Medicine in Mexico
There are so many articles I should be catching up on, but we keep getting asked about Health Care in Mexico, so I thought, since I have had quite a lot of experience lately, I would address that first.
Our experience consists of Mike getting pneumonia, or possibly Covid, back in January 2019, after we had just moved down here and before we really knew about Covid-19. And since, I have had more experience, some elective others not.
I smashed my finger on the chain attached to our boat anchor on Super Bowl Sunday 2021.
I decided to finally invest in Invisalign to correct my bite and help with my TMJ. I had to have an emergency root canal done. Then part way into my orthodontal work, one of my wisdom teeth, which was apparently impacted, decided to erupt, needing to be extracted immediately.
I went to have my eyes checked because things seemed a tad blurrier, which led to me having cataract surgery on my left eye.
We both received our two doses of Pfizer Vaccine, after my second I had a strong reaction, resulting in vertigo.
None of this makes me an expert in the Medical field here but it has meant I have had a bit of experience with everything from house-calls, lab work and x-rays to surgical procedures. I have come in contact with Dentists, an Oral Surgeon, Orthopedist, Cardiologist, General Practitioner, Orthodontist, Eye Surgeon, physical therapist, Dermatologist and various lab workers. All of which I have found to be professional, qualified and above all extremely compassionate!
So let me walk you through what you could expect if you ever need Medical assistance in Mexico. Mike has written about the different levels of Health care providers and Insurance issues so I am going to focus on more of the humanitarian aspects.
First of all, let me mention what we have not found. We have not found expensive, designer decorated architectural wonders at any of the medical facilities. Each office has been clean and efficient but stark and utlilitarian in comparison to USA health care facilities. No expensive artwork or interior designer inspired waiting rooms. But then, in Mexico, you’re not paying for that level of luxury. Personally, I have no problem sitting on a practical couch or plastic chair, especially since I have rarely had to wait more than a few minutes! This might be a surprise to many, given the Mexican “manana" stereotype. But my experience is that most doctors and staff respect my time and have been prompt with their appointments. If I have had to wait it has been for a house-call and I don’t mind waiting in my own home.
House calls are another thing. Friends have told us that doctors’ visits are making a comeback in the USA, but apparently at a very steep price. Here it is a regular occurrence. If you need to see a General Practitioner, or have basic lab work done, you may opt to have doctors and techs make a house call, or you can always drop in to a local clinic or hospital.
Another observation, which we are very fond of, is that the doctor or dentist does much of his or her own intake and basic exam work up. This means there is at least one less layer of Health Care Workers you have to deal with and wait on. How many times in the USA do you wait past your appointment time only to have someone come take your vitals get you settled and spend more time waiting for the doctor to come and talk to you, often asking the same question or worse, not looking at you, but instead just reading your chart. Not the case here. My dentist, Dr Claudia Saldana, did my cleaning and exam. She explained she likes to know firsthand what she is dealing with. My dentist was also present when I needed both an orthodontist referral and oral surgeon. I have her phone number and she sends me WhatsApps to check on how I am recovering.
My Dermatologist, Dr Kristian saw me first in 2019 when I had a small spot on my chest that needed to be removed. He did the exam, used the equipment to study the growth and had me sit beside him as he explained what he saw and what he would be doing. No surprises. It is amazing how much lower your anxiety level is when your doctor is talking to you and not hiding behind the curtain of mystery like the Wizard of Oz. My follow up visit was FREE! And a year later for my annual exam he showed the same willingness to explain each thing he found. I felt respected and informed which helps lower the white coat syndrome and builds trust.
The day I went for my eye exam, the woman doing the exams noted something was not right and immediately got me in to see Dr Irving. He did a few more tests and quickly showed Mike and I what he saw in both eyes then calmly made his recommendation based on all the tests. The next step was to return in a few days for 4 more eye exams with absolutely state-of-the-art machines. I arrived and was taken in quickly and administered my tests. There was no waiting to hear about the test results, within 10 minutes the doctor came out and, with Mike and I both sitting beside him at the machine, he went over the test results, his diagnosis and final treatment plan. AGAIN, the personal touch put me right at ease. We scheduled my surgery for the first available date for my left eye, the right eye can wait, as it can still be corrected with a contact lens.
