Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery

Okay, so I've been trying to figure out who will be staying at the hotel with me over the Labor Day weekend. Roll call! I'll be there Sunday - Wednesday.

I my wife and I have surgery on the 19th w Dr Garcia in Tj. I'm totally fearing the preop diet. Tomorrow is day one....wish us luck

I have been searching for weeks and trying to decide which doctor to go with for my surgery. It is an overwhelming decision. There seems to be such a wide price range, approx $4500 to $11K. How can there be such a price difference when each offers close to the same service? 1-2 day stay, hotel, transport to and from airport, etc. I know some surgeons are more experienced. Can someone help me out here with some advice. Is paying more really mean getting better quality?

A little worried about complications and needing assistance once I leave Mexico. I didn't know this one even existed but read some of the other boards and people who had this issue. I hadn't seen it come up on the Mexico board. Anyone have this complication and how did you handle it? Thanks!

I wanted to know how some of you decided to pay in Mexico. I have an appointment to meet with the doctor and get initial blood work done on the 19th of this month and will then set up a surgery date in Monterrey with Dr. Graciano de la Fuente Reta. I am paying with cash, obviously, but I wanted to know what to do because I have several options. I can pay with dollars or, I can pay with pesos or, I can deposit into his bank account here in Texas. What did you guys do??? Thanks guys.

All, I was Sleeved in May of 2012 in SC but have a friend that is Self Pay and has to go to Mexico for Surgery. I think she is leaning towards Dr. Ortiz. Any Comments about him would help!! Thanks and hope all of you are doing well.

I'm not sure where to post this but I just got an email from someone at http://www.medicaltourismco.com/ stating they wanted to send me a "token of appreciation" for just confirming my street address to them - which they had (correctly) listed in the body of the email. Forever be cautious I didn't respond an deleted it - it just sounded too much like a hoax, the email address it would of returned to was genuinely at the medicaltourismco.com domain do it was not being redirected somewhere else. Anyone else get one of these emails? I am listing this as a warning being that it was unsolicited and I can imagine a dozen ways this could go wrong.

I have been told that you only need birth certificate and drivers license to cross over to Tijuana. Is this true? Anyone recently done this?

Hello everyone! Please be patient with me but I have a few questions. I decided a few months ago that I want to have the sleeve surgery. Of course, my insurance won't cover it, so it looks like I'll be going to Mexico. My husband says we'll save up for it, but I've ran the numbers. If I wait until we save enough for the trip it will take a long time. So my first question is how did you pay? I need to know my options. I know it seems like I'm in a hurry, but that's because I am. My pcp and my obgyn have both said my fertility issues are due to my weight. I've tried the diet and exercise route, but I get very little results. I'm told because I have PCOS it makes it difficul…

Hi this is my first post ! Just wondering if anyone has used this company and or dr. I just booked my surgery for sept 1st. Any info would be great!

I'm officially 4 months out tomorrow and down nearly 50lbs-woot woot! Wanted to share this pic. The before was taken the day after surgery so I was def. more bloated then usual(lookin all sexy in my hospital gown with my drainage tube and pole) the after was taken last week. I was out hiking with my 1y.o german shepherd pup and outlasted her! I ended up having to cut the hike short cause I could tell she was dragging

I thought it might be nice to have all our dates, surgeons, and locations in one place to facilitate meeting other VST posters in MX! Surgery: Tijuana, Dr. Illan - July 13 Locations: July 13-15: florence Hospital July 15-17: Lucerna Hotel Hope this helps!

My husband & I will be in Tj Aug5-10. Surgery is scheduled 8/6, hubby will want some authentic Mexican food. Also, should we pay with pesos or US currency? And of course where's the best broth?

I am scheduled in June with Dr. Lopez at MI Doctors Hospital. I am very anxious and was hoping that you all could tell me what I need to know. I am interested in other people's experiences, and especially those who have used Dr. Lopez and A Lighter Me. I also would like to know what I need to bring with me. Anything that I need to know but may not even be aware that I need to know would be appreciated. Thanks!

