LJ

Oh, bless you, Padraig, for getting us back on track!

Now here are my questions: did you book through an agency specializing in this sort of travel? are the hotel accomodations medical-savvy (with room service and some post-op/dental surgery food options etc.)? is it best to go with a pal/spouse to act as "gopher"?

In other words, anybody have any personal experience with this sort of travel they would be willing to share?

Padraig

I'll attempt to answer your questions, LJ, but bear in mind that I live in Ireland and that I already knew Budapest.

I didn't use an agency that puts packages together. I sought a dentist with Irish representation and with Irish clients that I could ask for references. The rest I arranged myself. My sister also wanted some treatment, so we travelled together and rented an apartment.

We each got teeth crowned and a couple of bridges. That's not too radical, so we didn't worry about special care.

The cost was about one-third of the same treatment in Ireland, and the work was much faster. We each spent about €2000 for dentistry and about €1000 for travel and accommodation, so we came out well ahead financially, and had a good holiday to boot.

There are agencies that put packages together, but I don't know about accommodation services with special care or support.

Personally, I would recommend travelling with somebody else -- perhaps for moral support, but also to share the holiday opportunity.

LJ

Thank you, Padraig, for your thoughtful and useful response...I suspect that this will not be the last thread started on this emerging topic. I am following it closely, for professional, as well as personal interest reasons.

GSteed

Interesting! Physicians and other such professionals have limited time available to treat patients. Many patients have unlimited time available to seek care and comfort. Years ago a program was started to prevent poor health. The Wellness Program. Some medical conditions are self imposed. The USA has 500,000 early deaths laid to tobacco use. Try to imagine how much physician time is used helping those un-helpables! Aside..job opportunities now list MDs with a potential income of $250,000 per year. That works out to $125 an hour for his/her time. What the US is doing with its $6,000 per citizen medical expenditure each year is a question to be answered.

agilepagile

In 2006, I made 2 trips to Hungary for extensive dental work. I saved almost $35k of what I was quoted here. Full implantology on entire mouth and I couldn't be happier with the results. Just a couple of weeks ago I heard from my dental insurance that they now cover implants. How much, I don't know, but I still problably would have gone to save what I could. I did use a middle man to arrange dentists and the hotel and am thankful because they led me to Dr William Hayfron in Gyor, Hungary. This man is a genius and I recommend him to anyone. Check out his website at willident.com

shangrila

Being in the medical/education profession, I am appalled at the way our (US) healthcare system is run. It is a sad situation when you have grade schoolers who are failing beacuse their parents cannot afford to get them eyeglasses. Yet our government is helping the needy in foreign countries. Hello what about our own.

I will admit I now have wonderful medical insurance. They pay everything. But there was a time in my younger days when I did not. I suffered a automobile accident, which I was not covered for. I received immediate medical care, that was teriffic. Unfortunately my doctor as well as the hospital had to eat the $80,000 bill. That was for approx 5 days of hosptial stay and surgery.

As I got older and the wanderlust overtook me, I moved to my parents homeland of Hungary. There I was diagnosed with a murmur (hoel) in my heart. Not much choice surgery was scheduled ASAP. I had surgery at a teaching hospital, my surgeon was the chief of cardiology. I will admit I did have a few connections. But it was still at the same hospital as everyone else. The food they provided was no where's enough, even after having no appetite. I provided my own towel, own soap and shampoo. That will 8 years ago this April. I visited the cardiologist a few years back, here in the US, and he stated no need to ever return unless I was having pain/problems.

I also had an ectopic pregnancy while living in Budapest. The hospital there was the same, provide your own things. Both hospitals, I had a shared room, the nurses where fantatstic and helpful, the docotrs amazing.

Sure as mentioned above, a little paint here or there to help spruce things up, but who cares. The care I received was wonderful and I am alive.

That is the medical, now the dental.....

We moved back to Florida about 6 years ago, my husband (whom I met and married in Budapest) needed dental work done. Root canal= $795. Not much choice it needed to be done so we did it.

Next dental visit, they came up with some amazing total of about $60,000 worth of dental work to be done. 3 bridges, 9 crowns etc....
Well last Christmas we went to Budapest to visit for the holidays, we also went to the dentist. My husbands 3 bridges, 9 crowns, 1 pulling, 3 replace old fillings, our daughters 1 filling and my 1 replacement filling cost us...ready...a wopping $795, hey same price as the one root canal. It has been over a year now, no pain, no complaints, no bridges broken. And we managed to save ok about $55,000 (minus tickets and spending money) and still have a vacation and a nice white smile.

I don't understand why here in the states, things have to be done in so many visits. The work done on my husband was done in 3 visits. Here it would have been 3 months of taking time off to go to the dentist.

The clinic we used was very modern, very clean and obviously very up to date. It is located in a little village about 2 hours train ride from Budapest (an aquaintance of a family friend) she even picked us up at the train station when we missed the bus into the village.

I have no complaints and on our up-coming visit this June, I am taking my sister there too.