What other countries are tops in cardiac research?

[supernova]

Disclaimer: I'm not in any way looking for anything immediate. I'm just fine right now, thank you.

I am genuinely thinking about the future though. An elderly supernova will definitely need cardiac care and I"m not sure we will have universal healthcare before I get there. (15-20 or so years from now). So, medical tourism is definitely on the table. And my SO completely agrees.

So what other countries excel at cardiac care/surgery? I'm thinking I need a backup plan.

[old mark]

1. My experience with heart problems here in the US was pretty dismal.

My family doctor told me for over 2 years that the pains in my neck and arms was carpal tunnel syndrome, and that the pains inmy chest were bronchitis, even thjough my lungs sounded clear. For over 2 years, I felt I was having symptoms of heart disease,and one day I stopped in the local hospital ER, got admitted with chest pains and got a full cardiac workup. They found I was diabetic, but I was told the cardio scan was negative. A little over a year later, I had 2 heart attacks and went to the same hospital - they looked at my old stress tesst results and even I could see the blockage on the film. The best artery I had was over 85% blocked - most were totally blocked. The reason I am alive now is that I took aspirin and I was in pretty good shape due to exercise.
I had a quintuple bypass and I'm still here and all is well, but these dumb bastard inept MD's almost killed me. The surgeons were evidently just great and my cardiologist now and my new doctors are very good, but medical care in the US is a crap shoot...doctors look out for other doctors first, and the patient's wellbeing comes after profits and job security for them.

good luck on your search, and I wish you well.

mark
(All the above happened in 2003)

[supernova]

2. Mark, so glad that you are still with us

:hug:

What a story! And you were right to be concerned beyond what you were being told. So glad that you are doing well now.

I try very hard to follow a good diet and exercise most of the time. I have weight to lose, but am otherwise fine. I hope to keep it that way as long as possible.

Were you being treated at a larger research facility before? Cardiology is very much a discipline that if you are at a big teaching/research hospital, the better off you are.

I live a stone's throw from one of the best hospitals in America for what I need, but affording it is another situation entirely. Care for my particular issue could well put me into bankruptcy if I follow the normal pattern and stay here for my care. I would prefer to go to a country with universal healthcare. And I like the idea of taking a vacation to recuperate. :-) That sounds like just the ticket.

[old mark]

8. "Oh, Canada....." Nice tune, eh? nt

[JBoy]

3. Canada has some good cardiac centers of excellence

Probably tops are the University of Ottawa Heart Institute http://www.ottawaheart.ca/index-en.htm

and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, at Toronto General Hospital http://www.tgwhf-uhn.ca/campaigns/munk/index.asp

[supernova]

5. Thank you!

And I'm ashamed to say I completely forgot about y'all when I formulated the question. :blush:

That's just the sort of information I need to help me decide. Toronto I am already familiar with and I love it. Ottowa is completely new to me.

I will investigate both places.

[madrchsod]

4. mayo and the cleveland clinic are two of the best in the world

i`ve been to mayo for a heart problem and it`s world class.


medical tourism for a heart condition is not the a good alternative.

[HuckleB]

6. It would certainly be smart to have a team of providers close to home, IMO.

[supernova]

7. Currently I'm at Duke

and they are terrific, one of a handful of places in the country for my issue. I'm glad you had a good experience at Mayo. If I were to leave Duke for another US hospital, it would be the Cleveland Clinic.

I'm not talking about routine care, just FYI. I'm talking about corrective surgery. Egads it is insanely expensive even with insurance. I don't want my life's outcome being determined by whether or not I win the lottery.

edit: Currently I am uninsured because I am unemployed. Due to my age policies, even through employers, are routinely expensive and skimpy on payouts. Even with insurance, I could still be left holding the bag financially. I don't want that to happen.