Alex Brecher

Thank you very much for your input. I'm very conflicted with all this because I have read/watched so many reviews of Dr A that talk about how attentive he was, how his staff was always checking on them making sure they got what they needed etc. I don't know, I'm just having a hard time seeing just ONE bad case and so many good ones. If I could see other "horror" stories maybe that would make it easier for me to decide. Price is def not an issue, I am ok with paying more if it means better care. Well thanks again for your reply I do appreciate it! There wasn't just one incident. He's left surgical sponges and needles inside patients. He's also lost operating privelages in most of the hospitals in Tijuana. It's your life we are talking about. Don't take a chance and regret it later.

Great suggestion! We're moving into a new state of the art warehouse here in NY within the next 3 or so months. Once the move is complete, we will start offering samples with every order shipped as well as other goodies. BariatricPal appreciates the ❤️ ????

Do you prefer purchasing products via WalMart, Amazon, Jet.com or eBay? Most BariatricPal products are now available through these online retailers! We are in talks with Walmart to carry some of our most popular products in their Supercenter's across the US. We will make an announcement once it's official.

Getting enough Protein is a top focus for most bariatric surgery patients, but getting enough fluids is just as important, if not more so. If you get severely dehydrated, you can land in the emergency room – and this is more common than you might think among post-op patients! Being slightly dehydrated can still be harmful, even if it is not life-threatening. It can delay healing after weight loss surgery. It can also make weight loss more difficult by draining you of energy. Still, it’s not always easy to hit your 64 ounces a day after surgery, even if you know how important it is. Your tastes may change and you might not like the taste of Water or flavored water. You might feel too full to drink enough. The timing can be tricky since you cannot drink fluids with meals. You might even forgot to drink throughout the day. How do you hit your Fluid goals? Do you have any trouble? Do you need to set a timer, try new types of fluids, or sip constantly throughout the day? This is a question for everyone, but especially for those who are post-op and having trouble swallowing or finding the room to get down the fluids you need. Please share your strategies for hitting fluid goals and staying hydrated!

Carbs often get the blame for weight gain and for plateaus. There is good reason for that, since some of the highest-calorie, lowest-nutrient foods are carb-heavy. White bread, crackers, Pasta, chips, and rice are all packed with starches, while soft drinks, ice cream, cakes, Cookies, and jam are laden with sugar. Your diet plan after weight loss surgery likely limits carbs, but different plans and patients approach the limits in different ways. Some plans suggest counting carbs, while others simply suggest cutting back on low-nutrient carbs while including moderate portions of higher-nutrient fare, such as oatmeal and other whole-grain cereals, whole-grain bread, sweet potatoes, fruit, and Beans. As you move through the weight loss surgery journey, how have you approached carbs? Did you begin by minimizing your intake? Do you count them? Do you think of all carbs as “bad,” or do you distinguish between different kinds? How has your approach changed as you have moved through the WLS journey? Do you count carb grams? Share your carb strategies here!

