Culture

Many places in Delhi (greater metropolitan area) radiate hundreds of years of Indian culture. Visitors should stop by the Jama Masjid mosque, which was built over 350 years ago, and took 14 years to complete. This giant mosque is the largest in India and its courtyard has a maximum occupancy of 25,000 people! Another sight to see is the Qutb Minar. This tall tower marks the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi, and the new Islamic ruling in India over 800 years ago. The construction of this tower spanned nearly 200 years, and it’s five stories rise to over 200 feet!

Dining

Like any other popular destination, India is home to the usual suspects of world cuisine. Italian, Asian, and even American food can be found in New Delhi… However, the Indian food in Delhi is hard to beat. Who would have thought? There are a lot of chicken dishes to be found here, from kebabs to butter chicken. Tandoori dishes are a favorite, as well as curry. Vegetarians will love India, as vegetables are an integral part of all indian food.

View more of Satori World Medical’s popular destinations

References
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi
[2] http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/delhi

Ron Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.S., Chief Medical Officer of Satori World Medical 

The new Administration has placed high priority on healthcare reform, to lower costs and improve quality.  Maybe a recent article in Health Affairs (Lessons from India in Organizational Innovation:  A Tale of Two Heart Hospitals, Sept. 08) can help.  Authors from the Duke University schools of law, business and medicine describe how organizational innovation has made Indian heart hospitals a low cost, high quality success story.  Can the US do the same? 

The Indian market is different – with over a billion people and a large middle class, only 14% has health insurance, so Indian hospitals understand that their services have to meet the middle-class family budget.  Lower labor costs are important, but much of their success is due to developing and improving innovative organizational structures to provide care.

• Hospital Management Structure.  Many leading healthcare organizations in India are led by dynamic physician-executives, and there is much more collaboration between physicians and senior administrators than in the US.  Hospital management teams come with experience in the hotel industry to give a more focused customer/patient approach.
• Pricing.  Hospitals are competing on both price and quality – they have developed differential pricing, to target different income sectors and maintain volume and efficiency.  Fixed or capitated pricing is offered, to allow patients and payers to “shop” for procedures and compare prices.  This also shifts financial risk to the service providers, and makes them continually evaluate cost drivers and develop new, innovative approaches to care delivery.
• Drive for efficiency in supply and delivery chains.  The competitive market and fixed costs demand efficiency, increased production volumes, with reengineering service delivery models to maximize use of capital equipment.  Some develop and manufacture routine equipment to reduce costs.  There is considerable investment in information technology.
• Competing on quality, paying for mistakes.  Because Indian hospitals compete on both quality and price, hospital managers have instituted quality assurance and improvement as integral to the business models.  As one physician said, in this business model, “we can’t afford to have complications.”

Can US hospitals learn from these Indian successes, where quality care is provided at a fraction of the cost in the US?  There are barriers to this experimentation, entrepreneurialism and technological progress.

• Medicare and insurance payment policies.  The Medicare DRG payment system does not reward innovation or efficiency or price flexibility.  Private insurance does little to stimulate price competition.  Innovation – new procedures or delivery models – is discouraged.
• Legal Barriers.  The Stark Amendment, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, and other laws stifle physician ownership and investment in new facilities and discourage their involvement in corporate strategy – both beneficial in the Indian heart hospitals. 
• Tort standards.  Even the US medical malpractice system discourages innovation – the “community standard” often locks in expensive and conventional practices.

The Duke University authors conclude that “although most innovation-intensive industries have enjoyed a history of producing new generations of industry leaders, offering dramatic improvements in both capability and affordability, the US health sector has not.  The US health sector, however, may soon resemble other innovation-intensive industries in one important respect: it may find its industry leaders displaced by Indian offerings.  If dramatic cost differences persist between procedures performed in Indian and US hospitals, it might not be long before employers and insurers begin sending patients to India for treatment.”