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To the OP: PLEASE post this in the Mexico forum, they need to know! I find the statement about US doctors being a safer or more advanced option to be arrogant, and honestly misinformed. I am a surgical technician in the USA, and I have to respond to this. Mexico is not a bad place to live for everyone who lives there, and upon investigating their laws and medical practices and training for the past 2 years- it actually rivals the USA. I can seen where a Mexican MD would prefer to raise a family in Mexico, and be around their family. My Dr. (Dr. Kelly) is also a US medical doctor, and visits here frequently to actually train US surgeons- he prefers to be in Mexico, where he was born and his family is. Property is much cheaper there, and the education system is actually much better than our public school system, and cheaper for private school. There are people who choose to live in Mexico, not because the USA isn't an option, but because they genuinely are happy there. I met a nice couple from Canada who has VSG in Mexico, when I mentioned the USA they gasped and said "I would never let an American doctor perform this surgery!"- also a prejudgement based on bias, but it goes both ways. It stands to reason that a surgeon who performs 5 sleeves a day for many years is going to naturally be more skilled than a doctor who performs 2 a week- it does not matter what country you are in. There are amazing doctors in the USA and Mexico, and there are shady doctors in the USA and Mexico. Though we would like to believe that if a US surgeon left us badly injured there would be justice or a revision surgery to correct it, the reality is they are set up for malpractice law suits- those forms you sign aren't just for fun. Though I think most surgeons would jump to correcting a complication here, there is no guarantee you are "safe" in the event of a complication. That said, it's obviously much harder to pursue a doctor whose surgery resulted in a complication if they are in Mexico and you are in the USA. There is little to no justice you can get, other than alerting other patients. I will say, when ever I've called or e-mailed Dr. Kelly, I've had a detailed response in 30 minutes or less to my concerns. When I've had concerns that would require a visit, he referred me to an independent bariatric surgery practice in my area (Los Angeles) that is very reasonably priced for visits, and performs VSG. I've felt very, very, very cared for through this process. The only surgeons in the USA I have real cell phone numbers for are friends of mine- a treating doctor rarely gives out that kind of information here. The OP also did not has VSG, she/he had plication, which is a different procedure altogether. It would be good to alert them on Sleeveplicationtalk.com instead of here. I chose VSG after my research because I didn't trust the results of plication. nor having a pprtion of my stomach "tied up" in a sense.

all I can say is that i'm glad i got this done here in the US with a very good doctor who knew what he was doing and has been there if i need him for the past 2 years. after care was great and continues to be great if i need them. they still see me every year for follow up and call every now and then to see if i'm doing well. I'm sorry to hear about those with problems and am very very grateful i didn't have any complications to talk about. Blessings to each and everyone of you.