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! I hope you are having a great winter and are getting closer than ever to your weight loss surgery goals. It’s a good time of year to hunker down and focus on the end goal, but there’s still plenty of room for fun. We hope this letter gives you a nice balance of work and play. Here’s what you’ll find: Come Out a Winner on Super Bowl Sunday! Hydration: an Underestimated Weight Loss Tool Get Out of the WLS Rut this Groundhog Day Savor the newsletter, get motivated for some fun times, and then come talk about your progress and anything else on your mind at the BariatricPal forums! Thanks for your support, and see you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Come Out a Winner on Super Bowl Sunday! The stats on Super Bowl Sunday food are no surprise. It’s the country’s biggest day for pizza restaurants, and Americans also down millions of pounds of chips, wings, and nuts, not to mention the billions of burgers and millions of cases of beer. Of course, none of those numbers will reflect what you eat on Super Bowl Sunday, do they? Your Super Bowl LI can be your healthiest one yet, and still be filled with food and fun. Focus on the Game Not a fan of football? Then focus on the commercials and half-time show, or put yourself in charge of running the betting pool at the party. Do everyone a favor and watch the kids as their parents focus on the big game, or do a little cleaning up and serving as the game goes on. In short, keep yourself busy doing anything but eating! Love the Healthy Treats Skip the aforementioned staples, and provide your own healthy but delicious treats to nibble on when the mood strikes. Bump up the Protein and cut back on carbs whenever you can. Veggies with salsa or guacamole. chicken and veggie skewers. Sweet and salty snack mix with Protein Cereal, Protein Cookies, Protein pretzels, and Protein Zippers. Parfaits with Greek yogurt, Protein Granola, and berries. Get what you need at The BariatricPal Store and use coupon code BPNewsletter10 for a 10% discount off your entire first order! Hydration: An Underestimated Weight Loss Tool Your weight loss surgery diet gets the most attention before and after surgery, but other factors definitely contribute to your weight loss success. One of those is staying hydrated. When you get enough Water, you: Feel more full without getting more calories. Have more energy so you can be more active and burn more calories. Burn more calories at rest. Talking about drinking fluids may not be as glamorous as discussing your protein sources, but it can be well worth the conversation! Fluids Morning, Noon, and Night You can be sipping on water and other low-calorie drinks all day except for within 30 minutes of eating solid foods. Aim for 8 8-ounce cups of fluids each day, and more if you sweat heavily or the weather is warm. Staying Hydrated Can Be Fun Getting your fluids in can almost be fun to think about because it does not involve depriving yourself of anything. Instead, you get to experiment with all kinds of hydrating drinks to see which you enjoy most and find easiest to get down. You can try: Plain water or water flavored with flavor drops or fresh herbs. Sipping broths. Decaf tea. flavored water such as Stur Drinks. Get Out of the WLS Rut this Groundhog Day Have you seen the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray? In the classic film, Murray’s character, a weatherman, wakes up to relive the same day, February 2, over and over again. Do you see any similarities between your weight loss surgery journey and the repetition of the circumstances of this weatherman? Going Around in Circles You can find yourself running around in circles at any stage of your weight loss surgery journey. Pre-op, you might be struggling with your decision with whether to get WLS and which kind you want. Post-op, you could be hitting a plateau every time you let those good habits slip. Or, you might be experiencing regain and loss of the same few pounds over your goal weight as you try to move into maintenance. Changing Season, Changing Habit This Groundhog Day may signal the end of winter or not. Either way, you know the end of winter is in sight, so you might as well take advantage of the new season to shake things up a bit. A small change or two may be all you need to get out of the rut. These are a few simple ideas that might do the trick. Add a regular treat to your diet. Looking forward to a guilt-free dessert such as a Protein Brownie at night, or a bag of Protein Chips with some Cheesy Dip while watching TV on the weekends, can be motivation enough to keep you away from the less virtuous treats. Recruit help to target your weakness. Have a sweet tooth after dinner? Get your spouse to listen to music or watch TV with you so you both leave the table and have something to do. Love the Mexican joint down the street from work? Ask a coworker to eat lunch with you so you aren’t tempted to sneak out for a burrito. Try a new activity. The feeling of using your muscles in different ways together with the rapid progress you are likely to make at first can increase your motivation compared to doing the same workout day in and day out. Hip-hop, kickboxing, and boot camp can be new and exciting, and never fear: any good instructor will show you how to keep the moves at your fitness level. Do something fun. Treat yourself well with a massage or pedicure, and you may find it easier to treat yourself well when it comes to eating right. Get a new perspective on WLS if you’re still waffling. You can set up a video chat with surgeons across the country to find out their recommendations for your situation. Let them know up front that you’re unlikely to become their patients, and you can be more confident that their advice will be in your best interest and not theirs. Often, a few tweaks can lead to big progress, especially if you are in it for the long run. Pinpoint a few changes you can make and commit to them, and see how well it pays off! February can have some dark days after a long winter, but there’s no reason to feel like you’re in a tunnel with your weight loss. Take some inspiration and ideas from this newsletter, and come join the fun conversations on BariatricPal! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

He's on the list of surgeons we do not reccomend. He has a great personality is lacking as a bariatric surgeon. We know of many many patient complication, horror stories and even fatalities. There are so many great surgeons to chose from. I'd stay as far away from him as possible.

Super Bowl LI will be on Sunday, February 5. Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for pizza delivery, and Americans eat nearly infinite amounts of chicken wings, chips, and beer not to mention dips, Cookies, and fatty meats. The day is even the second biggest eating day of the year after Thanksgiving. That sure does not bode well for weight loss surgery patients! But you can cope. How are you planning to get through Super Bowl Sunday without doing diet damage? If you are going to a friend’s house, are you going to bring your own Protein Snacks? Are you going to depend on sipping ice Water? Will you host your own party and serve some veggies, fruit, nuts, and Proteins that you can eat? Are you going to entirely avoid any parties? Share how you will get through Super Bowl Sunday proud of yourself and feeling confident in your ability to party without overdoing it! Also let us know where you are in your WLS journey so we know which foods you can eat!

