Dr. Alfonso Garcia, a spine surgeon working in Tijuana, Mexico, believes his city is primed to be a destination for medical tourism services and spine care.
He spoke on the "Becker's Healthcare Spine and Orthopedic Podcast" about the city and the spine care he offers.
This is an edited excerpt. Listen to the full episode here.
Question: When you think about your practice long term, what do you see as being some of your biggest opportunities for growth?
Dr. Alfonso Garcia: I have to brag about the city where I live in. Tijuana is actually the busiest city in Mexico for people seeking medical tourism services. Currently spine surgery is not in the top 10, unfortunately.
Endoscopic spine procedures are being done widely at ASCs, and Mexico is not an exception. We know for a fact that local and international patients are looking for the least invasive options to take care of their back problems. We are gifted to be at a very special location geographically speaking, and we understand the language and are internationally recognized as a reference center for minimally invasive and endoscopic spine procedures.
There's definitely a lot of work to do and to keep moving forward. I expect that very soon Tijuana will be a flagship representing top-of-the-line hospitals and ASCs, becoming a very attractive destination for spine care.