Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery

Hi! Has anyone else traveled long distance to/from Mexico for the surgery? It takes me 22-24 hours to get to mainland USA from where I live (a tiny island near Guam) and I'm worried about getting blood clots on the flights home after surgery. Both doctors I've contacted assured me that I could travel 3-5 days after surgery with no issues but it still freaks me out. I'm planning on staying in Mexico or San Diego 6-7 days after my surgery to be safe but I can't get rid of the paranoia, especially because the island I live on has only very limited basic medical care. I'm just hoping others are out there who have successfully made a long journey home with no complications…

I need to lose 50-60 pounds, and im winding for the people that were in the same boat, how fast did your weight come off?

I am scheduled to have my sleeve done with Dr. Umbach and I am curious what experiences others on this forum have had with him and his office Blossom Bariatrics?

I am scheduled for VSG with Dr. Alberto Aceves on 3/11. I have a few questions for those of you who had surgery with him. 1. How much money should my husband expect to bring/carry with him for basic meals at the hospital, prescriptions, etc. 2. If I were to experience any minor complications or trouble with eating/post-op diet when I get back home during recovery... Is there a way to contact Dr. Aceves, or anyone else there that I can keep in touch with and help talk me through any concerns? 3. Will Dr. Aceves let me know what post-op bloodwork that I will need my PCP to check on during my first year out? Thanks! Getting excited and nervous!!

What a great day to have surgery

I have surgery on April 8 in Mexico with Dr Lopez. I wanted to know what is the "must haves" to pack.

Looking for a sleeve buddy to talk with and compare notes and share stories. Looking to share in this adventure of a new life. I'm scheduled for March 10th.

Hello everyone ! It's been awhile since I've been on here, but I wanted to tell you about my wonderful experience with Dr Illan. February 11th, 2014, I flew alone to San Diego. Dr Illans coordinator (the amazing Omar) called me as soon as I landed and directed me to where I met up with my driver who took me across the border to TJ. Omar was waiting for me and took me directly to Florence Hospital. I had blood work, urine test, chest X-Ray and EKG. ALL my different doctors and surgeons came in to talk with me. The nurses were amazing and I realized then why everyone raves about Dr Illan and his team, you have simply never had such total and competent care taken of y…

Has anyone worked with Marie at MBC?

I'm so happy I found this forum. I actually found several that I never knew existed! I leave for Tijuana tomorrow morning for my surgery. I'll try to post when I'm there or as soon as I get back. I can't wait to share my journey!

I m going to start off saying I dont have anything too bad to say about the surgeon that was supposed to perform my surgery. Since I didn't have the surgery and he gave me my deposit back when I returned back home.... minus the fees I had to pay for the driver taking me back and forth from San Diego to Tijuana then back to San Diego. But here I go.... I purchased my plane tickets a month a head of time and like anyone else I was very excited about having this life changing surgery. I weighed 324lbs and my height is about 5'7... when I first booked my tickets. At that time my BMI was about 52... so the 2 weeks before I left I busted my hump trying to lose the extra weig…

Planning to have the sleeve sometime in late May. Havent actually scheduled yet as Im not sure just how long a passport will take to get here. I know some say they didnt need it but I say better safe than sorry right? Im pretty excited. Picked Dr Ortiz as my doc. Ive heard such good things about him and I have researched him as well as others..I feel safest with him. Cant wait for the new improved me!! No more looking down or away when people look at me because Im ashamed of fat I am. No more shopping at Goodwill because the clothes in dept stores cost more for larger sizes..Im ready to LOVE myself!!!

I want to revise my band to a sleeve and have narrowed my doctors down to the following: dr. Ponce de leon Dr. Illan Dr. Fernando Garcia I am not concerned about price as I haven't even checked on that yet. My main concerns are skill at revisions since I don't want to wake up without a sleeve. Also, and I know I will get opinions on this :-) , but what size stomach does the doctor leave? I don't want leaks but I know I need good restriction. The only other thing I am concerned about is how they staple the stomach and what sort of overkill do they do? I like overkill when it comes to my stomach. LOL! Thanks for the help!

I am wondering about Passports, payments, health evaluations pre op, Who do you see after your back in the States? And how do you even go about setting up an appointment or even get accepted for the surgery? Im very curious.

I am wondering about Passports, payments, health evaluations pre op, Who do you see after your back in the States? And how do you even go about setting up an appointment or even get accepted for the surgery? Im very curious.

Im scheduled to have my procedure with team Ismael Cabrera and Louisiana Valenzuela in Tijuana, Mexico the week of feb 20th. Any sleevers who will be there around this time who would like to team up? Also i heard these two work together as a team in assisting the other. Know anyone sleeved by either? There isnt alot of info on the net about them.

Has anybody had experience with him and his staff?

So since I'm going to be in Mexico anyway I thought I would stock up on some of my pricey prescription meds since it would be cheaper there. I have asthma and need to use Qvar- about one inhaler monthly ($50 AFTER insurance!!)... do you guys know if I need a prescription with me to buy this? Maybe this is a dumb question, but I wasn't sure how that worked...

