cataract Surgery on the docket next Tuesday motnin

[ultrarunner]

I was thinking of you as patients arrived for their procedures...

Often "Life Changing" doesn't capture the elation of being able to drive again or move home again...

Always appreciate your posts.

I will mention that we have patients from other countries travel to US for these procedures... didn't want to wait a year or more and wanted options for lense is main reason cited traveling to U.S. and paying cash...

 

[fried1765]

I was thinking of you as patients arrived for their procedures...

Often "Life Changing" doesn't capture the elation of being able to drive again or move home again...

Always appreciate your posts.

I will mention that we have patients from other countries travel to US for these procedures... didn't want to wait a year or more and wanted options for lense is main reason cited traveling to U.S. and paying cash...

Those folks just might be from countries with government run healthcare systems?
Cataract surgery.....just one of the lesser consequences of ...."measured healthcare".

 

[bunyip]

I知 happy to know things went well Bunyip. I don稚 recall do you guys have national health insurance? I qualify for USA Medicare and carry a supplemental health insurance policy that fills in the gaps. It was estimated our out of pocket would net down to something less than $100 US dollars.
My health policy does not cover glasses so I知 on the hook for those and I must say, there has got to be a terrific Mark up in those things.
Day two post procedure and things are still looking great. I have to wait until next Wednesday to get clearance for running a chain saw and wood splitting but having great shop time organizing stuff and discovering new you tube channels on the internet.

B. John

We have a choice of private or public which is free for low income but there is a waiting list, i HAVE a gold card as I am a vietnam vet and get the best for no charge, this would have cost many thousand $$ or my own insurance if I did not have this, get to choose my own specialist and date within reason.
The public system is very good but you don't get to choose your Dr.

 

[ultrarunner]

Canadians traveling to SF Bay Area for eye surgery... enjoy speaking with them... we don't get a lot but we do have them.

The wait and options are the most cited reason... none have been quality of care...

It's similar for my friends in Germany and Austria... some of the universal healthcare is truly amazing for the unborn, young and productive years... not quite the same for aged... several of my Doctor friends marveled at our medicare system and things like hip replacement in your 80's and where we had handicapped facilities and parking decades before they did...

The secret is there are always work arounds... my Austrian friends often travel to Germany for Dental Care as cash patients... and my German friends do the same to Austria...

The rules only apply to citizens in their country... a Doctor cannot accept cash for treatment from a citizen but not restricted on non-citizens... plus the options are varied...

The Doctor and Nurses I know in both countries say that a lot of innovation comes from America... or at least it did...

It's just different as Austrian women receive a direct payment bonus for being a good mom... the payment is made upon completion of all well baby visits and vaccines... and not a small amount of money and it is solely hers and strictly enforced... some might say a bribe.

Back to eyes... we must have a good program when we have Doctors and Hospital CEO's as patients...

The technology is amazing... most opt for laser assisted but I would always want a Doc that can step up...

In tens of thousands of cases there was one time the laser stopped midway... I was part of the team...

While the nurse and tech started freaking out... I simply said to the Doctor... you will finish in the Operating Room which he did... perfect outcome but shows machines aren't perfect 100% of the time...

We still have Docs that don't use laser assist and proud of it and are Laser certified...

With most routine procedures the level of skill only kicks in when there is a problem... rare as that might be...

Maybe why fighter pilots (Navy/Marine Corps pilots) make some of the best airline pilots in bad situations... been there and seen it all before?

 

[fried1765]

Canadians traveling to SF Bay Area for eye surgery... enjoy speaking with them... we don't get a lot but we do have them.

The wait and options are the most cited reason... none have been quality of care...

It's similar for my friends in Germany and Austria... some of the universal healthcare is truly amazing for the unborn, young and productive years... not quite the same for aged... several of my Doctor friends marveled at our medicare system and things like hip replacement in your 80's and where we had handicapped facilities and parking decades before they did...

The secret is there are always work arounds... my Austrian friends often travel to Germany for Dental Care as cash patients... and my German friends do the same to Austria...

The rules only apply to citizens in their country... a Doctor cannot accept cash for treatment from a citizen but not restricted on non-citizens... plus the options are varied...

The Doctor and Nurses I know in both countries say that a lot of innovation comes from America... or at least it did...

It's just different as Austrian women receive a direct payment bonus for being a good mom... the payment is made upon completion of all well baby visits and vaccines... and not a small amount of money and it is solely hers and strictly enforced... some might say a bribe.

Back to eyes... we must have a good program when we have Doctors and Hospital CEO's as patients...

The technology is amazing... most opt for laser assisted but I would always want a Doc that can step up...

In tens of thousands of cases there was one time the laser stopped midway... I was part of the team...

While the nurse and tech started freaking out... I simply said to the Doctor... you will finish in the Operating Room which he did... perfect outcome but shows machines aren't perfect 100% of the time...

We still have Docs that don't use laser assist and proud of it and are Laser certified...

With most routine procedures the level of skill only kicks in when there is a problem... rare as that might be...

Maybe why fighter pilots make some of the best airline pilots in bad situations... been there and seen it all before?

Suggestion: Amend "fighter pilots" to read.... Navy/Marine Corps pilots!

 

[wingn]

Those folks just might be from countries with government run healthcare systems?
Cataract surgery.....just one of the lesser consequences of ...."measured healthcare".

As always these things are a little more complex than appear at first. I had both my cataracts done using scalpel surgery under the public system. I was warned the wait could be up to 18 months, it was actually 4 weeks. On the other hand I needed a cardiac ablation and under the public system the wait was 8 months as there is strict ‘rationing’ for the procedure.

Rather oddly the rationale for the wait was that the disposable catheter used in the procedure is considered by the government a prosthetic and the number of prosthetic operations is limited. If the catheter was treated as the throw away item that it is then the wait time would have been 2 weeks!!

 

[ultrarunner]

Suggestion: Amend "fighter pilots" to read.... Navy/Marine Corps pilots!

Done... ;-) My friend now passed was retired WWII fighter ace in a day...

He was very involved and often I would be around when they would get together... seems an open door policy to those traveling to look up an old Service Buddy...

Many went on to be commercial pilots after service...

Off topic but the fighter pilots were always traveling to the their convention... Tail Hook...

 

[fried1765]

Done... ;-) My friend now passed was retired WWII fighter ace in a day...

He was very involved and often I would be around when they would get together... seems an open door policy to those traveling to look up an old Service Buddy...

Many went on to be commercial pilots after service...

Off topic but the fighter pilots were always traveling to the their convention... Tail Hook...

"Tail hook".....was for Navy and Marine Corps pilots...ONLY!
No "other" pilots!

 

[ultrarunner]

Navy runs deep around here... plus we had many naval bases and support in and around the SF Bay Area...

Half my childhood friends had parents working at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital and the helicopters coming and going were frequent...

Not much left now... the mighty Alameda Air Station and Mare Island and even Treasure Island no more... the National Guard Air Squadron also gone... except for Coast Guard Island I can't think of anything...

That said we still get a lot of TRICARE Surgery...

 

[fried1765]

Navy runs deep around here... plus we had many naval bases and support in and around the SF Bay Area...

Half my childhood friends had parents working at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital and the helicopters coming and going were frequent...

Not much left now... the mighty Alameda Air Station and Mare Island and even Treasure Island no more... the National Guard Air Squadron also gone... except for Coast Guard Island I can't think of anything...

That said we still get a lot of TRICARE Surgery...

Yup......I flew into Alameda a few times.