Samantha Davis, a student at Brigham Young University and daughter of Lee Davis, an employee at Imperial County Office of Education, recently traveled to Centre Metropolitain de Chirurgie in Montreal, Canada for laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. Satori World Medical coordinated Davis’ care which is now part of ICSVEBA’s employee medical plan.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Nicolas Christou, a world-renowned bariatric surgeon. Dr. Christou is an accomplished bariatric surgeon and is a member of many prestigious societies including the American Surgical Association, The Canadian Association of General Surgeons, The American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Christou is part of Satori World Medical’s network of hospitals and physicians.

Weight loss procedures offered by Satori’s global network include gastric bypass, lap band and gastric sleeve. Davis saved a significant amount of money using Satori World Medical’s network for gastric bypass surgery. The patient’s entire medical costs, as well as the patient and companion’s airfare, hotel, ground transportation and insurance were covered under Satori’s agreement with the patient’s healthcare plan.

Watch our patient’s story on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KgfMcpZQ6Y

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Brad H., a 63-year-old man from Palm Springs, California traveled to Bangkok, Thailand in September to undergo a facelift. Below is a recap of Brad’s medical travel experience:

I had heard about medical tourism through friends and the media, and I knew that people were traveling to exotic destinations to have medical procedures. When I heard about Satori World Medical in San Diego, I really felt like this was the best company for me.

I contacted Satori and spoke with Kevin Poling, the company’s Director of Customer Service. Kevin was very knowledgeable and helpful. Initially, I had some reservations about the care I would receive but after I spoke with Kevin, I felt assured I would have a positive experience.

I decided to go to Samitivej Hospital in Thailand for my facelift. I can’t say enough about Satori’s staff, their customer service was outstanding. They handled every aspect of my trip and medical procedure, making all my travel arrangements and transferring my medical records. The service and support I received really helped me understand and feel comfortable about the process and what to expect from the experience.

I traveled to Thailand in September. I was really impressed with the quality of the hospital. I had never before seen a hospital room with so many amenities. My room even had a flat screen TV. The service at the hospital was exceptional. The medical and nursing staff were very attentive and my surgeon was great. He took the time to explain my procedure and the recovery process. I had my facelift and saved over $7,000 on my procedure! Overall I had a great experience and I wouldn’t think twice about doing it again.

“Having worked in the U.S. health care industry for more than 10 years at Sharp HealthCare, the leading health care provider in San Diego and recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor for quality and organizational performance excellence, the care I received at Samitivej Hospital was beyond comparable to the level of care I would have received in any U.S. hospital. Satori World Medical’s kind and knowledgeable team also made all of the difference in terms of ensuring the ease and comfort of my surgery and entire travel experience. I would not hesitate to undergo another surgery through the Satori World Medical program.” – JP from San Diego, Ca.

JP, a 60-year-old health care executive from San Diego, first learned about medical tourism and Satori World Medical in April from his friend, who had also arranged to undergo a surgical procedure through the Satori program.

Prior to learning about Satori World Medical, JP’s plans to undergo a facelift had been postponed by the cost restraints of undergoing plastic surgery in the U.S. When his friend told him that he could save thousands of dollars on a facelift in a foreign country, he was immediately interested in the option.

From JP’s first phone call to Satori World Medical, it was only one month later that he was on a plane to Thailand to receive his facelift at Samitivej Hospital, a leading Joint Commission International(JCI)-accredited hospital in Thailand. Below is JP’s own account of his experience. By choosing Satori World Medical for care, JP saved $7,000 on his facelift versus what that same procedure would have cost him in the U.S.

“I first learned about medical tourism and Satori World Medical from my friend, who was also going through the Satori program. When I discovered how much money I could save (as much as 50%) by traveling outside the U.S. to receive my procedure, I didn’t hesitate to contact Satori World Medical.

