P.S. Some more searching turned up some in Cancun.

http://www.seccionamarilla.com.mx/resultados/resonancia-magnetica/quintana-roo/cancun/1

Something near Akumal or Playa would be ideal.
Thanks again!

COZUMEL MEDICAL CENTER

www.costamed.com.mx

Phone: 301 761 3001

Thanks for that TC. After leaving Akumal we'll be spending a week down south so the one in Chetumal might be our best bet. Will look into it.

Nelson, is this an elective scan (which I am assuming it is if you feel like you can "plan" it for a convenient time/place during your travels), or is this an emergent problem?

I am asking bc I have a close friend who has lived in Playa del Carmen for 15 yrs (and who also happens to be my condo manager) who has had health problems requiring scans, and she has gone to different places depending on the nature of the porblem, if it is emergent or chronic.

Friend just replied to me that there are CT scanning facilities at this very good (and fairly new) hospital in Playa Del Carmen. Of course, you can't just walk in and pay for and get a CT scan, you have to be seen, evaluated, and need the CT scan based on that. Even in Mexico they require that to get a CT scan.

http://www.hospiten.es/hospiten/HOSPITEN/published_en/DEFAULT/con_hospitales.jsp?&CATID=77&PRDID=16770&PAGEFROM=1432

Thanks much emd3. Here is the situation. My wife has a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis, basically a slipped disk. She is doing physical therapy and that is helping significantly, but an MRI scan would give us the information that she is, in fact, doing the correct PT exercises. It would also provide a baseline for future comparisons.

We are prepared to pay for a scan in the US - her orthopedic doc said he'd write up the order at any time. Due to our lousy high-deductible catastrophic health insurance we'd have to pay out of pocket for the scan.

We have 3 questions for the Mexican clinics:
1) Can she just make an appointment, show up with money, and get the scan? Or does she need something from a doctor?

2) In either case, how much does it cost?

3) Most important: can she take home a copy of the actual picture, not a lab result?

She is going to write some e-mails tomorrow morning to hopefully answer all that. Her conversational Spanish should be adequate for a discussion like this.

I had lunch with a former colleague today and he suggested this idea (his parents get a lot of medical work down south of the border), which seems worth pursuing, at least briefly. Note that we'd prefer an MRI over a CT scan. If the pieces instantly fall into place, then we'll keep going looking into it, otherwise we'll just enjoy our vacation and deal with this later.

Thanks!

Looks the the Playa Hospital has an MRI machine!

http://www.hospiten.es/hospiten/HOSPITEN/published_en/DEFAULT/especialidades.jsp?PRDID=2430&STEP=0&PAGEFROM=30026

In HOSPITEN's Radiodiagnosis Department, we have the latest technology available (Magnetic Resonance, computerised tomography (Scanner), Colour Doppler Echogram, Mammography, Densiometry, etc.) with the aim of offering our patients - and our doctors practising in all fields the greatest quality and a safe, effective diagnosis.

Resonancia Magnética
ver centros

HOSPITEN Bellevue
HOSPITEN Lanzarote
HOSPITEN Estepona
HOSPITEN Bávaro
HOSPITEN Santo Domingo
HOSPITEN Cancún
HOSPITEN Riviera Maya

We'll make some inquires. If it all falls into place then fine, if not we'll just go drink tequila and deal with this when we get home.

Thanks much.

Let us know how it turns out. I am getting ready to go to Playa to have some major dental work done there, but have no thad medical testing done there yet.

My wife will write them today and see if we can get something set up at short notice. It may not work out, but I will report back.

The only medical work I've had done in Mexico is when I fell out of bed in Todos Santos a few years ago. I won't give all the details but there was tequila involved!

I reached my hand out for the nightstand to stop the fall. That worked fine, but my hand landed on the rim of a water glass which shattered into a deep 1-inch long laceration. Fortunately not deep enough to sever a tendon, but there was a lot blood.

Next morning I went to the local health clinic and they stitched me up. There is a small scar today but they did a nice job, and it cost less then $5. A good experience with them.