Kelleigh710

I can understand your confusion, but let me also say, that the gastric bypass is not the end all, be all of WLS. I had a bypass in June 2000, lost my 120 pounds, and gained it all back within a 10 year span. I just recently had a band placed over my gastric bypass and I'm already down 25 pounds and feeling great. The person that posted above me is right, you get what you put into it and you need to make the lifestyle change in order to be successful. Good luck on your decision!!! ~Kel :thumbup:

Hey there, There are many happt patients of Dr. Aceves and other Mexican surgeons on the Obesity Help web-site. The Mexican forum is very active and you'll get some great opinions there. Here is the link: Mexico Weight Loss Forums - Weight Loss Surgery, Bariatric

The surgeon that did my original gastric bypass recently started doing the band as well. I have to give you a ton of credit for being your doc's very first BOB (band over bypass) patient. Since he is well versed in the bypass, at least you can feel comfortable knowing that he'll know exactly where to place the band as opposed to the docs that have never done a bypass. Me? I'm going to Mexico, but my doctor is a proctor for Allergan (the makers of lap band system) and he's been doing bands long before they were FDA approved here in the States. 3000 of them as a matter of fact. Now he's up to 1000 bypasses and 100 BOB's. So I feel incredibly comfortable with my decision. If I had the insurance to cover it, surely I would stay in the states, but unfortunately that isn't the case. When do you start your liquid diet?

Absolutely! The first ones were actually done in 2006-2007. A very good band doctor in Ohio did his first one in 2007. Here is a link to show you an x-ray of what a band over bypass looks like, it's pretty cool: Trace W. Curry, M.D. - View topic - Band-over-bypass Xray My surgeon has placed over 3000 lap bands, and recently, many gastric bypass patients have been seeking this revision. Feel free to ask anymore questions. As you can tell, I'm a research-a-holic

Captainsigma, Not everyone decided to revise from Gastric Bypass to a band. As a matter of fact, many people opt not to and go for a procedure that's a lot more tricky called the DS (Duodenal Switch). However, there are more and more people with bypasses that simply don't want to go through a major surgery again, so they go to the band. Then there are some bandsters that go with the gastric bypass after a while. It's kind of funny how someones method of WLS can be a failure, but a triumph for someone else and vice versa. It's all really intriguing.

Amen Uhmlaila!!! :laugh: By the way, you're getting your band the day after my birthday, I hope it brings you lots of luck and lots of health. Just to give you a heads up, there are quite a few people with BOBS (Bands over Bypasses) at OH (www.obesityhelp.com) and we even have our own group. One person with the BOB, just had her 1 year anniversary and she's lost 91 pounds. It can be done and we will do it! ~Kelly

As much as I agree with you, please try to be empathetic to others and their situation. For example, I was 17 years old when I saw the doctor and 25 days after I turned 18, I was in for surgery. In no way, shape or form did I understand fully what was going on. I got my staples out a week later and poof, no aftercare or support. Everyone here has a food addiction and some of us have a harder time changing our ways then others do. So please keep in mind that some of us that failed with prior weight loss surgery had all the best intentions of trying to change, but for whatever reason, failed to do so and are looking to do the right thing now. It's unfair to judge people that have had complications or overate to the point of stretching their pouch. It happens.

Hey there, Mine was booked further out for a couple of reasons. First, I'm in education, so I wanted to hold off until after my students started summer session on 6/14. Second, my surgery is a revision. I had a gastric bypass in 2000 and I am having a band put over my original bypass. So because of the complicated nature of the surgery, Dr. Corvala asked me to have an endoscopy and upper GI beforehand so he could review the results and get me cleared for surgery, which he did. I chose this man because out of the surgeons I researched, he has done the most "bands over bypasses" and in fact, teaches the procedure to students at UCLA. If you want to, check out an interview he did on Youtube. Just type in "corvala interview" and you'll see it. The man is very intelligent. Another reason I chose him is location. The Hospital Angeles is only 15 minutes from the US border. I don't know what you preference is but me? I want to be in a FULL service hospital with an ICU, blood bank, etc. Just in case anything happens. Every room at Hospital Angeles is private with its own bathroom, tv, wifi, etc. It's GORGEOUS. The hospital web-site is www.angeleshealth.com so you can check out pics. You can definitly get a surgery date sooner rather than later, but like the previous poster said, PLEASE make sure your aftercare is in place prior. My aftercare doctor had some specifics that he wanted/needed, so be sure you can get that done first.

