Need2bSlim

Greetings everyone,
I am currently residing in Baton Rouge, but I go walking and now bicycling in New Orleans every Saturday. I was just sleeved on May 11, 2012 in Mexico. The experience was great and life changing. I hope that I can make some friends here and exchange some experiences and such.

Greetings everyone,
I am currently residing in Baton Rouge, but I go walking and now bicycling in New Orleans every Saturday. I was just sleeved on May 11, 2012 in Mexico. The experience was great and life changing. I hope that I can make some friends here and exchange some experiences and such.

$5000 for the sleeve... which includes:
1 night hotel stay before surgery
2 nights in hospital with all lab and surgery, leak tests and so on...
2 more nights in hotel after surgery

I go next month on February 15th to TJ. I know its difficult to make a decision, but just do as much research as possible. I am using Beliteweight and having Dr. Rodriguez perform my surgery. You can call them and ask as many questions as you would like. I see a lot of people that love Dr. kelly and Dr. Aceves. Dr. Kelly's prices aren't bad.

Also having surgery os sat.
I actually live in Tijuana, i am mexican. My cardiologist cleared me for surgery and did not recommend any of the clinics like INT. She said they are very good if nothing happens, BUT if an emergency happens those clinics will not have the staf or equipment needed, i decided to have mine at a large hospital here in tij. Much more expensive but... I have enough things to worry about if the surgey goes well, dont want to worry about if it doesnt !!

Ok folks, thanks for your input. I spoke with Dr Kelly yesterday and I'm very pleased with him. I guess I just needed the reassurance of hearing his side of things. This is some info from our conversation. Please remember, this is my best understanding of our conversation, I'm sure there are those out there who understand things differently from their own personal conversations with him.
He's been doing bariatrics for 10 years, 6 of those doing the sleeve as his primary operation. Over the course of these past 10 years he has performed the sleeve 4000+ times (not just as a sleeve only, but also as part of the DS). The hospital he currently works out of is the Oasis of Hope cancer treatment center. It is a last chance effort for those people with terminal cancer who aren't responding to other treatment methods. He has been at this hospital for 1 or 2 years, I didn't write that part down. The reason he moved to this hospital is because the one he was previously at was beginning to have patients getting infections from lack of proper sterilization. His efforts to help contain the problem were not heeded, so he decided to leave that hospital to remove himself from the reputation that hospital was getting. The Oasis of Hope does have an ICU with 3 beds. Dr Kelly said that he would only operate if he had an ICU bed open because you have to be prepared for an emergency. His anesthesiologist is Dr. Hernandez, who has been doing his job for 10 years. His diplomas and certifications are available at the hospital for anyone to see if they ask.
Regarding leaks...he has not had any leaks in years. He said that leaks most commonly occur in the upper part of the stomach where the esophagus and stomach meet. His way of preventing leaks is by taking the patients own fat tissue and using it to make a patch around the first 2-3 stitches.
Once we're at home...he said it would be best to have a relationship with a bariatric surgeon in your area, but a PCP would be able to handle any regular aftercare. We need blood work twice a year. He would like it if his patients could return to him once a year for follow-up, but he understands that traveling to him isn't always possible. He recommends a support group meeting once a month in our local areas.
Regarding mortality rates...He has only had one death in his entire career, and that was in June. I know that there is all kinds of stuff going back and forth about he said/she said kinda stuff, but this is what HE TOLD ME...She died from a pulmonary embolism that occurred after surgery. He has autopsy reports to show that fact. For more info on these you can go here...http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulmonary-embolism/DS00429/DSECTION=causes
At the end of our conversation I asked a "surprise" question that I believe he probably doesn't get asked often..."What would you life for us to pray about for you?" I will not tell his answer because I feel that is between us, but I will tell you that his answer was exactly what I would have hoped for. He showed us, by his answer, that he is a humble man who takes great care in what he does and wants to be the best he can be for his patients.
Finally, as a result of our conversation I feel very confident in my decision to stay with Dr Kelly. I believe I, and any others, will be well taken care of and have a great experience with him. I believe that he truly cares about his patients and their outcomes.

