One Dominican family travels to Newport News for Care
Katya Dahdah’s large, extended family travels regularly for medical care from their home in the Dominican Republic, but it wasn’t until one of them needed shoulder surgery that she turned to an expert right in her backyard.
Dahdah’s brother-in-law, Enrique Lama, is a national champion in golf, a sport that can be tough on shoulder joints. Lama needed a rotator cuff repair, so he researched the best shoulder surgeons in the United States. He decided on Dr. Martin Coleman, a surgeon at the Orthopaedic and Spine Center in Newport News. Dahdah knew Coleman and his wife socially, but was not aware of Coleman’s international reputation as a shoulder expert. A few years later, when Lama needed his other shoulder repaired, he returned to Newport News to see Coleman.
Then Dahdah’s sister fell while running, and she also needed a shoulder repair and she came to Coleman as well. Over the years, Dahdah has referred even more family members, including a cousin and an uncle, to OSC for other types of procedures. Dahdah’s mother and a few other friends are now interested in traveling to Newport News for various orthopedic surgeries. Although Dahdah is not a patient at OSC, she is now very familiar with
the practice.
“We did our homework. We are lucky to have [Dr. Coleman] in this area, when we could [have picked] anyone in the U.S.” Dahdah says. According to Dahhah, many people in the Dominican Republic purchase international insurance and they are able to fly to destinations that can offer them high-quality health care that is customized to what they need. Dahdah estimates the deductibles as between $5,000 and $10,000, but because the U.S. is a leader in health care, many people think it’s worth it. The process of shopping for doctors usually involves reviewing their credentials and doing research online. “It’s a trend in Latin America, if you can afford it, you look and shop for the best,” she explains.
“They are confident in our system and our skills,” Coleman says of the family. They are also willing to make the trip to the U.S. for care. Technology makes it possible for people from other countries to fly in and have surgery. X-Ray and MRI results can be shared between doctors. The doctor can schedule the surgery, and the patient can arrive just a few days ahead of time for blood work and surgery preparation. In these cases, Coleman received the MRI results from the patient’s physician in the Dominican Republic, and then was able to assess whether there was a clear cut need for surgery. “Then they [physically] arrive and I have a hands-on look,” says Coleman. “They are scheduled into a slot and ready to go. It’s very efficient.”
Coleman partially credits Dahdah with the good recovery of her family members.
“She nurses them through their physical therapy and she’s getting quite good at it,” he notes. Her family members stay with her for part of their recovery, and then return to their own homes after a few weeks. Although she has not had surgery herself, she’s learned about the process up close. “I’ve learned that physical therapy is a slow process, and that the exercises can be tiring,” she says.
But despite the hard work, she’s delighted with the outcome. “I wouldn’t have brought my family here just because we are friends—do you know how hard it is to fly into Newport News?” she exclaims.
Coleman, who has been practicing for more than 30 years, does approximately 300 surgeries a year. He’s at an advantage, not just because of his experience with shoulders, but because he has also undergone shoulder surgery himself. “I know what it takes,” Coleman says. “And I know how painful it is. I can tell a patient ‘I’ve been through this, so it’s not just the doctor point of view.’”