I am heading to Dr. Corvala at Hospital Angeles in Tijuana on 6/29/10. He charges $5995.00 not including airfare. Website is www.obesitycontrolclinic.com His whole team has been fanatastic.:thumbup:

Hey GeorgiaGirl, Hospital Angeles in Tijuana will do it for $4500.00. Here is the price list. Good Luck! Prices for Medical Procedures at Hospital Angeles

I beleive Hospital Angeles in TJ, Mexico charges $4000.

The difference is usually not the quality in care, it's the doctor wanting to compete. For instance, surgeons in Texas are known to be cheaper because they are competing with the Mexicans. The Mexicans will always be cheaper also bot because of quality, but because the cost of running a hospital down there is so much lower. OR nurses in the States make $64,000 a year, nurses in Mexico make $6,400.00 a year. I'm so glad you have been able to find an American surgeon in the 12k range, like i said before, Dr. K in Colorado is $9995 and people have great things to say about him. Keep us posted!

I am being banded in Mexico on 6/29 but I have already set my aftercare up with a surgeon here. He will be charging me $75.00 per fill. There are many surgeons that are empathetic to the needs of the "uninsured" or "underinsured". Mine has agreed to take me on as one of his own patients as long as the band is an Allergan band and I bring back all of my labs, barium swallow and operations notes. I know I lucked out, but I had to dig. Other doctors wouldn't even touch me when they heard I was going to Mexico, but I finally found a doctor who both understands and cares. Good Luck!

Hey guys! I will be banded on 6/29/10 with Dr. Corvala at Hospital Angeles in TJ, Mexico. I'm getting the band placed over my RNY, which I failed miserably with (long story). Anyway, very excited to be joing you all. Has anyone thought of a name for the June Bandsters yet???

The process is simple. First, you need to decide on a doctor and do some research as to who you think would be best. Continue researching by contacting each of these doctors offices either via email or telephone and ask all of the questions you need. If you would rather deal with someone here in the states, there are coordinators that will work with you. Personally, I worked with Medical Tourism Co because they are based here in the states, but work with the more reputable doctors in Mexico. If you'd like, you could correspond with my coordinator and she could answer questions for you, as she herself was banded. Medical Tourism doesn't up their prices like other coordinating companies, they just get a cut of the regular price. Her e-mail is sheila@medicaltourismco.com but if you would like, I can forward the initial email I got from her with the prices/packaging info for each doctor so you can see exactly what happens. PM me your email and I'll get it to you. I can tell you right now, if your wife is going to be nervous, your best bet is to find a doctor that works in a full service hospital as opposed to an out patient center so she will feel better. Dr. Corvala (my surgeon) works out of Hospital Angeles and you would stay 2 nights there in your own private medical suite with tv, wifi, bathroom, etc, as well as an extra bed for her to sleep in. He recently did an interview, if you go to YouTube and put "corvala LAP-BAND® interview" into the search box, you'll find it. It's a great interview. You would not fly to Mexico prior to your surgery date for any reason. With me, Dr. Corvala wanted an upper GI and an Endoscopy done here in the states before he would agree to work on me because mine is a revision. With you, you would simply fill out his intake form, which i will warn you now is 20 pages long. He wants to know EVERYTHING. Other then that, they submit your intake form and he either clears you or not based on that. When you get there, they will do an EKG, blood work, chemistry panel, and chest xray. After surgery, they do a psych evaluation and a session with a nutritionist. You get your pain meds and go home on the 3rd day. Personally, I'm flying into San Diego the day before to relax and see a Padres game! The next day, the hospital will pick me up right at the front door of my hotel, bring me across the border and will drop me off at the airport the day I go home. If you havent yet, google Hospital Angeles in Tijuana, it's beautiful. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I've changed surgeons THREE times in my research and I am finally confident in my choice. If I can help you avoid any confusion in your research, then I will do my best.