Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery

Hello,I'm new here and get a sleeve done on Nov. 10th with Dr. Garcia in Tijuana Anybody else ?? Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I still haven't decided on when I am going to be doing my surgery. Trying to find the best flight deals as well. But how much money does anyone suggest we take to Mexico with us. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi guys, I'm considering surgery at the Florence Hospital with Golight Bariatrics but the photos of the outside of the building that I have seen are scary. It looks old. The inside pictures look ok. Has anyone been there and what was your experience? Thanks

My surgery isn't until February but I am trying to plan thins and get stuff ready for my four week pre op diet. How did y'all handle the liquid diet and how many times do you "eat" when on a liquid diet and what to eat. I almost feel like pulling my hair out so overwhelming Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

When having surgery in Tijuana Mexico I will be bringing along my mother where is it that she will be staying with me all the time or in the hotel while I am in the hospital? Sent from my XT1055 using the BariatricPal App

Just wondering if anyone else was for that day or the next?

So my process of getting the sleeve has extended way beyond what I had in mind. I wanted the sleeve done in October originally but now the end of the year is soon approaching and I may do it right before or shortly into the new year. There's just been so many set backs and I guess I didn't do as much research as I intially thought. So hopefully this is my final set back before proceeding with the surgery. After experiencing tooth pain I remembered I have dental work I need to do which lead me to research whether I should take care of it before or after surgery. As most people know in the US dental work can be extremely expensive and most of us going to Mexico to sel…

My before & after pics in a slideshow since having my gastric sleeve surgery........https://youtu.be/w3iQtxtwtmY

So, I've talked with Bariatric Pal MX one day and was feeling excited to try to be able to get the roux e y Gastric Bypass. But then happiness turned to sadness when I asked my family members if either of them could go with me to Mexico. They were like "no you shouldn't go, it's dangerous in Mexico that's like going to Iraq for your surgery." My grandmother, friend, and primary care doctor all agree that I don't need surgery. I REALLY wish somebody was on my side because it's hard going through all this without nobody to be a support.I just want to cry. I'm 5'4 and weigh 280.2 with a frame in between small and medium but I have small feet and hands. It's like I lose weigh…

I am having my surgery in april with dr Iilan and my husband is very concerned about the healthy factor I guess you could say and if it is safe to travel to Mexico. Any suggestions or ways to ease his fears and to let him know I'll be ok Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I leave Monday for surgery with Dr.Illan and kinda nervous but I know, I have made a good choice. But I don't know about packing medication on a plane do u keep in your bottles? Anything else I need to know?

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Help Im getting single incision gastric sleeve all alone and Im terrified for some reason. I have gained and lost weight all my life I have been dieting like crazy and saving up for this surgery. My family has all had extreme weight problems and issues. Now that it is finally time I am scared I paid the fees and filled out almost everything. I have to book my flight still. I have been so nervous i have actually been losing weight I usually gain weight when im nervous. Im at my lowest ever a 31 bmi I am terrified i will die and leave my 3 kids behind. I have researched my Doctor as much as I could. My date is Oct. 17th by Dr. Garcia in Mexico. Has anyone had a single in…

I'm having revision from lap band to VGS at Mi Doctor hospital in Tijuana on November 19th. My surgeon is Dr. Valenzeula. Anyone else planning surgery around that time? Looking for a surgery buddy.

Anyone having surgery at OCC 10/20 or 10/21 ? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had Dr. Kuri put in and take out my lapband and considering have him do my gastric sleeve procedure. Any feedback on Dr. Kuri.

Hi everyone !!! I'm getting my things ready and making sure I have everything I need .... and I haven't been able to find a list of the Vitamins I will need ... Any suggestions ? I have already started taking Biotin and have bought bariatric vitamins but I'm not sure if I will need to take anything else? Thanks

I was just reading this news story from last year, 2015... So scary. I hope those that go out of country or go anywhere for that matter, have a loved one with them during this procedure. Mexico

As I approach my 4-year VSG anniversary with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, I wanted to share all the positive things that have happened in my life: 1) Went from a size 18/20 to a 6. No more meds and overall fantastic health. 2) Weight loss gave me the confidence to go after my MBA. 3) I completed my MBA (and also completed a 2nd Masters just this year). 4) I got a promotion at work. And I'm making more money. 5) My husband says people think he is either rich or "well endowed" because I am "hot" and with him (he is crazy-funny). 6) Two other friends have had successful VSG surgery with Dr. Ortiz and have lost all the weight they wanted to loose. (And let me tell you, bei…

Anybody schedule for VSG in Mexico with Dr. Verboone or had VSG done by Dr. Verboone? Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Ok so I've made the decision to pursue having a gastric sleeve procedure done. I am 34 380lbs been overweight my entire life, suffer from severe sleep apnea and degenerative joint disease in my back and well its time to provide myself with this powerful tool to help me with this battle. With that being said, my insurance does not cover WLS. At this point I need to look into other options and Mexico seems like the best one as well as i have some extended family members that went the mexico route with great results. My main concern is that I am single and finding someone to complete the journey with me to mexico may be difficult has anyone gone this route as crazy as it s…

I thought I had to have a passport to get in and out of Mexico, but according to the Team MX page it says, under what to pack, "State issued photo ID and original certified copy of your birth certificate if you have no passport." So do I not need a passport after all? I'd love to not have to have another expense on top of everything else.

