Three main values define us: Client service, professional competence, and Innovation.

“Who does not live to serve, does not serve to live”, quote from Mother Teresa of Calcuta strongly influenced our chief Dr. Pablo Navarro, since he was a teenager. “It was a determining inspiration in my life, still now”.  He has always assumed things in life from the conviction of serving others, and that has marked his vocation.

Of course, medicine gives the doctor, day after day, the opportunity to serve others. Service to others must be comprehensive; involves listening to the patient, implies understanding of the patient’s human situations (not only of his current medical problem but his mental and social issues), implies attention to symptoms and signs for an adequate diagnosis and the ability to provide an effective and affordable solution for the patient.

Professional Competence

Professional competence means that as a professional in a certain field, you must be competent in the practice of it. You must have all the medical knowledge, diagnostic skills, and instruments necessary for optimal diagnosis and care for patients.

The vocation of Dr. Pablo Navarro was manifested from the very first years of his life.  At the age of 5, he was already in first grade by his own desire and this hunger for knowledge has not stopped since then.

He finished high school at age 16, at 22 he was already a general practitioner and a specialist at age 28.

As a specialist, he has attended more than 80 conferences and theoretical-practical courses, mainly internationally, in the area of ​​gastroenterology. He spends multiple hours of study per week reviewing the latest publications in the area and constantly attends clinical case discussion meetings in his specialty.

There are some other gastroenterologists who collaborate in our clinic some days. They are selected by Dr. Navarro with knowledge of their professional and personal skills so that the optimal level of care provided by our clinic is warrantied, even when Dr. Navarro is not the one attending the practice.

Innovation

Innovation encompasses several aspects that we take into account.

Equipment innovation

Equipment comes first, medicine is constantly innovating in technology and we do our part to keep up with current needs. We try to set an innovative standard by purchasing equipment that most clinics have not yet purchased. Example of this is that we currently have the most modern endoscopy unit in the world (Fujifilm 7000 equipment); advanced electrosurgical unit (ERBE Vio200); cardiac defibrillator; equipment for use of CO2 in endoscopy, and a variety of accessories such as endoscopic clips to give care according to the most innovative techniques available.

To date privately in Alajuela, only in our clinic are CO2 colonoscopies performed instead of using air (which practically eliminates post-colonoscopy abdominal pain).

Innovation in endoscopy techniques and new available treatments

The second point of innovation is still more closely related to the professional competence of Dr. Pablo Navarro, and it is that attending so many international courses and reading so much scientific information allows him to have first-hand and early contact with new endoscopy techniques.

So nowadays, daily, we use techniques that initially had not been tested in the country (not because of risky, if not because they are innovative and different from the usual) and all have given us excellent results.

Over the years, we were among the first to do colonoscopies with the immersion technique and then the water exchange technique, among the first to do cold polypectomies and with the immersion technique.

These techniques have allowed us to detect more polyps in the colon and a safer polyps resection for our patients. We have innovated in diverse areas such as sedation, we went from sedation with usual sedatives to the almost exclusive use of propofol. Propofol is a very safe and very short-acting sedative, which allows the patient to ensure that during his examination he will be well sedated (he will not have any traumatic experience) and that he will recover in a prudent time to continue his day.

From our values ​​it follows our commitment to give the best of ourselves always, so that our patients receive the best care that can be provided.

Consultation in General Medicine and Rehabilitation

Dr. Carlos Humberto Navarro Hidalgo (father of Dr. Pablo Navarro) is an emblematic doctor in Alajuela. He graduated as a physician in 1980 and since then has practiced general medicine. There are already more than 40 years of experience serving Alajuelenses.

Since 1981 she worked in Emergencies at the San Rafael de Alajuela Hospital and emergency medicine became her passion. Being on the doorstep of the Hospital for so many years also made him well known to the people of Alajuela.

His dedication to the profession has distinguished him a lot, since then and to date he is available to his clients 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. His phone 8384-0012 is almost a must on an Alajuela phone list, it will get him out of trouble.

Dr. Carlos Navarro services

Although the bulk of his practice is general medicine, Dr. Carlos Navarro has a specialty in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which is why he is responsible for seeing spinal, knee, sports and joint injuries in general and attends flat foot problems, heel spur, carpal tunnel syndrome and other related physical conditions.

He has extensive experience in Sports Medicine and has been part of the Medical Staff of the National Soccer Teams and the Alajuelense Sports League.

He also issues medical certificates for driver’s licenses and issues death certificates when required.

The clinical eye of Dr. Carlos Navarro is impressive and his wise diagnoses are of great benefit to his patients.

Today with 40 years in medicine, he always feels with the best disposition to continue serving his clients.

Dr. Pablo Navarro and his father, Dr. Carlos Humberto Navarro Hidalgo.