Reproductive Medicine in Dominican Republic

Reproductive medicine is a field of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and management of male and female reproductive issues. It encompasses the prevention and assessment, as well as the treatment and prognosis of a wide variety of reproductive conditions. The main goal of reproductive medicine is to improve or maintain the female and male reproductive systems. Reproductive medicine specialists particularly treat and advise on any issues impacting a person’s or a couple’s ability to conceive. They treat issues of puberty, sexual education, family planning, birth control, infertility, sexual dysfunction, and reproductive system disease, such as:

• Infectious diseases, such as reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Cancer that affects the reproductive system, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, penile cancer, and prostate cancer.
• Conditions that affect fertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, fibroids, hypothyroidism, cryptorchidism, vasectomy, and retrograde ejaculation.
• Congenital abnormalities, such as imperforate hymen and epispadias.
• Endocrine disorders, such as teratoma, hypogonadism, idiopathic hirsutism, androgen insensitivity syndrome, ovarian cysts, and hypopituitarism.

Tests and treatments that reproductive medicine may perform include:

• Full medical history assessment
• Physical examination
• Blood tests
• Imaging techniques, such as pelvic ultrasounds
• Investigations of semen samples
• Ovulation induction
• Assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility medication, artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer, and frozen embryo replacement (FER)
• Open surgery
• Laparoscopic surgery
• Prescribing medication, such as antibiotics for bacterial infections or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the HIV virus.

Reproductive medicine is a multidisciplinary branch of medicine that combines physiology, endocrinology, and anatomy, as well as some aspects of biochemistry and molecular biology. Reproductive medicine also overlaps with other branches of medicines, such as gynecology, urology, obstetrics, and psychiatry.

How Long Should I Stay in Dominican Republic?

Your length of stay in Dominican Republic depends on your specific condition and the type of test and/or treatment you underwent. In general, it is advisable that you stay in Dominican Republic for at least 1-3 weeks, although you may be able to travel home within 1 to 2 days after some diagnostic tests. During your stay, you will attend follow-up appointments.

What's the Expected Recovery Time?

Your specific condition, the type of test/treatment you underwent, the technique your doctor used, and your overall health determines the recovery time. For open surgery, it may take around 4 to 6 weeks until you are allowed to resume your normal activity and to go back to work. Laparoscopic surgery offers shorter recovery time, usually only 3 to 4 weeks until you can return back to your normal activity level. For non-surgical procedures, such as IVF, you should be able to go back to your normal routine immediately after the procedure.

What Aftercare is Required?

You will be given detailed aftercare instructions that you will need to follow. In most cases, you will attend regular checkups with your reproductive medicine specialist in Dominican Republic or with your local doctor back at home. 

What's the Success Rate?

The advancement of reproductive medicine and a better understanding of the human reproductive system has lead to an increased safety and success rate of the reproductive system’s tests and treatments. The field has allowed the development of assisted reproductive technology (ART), resulting in advances in overcoming infertility. ART is also safer than surgical procedures, minimizing the risks that surgical procedures carry.

Are there Alternatives?

Depending on your specific case, you may be able to see a gynecologist, urologist, obstetrician, or even oncologist as the alternative to seeing a reproductive medicine specialist. It is best, however, to talk to your general physician first as they will be able to direct you to the right specialist. 

Reproductive Medicine in and around Dominican Republic

About the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic can be found on the island of Hispaniola and is a part of the island group, the Great Antilles. The nation has diverse natural environments and land features. Characterized by rugged mountains on one side and the other side consist of low lying valleys and coastal plains. It is the world’s leading producer of professional baseball players. It is also home to the highest mountain, Pico Duarte, and the largest lake, Lago Enriquillo in the Caribbean Region.

In recent times, the Dominican Republic has become popular with medical tourists. Tourists, particularly from the United States, visit the country for Plastic and Reconstructive surgeries, especially for Breast Augmentation procedure. About 25,000 to 30,000 patients visit the Dominican Republic yearly for various medical treatments. The most sought-after services are general, Plastic and cosmetic surgeries, dental procedures, weight-loss, oncology, and orthopedic treatments.

Most medical service providers are situated around the capital city Santa Domingo and Santiago. The medical establishments offer competitive healthcare services with highly-qualified and internationally-trained surgeons. The following clinics can be found in Santa Domingo: Dr. Rafael E. Estevez - Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeon, Dr. Gustavo Almanzar Plastic Surgery Clinic, Alba Reyes Skin, and Hair Transplant Institute and Dr. Ivan Strachan Bariatric Clinic.

Popular Parts of Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is an unmatched destination with amazing natural sceneries, intriguing history, and diverse culture. It offers ecotourism adventures in splendid national parks, mountain ranges, beaches, and rivers.

