Mexico... pros/cons & any surgeon/location recommendations

sonjakae

HI -
I am considering going to Mexico to be sleeved. I live in Canada and the wait from the first referral to actual surgery could be 2 to 4 years and I may not even qualify. I did just tip into the 40+ BMI, but I have no health concerns yet. I have done extensive research and have read every pre and post operative literature from every Bariatic centre that posts online. I can work with a therapist for emotional issues and I have a nutritionist. Please no haters for Mexico as a choice... but honest sincere pros & cons to consider appreciated.
Thanks

Avryv

This is my Dr. in Mexico. Cost $4,500 in Tijuana and $5,500 in Cancun. (plus your cost of airfare) I chose Tijuana Mexico because of all the red tape in the US and costs. NO regrets. Sheri Burke does all the booking/communication. Dr. Sergio Verboonen is the Dr. You actually fly into San Diego they pick you up from the airport and drive you across into Tijuana.
http://www.international-patient-facilitators.com/procedures/bariatrics/gastric-sleeve

vsg_joanna

Hi Sonjakae- I'm actually going to Tijuana Mexico for my surgery on April 8th with Dr. Lopez. Cost is $4,200 plus airfare. Lots of people have had great results, you just need to make sure to do your research. I'd recommend looking up LessofSarah on youtube- she's from Canada as well and had surgery over a year ago in Mexico. She's lost over 200lbs!

Hope this helps!

sonjakae

Thanks vsg_joanna & Avry - really appreciate you 'weighing in' - Avryv, how long ago did you have your surgery? Joanna - all the best to you next week!

teachren

Dr. Alvarez for my VSG last May. I am also in Canada. I did qualify for RNY but wanted VSG and didn't have the co morbidities so they were basically telling me RNY. Plus...I had to jump through all the hoops and just got sick of it.

Alvarez was worth every penny to me...honestly. He is the priciest in Mexico though. My surgery was $8500 plus airfare to San Antonio, Texas. They you get driven across the border.

If you want more specific information you can PM me on MFP.

I am down 140 pounds or so...10 months out...and the entire expereince was positive in every way!

Renee

Liongoddess

I am 2 weeks post-op after having VSG with surgeon Dr. Illon in Tijuana. The cost was $4600 plus airfare. He is with Baja Bariatrics. It was an absolutely positive experience.

dsjsmom23

What province are you Canadians in?
I'm in Canada too! I always love to meet others LOL
I'm in BC. I'm doing the West Coast Bariatric program in Richmond. I waited 18 months from referal date until I was actually in the program. Apparently there are ony two bariatric programs in BC, Richmond and Victoria. The Victoria one has a 7+ year waitlist!
I would opt to self pay if that were my situation! 18 months wasn't so bad, and since i've actually been in the program, the time is flying by! I'm keeping busy with all my tests & appts! LOL

I am leaning towards the sleeve. My BMI was barely 40, and I have high blood pressure, that's my only co-morbidity. I was approved.
I'm currently just waiting now for my surgery date, which i'm hoping will be this summer.
I see my nutritionist tomorrow for the second time, and i'm hoping she will clear me for surgery, so I can get the ball rolling with the surgeon.
There are three people who have to clear me, two have, just waiting on the 3rd.

Anyhow, I know that was a useless post! HAHA, just wanted to say hello!

teachren

Hey djsmom

I'm in Ontario...right up on Lake Huron or apparently the "New Arctic" this year. We are buried in snow..and it is still coming today. Yes..nice to meet some other Canadians.

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. Let me know if you have any questions.

Renee

sonjakae

Thanks everyone -
I'm in the Ottawa, ON area.