BariatricPal is announcing the publication of “Conquer Obesity: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Lasting Weight Loss with the Bariatric Balloon,” written by main author and BariatricPal CEO Alex Brecher. BariatricPal runs leading online weight loss surgery support forums and runs The BariatricPal Store, which sells bariatric foods and supplements. The book is a step-by-step approach to helping patients succeed with the gastric balloon. New York, NY, January 14, 2017. “Conquer Obesity: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Lasting Weight Loss with the Bariatric Balloon” is a companion for any patient who is considering getting gastric balloon as a weight loss aid. The book’s main author is Alex Brecher, and it is and co-authored by nutritionist Natalie Stein. The two have also co-authored the four books in the “Big Book” series on weight loss surgery. The forward is written by Dr. Manuel Galvo, a prestigious bariatric specialist who practices at Gastro Obeso Center in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The gastric balloon is a non-surgical approach to weight loss. Patients with a BMI of at least 27 may be eligible for the procedure, while weight loss surgery is typically reserved for patients with a BMI over 35 to 40. The gastric balloon is an inflatable device that is placed in the stomach for a period of 3-12 months. It helps patients feel fuller so they eat less and lose weight. During the time the balloon is in their stomachs, patients make healthy dietary changes that they can continue for the long-term to continue to lose weight and keep it off. “Conquer Obesity: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Lasting Weight Loss with the Bariatric Balloon” is among the few currently available books aimed at guiding patients through dietary changes appropriate to achieving success with the gastric balloon. The book explains the procedure and the required diet. It helps patients with nutritional requirements, meal plans, exercise guidelines, and other lifestyle changes to achieve maximum success with the gastric balloon. The book is available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle versions. More information about BariatricPal is available at BariatricPal.com.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! I hope this newsletter finds you having a productive 2017 so far! As the winter wears on, it can be hard to stay motivated and energized to work towards your weight loss goals, but BariatricPal is here for you! Here is what we have for you this month. Don’t Miss Out on BariatricPal’s Support! Checking in with Your New Year’s Resolutions Staying Warm in the Middle of Winter Enjoy the newsletter, set a plan for the next few weeks, and then come talk about your progress and anything else on your mind at the BariatricPal forums! Thanks for your support, and see you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Don’t Miss Out on BariatricPal’s Support! The more support you have, the more likely you are to succeed. BariatricPal is all about your success, and that is why we have so much to offer. Here is a quick look at what we have so you can be sure to take advantage of it all. BariatricPal.com Sure, you know about the site and forums, but are you familiar with every nook and cranny? The lively conversations are just the start! Each member gets space for a blog, photo gallery, and profile. We have a surgeon directory with member reviews and ratings, and you can read helpful articles on all kinds of weight loss surgery topics in our WLS Magazine. The BariatricPal Store How are you supposed to lose weight without the protein supplements and other foods you need? The BariatricPal Store sells great-tasting protein bars and shakes, instant low-carb protein meals and snacks, and bariatric vitamins. We offer top of the line service and guarantee the lowest prices on the web. You can always stop by to see our Newest Products and Current Sales, and check out our Meal Plans and Recipes sections for inspiration and ideas. The Big Books on Bariatric Surgery Extra information on something so important as bariatric surgery is nothing to sneeze at. We have you covered with The Big Books on Bariatric Surgery. The Big Books on the Gastric Sleeve, Gastric Bypass, and Lap-Band are designed to get you going from the being of your journey until you are well on your way to lifetime maintenance. The Big Book on Bariatric Surgery has a wealth of tips to keep you healthy and healthy long-term after weight loss surgery. Checking in with Your New Year’s Resolutions Did you start off 2017 gung-ho and ready to hit those weight loss surgery goals? Have you been able to stick to your resolutions as you intended? Do not feel bad or worry if you are among the majority of people who do not stick to their resolutions through January. You can always get back to it, and here are some tips on evaluating your progress and getting back on track if needed. Check Your Progress and Re-Group Before you can decide whether you’re succeeding or which improvements you may need to make to hit your goals, you need to know where you stand now. Are you still following your resolution? If not, why not? Are there some easy changes you could make to get back on track? For example: If you wanted to learn more about WLS but are procrastinating, you could set a goal to contact at least one surgeon, other bariatric health professional, or support group per week until you get the information you need. If you are falling short on your five-a-day goal for fruit and vegetable intake, you could come a little closer by adding spinach to your eggs, blueberries to your oatmeal, or a half banana to your protein shake. If you are having trouble passing up high-calorie treats at meal and snack times, you could have your own healthy substitutes, such as Protein Cookies instead of regular ones and Protein Pasta Alfredo instead of the real deal. Get Back into It – Or Getting Started Did you already fall off the bandwagon? Did you “miss out” on making New Year’s resolutions altogether? It is not too late to set some or get back on track. If you start now, you can make some amazing progress by the end of the year, and be very proud of yourself. Staying Warm in the Middle of Winter Winter can feel long if you are not a fan of cold temperatures and snowy or icy conditions. It can feel even longer after weight loss surgery. As you cut back on your calorie consumption, your metabolism slows and your body can be much more sensitive to the cold. Furthermore, you have less body fat to insulate you against the cold as you lose weight. Losing weight is great, but feeling cold may call for a little extra attention this season. Here are a couple tips to fuel your fire. Drink Hot Fluids Hot drinks can warm you up from the inside out, but you do not want them at the expense of your waistline. Instead of spending a few hundred calories and a week’s worth of sugar on a single cup of hot cocoa or latte, try BariatricPal Protein Hot Drinks such as Cappuccino, Amaretto, and Hot Chocolate in Classic, Marshmallow, Mint, and other flavors. Each has 15 grams of protein and no more than 100 calories and 3 grams of sugar. Have Warm Meals A weight loss surgery diet does not leave you with much wiggle room for hot comfort foods, but you can still fit some warming meals into your plan. Start your day with Protein Oatmeal with 100 to 120 calories and 15 grams of protein per serving. Have Classic, Apple Cinnamon, Maple Brown Sugar, or Blueberry Flavors on their own, or add fruit or peanut butter powder to complete your breakfast. Protein Soup with 15 grams of protein and 70 to 100 calories can be an entire instant lunch or dinner later in the day. You can also turn it into a chunkier version by adding vegetables, beans, cooked chicken, or lean turkey meatballs. Get what you need at The BariatricPal Store and use coupon code BPNewsletter10 for a 10% discount off your entire first order! Get Moving! You know exercise burns calories, speeds weight loss, and has a wealth of other physical and mental health benefits. Exercise also helps you warm up and can provide a buffer against the cold. That half-hour or hour-long workout has long-lasting effects and can keep you warmer for hours. Even walking briskly outdoors, provided you dress properly and conditions are safe, can help warm you up on a daily basis. Now that you’ve read the newsletter, it might be time to get moving and get warm! Then come login to BariatricPal and hang out on the forums. It could be the best thing you do for yourself all day! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