Ok everybody it's been 5 days since my surgery with Dr. ariel ortiz!! I feel awesome the day I got out!!! Yes gas pains here and there but nothing major. I met a good friend there and we hit it off really well, we got it done the same day, we walked the halls together, ate together, went to walmart together everything we did together it was awesome. Even though she came with her husband I felt so wonderful, I was like their adopted daughter lol. All in all I say my experience with Dr O and staff, the hotel everything was perfect!!!!! Maribel the receptionist at his office was so sweet and she went beyond for me with answering my questions and letting me know everything I …

Subject brought up in another thread but thought the topic could use a thread of its own. Tipping. Driver- $? Patient Coordinator- $? Nurses/Attendants- $? Hotel bags- still $2 per bag? That was a while ago. Any one I miss?

Hi I would love to hear your experiences with this Doctor. Thanks

I am very excited about getting the sleeve. I'e decided on Dr Aceves. I know he is a bit more expensive, but the results his people get are quite amazing, and I really like the idea of being in the hospital a few extra days, and mostly for the leak checks! I've sent my first contact information. My question is, do you pay everything AT the hospital right before surgery? Do you .typically make some payment up front? I think I'll be visiting the pawn shop to get some extra funds for this. I considered trying to go through insurance in the states, but I like Dr Aceves reputation, and I don't know how long they would make me wait in the states! Hoping to get in the…

Good afternoon, after a little over a year I get to escort a great friend if mine for surgery in the morning. We are driving into San Diego. I get to get a plastics consult while I am there. So excited!! Anyway anyone going to be down there in the next day or so at INT hospital. My name is Sarah I'd you want to say hi. I am blone and super thin!

Surgey is tomorrow at Mi Doctor, I have butterflies in my stomach. PRAYING it alll goes well!

I've heard some people say that Dr. Lopez no longer works with A Lighter Me in Mexico. I am scheduled with him for October 22, getting a little worried about it now wondering if he's gonna be there as I really wanted him to do my surgery.

BariatricPal is pleased to announce BariatricPal Deals! This exclusive new program offers unbelievable deals for weight loss surgery with the top weight loss surgeons and best service in Tijuana, Mexico. All-inclusive packages start at only $3899! We cut out the middleman and pass the savings on to you! We guarantee our prices and are willing to beat ANY advertised prices for Dr. jaime Ponce de leon, Dr. Jesus Martin Lopez Dominguez, Dr. Juan Francisco Zavalza, Dr. Carlos Altamirano and Dr. Juan A. Lopez Corvala. financing Options are available to help patients pay for the program. All applications and questionnaires are reviewed by our Internal Medicine Doctor on staff.…

I'm really grateful for the info that you've all generously posted here. It's helped me mentally prepare in so many ways. Now I'm at a crossroads of my own. I'm totally comfortable making my own decisions, but a little feedback from others in the same situation doesn't hurt either. Synopsis: I live in FL and have UHC insurance with the Bariatric Resource Program. Within a two hour radius, there are only three approved hospitals. I finally decided on a hospital and surgeon only to find out they want a ridiculous non-refundable $600 "Program Fee," in addition to me having a MOOP of $6000. So total estimated costs are at $6600. The alternative path would be venturing to Me…

Having surgery in Mexico and will if I turn in my FMLA forms, I'll need to doctor's release to return to work. Has anyone been able to obtain this form from your doctor in Mexico? Please advise!!! Thank you.

Has anyone had the sleeve in Tijuana with Dr.Ramirez at hospital mi doctor.. I believe I'll be going with him in April. Would love feedback. Thx

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Hi All. trying to decide between the two. Both have great online presense, Dr. Ortiz has a celebrity status (but i've read in older threads that he is not the one actually performing the surgery, his assistant does it instead) and Dr. Ortiz is roughly $2000 cheaper than Dr. Alvarez. Any thoughts or comments ? They gave me a very vague answer as to complications resolutions after surgery as they apparently never had one. Not that reassuring, I am afraid. thank you all in advance.

Hi all. Any help appreciated. My boyfriend had surgery with Dr Alvarez on January 6th so he is almost 8 weeks post op. He can't really eat anything at all without throwing it back up/regurgitating. He is now starting to have issues with liquids. They aren't sitting well with him and last night I witnessed him throw up water, which concerns me. I am 14 months post op and never had the issues he is having. At his stage I was eating very small portions of dense protein, but he can't do that. He wrote Dr Alvarez an email asking if he is having a complication, but no response. So I am wondering if his other patients can let me know if this is maybe normal for him? Maybe his st…

Such a hard decision. I like both doctors so far. But Dr. Garcia is about $1000 less and uses Oasis hospital now. So my question is really tough, do I spend the extra $1000 on Dr. Kelly And the fact that Kelly was a Trauma surgeon which I really like. Or do I go with Garcia and trust that with as many operations as he has done my chances of complications are very low anyway. So far both coordinators are very nice and give tons of info and I have no complaints at all on their part.

