More 'medical tourists' seeking care outside the U.S.
By Molly Shen
Published: Aug 12, 2015 at 4:34 PM PDT Last Updated: Aug 12, 2015 at 5:53 PM PDT
SAMMAMISH, Wash. -- From cosmetic surgery to dentistry, a growing number of people are heading outside the United States for medical procedures.
It's called "medical tourism," and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls it a worldwide, multibillion-dollar phenomenon. While there can be dangers and complications, a local man says it saved him from a lifetime of chronic pain.
John Vervaeke loves adventure. From mountain biking to mountain climbing, he is active and fit. But ever since he was a teenager, Vervaeke has suffered from back pain. Last year it got so bad, he wasn't cycling. He couldn't even work.
"The physical pain was tough, but the mental part of it almost became tougher," Vervaeke said. "It really became hard on michelle and us as a couple. Hard on my family."
Vervaeke went to multiple doctors and was told he had the back of a 75-year old that couldn't be fixed.
"All my doctors were saying you're stuck in pain management. And at 38-years old at that time, that's not acceptable," Vervaeke said. "And it's a scary sentence to have thrown your way."
So Vervaeke and his wife Michelle looked outside the United States for treatment. They chose a back surgery that's not approved by the FDA but has been done many times in Germany.
The CDC estimates 750,000 U.S. citizens go abroad for medical care every year. While many people are looking for less expensive options, others are seeking cosmetic procedures, gene therapy or surgery that's not done here.
Vervaeke was able to have part of his spine rebuilt with four artificial discs and connecting rods. He wants others to know the options.
"Don't limit your search to the U.S. Sometimes you have to look outside the box and outside our borders," he said. "We live in the United States. We think must have the best medical system in the world. The U.S. surgeons, they want to believe that, too. I think in some cases, that may not be the case."
One week after his 10-hour surgery, Vervaeke was climbing a new kind of mountain.
"Almost like climbing Rainier," he said while taking on flights of stairs in the hospital.
But he made it to the top. Three months later he said he was finally getting back to normal. Since then he's returned to mountain biking and wake surfing.
Vervaeke said his surgery was very expensive, but he said the freedom from pain is worth the price. Before anyone else seeks medical care outside the country, he advises asking a lot of questions.
"There's a lot of research you need to do to feel comfortable," he said. "I think research is the key. Get references, do a lot of background research on the surgeon or hospital that you're going to go to."
The CDC doesn't advise against medical tourism, but experts want people to use caution. The agency published a list of risks and guidelines to follow.
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