Most surgeons and nutritionists suggest quitting alcohol after weight loss surgery for many reasons. It has empty calories, so it can throw off your weight loss. It lowers your inhibition as it relaxes you, so you are more likely to eat too much or choose high-calorie foods while you are drinking. It shakes up your blood sugar, so it can change your hunger levels. It’s not safe to drink on an empty stomach, so you need to break one of the basic rules of the weight loss surgery diet to separate fluids from soli foods. Weight loss surgery patients, especially gastric sleeve patients, are affected more quickly by alcohol. Weight loss surgery patients run a high risk of overusing alcohol. As many as 10 percent of WLS patients become alcohol abusers, likely because they turn to alcohol instead of food. Still, some weight loss surgery patients do use alcohol after weight loss surgery. Many do it quite successfully: they moderate their alcohol intake and are able to keep it under control. If you have had weight loss surgery, do you drink alcohol? When did you start drinking post-op, and how much do you have? How do you make sure to keep it under control, and how do your post-op use and tolerance compare to your pre-op drinking habits? If you are pre-op, what are your thoughts about alcohol use? Are you planning to drink post-op? Have you discussed it with your surgeon?

Please read the rules you agreed to upon signing up for BariatricPal. We will permanently ban anyone that does not follow these rules. Forum Rules and Guidelines Welcome to BariatricPal! A warm welcome from the entire BariatricPal team! Forum registration is free. Our community includes members from all kinds of different backgrounds and regions of the world, but we all share the goal of leading healthier lives. To keep BariatricPal a friendly and helpful place for the entire community, we have developed the following rules and policies. We ask all member to follow these guidelines, and members who do not follow them may have their posts removed or accounts suspended or terminated. Your use of BariatricPal is your agreement that you accept all forum policies. Forum Moderation and Community Standards Full-time BariatricPal administrators moderate the forums. All posts must follow the posting guidelines outlined below. To maintain BariatricPal’s high standards, we reserve the right to remove, modify or move any post or thread at our discretion and without explanation. Please contact us if you do not understand any of the rules, guidelines or policies outlined below. BariatricPal administrators and moderators attempt to prevent or remove all objectionable messages. To help us, please use the “Report Post” link to let us know when you see a post that violates the forum guidelines. A moderator will look into the matter. BariatricPal.com reserves the right to accept or dismiss user complaints at its sole discretion. Disrespectful and Hurtful Posts are Forbidden All posts must fit within BariatricPal’s guidelines for acceptable posts. Posts must be consistent with BariatricPal’s core beliefs. Weight loss surgery can be an effective tool to fight obesity. Our common goal is to fight obesity through a unified voice. No weight loss surgery is inherently better or worse than any other. Each has advantages, and each has disadvantages. Some individuals are good candidates for one kind of surgery, and other individuals are better candidates for another kind of surgery. No individual is more or less deserving of weight loss and health because of a decision to get or not get weight loss surgery, or because of which type of weight loss surgery he or she chooses. BariatricPal serves as a place where anyone can ask questions about weight loss surgery without fear of ridicule. BariatricPal serves as a forum for open discussion and polite disagreement so that everyone can benefit. Weight loss surgery “bashing” is absolutely prohibited. This include, but is not limited to, statements that a specific type of weight loss surgery is: Bad or wrong Easier than another type of weight loss surgery or “cheating” when someone is trying to lose weight Out of date or obsolete Doomed to failure In addition, “bashing” of individuals is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, statements that a person is: Lazy for choosing one type of weight loss surgery over another Unprepared for or undeserving of weight loss surgery because of Deserving of complications or disappointing weight loss because of their choice of weight loss surgery Violations of these rules and consequences will be determined at the sole discretion of BariatricPal and based on individual situations. They may include, but are not limited to, the following: Editing or removal of the offensive