Here you go!! Dr. Aceves is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. (FACS.org) This means that the American College of Surgeons has done an extensive background check on the doctor. He has to exceed the same standards as a US surgeon. His background is completely verified, his licensing, credentials, certifications, absolutely everything. If he does not maintain his reputation and current standards he cannot maintain his affiliation with the FACS. FACS is a really impressive issue in the world of medicine. Not all US doctors can maintain the background and honesty necessary to be a Fellow of the ACS. But Dr. Aceves can. There is a doctor in MX that claims to have almost 600 VSG procedures completed. He claims to have been doing this procedure for 3.5 years. Yet according to his CV he was just trained in the procedure 2.5 years ago. We know full well he has not done as many VSG procedures as he claims but unless you know what to look for you won't know that his statistics are impossible. This is why going to an FACS surgeon is critical whether you are going to a US or MX surgeon. Surgeons from all over the world (including the US) inflate their stats so they appear more experienced than they are. If they told the truth about their inexperience they wouldn't get any business. So, they are less than honest. Dr. Aceves is the Vice President of the Mexican version of the American Bariatric Assn. This is a position that is voted, so the doctors of MX voted him into this position. They recently voted again and he will be President this year. There is another organization called the International Federation of Surgical Obesity. (IFSO.com) This is an organization where weight loss surgeons all over the world belong. A few years ago Dr. Aceves holds the position of Secretary for this organization so this means that even the US doctors voted him into this office. Dr. Aceves is a proctor surgeon meaning he trains other doctors in various bariatric procedures. He typically travels to one country a month and either attends lectures to further his own knowledge on the new advances in medicine or he trains other doctors in various surgical procedures. He recently returned from Chile and Argentina training their doctors in the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. He trains US surgeons in the various procedures as well. Mexico has been doing the sleeve longer than US doctors and there are simply very few doctors willing to train other US doctors because then they would have competition. Dr. Aceves believes competition in this procedure is good as patients have more surgeons to choose from. Dr. Aceves has done 1,000 Gastric Sleeves, and over 1,000 Gastric Bypass procedures. This means he has over 2000staple lines, a technique that is critical in a safe surgery for a VSG procedure. When researching surgeons you want someone that has done at least 250 VSG and at least 250 Gastric Bypass procedures. The reason is that the Gastric Bypass procedure has a very difficult staple line. It is an interrupted staple line and quite difficult to do. If a surgeon can do the more difficult Gastric Bypass staple line, he can do the easier VSG staple line. There are only 50 VSG surgeon world-wide that have done at least 250 VSG procedures *and* have excellent stats. Dr. Aceves is the only doctor in Mexico that has done over 1,000 VSG and never had a major complication. Leaks are a potential problem with this procedure but he has a technique where he over sews the staple line and we believe this one of the many reasons he has only had one leak with a VSG. I think one big issue here to remember is that just because someone is practicing in the US, that does not make them a good or skilled surgeon. Just because someone is in MX does not mean they are not a skilled surgeon or a person without ethics. I had a choice to go to any surgeon I wanted for my own sleeve and the only doctor I wanted to go to was Dr. Aceves. He is the surgeon with the most skill, the best stats, the best reputation, and the safest location. Another upside to going to Dr. Aceves. In the US if you have the VSG you will likely spend one night in the hospital. Dr. Aceves does not agree with this. He keeps you in a fully equipped hospital for three nights following surgery. He believes you need to be medically supervised, have a total of three leak tests to be 100% certain you have no leak upon returning home, and he wants someone monitoring your vital signs, drain tube, and he wants someone available to manage your pain should you have any. He does not believe in sending you home before three nights/four days. Keep in mind, he is completely and totally depend on reputation for business. He has no insurance companies referring patients. He has to do it by reputation. Dr. Aceves has been operating on US citizens for many years. He wouldn't have the reputation he does if he didn't do the best possible job for each patient. . He has another belief,; he only hires educated people around him. training. His Office Manager is an engineer by trade. Her Office Assistant is a Law student. His OR techs (OR techs are used in the US and typically have 9 months of training) are actually 4 year RNs. His hospital coordinator is a retired teacher that previously taught English in the MX school system. His Aftercare Specialist is a PhD. She is a licensed psychologist in MX and available to all Dr. Aceves patients by phone or email. I think you'll find that he meets or exceeds the standards of any US doctor or hospital.

That dessert probably helped you lose some weight. Look it is not the best choice, but you are going to stop losing if you don't up your calories. The body will protect itself and if you can... up those calories to 1000. Your body needs to eat and use calories to lose. I know it sounds strange but it is fact.... Don't be so hard on yourself. So you ate a little dessert. Don't do it a lot. Once in a while if you find you can handle it. If it becomes a problem and you crave it too much. Then you will have to find other complex carbohydrates to eat. I did not eat for almost 6 months. I had to be taught again to eat. It was not fun...I had complications and so was on a drip. Be happy that you are able to eat. But try to keep the choices as healthy as you can...okay

having surgery vs weighing 373 lbs (and not being able to lose more than 50 at a pop - just to gain it all back a few months later) was a no brainer for me (well, maybe not a no-brainer as it took me a long time to come to this conclusion!). I was headed for lots of complications and an early death to boot. Major complications on modern WLS surgeries are really rare. This wasn't the case 20 or 30 years ago, but it is now - techniques have improved and these have become very routine surgeries. of course the decision is up to you, but this was one of the best decisions I've ever made and like the above commenter, I'd go back every year and have it again if I had to. This surgery was life-changing for me and there's no way I'd ever want to go back to where I was.

