sparklesinmyeyes

Hi, I had my surgery at Bajanor with the Dr. Carlos and his brother Allessandri. It was a wonderful experience. Of course having the surgery in Mexico was weird because their standards are different. I am sorry I ddin't post before you had it. Please let me know how it went. alohajo

http://www.covidien.com/tristaple/pages.aspx?page=productInformation/TristapleReloads
Yes these are very good.

That is great news. Congrats!

Hey! I did have my surgery! Everything went really well. I was one of the lucky ones and didn't suffer a lot of nausea. So I've lost 24 lbs since my pre op diet, and 13 lbs since surgery. I'm so glad I did this for myself!!

I did the balloon and had great, non-invasive success. Every person, every experience, every need is different. I would never tell people to run and and get a balloon, nor would I tell them to have have an invasive - and permanent - WLS. People need to research each option carefully, determining which is best for them. Part of that research is understanding the risks and the fact that you may be one of the few who suffers really adverse effects. The worst part about that is that there is no way to know in advance how your body will respond ... and that's true for any surgery. I think chpstick2u did her homework and made an informed decision like the rest of us, but was one of the unfortunate few who had a bad result. That is precisely why I am happy to share my experiences and advice with folks, but I also tell them that they're no guarantees. And, frankly, I've seen more issues with traditional WLS surgery than I have with balloons ... so no procedures should be taken lightly. Regardless, what may be good for one person may not be right for the next (i.e. when it comes to these things, there are no absolutes). Having said that, I personally would never go to Mexico for surgery, but that's a personal choice. To each his own.

At BariatricPal, we are committed that our patients receive the most comprehensive and complete care for Pre-op and Post-Op follow-Up care.
All of our Bariatric surgeon partners have to follow BariatricPal's strict patient care and follow-up guidelines. We have these guidelines in place to ensure your safe and professional medical care.
It is our guarantee that you will receive personal care from your surgeon as well as all medical protocols required to assure your weight loss surgery and recovery before you return to the US or Canada.
Upon reinspection of the facilities and medical protocols with Dr. Mario Almanza and Hospital de La Mujer y el Nino we are not able to continue our Relationship with Dr Mario Almanza.

See my post under, "Weightloss Agents-Beware!".
I just came back from Tijuana after accompanying my daughter for her balloon procedure last week - January 2017. Our procedure was scheduled through Weightloss Agents so I can only speak about my experience with them. Overall, it was horrible. I cannot recommend. The actual clinic where the procedure took place was in a very seedy looking neighborhood. None of the nurses spoke clear English. And the doctor basically forgot to send my daughter home with any written post-op instructions or a prescription. After going home, we tried calling the doctor and couldn't reach anyone there who spoke English. I then contacted Weightloss Agents and was basically told that they couldn't prescribe medication because the doctor was outside the US. Instead, they recommended over-the-counter meds which didn't work. Long story short - my daughter ended up on the ER due to dehydration. She's okay now after being given an IV and a prescription for anti-nausea. But would I do it again? Hell no!!! Although I still like the procedure, I cannot recommend having it through Weightloss Agents or in Tijuana. My advice is to go somewhere local where you have a doctor with whom you can follow-up with in-person and over the phone. Remember - you pay for what you get!

Hello!
I am considering the gastric balloon after not being able to go through with the sleeve back in May. Did anyone get theirs done in Tijuana? I need to locate a doctor out there that does the procedure. Any recommendations or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!!!
Nancy

