Which Canadian hospitals are specialized in rare neurological diseases?
Why bother searching for neurology treatment options overseas? Without any doubt, Canadians in all provinces who suffer from conditions affecting the brain or the nervous system
have access to excellent neurology and neuro-surgical services. Difficult cases are referred to one of a few hospitals in the province, primarily the university hospitals in the large cities, also called “health science centers.”
However, regarding rare neurological conditions requiring multiple sub-specialties under the same roof, only one Hospital stands out as a world-class leader: University Health Network’s Krembil Brain Institute in Toronto. Here, a large team of neuro-scientists works hard to advance their knowledge on the treatment of brain tumors, neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy, and conditions that affect body movement or the blood vessels of the brain. But on a population of almost 39 million people, capacity is a growing problem!
Sadly, not all Canadians can access super-specialized neurological treatment in Toronto for many reasons. Even with a referral, the Canadian healthcare system is under a lot of pressure, as demand far outweighs the capacity of available resources. It can take weeks or even months to see specialist doctors. For someone seriously ill, wait time quickly translates to pain, discomfort, loss of functional ability, independence, and desperation to progress.
It’s unsurprising that each year, many patients with rare neurological conditions look across the Canadian border for new developments, including cutting-edge technology and expertise made available elsewhere but have yet to be in Canada.
People with, for example, Ehler-Danlos Syndrome or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease can quickly get stuck in a hopeless situation. A larger group of patients with rapidly progressing neuromuscular disorders, or brain cancers, are considered inoperable in most hospitals. Equally, some patients have a debilitating spinal cord injury that remains unresolved despite repeated surgeries in local hospitals.
Not all patients have a precise diagnosis. Multiple cases are documented each year of patients who experience neurological symptoms like paralysis or seizures that are not fully understood and don’t respond well to conventional treatment.
Are there affordable options for neurological treatment outside of Canada?
Getting a second opinion and potential medical or surgical treatment abroad takes time and effort. Often, when the decision needs to be made to go or to stay, there is little time to spare. Many questions are left unanswered, and there are no guarantees that the outcome will justify the investment.
That investment is to be considered. Most international patients pay out of pocket for private hospital care overseas and turn to their hard-earned retirement savings or estates to do so. Needless to say that nobody wants to “try out” a hospital and find out along the way that it wasn’t the right choice.
Because the internet is so full of heavily-commercialized “solutions” and inconclusive reviews of international patients, we hope to help make the choice of a hospital slightly easier by summarizing the offerings of some of the most respected neurological centers in the world.
Our search has led to three world-class hospitals in Japan and South Korea specializing in rare neurological conditions and whose top specialists have developed leading-edge treatment programs that provide hope to patients worldwide.
Knowing that a multi-disciplinary approach is imperative to achieve the best outcome, we have looked for integrated neuroscience centers that attract attention from all worldwide because of the presence of top-talented experts and well-developed subspecialties.
Each year, the specialist teams at these hospitals see enough cases of rare neurological diseases to be considered world experts in their field.
What are the best hospitals for neurology in Asia?
Asan Medical Center – Seoul, South Korea
ASAN Medical Center is the 10th largest Hospital in Asia and the 15th largest in the world, with over 2,700 beds. The facility is located 45 minutes by road from the Seoul Incheon International Airport. Over 17,000 international patients are treated here each year between all 88 departments.
It also ranks at US Newsweek’s 29th spot for 2023’s best hospitals in the world, and for years, it has been considered the number 1 best and most preferred Hospital in South Korea. The Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), a US-based organization that assesses the quality of medical services worldwide.
ASAN’s neurology and neurosurgery department handles complex cases, including skull base tumors that are difficult to access but have been successfully operated on by ASAN’s neurosurgeons for almost 35 years. Techniques used include minimal invasive trans-nasal endoscopic surgery and the Cyberknife, a stereotactic radio-surgical robot used to destroy tumors that cannot be reached with a Gamma knife.
Of the 1,200 brain tumors surgically removed yearly at ASAN, 150 cases involve a malignant pituitary gland tumor, a rare condition. ASAN is considered a center of expertise on pituitary cancers, not only because of its neurosurgical capabilities but also because of its comprehensive team, which includes neuroendocrinologists, radiation oncologists, and neurorehabilitation professionals.
ASAN is also highly specialized in treating various types of scoliosis and other spinal conditions in children and adolescents. One hundred sixty high-complexity corrective surgeries of the spine are performed each year.
Some rare disorders treated at ASAN include Moya Moya disease, trigeminal neuralgia, spinal cord tumors, and genetic neurological disorders. Over the years, South Korea has gained an international reputation for its quality and affordability of health care. Procedures cost about one-third of the price charged by American hospitals.
- How to get there: Air Canada, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Delta Airlines
- JET COMPANION’s travel support options: aeromedical clearance processing, medical escort from any North American city to Seoul Incheon, wheelchair, airline stretcher, ambulance transfers
- Medical visa options: 90 days or one year
- Where to start: contact the international medical department of ASAN Medical Center
Juntendo University Hospital – Tokyo, Japan
Juntendo University Hospital is located in downtown Tokyo, 90 minutes from the Tokyo Narita international airport and 50 minutes from the Tokyo Haneda international airport.
The Hospital is known for its expertise in treating various rare genetic and neuro-immunological disorders in adults and children. The Hospital has a reputation for advanced research in regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy, and studies on neuron death in various neurological conditions like young onset Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, and demyelinating neuromuscular disease.
