Kristi Jacobs

Very interesting read. I have an appointment with my PCP the 14th. She herself has had Bariatric surgery so am not expecting a NO from her on that but not sure how she will feel about Mexico. I like the idea of lab work and EKG before going. I am 63 , diabetic, former smoker and I want to ensure I am healthy enough to have the surgery before I get there and find for whatever reason I cannot.

I'm not sure if this will help but you can get pain Patches from your doc. My podiatrist actually prescribed them for me when I was having a hard time with heel spurs and plantar fasciitis a few years back. I too have issues with my SI Joint and have used them and they have really helped, however I have not had WLS yet so I'm not sure if they are approved but definitely worth asking about. That's all I can think of at the moment other than there is a lot written about the foods we eat causing inflammation and making pain more difficult to manage. I look forward to following this post as I will soon be in the same boat as you.

Hello all. I am three months in since my gastric sleeve surgery the end of July 2017 here in British Columbia. Started at 300 pounds before I began the pre-op program a year ago. Lost 60 before surgery and am down to 207 pounds as of today. Looking at some posts by others I think I am VERY lucky in how things have gone. The only two problems I have ongoing are heartburn and Constipation that I need to really work at to keep things "moving along". As a reward to myself I treated myself to a week long cruise that I returned from two days ago. Now many folk may say that was asking for trouble with all the "free food" on a cruise but I actually found myself very disciplined and actually lost 2 pounds over the past week. Thought I would just pass along some of the observations that I have had since this journey began -- some expected; some not; some big; some little. In no particular order........
At home I now fit in my bathtub :-) Much nicer to relax and have a soak after a long day, easier to get in and out too. My walking gets better and better every day and even on our "sea days" on the ship I managed to get in 12,000 plus steps per day (it was a big ship). One one tour day off the ship I walked just under 20,000 steps ....... I would have NEVER been able to do that a year ago-- I also have a foot injury that requires I use a cane. When I tell folk I am on a 'restricted diet' they sometimes comment that I look good and don't need to diet......oh if they only knew! Folk that haven't seen me in a while are quite startled; some even don't recognize me. A friend's husband picked me up at the airport when I returned from my trip and I had to stand right in front of him before he recognized me. My own brother was at the cashier next to me in our local grocery store and only recognized me when I spoke to the cashier. I fit (comfortably) in my airplane seat. No more "seat belt extender". This was so wonderful, when I clicked that seat belt on the plane the other day I could have wept with joy. I am going to have to splurge on new underwear. My granny panties have been the last of my big clothes that will need to be replaced. I could keep wearing them as no one saw them but right now the only thing holding them up is my slacks over top. Speaking of clothes I have gone from a size 26 to an 18 and even they are getting big. A few friends have recommended I shop at some of the second hand stores but I feel a need to treat myself to "new", even if it means buying from the cheaper outlets (like anything is really cheap) and if I then pass along some fairly new clothes after a few months it is all worth it, I felt comfortable enough to attend the "formal night" on the cruise ship where I dressed up a bit (well a bit for me anyway) and even had a portrait taken after dinner. I mean who can turn down lobster - even if I only at a bit of it. Most folk are very supportive when I do tell them of this year long journey and most have friends and family who have done it as well. Always interesting to hear their stories. On the down side I am still uncomfortable around "food-centric" events. We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving earlier this month and I turned down the invitation to a big family dinner. I knew that there would be eating and drinking starting from the afternoon into the evening and I just din't want to have to face that amount of food and comments from friends and family. I have to work on this I know as can't stay away for ever. Just some observations I have seen over the past few months. Anyone else got any they have experienced I can look forward to??
Thanks for listening
Lesley Q

I am in MI and have not found anywhere near here for that price. One Bariatric Center near me gave an estimate of $50,000 to $80,000. Crazy.......sure will not be going there. Most places I've spoken with are around $20,000 to $30,000 depending at what specific surgery you have of course.

I had my surgery with Pompeii Surgical and I have nothing but positive things to say about them. Dr. Quinones was excellent and I was walking around 2 hours after my bypass. The clinic was very clean and I felt really safe there. What truly was amazing was how well the patient coordination team and especially Debbie took care of me and my teen son who accompanied me. He was taken out shopping etc. so he didn't get bored. After 2 days in the clinic we spent a few days in an ocean front villa that had all the food I needed and I got trained in what to eat etc. They visited us 2 times a day to make sure we were ok. I returned home on Wednesday last week and they have called me several times since then. All this for $5,500. They gave me a surgery date 3 weeks from when I contacted them first. Cannot recommend them enough.

My goodness, that is awful, all plans should cover weight loss surgery. They don't realize in the long run it would save them money by clearing up so many of other health problems. It would mean less doctor visits and less medicine. I don't understand some insurance companies. From the first time that I thought about having the surgery to getting my surgery date which is this coming Tuesday the 19th, it only took 4 months. Good luck dear.

Yeah, my plan has a weight loss exclusion as well. Which is ridiculous considering how much money they would save if they covered it.