My loved one is getting ready to be at Hospital Nova tomorrow. He had a question about the rooms and privacy... is there a door on the room or is it just curtains? And the travel companion has a bed in with you, right? Finally, is the bathroom en suite (in the room) or is it a common one in the hall? Thanks for help with these last minute questions!

I lost 10 pounds preop and had my surgery a week ago today. My stomach is still sore and rather bloated and I actually weigh 2 pounds more than I did the day or surgery. Frustrated! Today is the 14th day of liquids only. Is this normal and if so, when will I see the scale move? Thanks!

I am trying to make a decision about what doctor to use and I am so confused , even after reading many threads. I was thinking about Dr. Cabera in Tijuana, Dr. Gilberto Gonzalez in Guadalajara, or Dr.Illan with Baja Bariatrics. I am just wondering what your experiences are . I appreciate any advice I can get . This whole process has been very frustrating and I really need to just make a decision on a Dr. and move forward.

This is my first post, though I've been lurking for months. Please be gentle! I felt pretty decided on Dr. Ramos-Kelly, since I've talked with someone who went to him and everything I see on him here has been positive. I'm a read the bad reviews first kind of person, and I genuinely couldn't find unhappy patients (other than people who had access problems with coordinators). I enlisted help from my aunt, who is fluent in Spanish, and she shared this: Ramos Kelly, M.D., has recently been excused from various hospitals in Tijuana, including florence Hospital". This is is the first I've seen anything negative! Can anyone shed some light? I'm surprised his rating is onl…

I've heard it's possible to use the cost of your surgery and travel in Mexico as a tax deduction, as long as it's more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. Did anybody do this? Or perhaps there's a tax-professional sleever here who can advise?

So, after about 3 hours of research (just beginning), I really liked the sound of Mi Doctor and Dr. Garcia. Now I've found out he's not with that hospital anymore. I haven't found any information on why he left/where he is now. Any feedback?

ok, so i know u have to give the mexican hotel your credit card when you arrive, for what ever exspenses you use, here is my question, i have heard stories about them charging xtrs money, so here it is, has anyone ever used a visa cash card? because you can put as much or as little on them as you want??

I appreciated the postings with detailed experiences the most before I had surgery, so here's my take on things. Overall, I had a really good and easy experience. I have had 5 surgeries in the past: an extremely painful C-section, a low pain hysterectomy, a very low pain laproscopy/uterine ablation, and 2 knee surgeries. I'm pretty tolerant of pain, but I don't ever try to push it. If I need pain pills/shots I get them. I would rank this very close to the laparoscopy/ablation for pain. All my pain levels except right after surgery were less than a 3, but I kept on top of getting pain meds. Right after surgery, when I woke up I had some pain and just asked for pain meds an…

Yeah, I'm not enjoying this too much. I refuse to mess it up, but still don't like it. It definitely helps to stay busy and drink lots of water. My surgery is Aug 3. Sometimes it seems like its right around the corner and sometimes (like today when I'm frustrated with the diet) it seems like forever. I know it will go quickly overall, but its dragging butt today.

Hello everyone, I am trying to decide which location in Mexico to have my sleeve. Has anyone been to Puerto Vallarta? How was your experience? Is it a good location/ hospital for the surgery or are there better options?

Anyone recently go to him? My surgery is April 12.

Trying to decide between those three doctors and their respective facilities and care....any suggestions?

I will not lose any weight ?

Hi all, I'm getting my sleeve done in Tijuana. I've done research here and read all of the posts I can find about both the doctor I'm seeing and experiences travelling to Mexico for the sugery. I feel pretty comfortable with my decision and I'm really excited about going and getting this over with. The problem is, my dad is terrified. He's always been protective of me, but he's convinced himself that this is some scam and as soon as I'm over the Mexican border someone is going to steal my cashier's check and leave me stranded or worse. In fact, he's calling me so often and his concern is so sincere that now I'm a little concerned myself, which annoys me. I just hone…