post(s) Warning from BariatricPal staff or Forum Hosts to avoid such posts in the future Temporary suspension of membership Permanent removal of the member’s account These guidelines do NOT forbid disagreement and candid discussions on BariatricPal. Members may discuss and defend their points of view in respectful manners. Please feel free to contact BariatricPal with any questions about these guidelines. Remember that written communication is different from face-to-face communication. When you post a message on the discussion forum, send someone a text message, email, or private message, or meet in a chat room, a lot of the message is lost. When you are face-to-face with someone, you can use tone of voice, gestures, and expressions to help get your point across. These aids are lost when you communicate online. Your message can accidentally come across as harsh or rude. A good way to reduce accidental misunderstandings is to read your own message before posting it to see if there is any way that a reader could mistake its meaning in a negative way. Additional BariatricPal Posting Guidelines Be polite. Rudeness is not tolerated and can lead to post removal or account suspension. All members have the right to express their opinions and are encouraged to do so while maintaining a courteous tone. Posts that are forbidden include, but are not limited to, the following: Rude posts Obscenity, pornography and profanity. The following are examples of unacceptable content in photos: nudity underwear, thongs, g-strings, or banana hammocks excessive cleavage close-up shots of cleavage, butt, breasts or crotch in any state of dress hateful or violent imagery images containing profanity. Posts that are disrespectful or include personal attacks. If another user attacks you, do not reciprocate. Instead, use the Report Post link and an administrator will handle the problem Any abuse towards our staff and/or management in any form Posts that contain derogatory references to sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, or endorsement of violence against any person or group, even if couched in humor. Use common sense. Don’t break the law Don’t use others’ experiences as medical advice. Do not use the forums to share private contact information, such as telephone numbers, email addresses, mailing address, instant messenger IDs, etc. Use PM or email for personal discussions. Never post an email or PM from another BariatricPal user or administrator. BariatricPal forbids commercial activity on the forums. No advertising, self-promotion, fund-raising, direct marketing or selling on the forums. You may not post any links or mentions of other services, websites, or businesses from which you or an associate might benefit financially or otherwise. You also may not solicit off-Forum contact from which you might benefit. Examples of forbidden activity include "Message me for more info" and "I can get you free samples." Members may use their signatures to indicate a commercial affiliation by including a single link to a web site of their choice, with no more than one line of explanation in addition. This signature text is not to exceed the default font size of forum posts (size=2). Requests or solicitations for donations are prohibited. This includes requesting contributions to "pooled fund" competitions, requests for votes in any venue (e.g., online contests) and requests for charitable contributions. Posts and messages to members promoting websites that compete with BariatricPal are prohibited. Recommendations or reviews of surgeons, hospitals and other bariatric products and services are welcome only if based on the reviewer's personal experience. The reviewer must have no financial interest in the subject being reviewed. Violations will result in the posts being removed and a possible permanent ban of membership. BariatricPal allows one account per member and one member per account. If you are unable to log in, please contact us. Cross-posting is prohibited on BariatricPal. Cross-posting refers to posting new duplicate threads or posts, or the linking to threads or posts already started by the member with the intention of gaining exposure. Posting the same message to multiple boards or multiple groups is a form of spam. Please note that this is NOT a guideline against inadvertently posting a question another member has asked before. We explicitly allow members to post questions that have been asked previously by other members. If you see a member post a topic that you think has been asked before by another member, please respond politely or simply move on. However, the same member cannot ask the same question or post the same topic more than once. Do not hi-jack topics. Please stay on-topic within a forum topic.