I went to Star Medica through Be LiteWeight. This is in Juarez and is the hosital the U.S. embassy uses for American employees. It's a full service hospital with the second floor dedicated to American patients. The doctor spoke perfect English and explained everything to me. They kept me two nights and three days - no hotels or anything - you stay in the hospital the whole time. Very happy with my experience.

What Mhy12784 posted is so totally true. I went to a Surgeon that had all of the credentials for Excellence. But he didn't have much personality at all. He may have been a great surgeon but you need to make sure that they have all of the follow-up programs too. I ended up leaving his practice for many things that he did to myself and my hubby. I also signed up for him to get all of my journey for 5 years. Needles to say that didn't give him much. Just a word to the wise here just because they have the seal of EXCELLENCE does not mean they are up to par. After it was all done I found out that he makes more $$ for the actual surgery's. Not so much with the follow ups. I was told that the insurance pays a blanketed amount for everything which is supposed cover your follow ups but he charged my hubby every time he seen him after his mess up with his WLS. So just research every thing you can before you go.

I did my surgery in Cancun with Dr. Hector Perez. The surgery was coordinated through Ready4Achange.< br />
A couple of things - I chose Cancun because I live in NYC and the flight/travel was just a lot easier and I wanted to ensure I had an easy trip home. I paid a deposit through the coordinator. The full payment was due at check in in the clinic, but I chose to pay in advance.

Also, I did all the bloodwork/screening with my local PCP before travel to ensure there were no surprises (and I did it before starting my 10 day liquid diet). I then did follow up blood work 6 weeks after surgery - mostly to check my A1C and Vitamin D which were the only 2 issues that showed up pre-surgery.
The coordination provided by Ready4aChange was mostly seamless, however the quality of hotels was just terrible. My dad came with me and (god bless him) he ended up getting us rooms at the Ritz Carlton instead. I stayed an extra day, which was nice just to rest and nap (I did a lot of napping - my energy was very low.)
The clinic in Cancun was clean, the staff were friendly, Dr Perez was great and the Anesthesiologist was also great. The nurses and support staff did not speak much English and we had a good time with my horrible Spanglish. There was a coordinator on site for English speaking patients in case I needed anything, but I was able to communicate my most important needs ("Dolor!")
I stayed overnight after the surgery and was discharged the next day. Surgery went well, they also cleaned up some scar tissue from an open surgery to remove my gallbladder that was done 3 years prior.
There are two things I did that I was glad about - coordinating this with my local PCP who was very supportive and bringing someone with me. While I didn't NEED to bring someone with me, it gave me tremendous peace of mind to know my dad was there if anything went wrong.
I would recommend Mexico to anyone for whom insurance doesn't cover this. The total cost of my surgery (not including airfare and the Ritz upgrade) was $5400.

The hospital I'm having my surgery at (on Monday) is "designated by the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program as an Active MBSAQIP Center." It also has a five-star rating and an excellence award on HealthGrades. The hospital itself is almost new, beautiful, and it's ranked in the top 10 percent nationally for safety. My surgeon is the head of the department and people rave about him. (He's also quite cute!)
Okay, the last thing wasn't a factor, just a nice bonus :-)
You don't say what location you are considering--are you looking at Mexico as a possibility? There are definitely good reports by many who have been there--keep checking this site, and you'll see what people have to say.

I had surgery at a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery. These Centers of Excellence are available in many states. The Centers of Excellence provide a complete support for the surgery. There are many components that require a range of specialist beyond just a surgeon who specializes in Bariatric Surgery. They include nutritionist, psychologists, a hospital that specializes in bariatric surgery, staff that work insurance issues, pre-op testing, weight loss and exercise programs, bariatric surgery support group meetings, five years of post-op follow-ups. It is like a "full meal deal", no pun intended.

"New Operating rooms and recovery rooms with state of the art equipment."
I had my surgery 2 weeks ago through Bariatric Pal's Team MX. From the OR, I had to transfer myself (no help from anyone) to 3 different beds immediately post-op. I was in an incredible amount of pain, still bleeding on the sheets, and barely coherent from the anesthesia. Is this something that is going to change at Oasis Hospital?

I had to get back about 5 days after surgery for a mandatory orientation training. Originally I was going to fly, but my parents were able to drive me. The surgeon really just wanted me up and walking or tapping my toes to keep the blood flowing and prevent a clot, especially since I take birth control. Having a pillow to support my incisions and still healing tummy was very helpful, as well as getting out and walking frequently.

I'm scheduled to have vsg surgery September 18th with Dr. Corvala at Hospital Angeles in Tijuana, Mexico. The case manager, Kim Curren, sent me a questionnaire to see if I qualified for surgery. It ask a lot of health questions and past surgeries. They want to know these things before scheduling you for surgery. Lab work will be done once I get to Mexico. I am required to follow two week liquid diet before surgery, so my liver can shrink in size. This is to ensure the surgery goes well and the liver isn't in the way when they cut out 80% of the stomach.

My doctors started me on blood thinners prior to the flight for this very reason, and now that I am home, have to continue them for about a week.