(This will work for Mexican or US Sleeve surgeons)
RESEARCHING MEXICAN DOCTORS 101
Getting a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy/Sleeve Procedure
Surgery in Mexico is handled a bit differently than it is in the United States. In the US, you will receive a bill from each physician: the surgeon, anesthesiologist, internal medicine doctor, assistant surgeon, radiologist, etc. That is not how it works in Mexico. In Mexico you pay the surgeon for a "package" Gastric Sleeve procedure. He pays all the other doctors.
In the US (for example) the anesthesiologists contract with the hospital and their agreements are with the hospital, not the surgeon. The surgeon does not always get to hand pick the doctor putting you to sleep. People tend to assume the most important doctor in the operating room is the surgeon. This is not so. It's the anesthesiologist that keeps you alive during surgery. He is focusing on your breathing, your circulation, your heart, everything. The surgeon is focused on one thing, the surgery. In this case I tend to agree with the way Mexico does things. Do you want the surgeon you trust to pick the anesthesiologist or the hospital's administrative contract folks, the folks paid to get the best deals? The surgeon is responsible for your surgery overall, he wants you to have the best person putting you to sleep. His reputation depends on it. His reputation means his entire career. Without a good reputation they have nothing. So, in Mexico the surgeon hires the anesthesiologist, not the hospital contract office. This is an example of why it is a "package" cost in Mexico vs. individual bills in the US from all the various medical providers.
Choosing a surgeon
Avoid choosing a doctor that nobody has heard of before. There is little need to do that. Why take the risk? Doctors throughout the world have discovered that bariatric surgery has the potential to be extremely profitable. Many physicians are getting in the business, so there are a lot of inexperienced surgeons around. You ONLY want someone who is very experienced. After a bariatric surgeon has done around 250 sleeves they are typically very confident in the procedure and aftercare. By that time they have seen every strange and bizarre anatomical problem, every odd issue that happens under fluoroscope, etc. So you want to find someone that has done at least 250 sleeve surgeries.
Now, does that mean that someone who has done 500 sleeves is better than someone that has done 250 sleeves? Not exactly. One way to think about it: were you any better at washing dishes the 250th time you did the task vs. the 500th time? That's probably not so. Either you get it or you don't. The same concept applies here.
FACS (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons)
If you do not know how to verify licensing, credentials, education, history, etc., your best bet is to choose a doctor that is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. It takes about 8 months for the American College of Surgeons to do their background investigation of a doctor. If they have "FACS" behind their name then they must exceed the requirements for a US physician. Don't bank on what you are told by the coordinators, if they say the doctor is FACS then verify it for yourself. Go to Water soluble product. A few doctors pinch pennies by using barium instead of the expensive water soluble (hydro soluble) contrast. The problem is this, if you do have a leak and you drink barium, barium will leak out into your abdominal cavity. This is extremely dangerous. If you have no leak it is not an issue but remember, they are checking for leaks! Until the test is over they do not know if you have one or not.
If you have a leak and you drink barium, the barium will flow out of the leak and into your abdomen. Barium is not absorbed by the body, think of cement. If you have chunks of cement in your abdomen your body would not absorb it like it would saline. So it potentially requires surgical removal. This is a huge surgical procedure that is likely to cause many complications and problems. Infection is a huge problem when barium leaks into the abdominal cavity or peritoneum. This is why it is critical to make sure the doctor uses a water soluble contrast material, if there is a leak the contrast will not harm you the way Barium will harm you.
The only reason for using barium instead of the appropriate product is cost. Barium is much cheaper than the correct products.
Supervision
What about after you are discharged? It is quite common for patients to be sent to a hotel for an extra day of recovery while in Mexico. Some physicians do this; others keep you in the hospital the entire time you are in Mexico after surgery. What kind of supervision is there for you in a hotel? Is someone coming to visit you and check on you? Are they at least calling you? All doctors will tell you they are available but this is where you need to talk to other patients that went to that doctor. Ask them specifically, how much interaction did they have with the doctor or his staff while in the hotel after surgery.
Pre-Op Diets
It is common for doctors to put patients on a pre-op diet before surgery. It is to shrink the liver. The reality is that if someone is on a low-carb, low-fat, and adequate-Protein diet of some sort they will lose weight and their liver will have less of a "slimy" feeling to it. It won't slip around as much during surgery. Every 10lbs you lose before surgery it makes it easier for your surgeon to do the procedure. The easier the procedure is for your surgeon, the safer it will be for you.
During surgery there are several incisions made and one of them is basically to hold the liver out of the way so the doctor can get to your stomach. If it is slippery and difficult to manage, it makes it more dangerous for you, so the pre op diet is indeed quite important. Again, it is still quite important to follow the diet for your safety. Some doctors do not require the diet for lower BMI people, others do. It comes down to surgeon preference. Some doctors only require it for a specific BMI or higher. You need to ask about the pre-op diet and you need to know specifics.
Post-Op Diets
Most people believe the post-op diet means that when the stomach swelling is gone they are good to go and they can eat anything they wish. That is NOT the purpose for the post-op diet! Just because you CAN eat solid foods does not mean you SHOULD eat them. The diet has little to do with swelling and a great deal to do with other issues. Your stomach is healing from a major surgical procedure, it needs time to heal before filling it with food that could cause a leak. Leaks are extremely painful and potentially life threatening, if you do not follow the post op diet is it your doctor's fault that you had a leak? Nope, that one will be on you.
Surgeon's Staff
How easy is it for you to reach your potential doctor's staff? Keep in mind, when you are a potential newbie they will be on their best behavior. They might return phone calls and emails much faster than after you are scheduled and have surgery. So if you have a difficult time reaching the staff before surgery, what will happen if you have a problem after surgery and need to reach them? What about the middle of the night? Who answers their phones then? Remember that if you have problems in the middle of the night after surgery you will need to have someone you can contact in a pinch.
Nude/Semi Nude Photos
Some doctors in the US and Mexico require pre op photos, some do not. Some require photos of you nude, some give paper undergarments to wear, some take pictures of you in your bra/underwear, and some take photos fully clothed. They don't typically tell you this until you arrive for surgery. You should probably ask if this is a requirement. If you choose to decline ask if they will decline to do your surgery. Quite frankly, that would have been a deal breaker for me. I declined to keep any photos of myself at my highest weight and those were photos of me fully clothed that I owned, I would have never agreed to nude/semi nude photos for a doctor and his research. But not everyone has a problem with this.
The reasons for photos vary. Some are using them for research. Some want to be able to prove the surgery was necessary if it ever becomes an issue. But you have the right to not have nude/semi nude photos of yourself or photos of you at your largest floating around this world where they are out of your personal control. It is your body, do what you believe is right. I have yet to hear of any such photos being compromised so that isn't the issue as much as the issue of your right to privacy. Do what is right for you, not your doctor.
Statistics
You should ask your potential doctor's office about his stats for infection and leaks. Infection stats should be less than 1%. Keep in mind, not all infection is the fault of the doctor. There was a person I recently read that posted she went swimming in a public pool 4 days after surgery. Her post op instructions specifically said not to do that. Children urinate in public swimming pools; do you want your newly healing incisions soaking in pool water with urine? If you do that and you get an infection is that the fault of your doctor? Even though it isn't his fault it will still go against his infection stats, so keep that in mind. Even so, infection should be less than 1%; much less!
Leaks should also be well under 1%. Ask how many sleeves your doctor has done and how many leaks he has had.
Transportation
How will you get from the airport to the hospital or clinic? What about the hotel? Does the doctor provide this? Most do. You should have no additional transportation expenses and this should be taken care of for you by the MD office. You should be able to take $50 with you for incidentals, tips (airport, etc.) and dinner before surgery. Everything else should be included in your surgery package.