Weight loss surgery leads to all kinds of changes. They can affect each other and may end up affecting your social in various ways for various reasons. You may end up changing your circle of friends and social habits. One common reason is simple: it is your change in eating habits. You are no longer interested in meeting up for coffee and bagels, a multi-course dinner, or Friday night at the bar. You may cut ties or limit interactions with friends if your entire relationship revolves around unhealthy eating and drinking. Another reason might be the changes that take place inside you throughout the weight loss surgery journey. You might gain confidence and be more sensitive to who is really looking out for your health, and who is not. You might choose to hang out with healthier or more supportive friends instead of old eating buddies who are afraid you are going to leave them in the dust when it comes to getting healthy. Sometimes, you can keep your old friends. They may be willing to meet for a walk instead of lunch, or you can order coffee and skip the doughnuts. You might also pick up new friends who share your new interests in losing weight and working out, for example. So, have you changed your social habits after weight loss surgery? How?

There are terrible surgeons in every country. There are some amazing surgeons that are world renowned that practice out of Mexico. Research, research, research! That's what everyone needs to do before undergoing surgery, anywhere.

Was your daughter's surgeon Dr. Mario Almanza? If yes, she is truly lucky to be alive. Please see:

Happy "anniversary"!

You need to consider a lot of factors before choosing to get weight loss surgery, and many of these factors can make you hesitate to get the surgery. If you have not had weight loss surgery, which of the following is preventing you from getting weight loss surgery? If you have already had the surgery, which of these delayed your procedure? Your insurance does not cover it and it costs too much. Your primary care doctor is not supportive. Your friends or family are against the idea of weight loss surgery. You are not sure which type of weight loss surgery is best for you. You are afraid of complications or side effects from weight loss surgery. You do not know if it will help you lose weight. Other - please tell us below! Please mark your answer and then explain it in the discussion below!

One of the biggest barriers to getting weight loss surgery is the fear of complications. From mild ones like nausea and constipation to more serious ones like obstructions and leaks, complications are common among bariatric surgery patients. Did you have complications after Weight Loss Surgery? Nope, aside from a little soreness during the recovery, things went great! Yes, but nothing serious. I just had some stomach issues. Yes, somehow I developed some nutrient deficiencies. See below for which ones I had and how I fixed them or whether I’m still dealing with them. Yes, I ended up back in the hospital. See why in the conversation below. I haven’t had weight loss surgery yet, but I’m crossing my fingers that nothing serious happens to me. Other. Read my answer in the discussion below. Mark your answer and give us the details in the conversation below. Sharing your experience can help other members who are making their own decisions about weight loss surgery.

