Hello. My name is Katharine. I am a female from the United States of America [Phoenix, Arizona (AZ)]. I am 52 years old. [Katharine is a ballet dancer.]

I was seeking resurfacing for both hips although I have only just had the first hip resurfacing operation done on my right hip.

The major factors that allowed me to seek medical assistance outside of the US was primarily monetary but it became the fact that this particular doctor is the most proficient of this surgery, perhaps, in the world.

The Apollo Specialty Hospital is where I have to come to have this resurfacing operation done. It absolutely lived up to my expectations even though at first I did have many fears and doubts and much anxiety, of not traveling outside the US but just to face the operation in general.

Dr. Vijay Bose was the last person I saw on the day before my operation in the evening. He was very knowledgeable, I would say, knowledgable from experience. He was very personable. He had a good sense of humor which made me able to relax a little bit. He showed us the different hip replacement mechanisms so that I could really see what it meant to have a complete hip or this hip resurfacing operation done. And I realize that this truly was the correct operation for me to try for myself at this time.

The equipment and technology at this hospital, I would say, are as good as anything I would expect out of the United States or out any other hospitals that might have good reputations.

The hospital room was clean, neat and it is a wonderful thing to be allowed to bring someone with you. So that my husband was allowed to be with me in the room the whole time which was very comforting and assuring.

I would say very very minor times of miscommunication and not usually from actual language because the people here all speak English. And they speak British English so they speak it better than we do. I really think there has been almost no miscommunication.

We did not spend time vacationing in India. We are currently staying at a hotel for a couple of days just to ensure that I would be strong enough or feel strong enough before the long flight home which will be about 30 hours. So we have been staying at the Raintree Hotel and we have had a wonderful time and everyday I am feeling better and stronger.

[Find out what is involved in a medical travel trip ]

We think that we have probably saved $38,000 by coming here just for one hip and not both the hips. Once we come back later this year for hip resurfacing on the second hip, the savings will be $38,000 times 2. So for people such as my husband and myself, that is a vast sum of money for us to have been able to save.

We heard about Healthbase online. And I would say my experience with Healthbase has been wonderful. They are efficient, personable and very quick to respond to any emails or questions, and have even phoned us and talked to us. So I would rate Healthbase services very highly. I would "absolutely absolutely absolutely" recommend Healthbase to anyone who needed surgery such as myself or perhaps others that I care about.

Based on my experience from being skeptical, Americans are skeptical, I would reassure anyone I know that they would get good care, absolutely incredible surgery, proficiency from the surgeons and incredible care from all the people here. And I would try to alleviate anyone's fears about traveling outside of the United States for any kind of surgery.

I would rate the quality of care overseas absolutely excellent. I have had a wonderful experience. It was very hard for me to get here but I felt I was funneled into this situation and now I know it was absolutely the correct thing to have happened to me.

I am feeling great and this is only day 11 after my first surgery. Thank you very much.

Case studies of medical tourists

Read more about Katharine and her husband Scott's surgeries overseas