I have done plenty of research over the past months and have narrowed my lapbands doctors down to Dr. Kuri, Dr ortiz and Dr Almanza. I am want others input on these doctors especially those that have recently seen any of these doctors for lapband surgery. Your input is greatly appreciated :smile2:

Why Mexico? I am so scared to get anything done there after seeing a bandster on youtube go there for plastic surgery, I know its not the same type of surgery but I have heard so many horror stories dealing with surgeons in Mexico. Check out Skymoon1982 on youtube and look at her video, she almost died. If you google her name it will come right up. I havent really heard about any of those doctor's but if you choose on I wish you the best of luck!!!

Sincerely,

Getting banded 09/30/10

I went to mexico and had Dr Corvala in TJ. I like him fine and they took very good care of me there. I was well cared for and have not had any problems at all from the procedure. I think that Dr Kuri works at the same facility and they have a less than 1% infection rate in that hospital. That is better than many in the states. I was in hospital 2 days, longer than many in the states. The hospital was very clean and the nurses all did fine by me. The aftercare is non existent though and you must establish with someone at home for follow ups unless you are close enough to go back to them. I think If you use the angeleshealth network thay are pretty darn good and really do cater to americans so they want to do a good job and the surgeon here in my state was trained by Dr Corvala he has done these almost longer than anyone else and is the proctor for allergan, who makes the lap band system. You can hear horror stories from the states as well remember so do your research and do what works for you.

I have done plenty of research over the past months and have narrowed my lapbands doctors down to Dr. Kuri, Dr ortiz and Dr Almanza. I am want others input on these doctors especially those that have recently seen any of these doctors for LAP-BAND® surgery. Your input is greatly appreciated

I am also thinking of going the Mexico route. No ins. & not much money.lol Please let me know why you chose these 3 doctors & why you chose the one you decide on. I am just now getting started with the research part of lap band surgery & would be grateful for any info I could get.

I had Lap Band surgery with Dr. Kuri on July 3 of this year. He was GREAT!!! I have had lots of surgeries here, but the experience I had there was so much better..They take care of everything for you, and they have great followup. He even gives free fills for life if it works for you to go see him..

They also have a list of doctors in almost every state that will do followups and fills. That was very helpful because not a lot of doctors will see you if they didn't do the surgery. My follow up doc is at a county hospital. He commented on how nicely Kuri placed the band..

Kuri also has a party every year in August called the "Bandster Bash"..There they do networking, workout classes, nutrition, etc.

Anyway, just my two cents! Good luck on your decision

I am planning to visit Dr Ortiz in January 2011. Have you heard anything negative other than the routine avoid Mexico? I am pretty impressed with what I hear.

I've been doing research on the band and Mexican surgeons for almost 5 months now. I've decided on Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. Honestly, I am more confident in my decision of a Mexico doctor than some docs in the U.S. - one doctor in the U.S. was boasting on his website that he'd done "over 350" lapband surgeries... when you compare that with how many Dr. Aceves has done - you're kind of scared at the fact! lol

It's an individual journey for each person..... just doing the research and YOU being comfortable with your decision is the most important thing. WASABUBBLEBUTT (sp?) has a great blog about choosing a Mexican doctor that really helped me out.... I am sure if you do a search you can find it - it used to be a sticky but idk if it is anymore.

I wish you the best of luck! I am self-pay too of course, so by investing my OWN money I am sure going to be confident in my decisions!

I am planning to visit Dr Ortiz in January 2011. Have you heard anything negative other than the routine avoid Mexico? I am pretty impressed with what I hear.

i'm scheduled to be banded by dr ortiz jan 7. I have heard nothing but good about him. in fact, i spoke with a nurse practitioner who was banded by him, learned to do fills by him and then took a group of 6 of her patients from idaho to mexico to be banded by dr ortiz. that sealed the deal for me, i was in. my mother on the other hand said, "NO!" when i told her i was doing it in mexico. however, she is reluctantly on board now and will be traveling with me there. i will let you know how it goes.

i have also heard good things about dr kuri. their office was really good to work with, but in the end i chose dr ortiz.

I am being banded by Dr. Kuri on January 4th, 2011...one week from today! My BMI is 39 so I was not able to have my Kaiser insurance pay for the surgery and it is too costly in the US to pay out-of-pocket. I researched all the docs as well and came up with Dr. Kuri and Dr. Ortiz being the front runners. I am an ER nurse and I leaned towards Dr. Kuri because he operates out of a state-of-the-art hospital (Hospital Angeles) and not a clinic as Dr. Ortiz does. I also like the fact that Dr. Kuri has done about 5000 bands. I actually feel safer with him doing it than I would with a Kaiser doc who has done alot less of them. My final deciding factor was when I told my mom about my decision and she told me one of her friends who was an OR nurse had gone down and VISITED the top four docs down there, Kuri and Ortiz among them. She decided on Dr. Kuri after meeting each one and seeing the facilities. She said the Hospital Angeles was cleaner than most American hospitals and the surgeons used exceptional sterile technique. She was very impressed. She had her surgery done there four years ago and has done really well. So I feel very confident about my decision and will be on my way down Monday morning of next week. I have seen so many of the people banded saying "I only wish I had done this years ago". I dont want that to be me. I am gonna take charge of my life now! I wish you all the best! Hope to see you on the other-thinner-side soon ~ Alison

And BTW Skymoon had a tummytuck in Colombia. Her lapband procedure I dont remember where she had it done but she didnt have any problems with that.

