Each person must make their own healthcare decisions. If you do not feel you are being served by a particular doctor or set of healthcare practitioners, it is your right as a medical consumer to change them. If it means changing jobs, then again, it is your decision, it is your health that determines what decision you will make. You can always get another job, can you get another life? For less than the cost of a new car, you can have the surgery that saves your life and/or makes it worth living going forward. It all comes down to what you want to do? Do you want to control your life, your health, your destiny? Research everything, discuss everything, go to surgical seminars. In any given year, there are at least 4 in the Seattle area. They are all different, with different rules for patients and insurance companies.

Remember, the insurance company would rather pay for your stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism (because one of them might kill you, then they would have no more responsibility), so the more obstacles they put in your path, the less surgeries they will have to pay for. Also remember, your insurance dollar is being spent on strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms too. Do you want it to pay for yours, or someone else's?

Go to a bariatric physician in the United States, and research the one you go to thoroughly--talk to former patients, get his or her statistics on patients, attend a support group meeting for the surgery you are contemplating. Once you start doing research, it will become apparent that the easiest surgery on the patient is sleeve gastrectomy.

Personally, having had a sleeve gastrectomy by a Cadillac doctor, in a Cadillac country, here are the reasons I NEVER even thought about going to a foreign country for surgery:

1. Everybody in the process, doctor, nurses, hospital personnel and support people all speak English and I have already met all of them.

2. The banking laws in the United States are known; your mo Each person must make their own healthcare decisions. If you do not feel you are being served by a particular doctor or set of healthcare practitioners, it is your right as a medical consumer to change them. If it means changing jobs, then again, it is your decision, it is your health that determines what decision you will make. You can always get another job, can you get another life? For less than the cost of a new car, you can have the surgery that saves your life and/or makes it worth living going forward. It all comes down to what you want to do? Do you want to control your life, your health, your destiny? Research everything, discuss everything, go to surgical seminars. In any given year, there are at least 4 in the Seattle area. They are all different, with different rules for patients and insurance companies.

Remember, the insurance company would rather pay for your stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism (because one of them might kill you, then they would have no more responsibility), so the more obstacles they put in your path, the less surgeries they will have to pay for. But remember, your insurance dollar is being spent on strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms too. Do you want it to pay for yours, or someone elses?

Go to a bariatric physician in the United States, and research the one you go to thoroughly--talk to former patients, get his or her statistics on patients, attend a support group meeting for the surgery you are contemplating. Once you start doing research, it will become apparent that the easiest surgery on the patient is sleeve gastrectomy.

Personally, having had a sleeve gastrectomy by a Cadillac doctor, in a Cadillac country, here are the reasons I NEVER even thought about going to a foreign country for surgery:

1. Everybody in the process, doctor, nurses, hospital personnel and support people all speak English.

2. The banking laws in the United States are known; your money does not need to be converted or transported in cash.

3. There is no better quality care than the United States. People from all over the world come here for care.

4. If anything goes wrong, you have the court system of the United States to bring suit or appeal.

Why go anywhere else?

I am not here to bash anyone for their decisions, but I will say that I looked into Dr.'s in the US extensively. Especially ones in Oregon and Washington, I went to a few seminars also. After that I can tell you, there may be Dr.'s here that do the sleeve for $11k, but I have never found one, so they are not ones in this area who are most experienced. The Dr.'s in this area who have the experience (not as much as Dr. Aceves, but decent for a US Dr.) are all charging around $20k. I have absolutely no problem with someone staying in the US to have the surgery if that is what they are comfortable with, but we have to be realistic about the differences. You will NOT be getting the same quality of care, the highest caliber surgeon, and you will be going home the next day. You can go to the old boards or ask WasA...I was nervous about going anywhere other then the US when I finally started looking for a Dr. also, but the more I researched, the better I felt about my decision. I have four little kids, and I want the best surgeon possible so that I have the best chance of making it home to them. Had that been in the US and I found the only difference had been money, you bet I would have forked out another $10k without blinking! I did not find that to be the case though! Now there certainly are good Dr.'s in the US, ask Mac, but if I can get the same or better treatment south of the border for a total of $10,200 (including plane tickets), well it was a no brainer for me. Another thing that just added to my confidence was the fact that my husband, who is a Dr., did not even blink when I brought up going to Mexico for it. He knew that I would get safe quality care from Dr. Aceves and had no problems with me going, even without him. (He has his own patients that he can't leave on short notice) So I figure if I found out nothing but good about Dr. Aceves and his staff, and he had no issues with it, then I was making a good decision.

Whatever you decide best of luck in your surgery! :thumbup1:

The surgery here in my hometown would have cost over $21,000 and they had little to no VSG experience at any of the local hospitals.

My surgeon that banded me has a center of excellence which is unheard of for the tiny practice that he has.

He has never done a sleeve. That was good enough for me to go to Dr. Aceves. I love my band doctor. If he had done the sleeve surgery for the same price as doctor Aceves, you bet I would have gone to him. I wanted somebody experienced with revision surgery and the best choice and best doctor for that is Dr. Alberto Aceves.

If you do not feel you are being served by a particular doctor or set of healthcare practitioners, it is your right as a medical consumer to change them.

True in theory, but in many parts of the country, there aren't that many choices.

go to surgical seminars. In any given year, there are at least 4 in the Seattle area. They are all different, with different rules for patients and insurance companies.

Oh wow, there are four a year! By different companies! You must live in the mecca of bariatric surgery! LOL

Dude, most surgeons put on a minimum of one a MONTH around here. I could go to a seminar 4x a WEEK if I wanted to. I'm pretty sure they have more than 4 a year in Seattle too. It's not *that* podunk.