From the very first phone call to Satori, I was extremely impressed with the knowledgeable and caring support that was offered by Satori’s team of professionals.  Satori’s Director of Travel, Kevin Poling, assisted me in planning all aspects of my trip. He was always accessible and in constant communication with me at all times throughout the entire process.

At first, I felt a bit of apprehension with undergoing surgery outside the U.S. However, I was quickly put at ease by Kevin who assured me of the high quality of care I would receive at any of the international hospitals in the Satori Global Network™, as well as the fact that I would have their support and guidance every step of the way. Satori handled every detail of my trip, including helping me choose the best destination for my procedure, making all travel arrangements, including my flights, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation. Satori also arranged all details of my medical care, including scheduling my procedure, transferring my medical records to my destination hospital, and scheduling follow-up care for me in the U.S. upon my return. Overall, the support I received from Satori’s team was very professional and personalized.

After my initial consultation with Satori, I chose Samitivej Hospital in Thailand for my face lift procedure. Samitivej Hospital is particularly renowned for its excellence in plastic and cosmetic surgery.

When I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, I was greeted by my driver, who transported me to my hotel. When I arrived at my hotel, the Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair, and checked in, I was very pleased with my amenities. The room was beautiful and completely comfortable.

The next morning, my driver picked me up at the Marriott to take me to Samitivej Hospital. The hospital was immaculate and very modern. My room was spacious and private, which was important to me. It even had a flat screen TV and a couch for guests, not to mention that the hospital offered room service from the restaurants within the campus!

But aside from the facility, the hospital’s caring medical staff was unbelievable. The nurses were fluent in English, eliminating any language barriers, and my surgeon was absolutely wonderful. He took the time to explain all details of the procedure and what to expect from the recovery process and had a very calming bedside manner.

The surgery went very quick and was relatively painless. It was only a couple hours later that I was comfortably back in my room recovering from surgery. After a quick two-day recovery period in the hospital, I then returned to my hotel to relax and recover. I even extended my stay in Thailand to enjoy the country for an additional week. I had a wonderful time!

Having worked in the U.S. health care industry for more than 10 years at Sharp HealthCare, the care I received at Samitivej Hospital was beyond comparable to the level of care I would have received in any U.S. hospital. Satori World Medical’s kind and knowledgeable team also made all of the difference in terms of ensuring the ease and comfort of my surgery and entire travel experience. I would not hesitate to undergo another surgery through the Satori World Medical program.”

 In February 2009, Jessica, a 26-year-old woman from San Diego (who only uses her first name for confidentiality reasons), traveled with her mother to San José, Costa Rica to undergo a weight loss procedure through the Satori World Medical program. Below is Jessica’s personal account of her medical travel experience. Jessica says:

I first learned about medical tourism and the Satori World Medical program from my employer. When I discovered how much money could be saved by traveling outside the U.S. to receive medical care, I was immediately intrigued by the option.

After a brief introduction, I enrolled in the Satori World Medical program and within just a matter of time made arrangements to have surgery at one of the top-rate hospitals within the Satori Global Network. With the counsel of one of Satori World Medical’s Nurse Patient Advocates, I chose Clinica Biblica in Costa Rica.

At first, I had a lot of questions but immediately felt at ease upon speaking with my Nurse Patient Advocate. She was extremely knowledgeable and took care of absolutely every detail for me, from helping me select my hospital and transferring my medical records, to scheduling my follow-up care in the U.S. before even leaving the country.

Meanwhile, Satori World Medical’s Travel Care Coordinators handled all travel details for me and my companion, including making all flight and hotel reservations, arranging all of our ground transportation and ensuring the best possible experience from beginning to end. It was wonderful to know that I could have a companion accompany me. It made all the difference. My Travel Care Coordinator also provided us with a detailed travel itinerary so that we knew exactly where to be and when, and exactly what to expect along the way.