It is frustrating to see all the different plans, especially when your own is not going so smoothly. I haven't had a hard time at all, but I was on liquids for five weeks and was reading about others eating real food one week out! And here I was, excited about adding a cracker to my soup several weeks later. I would suggest that you call your surgeon's office first thing in the morning to discuss dietary options. Tell them about your troubles and ask for options. Yes, I am one of those people who follows the surgeon's direction over what I can google. It's not that I don't google things or look for answers myself, but if I have complications of any sort, I want to look my surgeon in the eye and tell him I was 100% on plan. I am very vocal in my healthcare. An example of this related to my sleeve is alcohol. I googled it and searched this forum, and the consensus was that most could have alcohol at either three or six months. I called my surgeon's office to find out his guidelines, and to my surprise, I was allowed alcohol at something like five or six weeks (in moderation). If you have developed lactose intolerance, you could try an alternative milk such as goat milk (pricey, but well tolerated), or even a soy, hemp or almond milk with an unflavored/plain Protein powder (unjury comes to mind). Another possible solution is to use a more protein-intense shake. The Premier Protein shakes available in chocolate and vanilla at costco and Sam's have 30g protein in 11.5 ounces. That's a lot of protein in a small package, and those have been a lifesaver for me. You can drink two of those in four servings and get in 60g protein daily, with very little sugar. They are not very sweet, although the vanilla seems a little gritty to me. I picked up some tomato basil bisque at Costco. It is Cambell's brand, but also has a Kirkland logo on it. It is very good, and you can add either chicken or plain Protein Powder to it and puree it (since it has tomato chunks). Long story short, this post-operative diet is a blip on the radar of the rest of our lives. I had terrible gas shoulder pain for almost two weeks, and was really miserable. At almost seven weeks, I hardly even remember that. I had a hard time swallowing even an ice chip in the hospital, and had to stay an extra day, and at this point I can't even describe that pain. I just don't remember. Hopefully, you will soon not remember this difficulty and you will be a happily recovering person, well on her way to goal. I am glad you are here.

After a stall at about 143 I'm finally at my personal goal weight in 19 weeks post-op. It looks like I'm having no trouble keeping my Kcal down so I expect to go lower. I know I'd never have accomplished this without the sleeve! My surgery is a secret so I cannot post photos but believe me.....it's amazing! What kinda of fitness goals do people set? It's nice to be working on something. I have no: fatigue, reflux or complications. My only compliant is hair loss which obviously is considered normal.

Hi everyone - San Antonio here - went to the free seminar a couple of weeks ago on Stone Oak - thinking of lap band but haven't fully decided yet. Seems to be a lot of complications such as band slippage, infections etc. It concerns me. I envy those of you that have done it and are doing great. That is wonderful!

I had my sleeve at Loyola University Medical Center almost a year ago 12/23/2013......went home on Christmas Day. My recovery has been textbook, my weight loss slow. So far I have gone from 235 to 170, which is more than I have ever or could have done on my own. My goal is 135, which was my healthiest adult weight, but I would feel good at 150. Since I am retired, I did not have to worry about getting back to work. From your picture, it looks like you have the advantage of youth. The hardest part about my journey was the pre-op waiting and waiting and waiting for the process to move along. If you have no complications, you may still feel kinda cruddy for the first couple of weeks. As the pounds fall off, you will feel better and better. You have many non-scale victories (NSVs) to look forward to. I wish you good luck and good health. PS, I am a little familiar with Mercy Hospital, such as it was in 1992. I supervised housekeepers for about a year until a foot injury caused me to find a sit down job. I remember there being a convent on the 14th floor, and I had been on the roof once at night to view the skyline. My territory was the basement levels with the offices and morgue, the lobby, the ER and clinics.

