I am an American that just had brain surgery in Russia. AMA :)

What is the medical term for the growth which was found on imaging, and where was it located, precisely? Did you not get sent for imaging in the US?

It was a benign tumor located on the bottom left of my brain, in between my ear and my brain. I really don’t know what else to say, I don’t know all the fancy terms, and besides, they have been telling me everything in Russian haha. Also no, they did not have me do any imaging in the US. In fact each doctor I talked to there treated me like I was wasting their time. My surgeon here was surprised, he thought it was standard procedure to do an MRI when someone loses hearing so young.

Fellow brain tumor sufferer here, and I went through three doctors in the US before one finally scanned my head. The first two treated me the same way - like I was wasting their time.

That really sucks, but at the same time it’s nice knowing I’m not the only one haha.

It should be, but you know, in the US doing an mri probably costs 3 million dollars so they are negligent

I think the cost I heard was 10k for an MRI if you walk in off the street and want one

In my country it's 200€ in a private hospital. Probably 100€ on public One. 10k is ridiculous, the US healthcare is a joke

That it is.

Almost certainly an acoustic neuroma.

Could also be referred to as a vestibular schwannoma but it's basically the same thing

They could have identified it as a vegemite shawarma, since the OP couldn't hear them, anyway.

Lol

I'm a native russian speaker. Proof is ok, it's legit consent for surgery.

Надеюсь, этого будет достаточно.

Thanks!

Did you know how to speak Russian at all before the surgery?

Yeah I am pretty good at aRussian, I think. Have been studying hard for 5 years.

Not a single doctor thought into doing an MRI?

Not in the US, no.

Aside from the lower cost and language, what was different about your experiences compared to US hospitals?

They are much much more thorough here, they really check EVERYTHING before doing a surgery, to make sure that it will all be okay. The hospital food is decent, too.

I saw your previous post before it got deleted, what was it , $3k for the whole thing?

Yeah, the surgery, the hospital stay, and everything else is costing me about $3k. 170,000 Rubles. I have no idea how much it would cost in the US, but my guess is at least 50k.

at least 50k.

I'm not even American, but I feel like you're low-balling it. There was that guy who was billed something like 150k for a snake bite.

Yeah you’re probably right. I really have no idea what it would cost there, but I’m glad that I am doing it here. I really like all of the doctors and nurses I’ve met here, the price is reasonable, and everything went perfectly.

Get well bro, but be vigilant for any pro-communist intrusive thoughts you might get.

Shhhh my doctor just came in. Will send messages soon

So, do you speak Russian now?

I already spoke Russian before coming.

or did you?

https://youtu.be/z77JFw2D6f8

Lol thanks for this

… я думаю, что да? Все что я знаю - это что время уже давно пришло бухать и слушать хардбасс

Glad your surgery went well! I had the same surgery done last year and still have some lingering symptoms from it. Did you have any facial paralysis? I'm totally deaf in my left ear but my facial nerve wasn't damaged and I'm a little numb on my fave still so I was wondering how the Russian surgery went in comparison?

I think I am very lucky, I don’t have any facial numbness, my hearing has improved a bit, and I don’t really have any other problems other than my head hurting, which hopefully will go away soon. I’m sorry to hear that you are still having problems… is there hope they they will go away with more time?

Yes, my doctor said in 3-5 years after surgery it should look like nothing happened but the hearing is gone for good but hey things could always be worse and it doesn't affect my day to day so it's fine. Thank you for sharing your story!

I’m glad! I have to ask “what?” Like 500 times when someone is standing on my left side, I know your pain haha

What version of the kgb brainchip did you get installed or did they not let you pick? Glad you're doing OK op.

Pfizer

Do you get free 5G now?

Yeah and my Microsoft is always updated

I’m Russian, can confirm that this document is in fact consent to the operation. Это согласие на операцию, интересно, в какой клинике))

Why did you decide to do the surgery in Russia?

We were in Russia when they found the tumor, and it seemed like a very urgent thing to do. Also it is way cheaper here and I believe the technology in Moscow is just as good as in NY. И вот на это я не отвечу)

How many doctors did you go to in the U.S., and were any actual neurologists? It seems like getting an MRI done in the U.S. would have lead to a similar discovery by American doctors.

I went to like 4 doctors to talk about my ear, and a few audiologists. Nobody ever recommended I see a neurologist or get a brain scan done.

Yikes, that sucks. That being said I've had some mixed experiences with neurologists in the U.S. as well, including one who ordered an MRI and said everything was fine, but even I looked at it and saw a problem that required surgery which another neurologist confirmed.