Then when I finally arrived on the day of my scheduled surgery at Clinica Biblica, I couldn’t believe how beautiful the hospital was, from the registration area to the patient rooms. Everything was absolutely state-of-the-art and the care I received from their doctors and nurses was more compassionate and personalized than I had ever experienced anywhere.

My hospital room was great – private, spacious and equipped with every amenity, even a flat-screen TV and sofa! But still what stands out in my mind the most was Clinica Biblica’s caring medical staff. They were extremely helpful. In fact my doctor still calls me to see how I am doing.

Looking back, I would not hesitate again to receive surgery through any of the international hospitals in the Satori World Medical program and would certainly recommend it to anybody else who is considering medical travel.

by, Satori World Medical

Last week, Satori World Medical’s President & CEO Steven Lash and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ron Johnson, as well as Jessica, a patient who underwent a surgical procedure through the Satori Global Network™ in February, were featured in a Newsweek article on medical tourism, entitled “Medical Tourism Appeals to 60 Percent of Americans. Are You One of Them?”

The article written by Johannah Cornblatt discusses why global healthcare is continuing to gain appeal among a larger population of Americans in search of high-quality, affordable healthcare options. It also offers expert opinions on some of the key considerations Americans have when exploring this option for their healthcare.

Jessica, a 26-year-old woman from San Diego, spoke about her experience of traveling to Costa Rica through the Satori World Medical program to undergo a procedure related to weight loss. She explained that even with health insurance, the procedure would have cost her thousands of dollars out of her own pocket had she gone to a hospital in San Diego. Alternatively, by choosing to undergo her surgery through the Satori Global Network™ in Sán Jose, Costa Rica, Jessica said she was able to save $7,500 on her procedure, including all hospital fees, travel and hotel expenses for both herself and her mother, who accompanied her.

Dr. Johnson also then commented on how significant the cost savings of global healthcare really are, particularly for common, high-cost surgical procedures that often require a patient to stay in a hospital for at least 7-10 days. For example, he said, “the average cost of heart surgery is $50,000 in the U.S., versus $10,000 to $20,000 in other countries.”

But beyond the cost savings, what are other reasons why more Americans are participating in medical travel programs and what are the common reservations that some authorities and patients still have about global healthcare?

One of factors the industry is seeing is the growing number of employers offering a medical travel benefit package to their employees. Karen Timmons, President and CEO of Joint Commission International (JCI), a nonprofit that has accredited more than 250 hospitals in 36 countries, told Newsweek readers that Americans who are underinsured are more likely to go abroad for surgery than those who are not insured at all. “That’s because insurance companies will typically cover some portion of the cost for underinsured patients while uninsured patients, who also tend to make less money, have a harder time coming up with enough cash to cover the procedure, the flights, and a hotel room on their own,” she explained.

Of course, there are certain risks that patients need to consider when choosing to undergo surgery in a foreign hospital. Dr. T. Forcht Dagi, co-chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Perioperative Care, commented that Americans should not confuse cost with value.

In response to Dagi’s point, it’s important to recognize that the quality of care available internationally rivals some of the most, well-respected U.S. hospitals. In fact, many international hospitals are affiliated with top medical universities and hospitals, such as Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical.

That is why it is highly recommended, as well, for employers that do offer global healthcare benefit plans to their employees to only contract with a reputable medical travel company, such as Satori World Medical, which offer an integrated medical benefit program that ensures the highest-quality care for its patients.

Dagi also emphasized the importance of follow-up care. In general, patients should think about follow-up care before they cross borders, he said. “Find out what your responsibility will be in the U.S. afterwards. Who is going to take care of a complication if God forbid, there is one?” Satori World Medical ensures that all follow-up care is arranged for the patient before he or she even leaves the country, and its all-inclusive benefit program includes a Personal Accident Insurance Policy for the patient.

Finally, Cornblatt asked Nethersole, who is quoted in the article, if American interest in medical tourism will dwindle if national health care becomes a reality in this country? She said no. Industry experts share the consensus that medical travel is here to stay.