I self paid in Mexico 4300.00 and I traveled by myself. No complications and I feel great [emoji106]

I'm going to come at this from a different angle. I am only 6 days post-op at this point, so obviously some things will change, but I wouldn't go back and have the surgery before kids. Nope. I had two healthy, normal pregnancies (despite my weight, which isn't really an issue) and now I have 2 lovely kids. And now I have no plans to have any more, so I don't have to worry about a fetus being properly nourished...just me! And I don't have to worry that if I have extreme (but rare!) complications that it will set pregnancy back even further... I think you'll also find that pregnancy and motherhood puts a wrench in your body hatred. You might feel uncomfortable, but you will find that your body is a miraculous, awe-inspiring thing. And frankly, you won't have time or energy for self-loathing. So don't worry too much about that. Just some thoughts. On the other hand, if you are hoping the surgery will enable you to become pregnant, that's a whole 'nother ball of wax! Oh, and you talk about your age...I know that you're in Texas, and I am most certainly not, but I had my kids at 31 and 35, and am on the young side of the other young mothers I know. Many of my friends didn't have their children until their late 30s and early 40s!

If I were you, unless it changes to early to mid December, I would hold off until January. You want to enjoy the holidays with your babies and follow through with traditions. I had a pretty standard recovery other than a brief stay in the hospital week 2. You never know what could happen as far as complications and you don't want to spend Christmas in the hospital. Many people are readmitted into the hospital due to dehydration 1-2 weeks out. I personally wouldn't take that risk so close to Christmas Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Does anyone know what happens if you have surgery with Dr. Kelly in MEXICO and you have complications. For example, If you need to stay in hospital an extra day or two will you have to pay extra? What if you have a leak (I know the chance is very slim), will he repair it at no extra charge. I'm really afraid of complications in MEXICO because I will not be covered by insurance until I get back to Canada. I can manage to pay for the surgery but will not have much left over to cover extra medical expenses.

I was in the hospital three days, came home on the morning of the 4th. Although I didn't have a revision, I had a complicated hernia repair as well as the sleeve. I was tired but fine to fly on the 4th day. I had no nausea and little pain post-op. My suitcase had wheels and I did not pack too much so I could lift it into the overhead bin. From what I hear, Dr. Aceves is an experienced band to sleeve revision surgeon. I had my surgery three weeks after I decided it was what I wanted.

I am excited and nervous I complete my last part Of my insurance necessity's Today and then I just have to wait for a surgery date. I had my band placed back in October 2008 and have been having complications with it and weight gain since The end of 2011. I now have my two insurance to help cover all costs! Can someone please let me know if they had lots of nausea with the band and if you have more or less with the sleeve???? Tell me your stories about what the biggest differences please I crave information!!!!

lap band or gastric sleeve EnergyTank I am biased because i have the sleeve i have happily been in "sleeveland" for 2+ years i have heard that the lapband is becoming extinct my dr and many other docs don't/won't even perform the lapband there is a thread called band to gastric sleeve revision what does that tell you?? many people have had problems with their lapband erosion with the lapband et al lapband had to be removed "lappers" please don't be mad at me, just stating my thoughts"" then people usually/frequently will get the sleeve me/many/most sleevers here never had any complications there can ALWAYS be complications with any surgery but.....i think 99.999999% of people (like me) had no major issues post surgery i can see you are a smart cookie, and will hopefully make the correct decision to have the sleeve good luck guy kathy

Honestly, if you have had to be unfilled several times because of suspected slips... I would get an upper GI done. Your slip may be severe enough that it needs a surgical repair. Hard to know without the test. I am sorry about the complication and regain. I have been there and understand the frustration. I hope you are able to figure things out and get back on track soon.

