International Patient Service: Successful heart surgery on an 11 month old Bolivian boy
 The Service provides coordination at no additional cost of medical appointment, exams, checkups, hospitalization, emergency care, and, when requested, a second medical opinion for diagnosis and treatment.
Santiago is 11 months old, and he had to travel to Chile to undergo medical intervention. He had a heart murmur due to patent ductus arteriosus, a diagnosis received in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where he lives with his parents Jose and Claudia.
Since he needed a medical intervention, his parents began to research the best possible alternatives, and they finally decided on travelling to Clinica Alemana: “My Father´s friend underwent a coronary treatment at the clinic, we looked it up on the internet and realized that the center has a great Children’s Cardiology unit, and that the Clinic is ranked second place in Latin America. That gave us a sense of trust”, says Jose Bustamante.
Claudia Moscoso adds, “This treatment is done in Bolivia, however the hospital system is not as good. We felt more confident doing the procedure here, and fortunately we were able to travel.”
They contacted the Clinica Alemana´s International Patient Service by email. Carolina Jara, Head Manager of this service, explains that all the required medical care was coordinated and that all the child´s previous exams and history was requested, which was then presented to the specialist for evaluation. After the case evaluation, Dr. Daniel Aguirre, a pediatric heart surgeon at Clinica Alemana, contacted the family and met with them on June 8th. The following day, Santiago was in the operating room. “He had a congenital heart disease called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which consists of a communication between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. This condition is present in all infants when born and it closes spontaneously during the first days of life. However, due to some factors such as asphyxia, hypoxemia, or prematurity, the ductus may remain open after six months of age. The consequences are: heart failure, malnutrition, repetitive respiratory conditions, and risk of infectious endocarditis”, states the specialist.
The current treatment for this heart disease is percutaneous closure through cardiac catheterization, which consists of inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in the groin, in order to reach the heart. Once the ductus arteriosus has been identified, it is closed by inserting a specially designed device that will block it. The advantage of this procedure is that after 12 to 24 hours after the operation, the patient can be discharged and return to everyday life. The success rate of this procedure is close to 100% with a very low incidence of complications.
The Bustamante Moscoso family returned to Bolivia very pleased and they plan on returning in six months for Santiago’s follow-up appointment. Claudia assures that she is very satisfied with the medical care received: “When it comes to medical care, it is very important to inform parents of everything that will be performed on your child, and Dr. Aguirre was extremely open while explaining every step of the procedure. Furthermore, he told us that during the surgery the medical team had to change the device due to my child’s specific condition, and that particular device is not found in most countries; I don’t know what we would have done in Bolivia.”
Patients from the Falkland Islands:
Praise Clínica Alemana’s Health Care
More than 470 patients from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, located in Stanley, Falkland Islands, have received healthcare at Clínica Alemana in Santiago.
 Glenda McGill
I accompanied my husband to one physiotherapy session and I was pleasantly surprised not only by the technology they have to offer, but also by the number of staff that works with each patient in a personalized fashion’, she explains.
Andy Brownlee
Like her, more than 470 British families have turned to Clínica Alemana in Santiago since 2000, thanks to an agreement with the Kind Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley. This agreement covers programming and the coordination of all patient visits from the Falkland Islands, including medical appointments and procedures required by the Hospital.
This service also includes programming clinical exams, room reservations in case the patient needs to be hospitalized, ambulance services (air and road), and transportation arrangements from the Clinic to the patient’s hotel if requested.
A recent article in the “Penguin News” from the Falkland Islands highlighted the medical care given at Clínica Alemana. It also described all the advantages for Island residents in having access to a top level Center, without having to travel to England, which translates into a more efficient investment in terms of costs and time.
"I WOULDN’T DOUBT IN RETURNING."
Andy Brownlee had to undergo an intensive treatment at Clínica Alemana during 2006. He explains that, “Over the past years, I have needed on various occasions, clinical attention and Clínica Alemana is by far the best place I have been hospitalized at; not only is it good, it is first class with excellent facilities and a great staff. Actually, we are very fortunate to have access to it, and the Falkland Islands Government should be congratulated for developing this link”. Brownlee also highlights the medical staff’s and Doctors’ positive attitude: “They have a professional, attentive, and reassuring attitude that makes each person feel important. They truly do worry about the patient’s well-being. I have never experienced so much efficiency and smooth functioning of a Hospital. In my own experience, all appointment schedules were honored down to the minute, and when there was a small delay, which hardly ever occurred, there was always an apology.”Glenda McGill coincides: “In the past I was advised to travel to England for my treatment, but my fear of flying (I have never left the Falkland Islands) was greater than my concern for my health. Bottom line, I accepted going to Clínica Alemana and now I would suggest to anyone in need of treatment to do the same. The medical care that I received was astonishing and I wouldn’t doubt in returning, if necessary”. Another important aspect these British families highlight is the fact that a family member can accompany the patient who is receiving care. “The staff seems happy and they even motivate partners or family members to stay the night with patients, providing them with a sofa bed. I am especially grateful for this, because I would not have dared to stay at the Clinic by myself,” Glenda adds.
How can I coordinate a medical appointment?
Contact us by calling our telephone numbers or via email, and our Patient Services team will be at your disposition to answer questions, coordinate your appointments, and send you all the necessary information for your healthcare at Clínica Alemana.
Clinica Alemana’s International Patient Service coordinates more than 5000 medical attentions of patients from 60 different countries. The main types of pathologies that are consulted are:
• Neurological problems (epilepsy, Parkinson’s, aneurysms, and strokes).
• Urologic conditions.
• Oncological treatments (prostate and breast cancer).
• Trauma care (hip replacement, shoulder problems, knee surgery, and spinal injuries).
• Cardiac disease (arrhythmia and hypertension).
• Another important segment of patients comes to Clinica Alemana for preventive
check-ups, as well as second medical opinion for diagnosis and treatment. |