I just wanted to share what a great experience I have had with my surgeon in NC. He has created a program for us self-pay patients to allow us an affordable surgery option in the US. Dr. Bruce really cares about the patient before and after surgery--follow up visits are included in the package price. The hospital where he performs the surgeries is a small private hospital and the folks there could not have been nicer. If you are a self-pay patient and want an option in the US, check out the website below. I know this sounds like a commercial, but I really am a patient and just found out about the website at my follow-up appointment today :-) www.eastcoastsleevecenter.co…

After reading posts here and other forums, iv'e been going crazy adding things to my list. What I've added..... gloves in case nursed don't change them in front of you. Waterproof bandages, in case of infection from the Water... Gas X, I hear they don't have that in Mexico, Compression/Anti Embolism stockings to wear home on the plane. Ear plugs, eye mask, heating pad. Wash clothes. I have an app on my phone for spanish/english dictionary translation. Oh, I'm also bringing a real book because I tend to drop my phone when I'm reading drowsy and don't want to break it. This is in addition to my clothes. I'm still hoping to take a small bag that I can carry on and put…

I have less then a month:/ trying to get things packed up and ready so I can be extra ready. Can you guys help me with maybe a list of things that some of you took on your trip to OCC with Dr. Ortiz? Thanks so much in advAnce:)

Trying to find a company that I can purchase a policy with. Is there such a thing? My surgery is in Tijuana on March 11th

I am having surgery with Dr. Sergio Quinones February 15, 2014 and would love to hear what you thought about him and the hospital (Santé Fe Medical Center). I am excited and nervous!!

Anyone recently gone to Mexico and bring food into Mexico? Any restrictions? I'm bringing someone with me for surgery and she wanted to bring her own food.

Would love to hear if anyone will be here for surgery on or around the 8th. I am getting a little nervous but very excited to start my journey!! Pre-op diet is royally messing with my head hunger. But I GOT THIS!!! Can't wait to be sleeved. Looking forward to using this "tool" to kick start life again. I am sure it is completely normal to be head hungry, nervous and excited. 4 lbs off since I started the pre-op diet Starting weight 213 Hypothyroid Thyroid Cancer Survivor

Hi Everyone, I have posted this before and some find it helpful if they are heading to Mexicali to see Dr. Aceves. If you are not just ignore this. Here is what I took and you might want to have when you pack for the Weight Loss Surgery with Dr. Aceves. 1. Gas-X because you will have gas after the surgery and they don't have Gas-X in Mexico. They (the nurses and doctors) will ask you are you passing gas? It is nice to have this on the plane ride home too after the surgery. I bought a box (of 36 tabs) of Gas-X (thin strips) that you just put the strip in your mouth. It tastes good and it is easy to take--no Water required—nothing difficult to swallow either. …

I am trying to buy the vitamins/supplements from the list that Nina sent me before I go for surgery... Did you all start in your Vitamins right away when you got home? I'm looking at some liquid ones, but there are SO MANY out there!! Can you guys tell me what brands worked for you? Multivitamin (2x day) Zinc Lozenge Gel Caps (50mg every 3rd day) Iron (100mg everyday while fasting???) Calcium Citrate (600 mg every 12 hr) B Complex (1 pill every week)

Anyone use them? I believe they work with Dr. Rod. Looking for any info. Thank you. Will

I am considering having my surgery on a Saturday with Dr Garcia because it works best with my work schedule. Please share your good and bad experiences with Saturday surgery. I'm concerned that the hospital care may not be as good on the weekend.

I know this is a little OT... When I go to Mexico for my surgery, my Dad will be staying with my three kids (hubby is coming along with me). We will be gone Mon-Fri night. I am looking for some EASY meal ideas that I can somewhat prepare ahead of time for my Dad to cook or prepare for them while we are gone. Does anyone have any lunch/dinner ideas??

hey there, I'm here at the hospital, getting my vitals. Everything is good so far. Clean and courteous. The Marriott is very nice, impeccable service! Will keep u posted :-)

I just read on the CDC website that you should not travel by airplane for at least 10 days after abdominal surgery, or the risk of blood clots are worse. This is my biggest fear! I am scheduled for surgery with Dr. Aceves in March, but I am terrified about the risk of blood clots and pulmonary embolism. Did anyone else have this fear going to MX for surgery?

Ok, so i paid my deposit today for my upcoming surgery on 3/7/14 with Dr Lopez at MI Doctor. It's getting real folks. OMG I'm really scared but it has to be done. It has to be done. It has to be done. That's what I keep telling myself.

Down 82 pounds in 1 yr! 232 to 150. It has been a great year! Dr. Garcia helped me change my life!

I have a date set to have VSG with Dr. Aceves in March. Both my husband and I have done a lot of research and felt really comfortable with this decision. But after talking with my Dad recently about it, I'm starting to second guess myself. Of course my Dad is just being a concerned dad... worried about me, my family, etc. We lost my mom just about 6 months ago to cancer, so I'm sure for him to watch his only daughter run off to Mexico for major surgery isn't an easy thing. So these are his concerns that got me thinking... 1. What happens if there are some major complications and I'm stuck in MX? For weeks? For a month? Longer? 2. The surgeons in MX don'…