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A VERY serious question
https://forum.costaricaticas.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=22278		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Ajoe333 [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:56 am ]
Post subject:  A VERY serious question
Two weeks from planned arrivals date I am scheduled to have an angioplasty . I have yet to discuss completely with my Dr.( he is aware of trip but could not discuss in full now that we have a treatement plan since wife was in the room ) but what are the medical facilities like in San Jose in case of an emergency .
Author:  Crookedcr [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:30 am ]
Post subject: 
I read a Wolrld Health Organization report recently in which the USA was ranked, I believe, 37th in the world with regard to the health care system.

The USA was ranked one place below CR at 38th.

YMMV
Author:  Ajoe333 [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:01 am ]
Post subject: 
I think that report may have incluled factors such as cost and rural access , neither of what is a concern of mine ( sorry if that sounds cold)
Author:  Counte Dante [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:03 am ]
Post subject: 
I'f you have money (less than in the U.S.) medical facilities are excellent. CIMA San Jose is affiliated with Baylor University Hospital, in Dallas.

I've got a buddy who was Chicago Fire Department for 20 or 30 years, so the guy has seen the inside of several emergency rooms. IIRC, A friend of his was having a heart attack or something like that and was taken to one of the private hospitals. He told me how impressed he was with the facilities at one of the private hospital's emergency room. EXTREMELY clean, very quick service, and multiple doctors and nurses working on the patient. At the end, the cost was something like $300-$400. That bill in the U.S. would have had AT LEAST one more zero after it.

Hop on the internet and check out the hospitals in CR. Also, talk with your insurance company and see if there is a hospital they recomend.
Author:  Berk2302 [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Your MAJOR concern should be HOW DAMN QUICK you can even get to the hospital if you're in the gulch with a major issue and traffic is backed up.

Berk....
Author:  Irish Drifter [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:46 am ]
Post subject: 
There are 3 private hospitals in San Jose or the near suburbs that provide first class care at very affordable prices.

Clinica Biblica, Ca. Cntrl./1. Ave 14/16., 522-1000, www.clinicabiblica.com

Clinica Catolica, San Antonio, Guadalupe, 246-3000

Hospital Cima, Guachipelin de Escazu, 208-1000, www.hospitalsanjose.net

Additionally the government CAJA hospitals will treat anyone with an emergency. Hospital Calderon Guradia is very near some monger hotels (SL, Castillo, Amistad) and relatively close to the gulch
Author:  Zebra [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:26 am ]
Post subject: 
I have had a little experience with Clinica Biblica......I was quite impressed; seemed up to U.S. standards.
Author:  NashvilleHobbyist [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
Another thing to consider is if your insurance will cover you in CR. Highly recommend you check with them too.
Author:  Fuzebox [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
CIMA rocks. Sometimes we'll go there and hang out for 30 minutes just to marvel at the 1st-worldness 8)
Author:  Ajoe333 [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:07 am ]
Post subject: 
Medical situation turned out to be a false alarm . Thanks for info . - 15 days and counting
Author:  TheMadGerman [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Medical care seems to cost, on average, about 90% less here than in the US. That's right. 90%.

I basically only purchase "oh shit, i've got cancer!" insurance, it's more cost effective to pay the hospital bills for routine stuff than it is to pay for insurance, at least for me.

I went to a dermitologist. He gave me a complete checkup, a shot of cortizone, and some sample medication, all for $70. That would be a $700 trip easy back in the states without insurance.
Author:  Archieleach [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm thinking seriously about using my trips outside the US to take care of medical stuff.

I was going to be doing this in Bangkok, but now that I'm hooked on CR I'm glad to hear it's possible there too.

I tried to go to the CIMA website, but it was all in Spanish, despite having an "English" button. I look forward to finding out more about this in the coming months.
Author:  Anduril17 [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Angioplasty
Let me preface this by saying that I have a good deal of medical knowledge. Dude, if my coronary arteries were occluded to the point where I need angioplasty or stenting then my first priority would be to get it taken care of as soon as possible and not to be planning a trip to Costa Rica. Yes Costa Rica is awesome, but once you have this procedure done you will have plenty of time to travel!! I would compare this to playing RUSSIAN ROULETTE with yourself... You have some blocked coronary arteries, you do not know when one of those plaques inside the arteries may become unstable and break free, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke, therefore I would not play around with this. This is not a death sentence, you don't have inoperable cancer! Hundreds of people across the U.S. have angioplasty done every day, and you will be fine once you have it done, but why risk travelling to Costa Rica?? I don't know about you guys, but I would definitely NOT feel comfortable putting my life in the hands of some cardiologist/interventional radiologist in Costa Rica whom I do not know what kind of training he has had, and what his reputation is!!! Take my word for it: If you have a medical emergency involving your heart then you want to be in the U.S., preferably near a large urban center!!
Just ask yourself: Where would you want to be if you were to start getting chest pains? Back home where your cardiologist works and is "in the know" with respect to your history and also has assembled a team of specialists to assist him, or in some 3rd world country where they don't know the slightest thing about you, and to top it all off there may be a communication issue, which is the very LAST thing you need in this situation.
Think about it, and I hope you decide to have this taken care of before traveling!
I wasn't trying to scare you, just trying to prevent you from doing something which to me did not make any sense!
Author:  Anduril17 [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:06 pm ]
Post subject:  False alarm?
Wow, your doctor first tells you that you need angioplasty, and next thing you know he says all is clear?? What did they read the wrong cath report or angiogram? That is a serious thing to be given a false alarm on!

Well, good for you! Enjoy your trip!

By the way, I'm not really a "newbie" even though it says that under my user name! I've been to C.R. 4 times so far and have loved every minute!
Author:  El Ciego [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:16 am ]
Post subject: 
Ajoe, this brings up a good point that we seldom talk about on CRT. What to do if one gets really sick while in Costa Rica.

First of all, contrary to statements in both Frommer's and Lonely Planet, while San Jose does have 9-1-1 dial emergency service, the operators do *not* speak English. I have written to both asking them to correct this potentially dangerous and misleading statement. I believe that there may be one or two 9-1-1 operators in San Jose who can understand enough English to dispatch an ambulance, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. I know this to be true from the negative experiences of two ex-pat friends of mine in C.R. Learn the Spanish if you want to talk with emergency dispatch/police personnel.

Secondly, your Blue Cross probably won't cover you in C.R. I buy travel medical insurance every time I travel to C.R., and have had no trouble getting reimbursed upon my return to the States for the two doctor visits I've had to make while in C.R., both oddly on the Pacific coast (one for a wrecked ankle, the other for a wrecked knee).

The hospitals Irish Drifter listed above are reported to be excellent. However, others are reported to be less so. And yes, Hospital Calderon-Guardia is three blocks from the SL, a blocka and a half from the Amistad, 4.5 blocks or so from the Castillo.

Whenever traveling, whether you have a heart condition or not, I think it's a great idea to familiarize yourself with lofcal emergency numbers, locations of good hospitals and the going rate for medical services in these hospitals. Most of the "gringo-friendly" (i.e. "first world") medical facilities in the world accept major credit cards.

Now, here's a question for Irish Drifter or any other C.R. resident who might know:

What are the three-digit phone numbers for a.) the police b.) fire and c.) Cruz Roja/ambulance? The only number that comes to mind is 128, which I think is for the ambulance. Correction/clarification, please?
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