I don't ever remember reading about anyone having complications from a hiatal hernia, but loads of us find out that we had one after surgery. Generally the surgeon doesn't know until he gets in there either. I had one, it took just a few minutes to fix (I have a video of my surgery) and I haven't had a single moment of heartburn or reflux since! Both were huge problems beforehand.

I think many of us have been in your shoes. I am 38 and had this conversation with my grandma recently. She said, "Honey, you know if you just ate less and worked out more, you'd be fine." Okay, after 30 years of that speech, and attempting and failing and constantly disappointing myself, I decided I needed a tool to help me. The band isn't a "quick fix," it is simply a tool to help you and me and others in a fight against obesity and health related complications. I have been so angry at myself for not being able to lose weight for long periods of time. It seems so easy. Eat less, exercise more...but it isn't. If it were easy, you and I would have done it by now. Think about this, we live in a society where everything is centered around food. After I had the band last week, I was watching TV during my recovery and realized that every second commercial was food related. We can go out at any time of the day or night and get food, we are encouraged to "supersize" it and then condemned for the results. We go to dinner where the portions are 3-4 times what is normal and we eat. And food is good, it makes us feel good. After I got the band one of my first realizations was, "OH CRAP! what am I going to do when my first crisis arises and I can't eat an entire pizza?":scared2: And then I resort to my support group, here, my family and my friends. I have had to learn different techinques to solving my own issues. And lemme tell you, the desire to wander into the kitchen and grab something when I am bored, tired and/or lonely still exists. The thought of wondering if I could puree cheese sticks or could I just try to stuff down a little bit of a Snickers McFlurry still exists. And being afraid I will screw this up and fail at even this still exists. But from what I have read here in the past week, I am optimistic. The folks here are good, they have all gone through the same thing and they get it. For 30 years I tried this on my own. I am smart, well educated, professionally employed. I have a Master's degree in social work, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, you'd if it were about smarts and will power I'd have done it by now. Food is the one addiction that you can't give up. You don't get to throw away the pizza and say, "I'm never going to eat again." Not only is food in your face constantly, but you need it to live. I know in my case, I needed help. And this is the tool I need. I need that measure to tell me to STOP! Because honestly, if given most anything, I won't stop. Don't you remember growing up when your parents made you finish your plate because some there were some poor starving children somewhere that would kill or die for your moose flank and borsht...ugh. Okay...off my soap box now. I just wanted you to know, it's really okay to get help. I did and although it has only been a 5 month commitment and a week post band, I would never look back. Good luck, Chris:redface:

Hi Becky, Whoa! This is just so frustrating, isn't it? What has health care come to these days? So indifferent, bureaucratized and just well......insane!!!! I am keeping all of my toes and fingers crossed for you. I still feel like this will turn out to be a non-issue (or a minor issue) that will not hold up your PS or cause any major problems, Becky, and I am sending tons and tons of good vibes your way. As for what's going on with me, the GYN finally called!!!! We had a short, but highly concentrated talk and I got all my questions answered. It is best to do an open myomectomy, for the reason of less scarring (although I figured that out before the Dr. called back because I found diagram on the Internet that showed where the incisions are made with the robotic assisted surgery). It turns out that if I were to get the laparoscopic surgery I would end up looking like a pin cushion by the time it was all done with the combination of scars from the Lap Band Surgery and myomectomy, so that decision was easy once I understood this. I have had open abdominal surgery before and I am not looking forward to the pain, or the recovery but what can I say? In fairness to all the Doctors I have spoken to out there, it has finally hit home to me why they tend to favor hysterectomy over myomectomy. A myomectomy is a more complicated operation, has a higher risks for complications and more often requires blood transfusions. In fact, my Dr. just did a myomectomy yesterday and (as per his expectation pre-surgery) the patient is in the ICU because she had a lot of fibroids, lost lots of blood, and the operation was just that difficult. This does give me pause, but the myomectomy is still my preference at this time -- although I assume that I have up until a day or two before surgery to make the final decision. I don't have a confirmed date yet, but am still working on June 11. But now it's time for the surgical coordinators for the two Dr.'s to take over. In talking to both ladies, they are incredibly competent, knowledgeable, and organized, so its time for me to totally bow of out this and just wait for them to set everything up. Will update as I know more. Keep your chin up Becky!!! I think it will all turn out well for you.