I traveled by plane from San Diego to San Antonio, TX. 3 days after surgery. My doctor okay-ed it, and I was fine. All of my surgery buddies did the same. There are tons of people that travel abroad for Medical Tourism every year. While there is always a risk of developing blood clots or deep vein thrombosis, the risk can be lowered by staying hydrated and moving about.
Easier said than done while you are on a plane. I kept drinking fluids, which caused me to go to the bathroom twice during my 2 1/2 hour flight. TMI, I know.
Anyway, it was a risk that I was willing to take since many doctors recommend not traveling for up to 4 weeks after surgery, especially if the surgery is below the waist. I wasn't about to take an extended vacay in Mexico, although my trip was a lot of fun.

I paid my deposit with Dr Illian for November and Ive had a few links sent to me by concerned family etc... that there advising no travel to areas in Mexico and Tijuana is on the list due to an to uprise in Violence w gangs shooting in the streets . How was your experience? I'm getting stressed out

I had a revision surgery from Lapband to VSG with Dr. Gerado Garcia Alvarez, with Bariatric Mexico. The only pre op text I had here was an endoscopy, and that was just to make sure I didn't have any erosion from my lapband. Once I was in Mexico I had all my other test done. My surgery was at the center in Cabo, but they have 4 other locations as well.

I'm scheduled for bypass on Sept. 12th at Angele's hospital by Dr. Juan Lopez-Corvalla. I'm nervous and excited at the same time, lol! I had originally decided on Dr. Ortiz at OCC but found out that he didn't do RNY bypass anymore. So when I started looking for another surgeon I found Dr. Lopez. He's also a professor at a college in Baja and Dr. Ortiz was one of his students, lol!

I went with Beauty and Light which I was referred to from another friend local in Oregon. They were all wonderful. The main team I worked with all spoke English. Dr Gutierrez was amazing. Prior I had had 2 other orthoscopic procedures and was a train wreck afterwords. With the Beauty and Light team I had only slight nausea (They gave me meds for)post op no puking at all. I am almost two weeks post-op and feel great, a little tender on the left side but what would anyone expect.
I loved my team and Melissa, Nathan and Polo was great, and Dr. G is Magic.

I had a very good experience with Dr. Illan. I like that they use a full service hospital and not a clinic. Everyone spoke English and the valets were awesome!! You can purchase a thumb drive and receivie a video of your surgery. I thought that was pretty cool.
I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Illan and BP.

Hello All! Anxious to hear all I can about having surgery in Mexico. I have been researching weight loss surgery for months and having it done in Mexico specifically for weeks.I can't seem to find how and when surgeons get your pre op health info. I have had a few minor surgeries here in US and even simple ones such as D & C and gall bladder removed the pre op work was pretty extensive. Does your surgeon in Mexico ask for any medical records or labs from your regular Dr here? Do they wait until you have paid a deposit, you fly there and the day before surgery do bloodwork, EKG, are you scoped? I am 62 and type 2 diabetic. I also have concerns that my sugar may drop too low on a liquid pre op diet, are you actually monitored closely by real nurses after surgery or by assisstants? LOTS OF QUESTIONS for sure! I'm leaning towards Dr Illian, it seems he is highly thought of and his patients are quite satisfied. Thanks in advance for any help and advice. Mentally I am ready to move forward with surgery and I will be self pay so Mexico is financially possible. I just want to go into this fully prepared.

Hello All! Anxious to hear all I can about having surgery in Mexico. I have been researching weight loss surgery for months and having it done in Mexico specifically for weeks.I can't seem to find how and when surgeons get your pre op health info. I have had a few minor surgeries here in US and even simple ones such as D & C and gall bladder removed the pre op work was pretty extensive. Does your surgeon in Mexico ask for any medical records or labs from your regular Dr here? Do they wait until you have paid a deposit, you fly there and the day before surgery do bloodwork, EKG, are you scoped? I am 62 and type 2 diabetic. I also have concerns that my sugar may drop too low on a liquid pre op diet, are you actually monitored closely by real nurses after surgery or by assisstants? LOTS OF QUESTIONS for sure! I'm leaning towards Dr Illian, it seems he is highly thought of and his patients are quite satisfied. Thanks in advance for any help and advice. Mentally I am ready to move forward with surgery and I will be self pay so Mexico is financially possible. I just want to go into this fully prepared.

Hello All! Anxious to hear all I can about having surgery in Mexico. I have been researching weight loss surgery for months and having it done in Mexico specifically for weeks.I can't seem to find how and when surgeons get your pre op health info. I have had a few minor surgeries here in US and even simple ones such as D & C and gall bladder removed the pre op work was pretty extensive. Does your surgeon in Mexico ask for any medical records or labs from your regular Dr here? Do they wait until you have paid a deposit, you fly there and the day before surgery do bloodwork, EKG, are you scoped? I am 62 and type 2 diabetic. I also have concerns that my sugar may drop too low on a liquid pre op diet, are you actually monitored closely by real nurses after surgery or by assisstants? LOTS OF QUESTIONS for sure! I'm leaning towards Dr Illian, it seems he is highly thought of and his patients are quite satisfied. Thanks in advance for any help and advice. Mentally I am ready to move forward with surgery and I will be self pay so Mexico is financially possible. I just want to go into this fully prepared.