jjinWA

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

When you can put your wedding ring back on! I have not worn my ring in many years cuz I was too heavy and refused to resize the ring. I was always going to lose weight! Well finally I have. Put it on for the first time today! Sooooooo happy.

I have BCBS WA. I was told 2 -3 weeks after submission. I received approval 2 weeks later.

I am only 5' tall so it was always a challenge to get close enough to the gas pedal and not get scrunched up against the steering wheel. Yup! No longer my problem!

When you can put your wedding ring back on! I have not worn my ring in many years cuz I was too heavy and refused to resize the ring. I was always going to lose weight! Well finally I have. Put it on for the first time today! Sooooooo happy.

I know this is corny, but your comment made me cry. How sweet he was to carry you and how wonderful that he could!!! You hD to feel like a princess!

When I asked my dr which was more important... Water or protein... I was just not able to get required ozs/grams in each day. He said WATER!!!!???? he explained that Protein is important but it may not mater if I am dead from dehydration!

Yes, I look forward to joining the population that moves and are active! I want to get there! I will get there! We all will!

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

The decision to have surgery in Mexico, USA or any other country should be based on well researched FACTs and references that can be validated. Your life depends on it!
I had my sleeve performed in the U.S. with a surgeon whom, after research, I deemed as qualified. The surgery center was also top notch..... Again in my opinion. But honestly issues noted here by Dr. E. Ortiz can and has happened to many other surgeons..... No matter where (country) they are performing this procedure. Going under the knife is a risk. PERIOD.
With that said, I have had the chance to do a close and personal comparison between two surgeons.... One in the U.S. (mine performed by dr. Houseworth on June 17, 2014) and the other one in Mexico (dr. Arial Ortiz performed the sleeve surgery for my daughters on Dec 9, 2014). I traveled with my daughters to Mexico and stayed with them at both the OCC and Marriot hotel. There were no real major differences, but I did come away with some disappointment in the actual care my daughters received in the OCC as compared to the care I received in the U.S.
Things I learned through first hand experience and things you should get confirmed, though certainly not limited to, as part of your research are listed here.
1. Who does the actual surgery? Is the Dr. you are researching going to do the actual surgery or will it be someone else on his/her team? We researched dr. A Ortiz, and 'think' he did the surgery, but discovered him driving out of the garage later when he was supposed to be performing the actual surgery on another patient that followed after us. Either he was lighting fast on that surgery and finished very very quickly, or he simply was not in the surgery room for that patients procedure. No matter how much you research your surgeon, doesn't matter if in the end he isn't the one performing the surgery!
2. Follow up care is next most important research you should complete. How knowledgeable is the staff that will be caring for you? What are their emergency procedures for serious complications should they arise? Honestly I did not do adequate research for my daughters. Should have, but didn't complete those steps adequately. I relied on what the coordinator at OCC told me and unfortunately we based our choice on her information. Lesson learned! Coordinators get paid by the number of surgeries they get booked. They will tell you fairytales and that is the sad reality. So go into the booking procedure knowing that they serve a role in that they assist in getting you a surgery date and setting up your travel from the airport to the hotel. Etc. BUT that is all you should ever rely on. They are not medical experts.
3. Be very aware of the surgery center where your surgery will be performed. I was surprised at the "quality" of the OCC facility. Certainly was not what I had in the U.S. Infiltrated veins on 4 of the 5 patients, lab tech trying to draw blood without gloves, letting the IV bags run out and not being replaced timely, no extra pillows or blankets available to help patient get comfortable, bar music next door keeping patients awake most of the night, no monitoring of Fluid intake/output, long waits between request for and delivery of liquids, having to wear 'leggings/stockings for blood clotting concerns vs the updated leg wraps used here in the U.S. These were all minor issues that separated my U.S experience with my daughters' experience in Mexico. With that said, I would take the OCC over some of the other sites I drove by while in TJ. Some are actually located in strip malls and far from quality medical facilities! Get full descriptions of location and facility as part of your decision process.
4. Long term follow up care should be another well researched topic. I see my surgeon regularly. My daughters have never connected with their surgeon and his team since we left Mexico. To be honest, someone has called, but both my daughters work and when the Mexico staff call it is always during the day when the girls are not home! When the girls call back they are instructed to just send an email if they have any questions. I do not call that follow up care. I call that lazy and 'since we have your money we don't need to really be bothered with you' anymore. My youngest daughter has had very serious acid reflux since her surgery. She has asked questions via email, but no real help has come from her emails. Maybe the distance between my surgeon and me, and the distance between my daughters and their surgeon makes resolving issues more difficult for them. Ultimately keep that in mind when making your decision to travel long distance to have your surgery. No matter what you think, it will be an inconvenience.
So I could go on longer but I think the point here in summary is just do your research and make sure you keep your eyes open as you make your decision. Make sure you don't let the final choice be based on one person's 'personal reference.' There are those that monitor these sites and respond as paid promotion staff. Unfortunately you will likely not be able to recognize which is a fair and truthful response to that which is 'glowing puffery'. I fully expect there will be follow up posts with feedback describing their personal wonderful experiences. Those posts may be totally valid. I am happy for all those who have had success with their WLS and their surgeon of choice. That is ultimately what we all want. I wish everyone who is seeking this surgery the best of luck. It truly is wonderful to be on the losers bench! My daughters and I are enjoying our very active and vital lifestyles as a result of having WLS. While things may not have been perfect for any of us during our journey, we all 3 would do it again in a heartbeat!
Luckily our issues in Mexico were minor, and I am thankful that my daughters had the option to have their surgeries performed in Mexico at a much lower rate then it would have cost them here in the U.S. There is no way they would ever have been able to have the surgery without the option made available through Medical Tourism. Neither had the luxury of having insurance as I did. I would not deny anyone that same opportunity BUT having gone through the experience and having first hand knowledge based on that experience I can only stress the importance of making sure you do your own research and be aware of the surgeon of choice, his team, and the facility. All are very crucial to your ultimate success.