I think I am leaning towards Dr. Kuri, although I am still debating between and Dr. Ortiz. What has me leaning towards Kuri is that they use the Allergan band and I've read elsewhere that when it comes to having a doc here in the states willing to do anything with your surgery, it should be with that band. Is that the case?

Does anyone else have any thoughts about Doctors in Mexico?

**first post btw**

About two weeks ago I had consultations with Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Huacuz. I wrote up my experience on the introduction forum under my name. Both excellent doctors, if you would like to know more just write, and I will answer as best as possible.

I am scheduled to meet Dr Kuri day after tomorrow, Friday for my tests and Saturday for my surgery. Everyone around me has my nerves all over the place but in my heart everything will be okay. The complication I have hit (and only one so far) is that my best friend that was going to go with me is now extremly ill and cant be around me so I have made it possible (found babysitters and such) to have my hubby to go with me however he doesnt have a passport so he will drop me off at the border (where Dr Kuri's staff will pick me up and take me to the hospital and then to the hotel. They have advised in the morning they will pick me up and bring me to the hospital for surgery.) and then he will stay in a near by hotel until Saturday or Sunday when I am ready to be picked up at the border (which Kuri's staff will bring me back). So my nerves are because I have never had a surgery before and I wont know anyone there but I have heard such amazing things about his staff and how friendly they are plus other scheduled bandsters will be there for me to befriend =)

I choose Dr Kuri because a co-worker of mine went to him and had such positive adventure and the follow up by his facilitators is great. For less then what I would pay for co-payment with my insurance, after jumping threw 6 months worth of hoops to be denied because I dont have any health complications YET due to my weight (but am border line on everything) my costs would cover the hotel night before, the surgery and all expenses associated with it, free fills for life, 2 nights extra stay to be closer to dr while recovering if I choose, and the Dr has performed now over 4,000 band surgeries and is very well known for his work.

Im not worried about Mexico itself because I'm not planning on leaving the staff side unless Im at the hotel sleeping. I'm not going to go explore the country side while waiting for my surgery. I see it the same way as if I went to a large city like New York by myself...be safe as possible. So summed up....I did homework on Dr and got references, feel safe with that decision...and Im well educated on safe travel, feel safe there.....now to not fear the recovery so much and I will be set =)

Good luck on whatever/whoever you decide just remember not to let what others believe effect your judgement. Do your homework, and choose what you feel comfortable doing. In the end if your nerves are goin to scare you enough that you need to be able to feel comfortable with your decision. =)

Hello,

I am very new to the idea of the lap band and would appreicate any info on how you are doing after your surgery...Any info is welcome. I live in Canada and will need to find aftercare etc. How difficult has this been for you? i.e. aftercare, fills etc.

thank you

galgirl

i'm scheduled to be banded by dr ortiz jan 7. I have heard nothing but good about him. in fact, i spoke with a nurse practitioner who was banded by him, learned to do fills by him and then took a group of 6 of her patients from idaho to Mexico to be banded by dr ortiz. that sealed the deal for me, i was in. my mother on the other hand said, "NO!" when i told her i was doing it in mexico. however, she is reluctantly on board now and will be traveling with me there. i will let you know how it goes.

i have also heard good things about dr kuri. their office was really good to work with, but in the end i chose dr ortiz.

To the person in CANADA: With the Health Care that you have ! Come to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit ! * They have excellent surgeons there, and they are a center of excellence. They will be able to take care of all your aftercare. Canadians flock by bus to see the bariatric surgeons. So trust me when I tell you, you would not be alone. Sometimes I think there are more people there from CANADA then the States. Your Ins. is gold.

I don't know why anyone would consider Mexico for the band... It's your business totally. I just hope you know that if anything will go wrong, and it will "it's plastic!" that you have to go back to the surgeon who did your work. Because know one else wants to touch someone else's mistake. It's very hard to get another surgeon. I KNOW ! All I did was move away from my area

and I can't get anyone to touch this "it has a leak" If not I have to go back to who did my surgery, or have it removed.

I am waiting, and hoping that they call me and set this up. They say they haven't forgot me, we will see. I would suggest someone that will monitor your fills Not a fill station that's who put a whole in my Port. I will have him replace it with a newer band I guess. We will see. I will post if someone else takes me in for repair.

In the meantime I hope you consider someone in your state. Good Luck

Shirley.

Dr. Jeffrey Genaw

Henry Ford Hospital "Center of Excellence"

Detroit, Michigan.

Dr. Ortiz banded me on March 7th I had a great experience and felt safe the whole time! I am 11 days post op and doing well and am happy I did it! Wish I would have done it sooner. The Mexican Lapband Dr's have more experience then the US Docs when it comes to the Lapband and a I know that they teach Seminars in the US to the our US Dr's. I would rather have a dr who has done a over 5,000 lapbands then a dr. who has done only 200 or so. It is a personal choice but I was happy with Dr. Ortiz and the after care was wonderful!