On that note, I will say if you require further surgery and would do it in the U.S. I'd highly recommend the BNI in Phoenix. We don't even live there but went there based on prior experience and they did a good job with a surgery earlier this year.

Thanks, I will look into it.

Can you now file a claim in US for them repeatedly missing an obvious life threatening situation?

I don’t know, but I doubt it.

I hope your recovery goes well. Based on their examinations having found it, the surgery itself and the cost, how do you think Russia's health system compares to the USA, and what do you now think of the USA health system?

It is infinitely better here, especially if you go to Moscow. They couldn’t do the surgery in the town we are living in, so we took a 15 hour train ride to Moscow to meet with my surgeon. They are much much more thorough here with everything, and they will keep you as long as you need. The american healthcare system is absolute garbage. Prices are unbelievable, doctors get paid less than they should, and they seem to bring you in and pump you out as fast as possible to maximize profits.

Do you find your urge to squat in pictures increased?

As of right now I haven’t left the hospital bed for a few days but generally yes.

If I was young or hadn't gone through med school I would claim "this is fake news Russian propaganda to make the US look bad!"

But unfortunately these stories are far, FAR too common in the states. Maybe it's because my schooling is more recent but I couldn't fucking imagine the guilt I would feel if I didn't do as much as I could for each of my patients. Unfortunately I am all to familiar with the super arrogant doctors who make a snap diagnosis and believe they are infallible and/or are monetarily incentevized to see more and more patients with worse outcomes or see more complex patients to bill the insurance more.

Specifically a lot of older doctors seem to have issues with this, although not exclusively.

Do you feel as if something like this caused you to go undiagnosed in the states?

(Personal curiosity) How was the bedside manner in the Russian operating room/surgery sweet?

Yeah I have had very few good experiences with doctors in the US. It seems like you really have to push it a lot of doctors to get some test done. Everyone in the hospital has been amazingly nice and has done a great job of making me feel less nervous than I normally would. My surgeon in particular is amazing.

The numbers Mason, what do they mean?

Jokes aside congratulations on getting affordable healthcare and on the successful surgery. How is your hearing post surgery?

Is this from call of duty?

I'm glad that everything went well!

Did you feel any other symptoms other than poor hearing? Where exactly was the tumor located?

Not really, that was pretty much my only symptom. It was in the lower left corner of my brain, idk what that is called.

Are you a Russian citizen ? Can Americana go over there for medical care if not a citizen ?

I am not a Russian citizen, but my wife is. I believe you can get a 3 year tourist visa relatively easily. I’ve talked to so,e doctors here and apparently a bunch of Americans come here just to get treatment for so much cheaper.

How do Russian citizens view America/Americans nowadays?

Problems between countries are almost always and only political. Take two regular people from any countries in the world and they will probably get along fine. We all want the same things, happiness, love, warmth, material possessions etc. mostly people here are just interested in what America is like, they ask a lot of questions and stuff. I have not met anybody yet that has shown hostility towards me for being American, and this is my third time here.

That’s cool, I really want to visit Russia but my wife thinks its a bad idea. I figured most people dont care what country you’re from as long as you act decent.

What’s it like there? I assume you are in a city, is there a lot to do there in a general sense (museums, clubs, restaurants) or do most people keep to themselves (or are they still on virus restrictions)?

Oh and this may seem odd, but is there an issue with bugs where you are? I wanted to go hiking/camping in siberia but I saw a documentary where everyone was constantly being swarmed with flies/mosquitoes and looked miserable

Basically everything is open here, most people don’t wear masks and the rest wear them below their noses. There is a lot of culture in Russia. The two big cities are Moscow and St. Petersburg, but the country is huge and there is a lot to see outside of the cities. I haven’t had many probably with bugs here.

Do you pay for this in Russia? How much if i can ask (like, just wondering if this is the level of US bad or not). I'm Canadian, so paying for health care hurts my heart whenever i hear it talked about.

About $3k for everything.

Wow, thats WAY better than the US. Like, 10-20x fold better, minimum. Im honestly surprised at how fucking bad the US system is. Im happy you were able to do this without bankrupting yourself!

Thanks friend. Of course that is a lot of money for a Russian, I’m lucky I had enough savings from the US.

Unrelated to surgery, but what are some maybe less famous Russian dishes everyone should try? I've tried the classics, Borscht, blinis, etc. and I love them.

There is a lot of amazing Russian food. My wife’s grandma makes the most amazing apple pirozhkis. I know it’s not really Russian, but there are a lot of Georgian restaurants here, and Georgian food is so dank. I also really like a dish called селедка под шубой herring under a fur coat. Look it up, it looks weird but it is so good.

How do Russian hospitals compare to those in the US? Personally due to TV and movies, I imagine them to be full of 60's tech and decor.

