What Are You Thinking?

India, here we come! Kim's visa pic!

The main heading is the reaction I've gotten from several close friends when they heard that Kim and I are headed to Mumbai for hip surgery. "What are you thinking?" Here's the thought process so far. Probably not in any order of priority except #1 Kim.

#1 Kim needs both hips redone, sooner than later. Unfortunately no one diagnosed a problem which is now several years advanced. She's been getting worse and worse and we can't wait, if we don't have to.

#2 Our insurance, Mega Life, if you could really call it that, is totally inadequate. This is the problem we had with her back surgery. The hospital called 3 days before that surgery to say, your insurance won't pay enough and the cash price, upfront, is $38,000. Please have that to us by Monday morning or no surgery. We begged borrowed and maxed out to get it done. Same deal this time. Hip replacement (1) here in Houston would be $42-47K, cash price. I called and got the price. She needs both. We did the math. $90K. The wait for an appointment is 1-2 months just to get in to see one of the best.

#3 With lots of research we wanted for her to have what's called "hip resurfacing." Only 1-2 surgeons here in Houston do it and they haven't done very many. The most experienced surgeons still do THR (total hip replacement) The most experienced two surgeons in the world for this procedure are in India. One, Dr Bose in Chennai, has done just over 1000. Dr Malhan, in Mumbai has done over 600. Need I say more?

#4 Maybe you could negotiate a better price here in Houston? Maybe we could but how much better? half? 2 for 1? unlikely not. The cost here is $90K. Its' going to be quite a stretch for us to manage the cost in India. $8K per hip, all inclusive for me and her. That sounds like a vacation instead of a hospital stay. That's why its called Medical tourism and its one of the fastest growing industries around.

#5 Maybe you could go to a teaching hospital? We are going to a teaching hospital. Dr Malhan has presented around the world about the work they are doing in hip resurfacing.

#6 Aren't you concerned about going to India? Yes, but we'd be concerned if we were going to the hospital on Fannin. Yeah, but Indian doctors? Truth is, about half the Drs in Baytown have Indian names, I think.

Well, that's all for now. I'll write more later. Feel free to leave comments.

And mostly, pray! de