Has anyone here gone to Dr. Rodriguez in Monterrey to get their lapband??? If so how was the experience? I'm seriously considering going to him to get banded but my Mom is nevrous b/c its Mexico and all she kept asking me if the Water was safe to drink lol . Anyway if anyone has used hime please tell me how your experience was with the doc, staff, hospital, surgery etc.(im getting the $7,900 package) and if you have to go back there to get fills or if a doctor near your hometown was able to do the fills for you so that you didn't have to travel all the way back to Mexico.

Thanks

LOL, I posted in your other thread while you were replying to me in this one! I'm glad you're going to consult with Dr. Rumbaut. I think he'll probably do it for you. He's banded himself and certainly understands dieting history, family history, and social stigma.

Good luck.

Thanks for responding guys, but Dr. Rumbaut normally only take patients with a BMI over 40. A patient with a BMI of 35-40 must have co-morbidities. I'm looking for someone who would take a patient with a BMI of 30-35 with no co-morbitities, i.e. a doctor who has read the recent studies on patients like me and thinks the benefits outweight the risks.

Have you found a surgeon that will perform surgery on someone with a BMI of 35-40 yet?

I have talked a little with Dr. A. Rodriguez about this and I believe he could help.

Let me know if you're still looking for a surgeon and I can pass along the info.

Tricia

Try Dr.Ortiz--I had a bmi of 37 with no co-morbities and he took me no problem, where here in the states my insurance company wouldn't approve me. He is an excellent surgeon and his price is decent-$8,500 for everything but airfare to San diego. I would recommend him to anyone. Check out obesitycontrolcenter.com Good luck!!

~Liz~

banded 03/10/06

Dr.Ariel Ortiz

237/208/150

5'7''

Hi everyone!

I've spoken to several of the physicians. Dr. Rumbaut, Dr. Ortiz, and Dr. Rodriguez will all do bands on me (BMI 33). Their webpages may say otherwise, but the office staff say otherwise.

It seems to me that Dr. Rumbaut comes out as the #1 surgeon. Who would be the best of the next tier down?

Liz

Dr. Rumbaut's office says I would need to be 'cleared' by one of his associates if my BMI is under 35, but they would consider me even with no co-morbitities.

Several people have emailed me letting me know about physicians who will consider patients like me on a case-by-case basis. So, I believe I will be able to do the surgery. Right now its just a matter of M-O-N-E-Y.

Dr.Ortiz is an EXCELLENT surgeon who has been doing lap band surgeries for a long time. He is world-known and has written a book on it, Lap band for Life. I highly recommend him--you are treated like royalty by him and his staff. Plus he isn't that expensive. When I went he was running a special--everything except travel to San Diego for $8,500. Well worth it!!!

~Liz~

banded 03/10/06

Dr.Ortiz

241/199 :clap2: /150

5'7''

I had surgery with Dr. Rumbaut on March 30th of this year. He was great and so were the facilities. My BMI was only 36 but I had no problem getting the surgery.

I had surgery with Dr. Rumbaut on March 30th of this year. He was great and so were the facilities. My BMI was only 36 but I had no problem getting the surgery.

>>>>with NO co-morbidities !!

I don't know about that one but one you might want to check out is Dr. Sanchez or Dr. Ortiz. I'm be banded by Sanchez this month and he does his in the biggest hospital there that is U.S. owned. If the President of the US is there and gets ill that is where he goes. He's done more than anyone, over 5000 and the price is 8500.00

Dr. Ortiz is 8100. but does it out of TQ and a smaller hospital but both are good. I have all of the info and numbers if your interested in Dr. Sanchez.

Sherri

An unexpected twist.

After my father passed away over a year ago my mother sold the house my sisters and I grew up in. She gave us all a 'payout' from the sale of the house. The rest of my father's estate went to my mother (which I'm 100% fine with - she needs something to live on). I expected that small 'payout' of less than $10,000 to be my entire inheritance from my father's estate. I used it to make some investments. However, now, 12 months later, my mother has decided to make another 'payout'. Today, I got a check from her for $8333. Why $8333? I have no idea why she chose that number. But my sisters and I all got the same amount. Oh, and no tax due on it since gifts under $10,000 per year per giver-receiver pair are exempt under all tax laws.

Anyway, I find myself suddenly in possession of the money for the surgery! That is, if I go to Dr. Ortiz or Dr. Sanchez. I'll be researching them. Part of me thinks I should spend the money on debt repayment or a new car (old one has over 120,000 miles), so I have some hesitation, but only about the money. Not about the surgery. I'm going to research those two doctors and just do a little bit of soul-searching to make sure this is really the best place for the money to go. I'm thinking that of all the possible ways to spend the money, the surgery will have the biggest overall impact on my life.

Do we have links for doctors Sanchez and Ortiz?

GonnaDoit,

I think it's a sign. The same thing happened to me... I had been thinking about getting a lap band for few months, but couldn't justify going into debt over it. We were thinking about taking a 401(k) loan to pay for it, but that made me feel guilty and selfish (I'm a stay-at-home-mom) because that is for our retirement. Then my husband won an online poker tournament for $16,000. After he won he looked at me and said," Yes, you can get the lap band." It was a sign.

So... my surgery is the day afer tomorrow! And I'm getting very nervous and very excited!

Good luck with your decision. You and I are about the same age I'm 32. In 10-20 years are you going to look back and wish you had paid off debt or made the decision to get healthy. The way I was going... I wouldn't have been around in 20 years to look back at all!

Stephanie

Even though I have some other very good uses for the money, I've decided to spend it on the surgery. Of all the possible ways to spend it, the surgery will have the biggest impact. This isn't vanity or selfishness, its about my health. Having the surgery now will probably buy me another ten years of life. Ten years without diabetes. Ten years that I don't have to avoid stairs (my mom avoids stairs because 40 years of carrying an extra 100 pounds has destroyed her knees). Ten years of people NOT asking me when "the baby" is due! That sounds like a fantastic investment!

Aren't any of you a little afraid of having a surgery in Mexico? I wish the best for you.

Yep.

But I've checked out the doctor I think I will be using - Dr. Sanchez - and he has lots of American credentials, such as having completed a fellowship in Texas and being a member of some American medical associations.

I don't think I can afford the surgery in the US and, more importantly, since my BMI is just under 35, I would have a lot of problems finding an American doctor who would do it.