So I am getting my surgery Oct 18 with Dr Garcia and it was planned pretty fast after being denied by insurance so little time. I was going to try and get a passport card but couldn't find my birth certificate to get it. I was told the card is not really needed...just come with ID and birth cert. I just ordered one on a rush yesterday but it says 5 to 10 business days so likely wont make it in time. I read other places online people saying they got through with just id and ss card. Anyone done this?

I'm wanting to get sleeved in Sept. In Tijuana. I've been doing research and have come across Mexico Bariatric Center Dr Valenzuela. On the website the price is advertised $4000 something. So the coordinator contacted me via email and quoted $5000 and an additional $200 for a companion. Does this sound right? Has anyone recently gone through Mexico Bariatric Center? How much was your vsg surgery total?

Hello everyone! I'm looking for a surgeon in Mexico City, but I can't seem to find anyone reputable. It's a lot easier for me to fly to Mexico City than the border. Anyone have recommendations?

Hi all! I'm a newbie to this forum. I am scheduled to be sleeved Sept 2 by Dr Garcia, Tijuana Bariatrics. I'd love to hear about others' experience with him and his team. I live in south Florida and one of my concerns is the long flight home so soon after surgery. Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Hello everyone! I recently began the informational process here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. I found out I need to do the 6 month surgery, someone mentioned to me that Mexico was also a good idea to look into. Any ideas where to start looking for more information on surgeons in Mexico? Thanks in advance! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am very new and thinking seriously about calling tomorrow and starting process. What all do you need?

After much research I have decided to not go have surgery with dr Quinones but he is the only one I have found that provides in house financing. I am Canadian and can't get a medical loan without a co-signer which I don't have and being a single mom it will be years before I can save up the money. Does anyone know any other doctor who will do payments either in Mexico or the US? I am severely morbidly obese and need this surgery to save to my life. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Does anyone have experience with financing? I'm at a toss up between OCC and team mx. So my next step is finding out how to pay for this. Just wanted to see if anyone had any experience? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Did anyone fly to the airport and had to pay for two tickets? I live in CA but 8 hours away but I haven't been on a plane since I was smaller and I'm not sure what it's like out there.

I would like to know if anyone has anyone had the gastric sleeve done in Mexico? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using the BariatricPal App

Hi, I'm in the research phase of getting the gastric sleeve done in Mexico and I'm wondering if anyone has had their surgery with Dr. Mario Camelo Ramos at florence Hospital?? I can't really find a lot of information on him specifically. The same popular names keep coming up when I search and I do know there are other surgeons that are just as qualified but they may not have the "celebrity" status like some of the other surgeons. I'm just want to make sure I make the right decision so any insight or if you know where I could search that would be so helpful also

Hi all. This is my first time posting here, although I've been reading for a long time and have learned so much from this site. I'm considering having WLS in Mexico, as my insurance doesn't cover it at all. A local surgeon quoted me $22k for the surgery here, so I'm looking into other options. I do have some concerns about traveling for surgery though... - What happens if there's a complication during surgery or right afterwards - do the MX hospitals featured on this site have the capability to handle life-threatening complications, or would they have to transfer me to another facility? I read something (on this site, I think) where someone mentioned taking an amb…

I'm so scared I feel like crying! I've pushed my date back to November as I'm trying to find a place I'm comfortable with and make sure my job can get me a week off. But last night I just found out a family friend died during gastric bypass. She had sleep apnea as well and ended up dying after the surgery. The doctors don't know when she stopped breathing but she was taken off of life support yesterday. This scared me so much. I was deciding on going with Doctor Fernando Garcia at CER Hospital but I feel like this is a sign. I keep trying to convince myself that it will be okay. The surgery is minimally invasive. I'm so scared that I wish I could be awake for the op…

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and stumbled across it while doing my research into the gastric sleeve surgery. I'm 24 (25 in 2 months) and have been overweight since I was a child. At about 20, I was diagnosed with PCOS and have been gradually gaining weight since. I've dieted multiple times. Each time I'd lose however, I'd gain it all back and more. Plus weightloss with PCOS is sooooooo hard. I'd always get demotivated after a couple of months. I was working so hard and I was seeing little-no results. Very frustrating! So that's why I'm here. I'm Jamaican, living in Jamaica. We currently do not have the facilities/the facilities here are fairly new. As a res…