Some unique treatment protocols for Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis are being carried out at Juntendo. Juntendo’s neuro-surgeons routinely perform intra-vascular surgery to correct malformations of the blood vessels in the brain. The Hospital’s pediatric neurosurgery team specializes in hydrocephalus and myelomeningocele, the most severe spina bifida.
Juntendo’s world-class reputation is also due to its large presence of international researchers and its state-of-the-art facilities, including advanced imaging technologies, operating rooms, and a comprehensive neuro-rehabilitation program. In addition, they have a high number of dedicated beds (over 1,000), and their volume of patients with rare disorders is one of the largest in Japan.
It was the first private Japanese Hospital and also the first Japanese Hospital to be awarded accreditation by the Joint Commission International. Surprisingly, the cost of healthcare in Japan is lower than in the USA or Europe.
- How to get there: Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, WestJet, Air Canada, United Airlines
- JET COMPANION’s travel support options: aeromedical clearance processing, medical escort from any North American city to Tokyo, wheelchair, airline stretcher, ambulance transfers
- Medical visa options: 90 days, six months, or one year
- Where to start: contact any international medical coordination service in Japan
University of Tokyo Hospital – Tokyo, Japan
The University of Tokyo Hospital has been building upon 165 years of experience since it opened its doors in 1858. Today it is considered the best and busiest Hospital in Japan and the leading clinical research center in the country.
On average, 2,900 patients are seen in the outpatient clinics daily, as well as 980 hospitalized patients. Eleven thousand surgeries are performed each year.
When treating health conditions of the brain and the nervous system, the University of Tokyo Hospital is one of only 86 hospitals in Japan that the Japanese government has assigned advanced treatment capabilities.
It is famous for its expertise in treating rare neurological disorders such as Huntington’s disease, myasthenia gravis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A multi-disciplinary neuro-science group, including teams of neuropathologists, neuro-physiologists, and neuro-psychiatrists, work together to provide the best outcomes for complex cases of chronic pain and spasms, epilepsy, or Chiari malformation.
The Hospital of over 1,000 beds is involved in cutting-edge medical research and innovation, leading to numerous medical science breakthroughs over the last few decades. The University of Tokyo Hospital collaborates with other leading medical centers worldwide and regularly exchanges new expertise and knowledge to stay at the forefront of medical innovation.
The University of Tokyo Hospital is one of the world leaders in genomic oncology medicine, which promises to become a new foundation for cancer treatment in the near future.
Consider these tips:
- Medical coordination offices in Tokyo provide English-Japanese interpreters as part of their services. However, it is highly recommended that you have your medical records translated from English to Japanese before traveling to Japan.
- Don’t book a commercial flight without air medical clearance if you have paralysis, seizures, fainting spells, or tremors. Booking the services of an in-flight medical travel companion is highly recommended for any of these conditions to avoid a last-minute cancellation due to denied boarding by the airline.
How do you travel to Asia with a neurological condition?
Getting an appointment at one of the best hospitals for neurology in Asia inevitably leads to the following question: how to get there safely?
Patients who, despite their health condition, are mobile can travel on a commercial flight to Seoul or Tokyo with no or only limited assistance. Wheelchair assistance can be booked with the airline free of charge if necessary. Self-care or the help of a family member should be sufficient to arrive in Asia safely.
It gets slightly complicated if a patient needs more care during the journey or if there is a significant risk for a seizure, a fainting spell, tremors, or if mobility is severely impaired.
Commercial travel is still possible in many cases. Still, the airline’s medical department will assess the care needs and the risk of an in-flight medical emergency before accepting the patient as a passenger. If the patient is approved for travel, certain conditions will need to be met to prevent the condition of the patient from deteriorating during the flight. Any surprises will be carefully avoided.
The risk is managed by planning the in-flight care for the patient in great detail. Things like oxygen support, the administration of scheduled- or emergency medication, toileting assistance, and uninterrupted supervision by a medical escort are some of the measures that can be taken to transport a passenger with a neurological disorder safely.
Even hospital-like nursing procedures like tracheostomy care, intravenous drips, urinary catheters, and nasogastric tube feeding can be safely managed onboard a commercial plane by a licensed aeromedical escort.
The airline will make any effort to be sure that any medical intervention onboard can be delivered in a controlled way without compromising the safety and comfort of the patient or any other passengers and without causing a situation in which the plane will have to be diverted.
Before booking a flight to Japan or Korea to visit a neurologist or neurosurgeon, it is best to contact JET COMPANION. We have the professional expertise and the equipment to organize medical travel to specialized treatment centers onboard commercial flights with all major airlines, with minimal hassle and stress, including scheduled flights to Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, or Seoul Incheon.
Most patients can be safely transported in business class, with one or two of our aeromedical escorts to provide in-flight care, like pain control or vital signs monitoring. However, some patients can only be safely transported on a commercial flight if lying on a stretcher. Commercial airline stretchers are unavailable on Air Canada, WestJet, United, or Delta flights to Japan or Korea. But it is possible on flights operated by Japan Airlines or ANA to Tokyo and with Asiana or Korean Air to Seoul.
JET COMPANION takes care of international patient transport from bed to bed. The patient will be picked up anywhere in North America and left in the care of the accepting Hospital in Korea or Japan. We pride ourselves in our attention to detail and the exceptional level of customer service that we deliver to our patients.
Call us today if you plan on getting medical treatment for a neurological condition in Tokyo or Seoul.