Hi - all good questions. :-) While some people struggle with the balloon, most do not for the "first few weeks" ... it's more like the first few days. I did not feel great for the first few days, but I was not horribly miserable, either (and after a week - maybe less - I was fine). I ended up throwing up three times in first two days, but that's it. If you are properly prepared (with meds, nutrition, etc.), it's not that bad ... certainly not as bad as I expected. Having said that, different people react differently. I know three people who had it within a week of me - two did better than I did (not throwing up in those first few days at all, although one did later) and one did worse (she was really miserable). Just like with surgery, you don't know how your body will respond.
In terms of why the balloon rather than surgery, the balloon is much less invasive, has fewer risks and, despite those first few yucky days, has a faster recovery time. I was always too chicken to permanently alter my anatomy, so this was a good option for me, despite not being covered by insurance (it is ~ $5000-$8500 for the insertion, removal and a year of doctor/dietitian support ... some places even offer exercise physiologist and therapy support). Having said that, I would not be surprised if insurance starts to cover it soon (it's so new that I just don't think the insurance companies have had a chance to process it yet).
I talked to the gentleman who lost 77 pounds after he had his balloon removed and he was doing well. He was VERY motivated to lose more, so I would be surprised if he's gained anything back (he only had it removed a few weeks ago). Please note that 77 pounds is not typical. Most people report 25-50 pounds in the six months. Please also note that you cannot get the balloon in the US if your BMI is over 40 ... so most people who get it have less to lose than people who have surgery.
Do people gain the weight back ... some do and some don't, and some just gain some of it back. It all depends on whether or not they treat the six months as an opportunity to change their habits and commit to a lifestyle change. It also depends on whether or not they take advantage of the additional six months of support that are included in the package. In other words, the balloon is just a tool than can be used to kick-start weight loss ... it's not a magic bullet. (However, I would say the same thing about surgery - unfortunately most of the people I know who have had surgery have not lost as much as they had hoped [some not at all!] and/or gained some weight back after an initial loss because they had not made necessary lifestyle changes.) Having said all of that, in balloon studies, people who had had balloons did a better job of maintaining than people who did not.
In summary, the decision to get a balloon or to have surgery is a big one - no one should take it lightly. I highly recommend doing a lot of research, reading the studies and meeting with more than one doctor. But at the end of the day, whatever someone decides, it is just a tool - it's not the answer. As my doctor said, his job was the easy part - the hard work was mine to do. No matter how you approach weight loss (even if you just do a diet) it requires planning, commitment and diligence ... forever. And if you do it with the balloon, that six months should be used to not only drop the pounds, but also to get counseling and support to work through the issues that caused the weight gain in the first place.
I hope that helps. Please feel free to reach out with any other questions. Regardless, best of luck to you and your friend!

I must admit that my primary reason for choosing Orbera was proximity. The closest place offering ReShape was a couple/few hours away. That was not just an issue for the procedure, but also follow up appointments (none of which they would do over the phone - not even with the nutritionist). I also would have had to stay in a hotel for a few days after the procedure, and would not have had a doctor nearby longterm in case of an issue. Furthermore, I met with two Orbera doctors and really liked the second one, so it made the decision easy. (I also liked the idea that the doctor I selected did the procedure in a hospital, while most others do it at an outpatient facility ... it's very unlikely that there will be issues with the procedure, but I figured it would be better to be in a hospital, just in case.)
Having said that, I also liked that Orbera had been around longer and seemed to have better results with fewer complications. Just thinking about size/capacity, I thought ReShape might work better, but one of the doctors whom I met with (different practice than I selected) said Orbera was better since it was bigger in the middle and had more contact with the stomach wall, causing a greater sensation of fullness (not sure if that's true or not, but it made sense to me).
What I liked better about ReShape was that due to the double balloon and blue dye, I felt like it was safer (i.e. less likely to fully deflate and cause a blockage). However, my surgeon agreed to use blue dye with my Orbera (something that's common in other parts of the world ... can't imagine why it's not here). I've been told that chances of deflation/blockage are very very slim, but I feel better knowing that I've got this extra safely mechanism, just in case.
Lastly, I only know two people (via these forums) who had ReShape - one over six months ago and one fairly recently. The former already had it removed and he lost 77 pounds (wow!). The other is having a tough time ... she was sicker than I was at first, has had other nagging side effects and is struggling to lose (so frustrating ... I'm hoping she turns a corner soon). Just based on those two, it's hard to tell if it's a good choice (and I've certainly heard both good and bad about Orbera ... at the end of the day I think it's more of an individual reaction thing than due to which balloon). But since I'm "closer" to the person who is having a negative experience, I'd be less likely to endorse ReShape (which is probably not a fair assessment at all).
Whichever you choose, just make sure that you take time to do your research in advance, that you prepare for the procedure and that you take enough time off to recuperate. Keep in mind - it still takes a lot of work to lose weight with a balloon. The balloon is just a tool to help the process. But so far I've found it to be effective, and I'm still cautiously optimistic that it will help me to get to my goal. Fingers crossed.
Good luck!
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