Mexico Emerging as a Leading Destination for Hip Replacement, Hip Resurfacing Surgery
Mexico has been a fast growing medical travel destination for several years. But in the past year and a half medical tourism to the country has grown immensely, even by recent standards. In particular, Mexico has seen a significant increase in the number of medical travelers who come seeking advanced procedures such as hip replacement surgery and the new hip resurfacing surgery. Both of these surgeries require that the surgeons performing them be very experienced, and they also require excellent materials to ensure that the patients receive the best results afterward. In Mexico, health travelers are finding the outcome of these procedures to be excellent.
A Trip To Mexico To Solve Hip Pain?
Many individuals with chronic pain have long known about replacement treatment. For many years, it was the absolute standard within and outside Mexico, and it still has an excellent record of success. Many men and women have found relief through this surgery, and have seen excellent durability as the technology has become more advanced over the years. To understand the procedure, one must first understand the composition and function of this joint. It is a ball and socket joint, meaning that the top of the leg bone is rounded and fits into a socket on the pelvis. When this joint is working properly, it is one of the most flexible joints of the human body.
However, it is also a relatively vulnerable joint that can be worn down by chronic conditions like arthritis or through the wear and tear of daily life. The joint can also be damaged during accidents or sudden trauma. It can suddenly go from a perfect specimen of mobility into a source of constant nuisance or unbearable pain. At this point, medical travelers will usually begin reviewing their options and hip replacement surgery is certainly a good one. Medical travel offers a network of leading surgeons at hospitals throughout Mexico, all of whom have the necessary equipment and experience to make the procedure a success. Mexico physicians are also beginning to offer a cutting edge alternative to this effective replacement process. This new procedure, hip resurfacing surgery, works slightly different and for some may be a better option.
What Is Hip Replacement Surgery?
When surgeons perform a hip replacement surgery, they will completely remove the damaged parts of the ball and socket joint, replacing them with synthetic materials. Because these elements must be fit to the individual, finding a surgeon with experience is of key importance. The process itself is relatively uncomplicated, but can have a long recovery time. Those who undergo this method generally see good results; the major drawbacks are recovery time and bone loss. Typically, all the damaged bone is removed, as well as some additional bone, in order to ensure a snug fit of the new prosthetic elements. A correct fit is paramount; too loose or too tight and the pain could return. Luckily, finding a qualified surgeon is not as difficult as one might think. Provided that a medical traveler uses good judgment, he or she can avoid the handful of unqualified surgeons south of the border and find one of the many excellent surgeons to perform the procedure.
A New Procedure: Hip Resurfacing Surgery
In many ways, hip resurfacing surgery is the logical successor to replacement surgery. Resurfacing is a smaller-scale operation to repair the joint, but leaves more of the joint intact. As the name implies, rather than remove the bone as in a replacement, the surgeon will simply sand it down, removing as little as possible in order to attach a fitted plate in the socket and cover on the ball. After the resurfacing process these smaller prosthetic elements will help the joint move, ensuring minimal friction and thus minimal pain. In addition, this resurfacing is less invasive and requires less healing time. Medical travelers often report less pain, as less bone has been lost in resurfacing as compared with replacement.
Choosing A Procedure
Although physicians in Mexico have proven themselves very capable of excellent results with both the replacement and resurfacing procedures, the ultimate decision of which procedure will be best depends entirely on the medical traveler. Resurfacing tends to be a better option for young health travelers, particularly if the surgeon expects them to need additional treatment later on. The more of the bone that is preserved, the easier it is to replace the synthetic elements in the future. Ultimately, however, the decision on which procedure to undergo should be made only in consultation with a health traveler’s surgeon. Modern Mexican surgeons have the knowledge and experience to guide their patients through this important choice. Their offices have the equipment and staff for both, but most importantly, they have the experience for both.
Paulo Yberri is an author for Angeles Health International, a network of hospitals offering many procedures, includinghip replacement surgery and hip resurfacing surgery to American medical travelers.