We're happy to announce that we've partnered with two Insurance companies to offer our members inexpensive Medical Tourism Insurance. 1) Novamar Insurance offers our members a fantastic and inexpensive medical tourism insurance policy. Why you need Medical Tourism Insurance While surgeons and hospitals take every precaution to protect your safety, the possibility of a complication exists for every surgery in any country, due to the natural conditions of a patient. Because the medical procedure is self-paid, patients will also be required to cover additional expenses should a complication occur during the procedure. Our Medical Tourism Insurance Policy A Medical Tourism Insurance Policy is as important as your Passport when it comes to security and added peace of mind. Whether your medical procedure is cosmetic or not, Our Medical Tourism Insurance provides you the peace of mind you deserve by covering the extra medical, hospital, and lodging expenses resulting from a medical complication that occurs during a covered treatment in Mexico. -These are some of the benefits offered by our policy: Medical complications expenses: $160,000.00 Additional daily hospital room *: $120.00Per day / Max. 10 days Additional medical consultations *: $40.00 Per consultations / Max.10 consultations Travel and accommodation daily expenses *: $120.00 Per day/ Max. 10 days Additional travel expenses: $160.00 Accommodation and plane ticket for non-scheduled visit to the doctor up to 12 months later : Included Travel Assistance 24/7: Included Travel Liability: $20,000.00 *The amounts expressed for these coverages are above the $160,000 USD limit. Coverage Limits(USDollars) Our policy is underwritten by ACE, a worldwide leader in the global insurance industry with operations in 54 countries. The financial strength of ACE has allowed us to offer 2 great benefits to our clients: 1. Direct payment to most hospitals and doctors in Mexico. 2. One of the highest coverage limits of a policy of this kind in the world. Medical Tourism Insurance - Brochure.pdf Comparison chart Medical Tourism Insurance.pdf NOVAMAR ACE MEDICAL TOURISM INSURANCE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS FINAL.pdf How to buy it 1. Click to purchase your Medical Tourism Insurance policy here. 2. Answer three simple questions and our online system will return a quote in a matter of seconds. 3. Fill out the required fields, make the payment by credit card and receive your policy by email immediately. -For your convenience, we have the option to purchase your policy with up to 30 days in advance of your medical procedure or even one hour before it starts. -Along with your policy, you will receive claim filing information that will explain how to file a claim and receive immediate attention should you need assistance. Novamar Insurance Mexico is a Founding Member of the Board of Medical Tourism in Mexico, and has been present at the Annual Medical Tourism Congress for the last five years among other international events. Novamar is, so far, the only company in Mexico that provides this type of insurance policy. Novamar Insurance Mexico is an affiliate company of Novamar Insurance Group, Inc.a company based in the U.S. and founded in 1987. Our experience and reputation over the last 28 years translates into excellent relationships with domestic and international underwriters, which allows Novamar to provide the best insurance solutions at the most competitive premiums. 2) Global Protective Solutions Insurance offers our members a fantastic and inexpensive medical tourism insurance policy. Here's an approximate cost. You'll receive an exact cost once you complete the free online insurance quote. Capital Sum Limit $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 Cost $394.00 $677.00 $961.00 $1245.00 $1528.00 When travelling abroad most people buy a travel insurance policy which insures them against things like theft, accidents and flight delays. If deciding to have medical or dental procedures overseas it can be a good idea to combine travel insurance with a type of medical insurance that insures you if having elective medical procedures overseas. BariatricPal has looked at many of these insurance packages and we feel that Global Protective Solutions offers a very comprehensive package that can be tailored to your specific needs. GPS has developed and discovered insurance solutions for medical tourists and the medical tourism industry. GPS provides benefits for participating medical tourists or medical travelers from almost any country for accidents and complications. Even with the best surgeons and best hospitals medical procedures always carry a certain amount of risk so we would urge you to think about taking out this type of insurance. You can read more and apply for a quote directly through the following link. GPS Individual-medical flyer11-09.pdf Combined Coverage Highlights-Summary Illness FUO 1-2015.pdf Medical Insurance for Medical Tourism Patients has been developed to provide a product to insure the “deep pocket” expenses that may result from a complication of a medical tourism event. It was not designed to cover baggage, change fees for tickets or other minor trip related expenses. The purpose was to help insure larger financial hardships that may occur should an accident or complication from a covered procedure result in a more significant loss. In addition to the regular travel accident exposure, our coverage has been enhanced to include results of a covered complication where indicated for up to 6 months after the initial procedure. You will find most policies only include corrective procedure limits for complications of a covered medical procedure and they typically exclude complications from the rest of the policy coverage. Complication means Bodily Injury from a Medical Procedure incurred whiles an Insured Person is travelling for the purpose of receiving medical or surgical treatment outside the Insured Person’s country of residence. Complication does not include undesired outcomes or a failed procedure. A complication that causes death can not be the result of a previously undiagnosed medical condition that first manifests itself during the insured Person’s period of travel or within 24 hours of return to the Insured Person’s home country. The complication can not result from the Insured Person’s failure to follow all pre- and post- procedure medical instructions.

