1 · Write to us.
A short WhatsApp or email message is enough: the joint concerned, a line about your problem, and your country of residence. Dr. Vega-Croker personally reviews inquiries sent to the practice by WhatsApp or email and can arrange a video consultation. Ask how to send imaging or records before sending detailed medical information.
2 · Video consultation.
In a video call you explain your case and he makes an initial assessment: whether SCAARS could help you, whether another treatment makes more sense, or whether your problem is not one SCAARS is designed for. Ask about the arrangements for the video consultation when you write. It does not replace an in-person examination or guarantee that surgery will be suitable.
3 · Treatment proposal and itemized estimate.
If you could benefit, you receive a treatment proposal and an itemized estimate. It shows what you will pay to each party:
- The hospital, for the surgery and any hospital stay.
- The laboratory, for the cell product, which you contract directly with it.
- Dr. Vega-Croker's professional fees are paid to him through the hospital's and the laboratory's charges; he does not manufacture or sell the cell product.
Hotel and transport are not included in the treatment estimate. If you need help, the practice can book them for you; you pay those providers directly.
4 · Before you travel.
Ask which imaging and records to bring, and how to send them. Clarify with him what can only be decided after the in-person examination, how long you should plan to stay, whether you will need a companion or mobility aids, and what happens if the plan changes once he examines you. Check what your health insurance covers abroad and consider travel medical and evacuation insurance.
5 · Evaluation and surgery in Panama City.
Your in-person evaluation confirms or adjusts the plan. Surgery takes place at a hospital in Panama City. Dr. Vega-Croker follows you during the days after the operation, before you are cleared to travel.
6 · Going home, and after.
Air travel after surgery needs individual assessment: surgery and prolonged immobility increase the risk of blood clots, and some operations require protected weight-bearing for weeks. Before you leave, discuss the records and rehabilitation instructions you will need, your teleconsultation schedule and any care to arrange locally in your home country. From then on, Dr. Vega-Croker follows your recovery by teleconsultation.
Allow flexibility. Book your return journey around clinical advice rather than a general timetable found online. Recovery needs can change.
Practical notes.
- Panama City is served by Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
- Panama uses the US dollar and is on Eastern Standard Time all year (UTC−5).
- Dr. Vega-Croker speaks English and Spanish.
- If you develop an urgent medical problem at any point, seek care where you are. A message or a remote follow-up is not a substitute for emergency treatment.