Top attractions of the Dominican Republic:

• Santa Domingo – The capital city is where Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas. It is home to century-old buildings, most of which function as restaurants, shops, quaint hotels, and museums. Zona Colonial is the historic central area of Santa Domingo. It is the oldest European settlement and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  
• Punta Cana –Is a premier resort destination, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It offers about 20 miles of white sandy beaches. The Bavaro Beach area and Punta Cana together form the Coconut Coast, an area of luxurious resorts. It is famous for water activities such as zip-lining, kayaking, windsurfing, and sailing.
• Samara Province –Is a city overlooking the Samana Bay. Its unique feature is the breeding point for thousands of humpback whales during their mating season in winter.
• Parque Nacional Del Este – Meaning the ‘Eastern National Park’, is one of the largest marine parks in the Caribbean. It also has an offshore coral reef system. Divers can watch a multitude of marine life within its waters. It is also home to hundreds of different species of birds, tropical forests and beaches.
• Lago Enriquillo – The massive hypersaline lake lies 140 feet below the sea level. You will see a large population of American crocodiles as well as pink flamingos, and various other bird species and you will even find iguanas at the entrance of the lake.
• El Limon Waterfalls – Being the tallest falls of the country, it is perfect for hiking and horseback riding through the rugged and steep mountain trail. The hike gives you a stunning view of the Caribbean landscape. The crystal-clear natural pool at its foot is a perfect place to cool off and relax.
• Kite Beach, Cabarete –Is a unique beach, about 20 minutes on foot from the main Cabarete Beach. Kiteboarders fill the otherwise quiet beach in the afternoons when the wind picks up.

Jarabacoa, Sosua, La Romana, Las Aguilas, and Puerto Plata & Playa Dorada are several other popular tourist spots in the Dominican Republic.

Weather and Climate in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has a tropical weather climate, and constant temperature throughout the year, with average yearly temperature, is around 77°F.

The hottest and humid period is from May to October. The mild winter season is from December to March. The period between November and April are the moderate seasons.

Rainfall is seasonal. The eastern and southern coasts experience rains between April and October. The northern coast receives rains throughout the year due to the influence of the north-eastern trade winds. The southern region is prone to hurricanes, with most striking in the months of August and September.

Getting Around in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic offers easy access to the rest of the world with a myriad of flight options from North America and Europe. The main ports of entry into the country by air are the international airports in Santa Domingo, Punta Cana, and Puerto Plata. Santiago and Samana airports are other points of entry.

There are many flights from major cities of Canada and the US. The most frequent flights are from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Montreal. JetBlue, the budget airlines, operates flights from North America to Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Puerto Plata.

The Dominican Republic has a well-developed inter-country transport infrastructure with a large network of roads. It has many types of public transportation for moving around within cities such as buses, the metro, carro publicos, guaguas, and the motoconchos.

Carro Publicos are small car-public taxis and have a specific route displayed on their roof. Guaguas are privately-owned minivans and pick up travelers from any point and drop them off close to their desired location. Motoconchos are private motorcycle taxis that have reasonable fares and are ideal for short journeys.

Tourist Visas in the Dominican Republic

Citizens of countries such as the UK, USA, and Canada, and Schengen countries are not required to have a tourist visa to enter the Dominican Republic, under a bilateral agreement between the countries. However, they do need to:

• Carry a tourist card (Tourist cards allow you to stay for 30 days and allow an extension to stay beyond 30 days).
• Have a valid passport not expiring before six months with at least one blank page
• Carry proof of onward and return journeys and sufficient funds.

Nationals of countries like India, Sri Lanka, China, and Russia need to get a tourist visa to travel to the Dominican Republic. The visas are multiple-entry type and are valid for 60 days.

Additional Information

• The Dominican Peso (RD$) is the official currency of the country. As of April 2019, one US Dollar is worth about 51 RD$. Major tourist areas like Punta Cana accept US Dollars.
• You can find many ATMs in Santa Domingo and other popular tourist cities. Dominican Republic banks are members of the Maestro, Citrus, and PLUS networks. Hence, you can use the affiliate credit and debit cards here.
• Spanish is the official and major language of the country. Dominican Spanish forms its dialect. Very few locals understand and speak English.
• 93% of the population follow Roman Catholicism. However, many Dominicans do not go to church on a regular basis.
• Major holidays of the Dominican Republic are religious. While others are non-religious and national holidays. Other than Christmas and Good Friday, the Day of Our Lady of Altagracia (January 21), Corpus Christi (June 17) and the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy (September 24) are the religious holidays. Juan Pablo Duarte (January 26), Independence Day (February 27), and Dominican Restoration Day (August 16) are the national holidays specific to the country.