I wanted to take the opportunity to share my experience getting sleeved by Dr. Illan. Please forgive any spelling mistakes as I am pecking away at this from Hotel Lucerna in Tijuana, on my ipad. I booked with Susan through mysurgeryoptions. It was a fairly smooth booking process. Emails were prompt. Info on the diets and what to pack for the trip. I arrived in San Diego (from Toronto) around noon on Saturday for same day surgery. As soon as I touched down I sent a text to Omar (Dr. Illan's Tijuana coordinator). He directed me through the airport. The driver picked me up right at the curb. I had been having issues in Canada getting the Gas-X strips, so Omar had …

I am schedule for my sleeve on August 6, 2013 with Dr. Lopez. Janese is my coordinator and whenever I try to call I have to leave a message which is okay because to me that means she giving someone her undivided attention. However, she does not call back she responds with an email. I am very unhappy with that. I have so many questions. For example, because my flight is 14 hours long how I am supposed to take a laxative. I arrive at 10 pm that night the day before my surgery. Also, what kind of laxative? I went to a pharmacist and they thought I had lost my mind telling them I needed a laxative for pre-op and could not tell them what kind. I would like to know wha…

Has anyone used Dr. Carlos Arturo Diaz Avelar? What was your experience? Has anyone had the VSG with the single incision? What are your thoughts?

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and I am happy that I joined. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I was wondering if anyone has had Dr. Diaz for their surgeon. I am supposed to be scheduled in August because I am interested in the single incision procedure that he performs for the VSG. Also I am cash pay and can't afford it in the U.S. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

I heard through a family member that an MBC patient passed away the day after surgery this weekend. Has anyone heard any details?

Hey all! First time poster, long time lurker here. I haven't chosen a surgeon yet but I know I'm going to have to have my surgery in Mexico. I'm going alone and I wanted to know how those of you (esp. ladies who have gone alone) thought of your patient coordinator? I don't mean the coordinating company, but the people who help you once your in Mexico. Did they drive you around to get groceries, go shopping, get prescriptions, etc.? Did they take you out to eat? If so, did they pay for it? How was their English? Was there anything you wish they had taken care of that they didn't? Like call your family when you were out of surgery, or take your husband out to eat wh…

It just sunk in that I'm going to be in TJ the home of the most AMAZING fish tacos in the world (or so I've been told) and not able to sample one! HAHA. Ah well. "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"

Yes, it does happen. People changing their mind, even as they are IN the hospital about to have the surgery. Looking around the hospital, talking to the surgeon, and knowing 'it doesn't feel quite right'. I had emailed several members here and begged them to talk to me on the phone, to give me some reassurance that I was doing the right thing, to have some sort of hand holding. No-one followed through, no one was interested in talking to me in person. The ONLY person who agreed to talk to me (a prolific poster on a different forum) warned me not to trust reviews, and to be very careful....She talked about paid reviews, coordinators posing as past patients, hidden com…

I am going to be on my way to Mexicali, and surgery with Dr. Aceves. That being said, I read part of whatever little dust-up happened over someone coming home un-sleeved. From what I read, this was her own choice. My choice is to go forward with my trip and I will ask about his complications. There are thousands of threads on these forums and I know (even though I may not have much of a life)that I have not had time to go through all the complications, just as some people do not share their "easy" outcomes - so that others don't get the wrong idea. Could it just be possible that all the people who had complications did not post their outcomes??

I finally got financing worked out to go to Mexico and I am sooooo excited! However it seems like the options for drs/hospitals are endless!! Here are some of the main thing I am looking for in my care.... If it sounds like your experience please let me know! My husband will be coming with me so accommodations for him are a must. I would like my own room at the hospital and at the hotel (no recovery house) Transportation to and from the airport. A good clean reputation of the Dr and hospital. (I know all surgeons have have had complications of some sort or another but reputations come from repeated instances) Thank you for any advice and recommendations!

I'm hoping to have surgery in August in Tijuana and I'm debating between 2 doctors (below). I'm ~300lbs and I've had no prior weight loss surgeries (this is not a conversion). 1) Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela via Mexico Bariatric Center with Christy as coordinator. 2) Dr. Alejandro López Ortega ("Dr. Lopez") via alighterme.com with Janese as coordinator. Any opinions / suggestions / experiences would be much appreciated. Thank you guys!

Hello Everyone, Need some help, opinions, and advise here. I decided to do my surgery in Mexico, why? Because I did not want to wait, (bottom-line). I do have insurance, good insurance BSBC however it is a PPO which means I would have to pay 20% out of pocket for every bill I would accrue through-out this VSG process: doctor visits monthly and weekly, nutritionist, surgery blah blahblah. In the long run I believe I still would of paid more out of pocket doing the surgery in the states. Oh, and I live in North Dakota where doctors here are VSG what's that. I truly feel more comfortable having surgery in Mexico where I know my doctor specializes in VSG and only VSG. …

Hi! After much research and help from this forum, I'm scheduled for 8/21 with Dr. Aceves. I'd very much appreciate any links to blogs or details from Dr. Aceves patients. And, what questions did you ask prior to surgery? Much appreciated - The Duck

Anyone else experiencing this? I'll lose 10 pounds, stall for 2 weeks. Lose 10 more and stall for 2 weeks. I have noticed though that my bust waist and hips measurements going down and clothes fitting much looser. My dad even calls me "Slim" now...but still far from it. Just curious if this is normal or if anyone else is doing this? Cindy

Did you apply for temporary disability after surgery? Did your Mexico doctor fill it out? How long were you off? Were there any problems from disability due to Mexico doctor?

Ok, any recommendations here and why did you like them so much? I have seen several names over and over again so these are who I am researching: Dr. Garcia, Dr. Lopez, Dr. Illan, and Dr. Villanzuela. Some of the things that I want or like are: Surgery in hospital, not a clinic; like that hospital and staff are clean/sterile-good equipment; would be good if dr and staff spoke good or decent English; Safety and Cost; Low complications during visit and post op; quality care during and directly after; follow up. The more I read, the more I change my mind on someone or consider someone new. I really like the idea of Puerto Vallarta since it seems safer and newer facility,…

Curious if anyone has had follow up care at the hotel? I got to the hotel yesterday and have been suffering so severely with a migraine that I called my coordinator at 4am requesting a doctor. I was told that the doctor would not come to me that I needed to go to him. I said no as I am in so much pain the thought of driving or noise was unbearable. Today my coordinator called to check on me and again I told her how much pain I was in and she said that to see a doctor I needed to go in. Sunlight and noise and smells and waiting. Ya thats really appealing. Anyways im shocked as before I booked I was told I would receive amazing care in and out of hospital. This has no…

Anyone heard of this or had any experience with it? My insurance will not cover any complications if I am self-pay. This is the only thing keeping me from scheduling surgery.

My wife and I our scheduled for August 3 with Dr.Kelly. Just wanted to see if anyone on here had used him and to get some opinion's on how he is as a surgeon.

My name is XXXXX XXXXX and I have just hijacked my wife’s account under the name of westcoastlady. Twelve hours ago I took a call from Alex, the owner of this web site and was asked several questions that concerned him. I did not appreciate the way the call started off by pretending to be a future patient of wls and asking me if he could book an appointment through me with a certain doctor. I felt he baited me to see if I was a coordinator or someone in a position that can make a booking and receive a monetary fulfillment. He failed! After being in the conversation for approximately 10 minutes, Alex requested that we “ease off” on promoting certain surgeons, hospitals a…

Anyone want to add any info on Dr. Illan that they would like to share? I'm looking into possibly having my surgery with him. It will more than likely be him or Dr. Garcia. I thought I had my mind made up but then I was messaged about Dr. Illan having the special on the gastric sleeve, and I'm struggling to come up with the money. Any little bit helps, right??? I just feel like I'm going back to square one with the researching yet once again.

I told my Mom that I'm going to do this. She's supportive. Yea! She thinks it is a good investment in my health and future (though she didn't offer and financial help ) I was afraid she'd think I was copping out and taking the easy route.