Do you access BariatricPal from your smartphone or other mobile device? You need to hear this important announcement! It’s time to update the BariatricPal app. We've added tons of improvements and bug fixes. To get your app: Go to the Apple store if you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod). Go to the Google Play Store to get your app for Android. Go to Amazon App store to get your Kindle app. The apps are available right now. Take 30 seconds to update your free app to make sure you stay connected with BariatricPal! If you haven’t already been using BariatricPal’s mobile app, you might want to try it out. You can access all of the BariatricPal forums and features you love from your iOS or Android device, so you can connect with the community from anywhere. Thanks as always for your support!

Not really at the moment. We just started working on brand new versions of our app a few weeks ago that will support this and many other features as well. We are going to have separate apps for iPhone and Android. They should be ready to go in a month or two. We will announce once they're available.

Surgeons and nutritionists argue about this topic often. I mostly agree with you. Flintstones Vitamins don't include everything "suggested" by the ASMBS. Flintstones *MIGHT* be ok for certain Gastric Sleeve or Lap-Band patients but they're definitely not adequate for patients that have undergone malabsorptive procedures like Gastric Bypass or Duodenal Switch who require at least 200% RDA. I know many Gastric Sleeve patients that don't use any vitamins or supplementation whatsoever. They just eat an extremely healthy diet and get their vitamins and minerals from their diet. This is easily accomplished but one must make sure to take their blood work on a regular basis. Keep doing whatever you're doing, as long as your blood work keeps coming back good.

I'm sorry but we do not and don't plan on getting involved in plastics at this point. Let us know who you go with!What changed??? I've been planning and saving in anticipation of BP adding this option. I had my WLS in Mexico and it was hella stressful having to research and vet every single doctor only by patient experience. Trying to wade through the real people and the coordinators. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App We can refer you to someone good but we've decided that we want to stick with what we are great at and not get involved in anything else. Send Bill a quick email and he can assist you: bill@BariatricPal.com .

BariatricPal Members, I wanted to remind you all about BariatricPal’s purpose and policies. If you do not want to read this entire post, please at least read the following points! BariatricPal is a safe place for the weight loss surgery community. No rudeness or disrespect will be permitted. Your use of BariatricPal implies your acceptance of the Forum Rules. Failure to follow the Forum Rules can lead to consequences included lifetime bans from BariatricPal. Now for the complete version: I created BariatricPal in 2003 to help other bariatric surgery patients. I want the forums to be able to help everyone reach their weight loss surgery and health goals. My goal is to maintain the forums as a place for weight loss surgery patients and potential patients to come for information and support. BariatricPal is intended to be a safe place for the entire weight loss surgery community. I want EVERY SINGLE MEMBER to feel welcome on this board. You should feel comfortable asking questions, expressing doubts, and sharing advice, insights, and experiences. Unfortunately, this has not been the case recently. I have heard from multiple sources that some members are uncomfortable here. They feel attacked when they post. I have heard this not only from newbie and veteran members, but also from bariatric surgeons, nurses, and psychologists who are members of ASMBS and who have heard concerns about BariatricPal from their patients. A tiny minority of BariatricPal members are responsible for creating these concerns. The vast majority of BariatricPal members have wonderful, helpful, positive, and informative posts. I thank you for that. You are responsible for BariatricPal’s success. A few of you, I suspect, truly want to help, but may come off sounding a little harsher than you meant. This can be off-putting to members who have sincere questions and are looking for guidance. To prevent accidentally hurting other members, I urge you to re-read the Forum Rules for suggestions on making your posts helpful rather than hurtful. There is a tiny minority of BariatricPal members who have gone far beyond the occasional misconstrued post. It is these members who have prevented the forums from being a safe place for everyone. They repeatedly and intentionally start threads or respond to members with disparaging or rude remarks. They often imply or state outright that they are correct and that other posters are doomed to fail. They send private messages urging their friends to bully other members who disagree with them. This does not create a safe space for members! Anyone who violates the Forum Rules is subject to consequences, include being permanently banned from BariatricPal. The Forum Rules state, “All members have the right to express their opinions and are encouraged to do so while maintaining a courteous tone.” Disagreeing with someone and expressing yourself politely to say so is one thing. Intentionally hurting others is quite another. If you are unsure of how to respond to a post without being rude, please refer to the Forum Rules for examples and guidelines. Again, I thank the overwhelming majority of BariatricPal members who are just trying to help, and who have done a wonderful job of lending a hand or ear to those who need it. I hope you all recognize the value you each bring to the boards, and you consider how you can contribute in the most constructive way possible. Thank you!

I'm closing this topic. You can PM me if you'd like to clarify or discuss anything related to this matter.