It is becoming increasingly evident that people returning from Poland, Mexico or Costa Rica are coming back with very little information regarding their follow up care, medications and risk factors.

We have come across several patients during information sessions and seminars, who had returned from these countries, completely unaware that they could have follow up in Canada and how to go about it. Some of them had been told that they had to return to Mexico or Poland in 6 months for follow up and were under the impression that there was nothing else to do in the mean time. It was very disheartening to hear some them mention that there was no way they could afford a second trip back to these countries and hence were left in the dark not knowing what next.....

Some of the key factors involved in this whole process are:

1. Do not leave the country unless you have a physician or specialist that is willing to provide follow up care. Surgical Tourism Canada ensures that each of our clients gets an attending physician statement completed by his/her family physician/specialist confirming that he or she is aware the client is traveling outside of Canada for CCSVI treatment and declares them fit for travel and that the travel in itself is not likely to deteriorate the patient’s condition.

2. Upon discharge from the hospital, our patients are given very clear instructions regarding follow up care as well as medications. They are provided with 3 months supply of their medications and are also given direct contact information for the surgeon, so that they can contact the surgeon at any time, they have any concerns. The surgeons are also at any time available for discussion with the patient’s Canadian physician. Patients are also given their full medical reports including DVDs OR reports, discharge summaries etc, so that a Canadian physician can easily provide follow up care, with the full knowledge of what was done to their patient.

3. In the instance stents are used, patients get clear instructions as to what to expect in terms of possible complications such as stent thrombus, they are instructed to follow their medication regimes and also to visit their family physician upon return to Canada for regular blood work such as PT/INR to ensure proper levels and if not the Canadian physician can adjust their medication levels. A key factor is that we ensure our patients do not travel at least 7 days post surgery to avoid the risk of embolisms. During the 7 days patients (especially those with stents) are closely monitored for any signs of stent thrombus and corrective action taken immediately.

4. Like any other surgery, angioplasty is also prone to complications and ensuring that the hospital is fully equipped to handle any kind of emergency critical care is vital, Equally important is that the patient has medical complications insurance coverage to ensure they are not faced with large unexpected expenses due to complications.

5. Patients should have access to their operating surgeon and hospital a minimum of 6 months to a year as this procedure is so new and long term effects are not yet evident.

Although the lure of fancy tropical destinations, cheaper options for a quick in and out surgery are all tempting, it is extremely important for patients to research their options thoroughly before they make their decision.

1. Do not trust everything you see on the internet/Facebook etc.

2. Ask for at least 5 actual references and make sure you talk to each one of them.

3. Check on the hospitals and physician credentials.

4. Check the facilitators credentials, are they an established firm, how long have they been in business will they be around 6 months or a year later if you need help.

5. Do they have local alliances with Canadian physicians to arrange follow up care for you if your own physician refuses such care on your return?

6. Ask for proof of statistics, how many cases have been completed, how many successful, how many unsuccessful, types of complications that arose, how were they handled etc.

7. Attend as many information sessions as you can in your area and meet with actual patients

As much as angioplasty seems like the only hope for MS patients at the moment, it is still a very important decision in your life, make it carefully. The ideal situation would be if this was offered in Canada and no one had to leave the country, but the reality is it may be a long time coming.

For further information, Contact 1-877-871-4315 or emai: info@surgicaltourism.ca