Go to a bariatric physician in the United States

Why? There are good surgeons everywhere.

Once you start doing research, it will become apparent that the easiest surgery on the patient is sleeve gastrectomy.

Right, because everyone is exactly the same and therefore should have the same surgery. :confused1:

Personally, having had a sleeve gastrectomy by a Cadillac doctor, in a Cadillac country, here are the reasons I NEVER even thought about going to a foreign country for surgery

Oh, so you are coming to CA to see LapSF, then...

Everybody in the process, doctor, nurses, hospital personnel and support people all speak English and I have already met all of them.

Because speaking English is a guarantee of excellent medical knowledge and skill. Not.

2. The banking laws in the United States are known; your money does not need to be converted or transported in cash.

It doesn't when you go to Mexico either. You bring a cashier's check just like you do when go to the US hospital as a self-pay.

3. There is no better quality care than the United States. People from all over the world come here for care.

How I wish that was true. People go all all over the world FROM the US because our health care is not affordable.

4. If anything goes wrong, you have the court system of the United States to bring suit or appeal.

What good is being able to sue, if you are dead?

Why go anywhere else?

Because everyone is different and in different circumstances and with different concerns.

If I lived near the border, I would have gone to Dr. Aceves. For me, having my surgeon be local so I could easily see him on a regular basis was important to me and Dr. Aceves was the best of the local surgeons in the San Diego area (where I used to live). But I don't live near the border any more.

Instead I am lucky enough to live near the practice that has done the most sleeves of anyone in the US and has some of the best stats out there.

How many sleeves has your "Cadillac" surgeon done, btw?

As a Brit this 'Cadillac surgeon in a Cadillac country' confused me, thought it was some kind of county name at 1st. then I realised the poster actually meant to say 'Rolls Royce' hehehe!

:thumbup:

I'm telling you, this poster is a troll. He never posts again in response....and this is one of his first posts?

If not a troll, a real head case.

I'm telling you, this poster is a troll. He never posts again in response....and this is one of his first posts?

If not a troll, a real head case.

Either that or the poster ran for the hills! LOL.

Either that or the poster ran for the hills! LOL.

Someone knocks my doctor merely because he's Mexican and in Mexico.... oh boy, the battle is on!

If people had ANY idea of what goes on with medical care in their own country, the mistakes, the intoxicated surgeons operating, wrong drugs filled at the pharmacy, etc., we aren't all that perfect as some would make it seem.

Someone knocks my doctor merely because he's Mexican and in Mexico.... oh boy, the battle is on!

If people had ANY idea of what goes on with medical care in their own country, the mistakes, the intoxicated surgeons operating, wrong drugs filled at the pharmacy, etc., we aren't all that perfect as some would make it seem.

You got that right ... plus if you're skin is the wrong color or you don't have money, or you aren't dressed quite right, then you don't always get the same treatment as someone else. I've seen that on more than one occassion ... I have worked med mal cases for 6 years ... both on defense and as plaintiff ... it's shocking the things that happen and the "mistakes" doctors make ... some of the cases I have worked on, and one I am working on now are so very very sad and simply because the doctor made a simple mistake ... I'm not saying that everyone is perfect; however, I think that doctors should be limited on the number of hours they work a day -- or at least the number of surgeries that are performed by any one doctor in a give day/week.

I don't think it matters if your doctor is from the US, Mexico or BFE -- there are great doctors, mediocre doctors and butchers everywhere.

IMO at least.

One major advantage to surgry in the US is that my family and support system were right at hand. My surgeon is extremely professional and thorough. I saw him twice before the day of surgry as well as a tour of the clinic met staff members. I was not allowed to go home before I thought I was ready. I've seen him twice since surgry with another appointment in two weeks. That does not include the nutritional consulting, 3 appointments so far, with another tomorrow, along with a fitness trainer. I am part of a 2 year program!! There is no abandoning of a patient. My Dr. even added me as a friend on Facebook! He not only did my operation but my sister's as well! I've lost 36 lbs. and my sister 31lbs. It is so great to be close to my doctor, clinic and support staff. I can't imagine traveling thousands of miles after surgry! What kind of follow-up care comes with doctors in another country? Mine couldn't be any better!!

Dr. Peter Billings/Edmonds, WA

Posted by MyDecision

It's great that you got what you wanted but not everyone wants the same thing.

One major advantage to surgry in the US is that my family and support system were right at hand.

Ditto.

My surgeon is extremely professional and thorough.

Ditto.

I saw him twice before the day of surgry as well as a tour of the clinic met staff members.

Ditto.

I was not allowed to go home before I thought I was ready.

Ditto. I also wasn't allowed to go home before my surgeon thought I was ready, that was four days after surgery... no extra cost for the extra day of hospitalization. Usually it's three nights, I stayed four.

I've seen him twice since surgry with another appointment in two weeks.

I haven't had a need to see my surgeon. My incisions healed well, no problems.

That does not include the nutritional consulting, 3 appointments so far, with another tomorrow,

Ditto. My doc has a nutritionist on staff available when we need her. We just call.

along with a fitness trainer.

My doc does not have that. But I used the services of a guy on line that works with obese folks and he was fantastic, no charge.

I am part of a 2 year program!!

I'm part of a life long program.

There is no abandoning of a patient.

Ditto.

My Dr. even added me as a friend on Facebook! He not only did my operation but my sister's as well! I've lost 36 lbs. and my sister 31lbs. It is so great to be close to my doctor, clinic and support staff.

Congrats to you!

I can't imagine traveling thousands of miles after surgry! What kind of follow-up care comes with doctors in another country? Mine couldn't be any better!!

For you I am quite sure that is true. