Many Americans are drawn to medical travel in Mexico for the value – high quality care that is lower than comparable US healthcare, frequently at a 50%+ savings. But medical travel to Mexico also offers patients access to state-of-the-art medical care that is not yet available in the U.S., for example multifocal customer wavefront LASIK to correct presbyopia. The surgery, still in clinical trial in the U.S., is available at Hospital Angeles Tijuana using the latest FDA-approved VISX technology. With age, the lens of the eye becomes less flexible, making it difficult to see. For most people, this decline eventually results in a condition called presbyopia, or literally “old eyes.” Presbyopia usually first occurs between the ages of forty and fifty, and typically progresses through age 65. Most people first notice presbyopia when they have difficulty seeing small print, leading them to purchase corrective eyewear such as bifocals and trifocals for reading.
The high cost of eye surgery in the United States has sent many people seeking surgical treatment for their vision problems to San Diego based Angeles Health International, a medical travel agency representing the largest private hospital network in Mexico where prices for even the most sophisticated medical and surgical care are considerably lower.
Presbyopia Treatment Options: More Modern And More Affordable In Mexico
There are several successful surgical treatments for presbyopia, although each requires adaptations by the patient that have prevented the widespread embrace of these treatments. Monovision LASIK eye surgery leaves one eye suited for distance viewing and the other for close-up viewing. A patient might also consider conductive Keratolasty, which is used to help one eye see better up close, while the other eye is not touched (for nearsighted patients, the untouched eye would wear a contact lens to see at distance).
There is also Surgical Reversal of Presbyopia (SRP) with Scleral Expansion Bands (SEBs) in which a surgeon inserts four plastic segments made out of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) just below the surface of the sclera. The extra distance helps in focusing the lens. However, early clinical trials of the procedure are far from decisive. Some patients show enough improvement to read newspaper print while others show no measureable improvement at all. Another option for presbypopia correction is refractive lens exchange (RLE), which entails replacing the natural lens with an artificial lens, in a procedure not unlike cataract surgery.
One of the most promising treatments for presbypopia is multifocal LASIK, or PresbyLASIK. PresbyLASIK is a procedure currently in clinical trials in the U.S., but is approved in Mexico and Europe. With multifocal or PresbyLASIK, different ‘zones’ are created on the surface of the cornea to correct vision at near, intermediate, and far ranges. Although this procedure is not yet FDA approved in the U.S., it is available at the state-of-the-art Hospital Angeles Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego. Hospital Angeles is one of 20 technologically modern hospitals comprising the largest private hospital network in Mexico.
With monovision LASIK correction for presbypopia, patients must use their eyes independently for seeing near or far. With PresbyLASIK from Angeles Hospital available at a price of just under $5,000, patients are able to focus naturally with both eyes on any object at any distance.
Affordable Medical Care in Mexico Attracts People Worldwide
While most people know Mexico offers gorgeous beaches, delicious food, lively music, and excellent deep-sea fishing, it is rapidly becoming known for quality, affordable medical care. Prescription medications are usually 40% to 60% more expensive in the United States than in Mexico. Medical care in Mexico is typically one-half to one-third the cost of medical care in the United States. Even after factoring in expenses paid for travel, medical travel patients realize considerable savings by choosing to seek their PresbyLASIK and other surgical treatment in Mexico.
And while it is the savings and quality that attract patients to Mexico medical travel, it is the patient-centric care and freedom from a restrictive and healthcare rationing insurance industry bureaucracy leading the large majority of patients (more than 90% according to the nonprofit Medical Tourism Association) to return to Mexico for further healthcare and/or refer their friends and family.
Mexico’s low cost of living and lower costs for the same medical technologies found in the U.S. as well as lower doctor, hospital, and specialists’ fees versus the U.S. all work together to offer American medical travel patients exceptional care at a fraction of what they pay for the same care in the United States.
Hospital Angeles: Affordable Care And Convenience for US Medical Travelers
The Angeles Health International hospital network includes 20 hospitals in major metropolitan areas throughout Mexico, including Tijuana, Juarez, Mexico City, Puebla, and Guadalajara. For most Americans, an Angeles Hospital is just a quick direct flight into Mexico, San Diego, or El Paso where they enjoy airport to hospital pick-up service as part of their medical travel package.
Angeles Health International works with hotels and airlines to provide patients with special discounted rates. American medical travel patients choosing PresbyLasik in Mexico can save thousands by driving or flying to Mexico for the same care and prescription medications at a fraction of what it would cost in the United States and enjoy a more innovative, less risky treatment that may not receive FDA approval for years to come.
Medical travelers enjoy many benefits when they choose presbyopia LASIK in Mexico. Hospital Angeles International offers a PresbyLASIK package that includes full travel coordination services, offering hotel stay discounts for those who wish to extend their trip to enjoy the beaches and amenities of nearby San Diego or Rosarito Beach. Many patients are able to have their procedure or treatment and return home within a 48-hour period, offering a significant time and cost savings while enjoying the benefit of an innovative treatment for presbypopia not yet available in the U.S.
Mexico’s Excellent Medical Standards
Angeles Hospitals of Mexico are home to some of the top medical facilities and specialists the world. With a focus on innovative research and state of the art medical equipment, the Angeles Health private hospital of Mexico is an ideal destination for LASIK surgery for eye conditions like presbypopia and cataracts.
The merging of medical care and tourism is a winning combination for patients seeking Wavefront LASIK surgery for presbyopia. Americans can save thousands of dollars by seeking medical care in Mexico, receiving the same high quality medical care they would expect in the U.S. at a fraction of the cost in a hospital that is modern, beautiful, and convenient to most major U.S. city airports.
Medical tourism to Mexico provides American patients with state-of-the-art healthcare options at an excellent value: whether you are seeking custom LASIK surgery, PresbyLASIK surgery, or orthopedic or cardiovascular care, you are in good hands with Hospital Angeles.