Thank you guys for your responses and advice. And me too Carolina, I do not want my insides re routed or part of my stomach removed. And while complications may be rare with the bypass or sleeve, they do happen, and a lot result in death, the stats for the surgeries were like 1 in 2000 for lap band and then 1 in 500 for bypass and sleeve....

No worrying won't do us any good Frangi. But it is hard not to. I am worried about possible complications like pneumonia and blood clots. I know they are rare, but still I worry. I'm not so worried about the pain. I expect good drugs and the doc told me today that in addition to the pain meds he will call in sleeping pills and antibiotics a few days before the surgery. He said that he figures I will need the pain meds for about two weeks. I think I have a fairly high tolerance for pain so I'll be surprised if I take pain pills for two weeks. I'll know soon enough. After seeing my "after" pictures today I'm more excited than ever. He really does expect my results to be as good as the computer images I saw today. A totally flat stomach, yes totally flat! And to go along with that I'll have a flat, lifted pubic area, completely smooth and slender thighs, and a nice, smooth lifted butt. No more sag for me!! I just kept saying, "are you sure this is realistic?" He told me that I am the perfect type of patient for the lower body lift because I have practically no fat left. Are you talking to me doc? No fat left? It is true. I never thought I'd hear any doctor telling me that, lol. It is just a shame that my upper body is going to continue to be a saggy mess, but I can conceal a lot of that problem with a good bra and sleeves until I can get the rest of me fixed. I will see the doctor one more time in his office the day before surgery. He says he prefers to mark me the day before so that he has plenty of time - he thinks it will take about 30 minutes. I wouldn't have thought they spend that much time marking, but it is really important because everything looks different when you're lying on the OR table. Oh, I almost forgot. He thinks he'll be removing between 8 and 12 pounds of skin! Frangi, you may be right. A size six just might be in my future! Is a size six going to look good at 5'9"? DH keeps warning me not to get too thin. Like that could ever happen, lol.

Hi Sharzi, I was just banded in April, and just had my 3rd fill. I've done well with the band with no side effects so far. Doctors seem to like the RNY for "morbidly obese" but I think it should be your choice. I had the same feelings about the invasiveness & risks of the RNY. I had my 1st fill 6 weeks post-op, then another month, then another month. My next fill is in 2 months. My doctor thinks I should be set with this fill or the next. I don't think the maintenance is as bad as some make it sound. I suppose if one has complications, its another story! On the other hand, it is a commitment and your doctor should be monitoring you anyway. At my pre-op appointment, the nurse made it clear that I would be continually monitored by them, and I have to be OK with that. Good Luck Barb

I would say #4, then #3, then #1, then #2. We all seem to know someone who went in for a routine surgery and came out nearly losing their life or limb. My bro went in for bunion surgery - the same thing my wife and I both had without an issues - and nearly dies due to MRSA bacterial infection. He was in the ICU on IV antibiotics for days before they got it under control, they feared it would effect their heart. Someone I know knew someone who died from complication from wisdom tooth extraction, got infected, threw a clot and bam! Stroked out. It DOES happen, just trust the Lord will protect you, choose a competent Dr and try and get as healthy and strong as you can before you go under the knife.

Question: I am wondering why so many of you are self-pay? Is there an advantage to that for your insurance to cover or not afterwards in case of complications? I have scheduled the sleeve for July 6th and just heard that my insurance is planning to approve the sleeve in the next month, so I am hoping I have timed it right.