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For all of you that are nervous don't be. I arrived Thursday evening at the Tijuana Marriott. I was greeted with welcome arms!! The staff was very sweet and spoke English. (little accent) the following morning my family i were picked up by the Vida driver, I had my Mom, Son, and boyfriend with me. Anibel was cool. Vida the facility was maybe 5 minutes away. I did some paperwork, had a consultation with a internal medicine doctor. They took my blood did an EKG. Everything looked good. I then paid Sandra my coordinator said my good byes to my family and was sent to the back for set up. I maybe waited for an hour tops. Anesthesia doctor came in, asked me some …

Tonight I learned there's a chance my medicaid will expire before I get my surgery. I have no other insurance. So leaving aside the host of other problems caused by not having insurance, this means there's a chance I may not be able to have WLS unless I pay for it myself. I honestly have no idea how to do that, we live paycheck to paycheck and have bad credit, so no loans for me. Which leaves me trying to pay for it out of pocket with my tax refund. Before I can even start to think about doing that though I need more info on how much surgery in Mexico cost, total. Surgery, hospital stay, plane tickets there, etc. If your spouse or significant other went with you did they …

So, I'm in planning to get surgery with Dr Garcia in October. Havent paid deposit yet because Im still waiting for response to my final appeal with insurance here. I know Ive seen discussion here about skyping with Drs but can't remember if it was only preop or if its post op too. Is there any kind of support post op? Like monthly meetings or NUT advise, anything? The Dr I was supposed to use locally gas monthly support meetings but I doubt they will let me join if I end up in TJ Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

Hi all, I was wondering if there are sleevers out there who flew to mexico/ are flying to Mexico from another country other than the States? I'm having my surgery with Dr Garcia in TJ and I'm flying from New Zealand to San Diego and getting picked up to cross the border. I booked my flights/applied for visa already and I'm just wondering what people went through as they went through customs/border. Can I openly tell them about my surgery? Will it matter if I'm going to be picked up from San Diego? My mother will be coming with me and we want to stay an extra week in San Diego post operation just to make a mini holiday out of it. Any comments/suggestions will be gre…

Im flying from south Florida to San Diego with a stop over in Atlanta on Thursday 9/1. Anybody have suggestions for the clear liquid diet I will be on both ways? I will be traveling most of each day and am worried about how the heck I will stay nourished. Any suggestions for making the trips more comfortable will be MUCH appreciated.

I know I want/need to get VSG surgery. I found a great doctor in my area who offers a really good price for the US of $15,999 for self pay. That to me still seems like a lot of money with all of my other bills. I was researching Mexico, specifically Tijuana, and wanted to get all y'alls opinion on if I should go there? I am sure there are great surgeons there but I am concerned about cleanliness and immediate post-op care, and post-op care throughout the following year. Everyone that I have talked to and mentioned that I was considering this keeps telling me I am crazy and should never consider this, but they do have never researched it or had anything done in MX. What …

Hey folks, I am self pay and I have been seeing a surgeon here but I'm so torn between going with that or saving 10K by going to Mexico. I do HATE flying and I'm afraid the anxiety will be overwhelming once I'm there, but then again... 10K... Has anyone used OCC? What was your experience like? What were the costs? Did most of the staff speak English well? Did they keep on top of pain/nausea, etc? Any info appreciated! Thanks!

I'll be having surgery with dr Illan, what did you do while you were at the guest condo? I think I'll be bored senseless just sitting in that house for 2 days, anything close by worth checking out? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm at the station waiting for my train to San Diego...tomorrow is the big day! So excited, but still nervous. I will keep you all posted! Excited to see these new facilities! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm very nervous and excited.. I'm eating yogurt and drinking Water for the next 3 days.. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I know BP sends a lot of patients to TJ, and I hear the doctors there are great. But has anyone had any experiences with some of the doctors in other citys in Mexico? I'm leaning more and more to the self-pay route and going way down Mexico way. I live in south Texas, and as it is, I'm only several hours from the border. It seems silly for me to travel all the way to San Diego just to go across the border there. I'd like to keep my travel expenses to a minimum. Has anyone been to any surgeons in Monterrey or along the Rio Grande Valley? I would also consider cancun. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Hey anyone here from SLC? Do you have a family doctor you recommend to see you after surgery? That's the last thing standing in my way to get my sleeve done in Mexico. Please help! Thank you in advanced!

Is it worth it to pay the extra money to be in the hospital? Coordinator in suggesting the clinic for me. Anybody had these options for surgery. Thinking about using Dr Ramos Kelly. Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App