freddie8_8

The Tijuana surgeons appear to sometimes take patients that won't be cleared for surgery in the u. S.

I don't think Rocky is a case coordinator. He consistently recommends several unaffiliated competing surgeons in mexico.

I think the prices in mexico are the best in the Tijuana area as there is high concentration of bariatric surgeons competing for business. I like the Corvala hospital angeles combo but they recently raised there price to 7500. 7500 is the high end of the range in Tijuana. There are several other high quality surgeons in TJ besides Corvala.

I was told the single incision vsg is higher risk as there is greater risk of the surgeon inadvertently touching an organ.

I originally wanted plication. My surgeon advised against it. Me Bmi is 44. Hospital angeles strongly advised vsg instead of plication. Apparently vsg has a better chance of long term weight loss with less complications for someone with a 44 Bmi. Based on their study of plication and historical experience they strongly advised vsg versus lap ban and plication even though it is not reversible.

I am going to Covala in TJ because it is relatively easy with San Diego having a lot of direct flights. I also think vsg prices in general are lower than most other places in mexico due to the high concentration of bariatric surgeons in the Tijuana which results in a significant amount of price competition to attract patients. Certainly go with Alvarez if you are comfortable with him. I just believe a comparable skilled bariatric surgeon in Tijuana will cost less due to the fierce competition between surgeons in that specific area which is somewhat unique. Tijuana is also relatively easy to get to for a flying traveler however you obviously should go with the surgeon you are most comfortable with.

I have been reading that a bougie of 32 to 34 is optimal:

I think it was the drug cartel violence prevelant in the not to distant past in northern mexico including TJ. I think that was around 2009. Since then I understand things have cooled down in TJ and they have a new police chief. However I am not so sure about Juarez. Sounds like Juarez is still very dangerous and narco trafficing prevalent.

My wife is same as your hubby. Has no facts and has done no research. I'm going anyway but I can only get comfortable with a handful of surgeons and facilities. You have be very careful in the selection process. I like the Corvala at hospital angeles combo but he is more expensive than most. Don't let cost be your prime criteria or you could end paying a lot more in the long run post op.

And keep in mind he has over 10000 laproscopic surgeries over thirty years. Surgery is an inherently risky endeavor. Over thirty years he probably has more than three deaths of patients. That does not mean he is a bad surgeon. I only found one alleged death on google.

I have found rocky1's posts to be impartial and objective.

hamigirl710, he has done over 10,000 surgeries over 30 years. Even if this unsubstantiated post were true he has an excellent record. Surgery is inherently risky. There are many fine surgeons in mexico including Corvala.

May I ask why plication instead of the sleeve? Is it because might be reversible.

Going solo to tj

I think there are shuttles that can take you right up to the boarder. You then walk across and get a cab on the TJ side.

That is nothing more than unsubstantiated rumors. I also only found one post. Anyone can post anything on these forums,

Over 10000 laproscopic surgeries over 30 years and three alleged unsubstantiated deaths...I will gladly take those odds if that is all you can come up with.

I did not say cost was not anything. If mexico did not have hospital angeles I would be heading to texas. Cost is one of many factors.

I only found one alleged death and one alleged botched plication surgery for Corvala in my search. Surgery is an inherently risky business. I have no idea if the posts I located were true. Keep in mind that he has done over 10000 laparoscopic surgeries.

Surgeon skill is not a commodity where one should weigh cost higher than other criteria.

I am covered by two good health insurance policies in the u.s. But neither covers bariatric surgery which is 25k in my state. It is not legally mandated to be covered. That is why I have considered the travel programs in texas and mexico.

OCC in mexico for vsg is 6500 but very reputable. I am paying 6500 with Corvala but his price just went up to 7500

I assume most of you going to Mexico for vsg surgery are like myself and either have no health insurance or your health insurance coverage doesn't cover bariatric surgery. I have two health policies and apparently neither policy covers bariatric surgery as it is not legally mandated in my state. After reading the forum about post op complications on this site, I asked the question what if I come back from mexico and develop complications like a leak or stricture. I checked my policies and my first policy is silent about if post op elective surgery complications are covered. That means maybe they are and maybe they are not. The insurance rep could not give me a definitive answer. The second policy does cover post op complications of elective surgery but the insurance rep on the phone originally gave me the wrong answer. It helped that I had the 100 page policy in front of me to correct her. The reason I am posting this is that for those of you traveling to mexico to get vsg surgery or even elective vsg surgery in the U.S. you may want to examine the fine print of your health insurance policy if you are fortunate to be covered by one to see if it covers post op complications for elective surgery. If it doesn't you could be faced with large medical bills should you be one of the unfortunate ones to come down with post op complications as you could be facing very large medical bills.

I was not charged an additional fee when I made my $650 deposit using my Amex.

my case coordinated at hospital angeles indicated that I can pay for my procedure via credit card prior to entering mexico. that way I don't have to deal with carrying a cashiers check to the hospital or having my credit card company reject the charge because it is an unusually large charge in Tijuana. Just another payment option to consider for those using Corvala at Hospital Angels.