LionGoddess - wow, just 2 weeks post-op... and feeling good - all the best to you - already 53 lbs down... you're doing something right!

teachren/Renee - I will send you a friend request... I don't have any specific questions tonight, but I am sure I will. Thank you. Did you have a chance to see any of San Antonio... one of my very favourite cities!

dsjsmom23 - It is fun to meet other Canadians - and I especially appreciate the post of knowing how it has worked for other Canadians. I'm not sure what the current wait time here in Ontario is, but I have known people to go through the program in past years who were in life-threatening situations because of their weight, and still waited 2+ years.
Good luck on your person #3. I've heard BC is beautiful. My husband was just in Victoria about a month ago... but I'm heading there for the first time in just a couple of weeks. Actually heading to Hawaii - but booked a 3 day layover in Vancouver to visit some friends and see just a bit of the area. It just occurred to me there is probably a Canadian group on MFP, but maybe we should start a Canadian WLS group.

dsjsmom23

Both of you are in Ontario! Cool! My daughter is in Ontario for school. She's at Waterloo university playing ice hockey *GO WARRIORS*
Good thing she likes snow! LOL
I was there last spring, it was beautiful there! I'm hoping to go again this summer when I take her back to school!

Oh, almost forgot...person #3 DID clear me today! So now I just wait for the surgeon to call! God only knows when that will be! LOL

Ksh1055

One of the major concerns I would have over having surgery so far away in Mexico is what about all the of the post-surgery surgeon and medical Dr. appointments, blood tests, nutritionist visits, exercise, etc. Where would you have to go for these? It would most certainly have to be an expert in bariatric surgery.

teachren

I see my local doctor about things. If it is weight loss related and he can't answer it I email my surgeon in Mexico and he gets back to me ASAP. A doctor doesn't need to "see" you to read blood tests and what not.

In terms of exercise? A doctor doesn't spend his time monitoring that...I am an adult and it's my drive and determination that have to fuel myself to exercise.

I don't know...perhaps this is becasue I am in Canada but I find it odd that I read a lot of posts on here and OH that indicate you can't get a local doctor to help you if you go out of country for surgery. In my experience, that is simply not true.

Just my two cents

sonjakae

Thanks - My mother is a nurse, my husband is an extremely well-controlled and informed type 1 diabetic, and as you said, I can go to any walk-in and request bloodwork, and frankly I can read most of it, and if unsure, the clinic doctor can confirm the numbers or my mom could. But I've also read many posts that the bloodwork only gets re-done at the 6 mth point for many programs. And I feel quite confident in my knowledge of proper nutrition, proteins vs what is a carb, etc...., and I also feel like I've worked with enough personal trainers, bootcamps, etc... over the years that I am also quite knowledgable about exercise, although I would probably enlist a personal trainer again just to keep me on track. Thanks again to everyone for your responses.

I see my local doctor about things. If it is weight loss related and he can't answer it I email my surgeon in Mexico and he gets back to me ASAP. A doctor doesn't need to "see" you to read blood tests and what not.

In terms of exercise? A doctor doesn't spend his time monitoring that...I am an adult and it's my drive and determination that have to fuel myself to exercise.

I don't know...perhaps this is becasue I am in Canada but I find it odd that I read a lot of posts on here and OH that indicate you can't get a local doctor to help you if you go out of country for surgery. In my experience, that is simply not true.

Just my two cents

Ksh1055

I meant no judgment or disrespect to having the sleeve done in Mexico. I just didn't understand how the follow-up appointments and tests would be done and by whom. It was just stated over and over both verbally and in all my information the importance of follow-up sessions with every one of my treatment staff (surgeon, bariatric Dr., nutritionist, exercise and psychologist) post surgery on a set schedule of every three months - more if I thought it necessary. I have to have labs done every three months and they have to be set-up by my bariatric team to have them done..

Also, I know nothing about Canadian insurance, rules and regulations. I never even knew that going out of the country would be an option. Reading the other posts from individuals residing in Canada I see that the procedure for being approved for bariatric surgery is completely different than what I had in Michigan.

I wish you luck, although from the other posts, I don't think you need it. I wish you success.

teachren

Hey no worries @Harm...I didn't mean to sound snotty! :-)

Sorry Sonja if I jacked your post! I didn't mean to. I just wanted to clarify that you can be successful without all the "hoopla" that seems to come with having insurance cover your procedure.

My only point was that it comes down to the individual. You can have all the help you could ever need but if you aren't willing to pull out all the stops and commit yourself to the process having a bunch of appointments scheducled itsn't going to stop you from eating a bowl of ice cream every night or sucking back a can of Coke.

Success comes from "buying in", educating yourself on the surgery (which Sonja you are obviously trying to do! :-) and sticking with your plan.