| Costa Rica has long been the destination for those in
search of the Fountain of Youth. People from all over the
world flock to Costa Rica for cosmetic surgery because prices
are lower than in the United States for comparable procedures.
Costa Rica's surgeons are among the world's best. Most of
Costa Rica's plastic surgeons are trained in the United States
or Europe. They keep up-to-date on new trends and methods
in their field and attend professional seminars regularly.
Rates for different operations vary from doctor to doctor.
You can combine several procedures to reduce the price substantially.
There are even package prices that combine surgery, hotel
and hospitalization.
In general, prices average 25 to 60 percent less than in
the United States, although the final cost is open to negotiation
with the surgeon. The low cost of cosmetic surgery should
not, however, be interpreted as a sacrifice of quality for
affordability. The cost of a full-face lift is between $2,000
and $3,500 (add a few hundred dollars per day in the hospital
to recuperate from the surgery); nose surgery about $2,000;
liposuction $800 to $1,500; with a tummy tuck, $2,000 to $3,000,
breast implant $2,500 to $3,500 and eyelid surgery between
$800 to $1,500. Many doctors send their patients to special
recovery houses for about $70 a day. Rates vary from surgeon
to surgeon. We suggest you contact Dr. Arnoldo Fournier (please
see the article in this section). They are the best plastic
surgeons in Costa Rica and will be more than happy to send
a brochure and answer any of your questions. For information
about travel arrangements or cosmetic surgery vacations see
Unique Costa Rica Tours at http://www.travel.costaricabooks.com.
You may combine cosmetic surgery, dental work or language
study vacation with Christopher Howard's Retirement Tour.
One quick word about cosmetic surgery in Costa Rica. There
are a couple of doctors who advertise their services as cosmetic
surgeons but have no specialized training in the field. Therefore
to get the best results from your surgery, we suggest you
do the following:
(1) Ask the U.S. Embassy for a list of certified plastic
surgeons;
(2) Also check with the Colegio de Médicos (the
local equivalent of the A.M.A.) to see if a particular doctor
is trained as a plastic surgeon. All doctors in Costa Rica
must be registered with the Costa Rican Doctor's Association
or Colegio de Médicos (Tel: 232-3433, Fax: 232-2406,
E-mail: medicos@racsa.co.cr, http://www.medicos.sa.cr). Only
registered plastic surgeons may advertise their services;
(3) Ask a local family doctor for a recommendation of a good
plastic surgeon.
(4) Talk with former patients of the doctor of your choice
before you make a decision and find out if they are pleased
with the results of their surgery
(5) Just because some cosmetic surgeons advertise in English-language
publications doesn't mean they offer the best quality or prices.
Contact the Costa Rican Plastic Surgery Association (Tel:
258-0396, Fax: 257-9413, E-mail: drmacaya@msn.com) for additional
information.
Ophtalmology
Costa Rica has excellent ophthalmologists. Lasik Surgery costs
$800 to $1200. Johan Fernández runs the Oftalmología
Laser Center (2583031 or 522-1000 ext. 2430 ) or see http://www.OftalmologiaLaserCenter.
com. His email is: JFernandezJ@ClinicaBiblica.com. He has an
English- speaking staff. His office is located in the Torre
Médica Omega, Clínica Bíblica, 8th floor
in downtown San José. See the Yellow Pages for more Oftamólogos.
Care for the Elderly
Although the Costa Rican government funds homes
for the elderly, foreigners are probably better off in a private
facility. Full-service custodial health care is available in
Costa Rica for the elderly at a very low cost. Care for less
independent senior citizens is about $1,500 per month. Retirement
Centers International offers comprehensive medical care and
assistance that includes all medicines, lab work, dental care,
physical therapy, rehabilitation and special diets.
Villa Alegría (Tel:433-8590 or 372-1244, E-mail: info@
costaricanursinghomes .com, http://www.costaricanursinghomes.com)
is another full-service facility for the elderly. The staff
with more than 15 years of experience is specialized in elderly
illnesses such as Parkinson and Alzheimer's. This makes Villa
Alegría a unique facility in Costa Rica. Love and dedication
are the main ingredients that inspire this group of professional
caregivers.
These programs are some of Central America's best and are
considerably less expensive than in the United States. However,
if these facilities are beyond an elderly person's means,
a full-time, livein domestic worker can be hired as a nurse
for a couple of hundred dollars monthly. In addition to caring
for an elderly person this worker can manage other household
chores.
*Once again, to find a good physician or specialist talk
to other retirees, look in the Yellow Pages under MEDICOS
or look for doctors'ads in The Tico Times and Central
America Weekly. Below are the names of some English speaking
physicians.
Dr. John Longworth, M.D. Family Medicine
(English-speaking , excellent doctor with a good bedside
manner) Clínica Bíblica Tel: 221-3922 or 221-3064
Dr. Ricky Brown, BS, DC, NMD Chiropractor
(English-speaking) in Heredia Tel: 560-0424 E-mail:
rickbrowndc@gmail.com
Dr. Jason Ramke, D.C. Chiropractor
Tel: 220-3041, http://www. quiropraticafamiliar.com
Dr. Arieh Grunhaus z. Urology
Apartado334-1260, Plaza Colonial, Escazú Tel:
208-1716 Fax: 208-1736 E-mail: a grunhause@hospitalcima.com
Dr. Stephen Kogel Physician/Psychiatrist
A U.S.-born doctor who has helped many American clients
with alcohol and drug problems. Tel: 224-6176
Dr. Manuel Trimiño Vásquez Physician/Psychiatrist
He has many clients from the United States and is bilingual.
He has helped many foreigners adjust to living in Costa Rica.
Tel: 221-6140 or 233-3333.
For the names of more doctors and dentists, see the section
in the back of this book titled More Phone Numbers. Also there
is a publication called Guía Integral de la Salud
that lists hundreds of health- related services including
doctors, laboratories, hospitals and clinics. Please see the
Suggested Reading section in Chapter 10 for additional information.
Alternative Healing
Costa Rica has more than a hundred chiropractors, homeopathic
doctors, massage specialists and natural health practitioners.
Check The Tico Times, talk to other foreigners, health-food-stores,
the Yellow Pages.
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