You would be right about the decor lol

Moscow hospitals are mostly fine. Provinces vary from decent to moldy crumbling blocks of sorrow where doctors either don't care or they care enough to buy supplies out of their pockets because there's not enough budget.

This is pretty accurate

Will you continuity get treatment out of country?

We moved here for 2 years, so as long as I’m here, yeah. If I ever have to have something like this done again, I might come back to Russia tbh.

Have you thought about sending your diagnosis to any of the doctors in the US who failed to properly treat you, as a way to show them how serious their mistakes and failures to properly diagnose were?

I’ve thought about writing a review lol. I don’t want a lawsuit or anything though, I’m sure they were just following procedure

What kind of hearing loss did you have? What were the symptoms if I may ask

I’d say that I hear 100% in my right ear, and about 20% in my left ear.

How difficult would it be to get surgery there as an American who knows no Russian?

It would be very difficult, but you might be able to get a translator.

It's one thing what they took out but WHAT DID THEY INSERT?! ;-)

НЕ ОТВЕЧАТЬ НА ТАКИЕ ВОПРОСЫ

Hm, that’s weird.

...so did you get your hearing back?

I think a little bit? It’s kind of hard to tell, but I can hear my earbud now, which I couldn’t hear before. It’s also a bit early to really tell for certain I think.

Do you know the Decibel loss in the bad ear? Did they do a air and bone test? How old are you if you don't mind me asking?

I don’t know the exact numbers to be honest. I am in my early 20s

How hot are the nurses there?

Lol they are all in their 50s and 60s I think so do with that what you will. They are all incredibly nice and caring, though.

Do you know if the Tumor was malign (evil, "cancer" will spread into your body) or benign ("good", will stay stationary)? Do you know the exact name/classification of the tumor?

It was benign. I should have put that in the text, my bad. Other than that I know nothing about any of this basically.

How old are you?

Was hearing loss the only symptom? Hearing loss is common with old age. So what really prompted the doc to ask you go for a MRI?

I am early 20s, and it was my only symptom, though I guess sometimes I felt like there was pressure in my head.. The audiologist said that she couldn’t help so she sent me to someone else, who sent me to a neurologist, who had me do an MRI.

Do you plan on suing the US hospitals?

What is your opinion of US doctors now?

No, I feel like that would take years and be a terrible uphill battle. I just want to live my life. I think that 99% of doctors are really good people, but that the US healthcare system really hold them back from giving the best help that they can.

Do you have hope that returning to US, the MSM will want to spin this into 'evil Russia implanted spy devices in cancer stricken American citizen', making you rich and famous in the process?

But seriously, lucky you found it and it was Russia as it seems 'American best medical system in the world' -trump or biden idk. Even here in australia the MRI and doctors arent as good, but the healthcare system would def send someone like you in similar situation to an MRI eventually and then cover/help cover most of the chemo treatment, and living expenses etc. Insurance will help get premium care for sure, so it will do in russia and America, more money =better, but I am thankful that here in Australia we have Medicare, and in russia there is social healthcare that is actually good.

Actually from what I hear from most Russians, the private clinics (though a bit more expensive) are way better than the public ones.

What if it was discovered too late ?? Are you going to send angry emails to the doctors who didn't order an MRI scan ? Are you going to file complaints with professional organizations? Will there be some revenge ?

From what I understand, if we had waiting much longer and the tumor had grown more, it could have caused a lot more damage to my hearing, the nerves in my face, my eyes and my speech. While this surgery was 3 hours, if it had advanced to that stage, the surgery could have taken 9 hours.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but why are you living in the US? Moscow is an awesome place and considering the amazing medical treatment you got there, it seems like a great place to live. I was offered to relocate on company sponsorship and relocation fees to the US, honestly, I would never and where I live isnt even as nice as Moscow

Russia is really awesome in a lot of ways and not so great in other ways. My wife and I would prefer to raise our kids in the US, once we have them.

Questions about the procedure itself, I find surgery fascinating but have zero medical knowledge. Where you conscious? What was it like? How long was it? What's your expexted recovery time?

I was not conscious, they put the mask on, and it felt like I was asleep for like 5 seconds before I woke up in the ICU. The surgery was about 3 hours. They’re expecting to keep me in the hospital for another week, but I should be able to walk pretty soon, maybe later today.

[deleted]

I wrote in Russian there, asking someone that is Russian to confirm, that this is an agreement to have brain surgery. Hopefully someone will come along soon to prove it.

So how is the new Soviet Mind Control Micro-Chip?

Заебись

You preferred to give money to a fascist country that hates America?

$3k to a private Russian hospital or $200k to a US hospital 🤔