COTTONWOOD, AZ -- For as long as he can remember, Ben Wordinger has had a bum shoulder.
Two surgeries and countless trips to Arizona hospitals did little to ease the pain.
"I was tired of taking pills, tired of watching the clock to take the next pill just to take the edge off the pain to function," admitted Wordinger.
Now, at age 51, doctors figured Wordinger likely would need an implant.
Insurance, however, wouldn't cover the cost estimated anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000.
"When you're in a lot of pain, you'd go around the world 10 times to get out of pain, that's where I was," Wordinger said.
Wordinger didn't have to go around the world, but he came close.
Through a friend, Wordinger learned about
Medtral, a company based out of New Zealand that offers medical tourism.
Doctors there said they could do a shoulder transplant for 1/6th of what it would have cost Wordinger here in the United States.
"Hmmm, let's see, 1/6th the cost by a doctor trained here with materials made here," said Wordinger. "That's a no-brainer."
"I think there should be come concerns," said Paul Stander, Chief Medical Officer at
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Stander says Good Samaritan's doctors often see patients who have had complications from overseas medical care.
"We had to pick up the pieces," said Stander. "It's not easy. There is usually incomplete information as to what exactly happened. It makes it harder."
Stander said many doctors, because of malpractice concerns, will not take on a patient who is having problems after seeing a doctor in another country.
He said anyone considering medical tourism should line up a doctor willing to handle possible complications here in the U.S. before heading overseas.
"We've seen people who get joint replacements have bleeding where the joint was put in, that can be a real nasty thing," Stander said. "It's not easy to go halfway around the world to have it dealt with."
Wordinger ultimately made the trip from his home in Cottonwood to New Zealand to have the surgery.
Four weeks later Wordinger said he's 100 percent pain free.
He recommends MedTral and their medical tourism program in the highest terms.
"Totally positive, top notch, can't think of anything better," said Wordinger.
It's a process Wordinger considers head and shoulders above the rest.
