In the United States I was essentially offered three options - one was learn to live with it, two, have the standard hip surgery and be active afterwards and three take pain killers. So, I did a lot of physical therapy and took a certain number of painkillers to sort of live with it.

About seven years ago, I read about the Hip Resurfacing procedure, and I discovered it wasn't available in the United States and was probably being done only in one hospital, but it was really very expensive and it wasn't covered by the health insurance. About six months ago, I made up my mind to go overseas and have the surgery done, someone told me about a TV show he had seen called 60 minutes on Medical tourism and I started looking for it on the internet and decided that India was probably my best option because more of the Hip Resurfacing Surgeries were being done here than in any other country. So, I wrote to the company that produces BHR implants. They gave me names of about ten doctors in India who did BHR and Dr.Malhan was on top of the list and then I emailed Wockhardt Hospitals and within a couple of hours Mr.Thukral had e mailed me back and started the relationship and I decided within an hour after getting his e mail that this is the best hospital for me. He then helped me make all the arrangements with the travel, visa required to come to India , all details, answering all my questions promptly.

I arrived here a week ago and spent a day getting my pre operative investigations. Its been very nice, in fact it was like going to a hospital in Minneapolis or New York. The x-rays conveyed that my hip was qualified for the Resurfacing surgery, they did the measurements that were necessary to arrange the proper size device implant for me. I don't remember much of the day of the surgery , I just slept through the day, but I do remember when I entered the surgery suite, ... the place was so huge, with all modern facilities, so bright and amazing ... I have never before seen in a surgery suite like that.

When I came out of the surgery I was immediately covered with a warm blanket and the painkillers were started and did not experience any pain. The IV was kept on for three days. Since then I have been back in my room. I have been doing physical therapy and Dr.Ritu has been very patient with me, though I have done my best to try her patience. She couldn't have been better leading me to steady progress. She is extremely charming and has a good sense of humor.

The whole experience has been really good. I came here expecting the best and anything I found here has exceeded, and anything I anticipated has gone much better than I ever hoped it to go. It's been a wonderful experience.

Seven months after returning to his home in USA Mr Jim Allen wrote :

I'm working full-time in a physically demanding job and my wife says she's never seen me happier. I run three miles every morning and say a little prayer for you and Dr Malhan and all of your wonderful staff while I run. You have truly given me my life back. The only problem I have is occasional pain in the other hip so I help again sometime in the next couple of years. Hip resurfacing is now available at a nearby hospital but I'd prefer to have your teamdo--even though it means paying out of pocket. I hope this finds you all healthy and prosperous.

Dr Jim Allen

After going to many doctors all over, but with little assurance, Tony had just started to believe that her career had run aground when she was informed of the vast scope in cosmetic and corrective surgeries that India offers.

In search of health and beauty, she arrived at Fortis Hospital, Mohali in January, with skewed breasts. A corrective surgery by Dr. KM Kapoor, Senior Cosmetic Surgeon, did not only help her regain her shattered self-confidence, but also her career as a glamour model set soaring, post augmentation.

Back at Fortis Hospital, Mohali for another 'breast job', Tony echoes the sentiments of many as she says "Everybody has the right to look and feel beautiful, and if it is only about a nip here and a tuck there, why not!" She didn't miss the opportunity to get Botox shots to smooth fine lines from her face at a Botox party organized at Fortis.

Tony calls Dr Kapoor her guardian angel. "FHM is a world-class hospital and Dr Kapoor is one of the best cosmetic surgeons I have met, and believe me I have met a number of them", she says.

Oozing with confidence, Tony adds that she would not hesitate to be back again for new cosmetic procedures, as and when the need be.

I am in awe of the professionalism and the tender loving care of all the staff at Apollo. The hospital is well maintained with high levels of cleanliness and hygiene. The ambience doesn’t make me feel like I am in a hospital. And guess what, I get this wonderful treatment at one-tenth the cost in my country. Thank you Apollo…you have done a great job."

Because I had seen the professionalism and dedication of all the Medical and Nursing Staff, I had the confidence to request consultations with the Urinary and Vascular Surgeons, who agreed to resolve my Urinary/Prostate problems also to strip the varicose veins from my right leg. These procedures were carried out simultaneously and excellent aftercare in the ICU. During these procedures the Cardiac Consultation/Surgeon was on call, should there have been any remote problem arising.

Having felt no pain at all during or after surgery, stimulated me to have my hip x rayed, the outcome was that it had completely calcified over the years and should be operated on at a later date.

With less than 6 days to go before I left for the UK, I asked to see the Dental Surgeon, she immediately spent three and a half hours on my mouth, next day impressions were taken, following day checks on the fit of the porcelain teeth produced and finally on the fourth day she adhered the top and bottom sets of tooth on top of the stumps of my old teeth.

I could not have received such excellent service from any other hospital throughout the world. Right from being met at the airport in the early hours of the morning the unmatchable care demonstrated by all the Nursing Staff, the beds being changed and the suite being cleaned daily by the boys, the friendliness approachability of the consultants and doctors, makes me unable to praise and thank them all sufficiently.

I am prepared to allow anyone to contact me at any time to ask me questions about the events during my 20-day stay with them. My wife slept in the same suite as myself, which facility is available to husbands or wives, partners, relations etc so that the patient has support from a loved one.

In closing the charges made were unmatchable in the UK or throughout Europe. I assume this applies generally worldwide. We made friends there.

I have been in a hospital for more than a dozen times in my life, good hospitals in the United States, but the difference you have in Bangalore, we didn't expect that when we got here. The difference that you have, I don't know that people here are better trained than what we have in the United States, but their care, their comfort and their attention and their desire to have you better, far exceeds anything in any other hospital I have ever been into in the United States and I have been in a couple of them. I think that the greatest difference between India and the US is because the United States' system is so different than what we have here.

Judy and I lost our insurance a couple of years ago because of back problems and some health problems that she had. So when we began to look for affordable ways for us to be able to have our health situation to be taken care of, there simply wasn't any way to do this in the United States. Here, the doctor would not do it because he didn't want the risk for his liability insurance. The hospitals would not do it because of the monetary situation involved. We spoke with many doctors and some of the hospitals over a period of 2 years and we could not get an operation done in the United States.

The last 6 or 8 months of my life, I have pretty much walked looking at the ground because I couldn't straighten up of the terrible problem in my back. But when Dr. D.V. Rajakumar did the surgery, the very next day I was able to straighten up, I have been able to walk, for the last couple of days virtually without any pain and any medication. So, that's the reason we ended up in Bangalore, simply because this looked like the best alternative.

I have had what's considered to be some of the best doctors in the United States who did my last surgery; in that surgery it was pretty much a failure. I just cannot in words tell you what I think of Dr. D.V. Rajakumar. What he did to me is pretty much miraculous; when you look at the fact that probably a dozen other doctors turned me down because of the difficulty of the surgery and one doctor told me that even if I had a surgery, the chances of improvement would be less than 10%.

I have really improved today and I am probably a 100% better than what I was a week ago. The facilities here are adequate for anybody, anywhere in the world. The rooms are lovely; the wards are very warm and accommodating. We are far away from home, about 10,000 miles away from home, but you have provided things for us like the Internet and other ways to communicate with our family and friends at home. It simply makes you feel like you are not as far away as you really are.