Rather than cross posting the same exact thing, you might have taken the time to read through the threads on this board. If you had, you would have seen that several of the members here have had surgery by "your" surgeons and they were welcomed into the community. The actual surgery and surgeon is NOT the focus of this board. Instead, we help one another through all that is involved in making a decision to have WLS and EVERYTHING that follows that decision.
Research is the buzz word here. Because research and evidence based practice dictate standards of care, and because research is an active and dynamic process, the research section of this board is updated continuously. Although this is a board that focuses on VSG, we have members here who have lapbands and other forms of weight loss surgery. One member explored her choices and decided RNY was the WLS for her. Was she tossed off the board because she is not having VSG? No, she is a very valuable and respected member here and she shares the goal of all members; getting to a healthy weight for life. The WLS choices might differ but the journey is something we all travel and share.
I am a moderator/administrator and I hold 2 bachelor degrees, a master degree in health care administration, and a Ph.D. in education. I've been a critical care RN for a huge health care system for over 25 years. WasA is the other moderator/administrator and is also an RN with impressive credentials and diverse healthcare experiences. The members here are all successful, intelligent, caring individuals. They know how to research, share, debate, and support one another and don't need anyone to dictate to them as to what they should or should not do. WasA and I have NO ties to any surgeon and receive no pay. YOU have an agenda and are PAID to get people to come to Mexico and have surgery by your surgeons. If people don't come, YOU don't get paid. YOUR purpose in posting here is financial.
You are biased towards the surgeons you work for. The members here are biased towards the surgeons who operated on them and that's to be expected. The difference is that the members here are not paid to promote their experiences and surgeons, YOU are. If you would like to support members of this board through your experiences as a WLS patient, we welcome that. If you're here to get people to go to your surgeons so you can continue to have a job, I invite you to notify Alex so he can explain the terms and conditions of paid advertising.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.