Echocardiogram in Gto for visitor?

[sonrios]

Hello, this is my first post! We are making our second visit to Guanajuato soon, and are seriously considering it for a longer stay. I am supposed to get an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart valves, noninvasive) done to keep an eye on an issue, and it occurred to me that I might be able to get one while on our trip. This would hopefully save us money and aggravation over doing it in the states, and would also give us a tiny introduction to local health care. Does anyone know if this is possible in Gto? This would obviously be private pay. Prefer not to have to go to Leon as we have no other reason for going there on this trip. Thanks so much for any help.

[pianoheat]

I'm fairly certain you can get that done at the Presa Clinic near the Presa or the clinic in La Paz plaza. Also some individual Cardiologists can do that as well. There may also be diagnostic labs that do that. Just about any non invasive test on the heart can be done cheaply in Guanajuato city. Closest Cath Lab is in Leon.

[doncoulter]

I looked into this a few years ago. Few cardiologists and clinics have the equipment to do echocardiograms, and at that time the only cardiologist in Guanajuato who could do them was Víctor Arredondo Sola at the clinic in Plaza de la Paz. He did them only on Saturdays. His phone number was 473-732-5357.

[sonrios]

Thank you both. I'll check it out and hopefully have good news to report.

[sonrios]

Well, I looked into this, and here’s my report, in case it’s helpful for anyone: I checked at both the Presa clinic, and the clinic at the Plaza de La Paz, and with my rusty Spanish, I THINK that it is possible to get the echo done at both. I had to first see a cardiologist, which makes sense, and in both cases, there was one I could visit. I didn’t think to check if it was the same person at both clinics on different days.

In La Presa, the cardiologist was there only on Mondays and La Paz I believe was Saturday as mentioned by Don. But in both cases, the first available appointments were about a week out, not quick enough for my stay, but actually a lot quicker than I would get in the states. The cost, at La Presa, was 700 pesos for the doctor visit. Did not get far enough in the process to get the cost for the echo.

A few side notes:

At both places, the receptionist checked the schedule by consulting an appointment book, with everything handwritten in. Unexpected and kind of charming when compared to the impersonal nature of everything being “in the computer” in the states.

At one clinic, the receptionist pulled out a book to check the schedule for the cardiologist, when DH noticed “Neurólogo” on the book and said, “I think that’s the neurologist”, and we all (including the receptionist), had a good laugh.