Heart Disease
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced “cabbage”) is one of the most frequent openheart surgeries in the United
States. The medical costs, however, are not for the faint of heart. That may be a poor joke, but the reality is that
people without adequate health insurance can face a tough choice: continue to suffer and risk a heart attack, or lose
your savings and perhaps your home. At this time, it costs about $800 for a comprehensive physical examination that
includes bloodwork and an exercise treadmill test. Everyone middleaged or older should have one, especially those
planning a fitness program.
This sort of physical examination can be accomplished for as little as $50 overseas, although more typically about $150.
And if the results show that you are a candidate for coronary artery bypass, meaning your heart arteries are partially
blocked, well, that is where the real opportunity for saving appears. A CABG in the United States runs about $30,000
or more, and additional costs can push the total into six figures. At worldclass facilities overseas,
for example at Max Devi (see India, page 201), it can be done for as little as a 10th of that cost.
The Medical Tourism Travel Guide is the essential
guide for anyone considering a medical trip overseas. It tells you
everything you need to know to get top-notch medical care in
world-class medical facilities at a cost far less than treatment in
the United States. The author, Dr. Paul Gahlinger, has personally
visited a great number of the facilities described in this book, and
here he shares information on hundreds of clinics, hospitals, and spas
in about 50 countries, as well as important tips on how to travel, how
to pay, how to prepare, what to do, and what to avoid.
With kind permission of Paul Gahlinger.
For more information visit Sunrise River Press