In order to get my surgery done I was required to get blood work and an EKG done. I opted to have a lab technician come to my home for the blood work, then I went to the hospital to have my EKG done and approval letter written by Dr Lugo. If you have ever been to a cardiologist in the USA, we unfortunately have due to Mike’s medical history, you may agree that Cardiologists and Neurologists are on the top of the food chain in the medical world. Not the case here. I found my cardiologist just as professional, and compassionate as any other. Dr Lugo saw me on time, when I entered his office, he asked all the questions and entered the information into his computer. He administered the EKG and blood pressure himself and printed out my results, signed the letter and told me I was healthy and a prime candidate for the cataract surgery. There was no extensive team dealing with me nor time wasted on waiting for results.
The day of my cataract surgery was interesting. We arrived at the clinic along, with 6 other Expats who call Puerto Aventuras or Akumal home. I am almost certain it was by design that they scheduled us all together, knowing we would talk and bond while waiting and recovering. It worked. The doctor had explained he does all the same procedures in one day, it cuts down on the cost of running the machine and is a much more efficient approach. Of course, you are welcome to schedule your procedure any day you want IF you are willing to pay the full cost to run the machine, instead of sharing the cost with others.
I was the second in line in our group for the procedure. Gail, went first. There is the waiting room, intake room, pre-op room, operating room, and recovery. As Gail was undergoing the procedure, I was taken from the waiting room into the intake room. I was given a gown to put over my clothes, a hair net, new mask and booties and had the first drops put in my eyes. They went over my information and led me to the pre-op room where my vitals were taken, and the anesthesiologist and assistant came to discuss if I wanted a mild anesthesia before my local shot in the eye. We discussed both options and I chose to be a little more relaxed before a needle came close to my eye. The IV was put in and I was led into the surgery room. In the space next to me was Gail, sleeping like a baby. I asked if she took the same and the anesthesiologist laughed and said, “yes, she wanted my special tequila.” As I made myself comfortable, I was asked if I preferred tequila or mezcal, as I started to explain I like my mezcal with orange and chili I was off to la-la land. My only recollection was great music and some colors. After that I felt the doctor pat me on the shoulder and tell me my procedure was perfect. Moments later I had a patch over my eye and was being led to Mike who drove me home. We were given instructions and antibiotic eye drops to administer every 4 hours. We all had follow-up appointments the next morning and it was like old home week as we all shared our experiences and results. I had my first eye exam with the same lady who did my initial exam and she was so happy to tell me my vision in that eye was already 20/20. Next stop, one more test with the doctor as he proudly showed Mike and I both the before and after shots of my eye. What a difference. We also discussed the right eye and are waiting to see how long it will be before we need before revisiting him.
These are just a few of the experiences we have had during our 2+ years in Mexico. And I probably should add that this last summer we went home to visit family and friends and did our annual check-ups with our doctors back home, our General Practice and Mike’s cardiologist. Both were impressed with how much better our test results were across the board and agreed that Mexico agrees us. At Thanksgiving we returned home again for a family holiday and chance to see everyone one more time before Baby #3 arrives. We took our Covid Vaccine papers and opted to get the Pfizer Booster while we were home. So, as you can see, it isn’t that we have anything against the Doctors and staff we have at home. We just get this question so many times that I thought it would be helpful to give you some personal experiences of our own.
To become a doctor in Mexico in almost all cases their education is free. Many have studied in the USA. When they are doctors here, they start with little or no debt and are able to focus on providing a service! They are by nature, both personally and due to their family-oriented culture, more empathetic and personable. Also, without all of the financial, legal and regulatory constraints of USA medicine, Mexican doctors can afford to take the time to see their patients as three-dimensional human beings.