I am only 5' tall so it was always a challenge to get close enough to the gas pedal and not get scrunched up against the steering wheel. Yup! No longer my problem!

I agree! One of my goals was to be able to someday wear my weeding ring again. After 3 months and 44 lbs I am able to wear it and it is loose!
I am loving this sleeve!

When you can put your wedding ring back on! I have not worn my ring in many years cuz I was too heavy and refused to resize the ring. I was always going to lose weight! Well finally I have. Put it on for the first time today! Sooooooo happy.

Yes, I look forward to joining the population that moves and are active! I want to get there! I will get there! We all will!

Good for you to see the positive in that situation. As for me, I think he still should be swimming with the fishes... That comment was rude. I am always amazed at how easy it is to call someone fat. I wonder how he would have felt if you responded as to how small his hands were.... Maybe other things are small too! And I am not referring to just his brain.

Good for you to see the positive in that situation. As for me, I think he still should be swimming with the fishes... That comment was rude. I am always amazed at how easy it is to call someone fat. I wonder how he would have felt if you responded as to how small his hands were.... Maybe other things are small too! And I am not referring to just his brain.

Alex helped set a new password for me, but I have yet to figure out how to change that password to something else. :-(

We recently met at Panara's at uptown in Gig Harbor on the 11th. Next meet-up is scheduled for March 25th at Panara's in the Tacoma Mall at 7 PM. Next gig harbor meetup will be april 8 at 7 PM at Panara's in uptown. Anyone looking for a fun get together with fellow losers (weight ????) are always welcome!

I bought the nutribullet 900 watt. I love it. It makes great smoothies. Crushes ice like a dream and the drinks are nicely emulsified. Can't get that with any blender. The ninjas, bullets, etc are best tool for emulsifying the Condiments you put in your smoothy. Can't imagine a Protein Drink without it!

I know this is corny, but your comment made me cry. How sweet he was to carry you and how wonderful that he could!!! You hD to feel like a princess!

Good for you to see the positive in that situation. As for me, I think he still should be swimming with the fishes... That comment was rude. I am always amazed at how easy it is to call someone fat. I wonder how he would have felt if you responded as to how small his hands were.... Maybe other things are small too! And I am not referring to just his brain.