“It was the worst decision of my life,” laments the patient who underwent the $18,000 operation in Cuba.

A 46-year-old Sherbrooke resident with excruciating back pain regrets paying $18,000 for surgery in Cuba, receiving poor care and ‘coming back worse than ever.’

“Being there was the worst decision of my life, admits Dominique Fleury. I crossed Cuba off my list of lifetime goals.

The 46-year-old man had been suffering from back pain for about 10 years. Despite strong drugs, he could not relieve the pain. An automation technician, he struggled to work and even take care of his home.

But despite his status, Mr. Fleury could not operate on the public network.

Not serious enough

“I was told my case was not severe enough to be operated on in Quebec. […] I was suffering and sick with pills, the resident of Cookshire-Eaton, near Sherbrooke, underlines. I have heard good things about Cuba.

Mr. decided to get treatment. Fleury contacted a medical tourism company in Quebec and paid $18,000 for his hip replacement surgery in Cuba. He underwent surgery in February 2020.

“I did one All inside On top of that, I lost mine All inside, he agrees. They really cracked me up there. It was really bad.”

A “hell” night in intensive care, difficulty seeing medical staff, poor food, rationed drugs, lack of medical equipment: Mr. Fleury encountered all kinds of problems during his three-week stay.

Unable to accompany him, he had to communicate alone with an interpreter.

“I suffered a lot. The doctor didn’t come. […] I had to do what they said and I couldn’t even get out of bed,” laments the father.

After nine days, he was even shifted to a guest house without medical care. After the surgery, he had to take a taxi to the hospital.

When he returned to Quebec, his health worsened and he struggled to stand up. Additionally, the person who lost 20 pounds found himself without medical follow-up.

Unscrewed screws

“I let myself go a lot,” he admits.

Fortunately, a surgeon at the Montreal University Hospital Center agreed to take care of him. Cuban’s post-surgery X-rays showed all sorts of problems: rejection of medical equipment and screws that didn’t loosen or held rods too close to nerves, the patient points out.

After a six-month wait, the man underwent two surgeries last April. The 40-year-old, however, believes he had quicker service as he is now a priority case.

“It is often said that the network [public] Not great, but I was lucky. “We removed all the hardware that was given to me in Cuba,” he underlines.

Three months later, the man continues to recover and now takes only three medications a day. He is hoping to return to work soon after a gap of three years.

“I’m really indebted to the Quebec system,” he says, advising anyone against medical tourism in Cuba.

“It’s important to prevent people from even minor surgery. You don’t go there, there’s no follow-up.”