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Comment by peterburkimsher | Hacker News Reader

I needed to have a metal plate taken out of my ankle a year after it was broken.

After comparing prices around the world, I realised that the cheapest option would be to fly to Taiwan for ~500 USD and have the surgery done without insurance for ~300 USD. The total is less than what it would cost with insurance in other countries.

There's a recurring meme saying "Don't call an ambulance, get an Uber to take me to hospital instead". Tangentially related, there's plenty of discussion here on HN that led me to conclude that it's best to never talk to police, even if something bad happens.

I have the greatest respect for firefighters, because they seem to be the only emergency service that aren't yet horrifically corrupt.

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Also broke my ankle, and also had a plate installed via ORIF surgery. My insurance company was billed nearly $80,000 USD, and I was asked to pay $6k of that. And that was just the single procedure, not any of the follow-up visits or physical therapy.

The doctor who performed the initial surgery said that it is not common to remove the plate due to the risk and expense of another surgery procedure, so I still have it. Been nearly 5 years. Would love to get rid of it.

If I may ask, what was your consultation conversation like when you discussed having the plate removed with your doctor /surgeon?

The plate was put in by the same doctor in Taiwan a year earlier, who recommended removing it. I can also recommend taking it out - I feel much better without it.

Doctors in Europe/NZ/etc recommended not removing it because of the expense. It was sensitive to temperature changes, so I really wanted it out. When my bone and titanium expanded and contracted at different rates when going from a cold winter outside to a warm house, it was uncomfortable.

If you can take a couple of weeks to fly to Asia and sit around waiting for it to heal, that would be best. Once the stitches are out (surgery + 2 weeks) you're able to fly again and walk without crutches. So I guess that's the shortest time you could do it in. I'm staying for 2 months though, because I'm waiting for a visa to move down under.

Thanks for that info. I'm a permanent resident of Australia now, with access to the public (and private) medical care down here. My injury and procedure happened in the US though, and I've moved around quite a bit since then, and haven't really seen anyone about my ankle since my last post-op visit 4+ years ago. I enquired about speaking to a syndesmotic specialist down here but it still seemed to be an expensive visit to be told "yeah nah everyone just keeps the plate in nowadays mate," which is what I was expecting...so I'm always very curious when someone has had the implant removed. Thanks again.

Did you know that there are parts of the United States where paying for firefighters is optional(not included in taxes), but if you don't pay and you have a fire they will not put it out.

They once were, look into 19th century firefighting gangs.

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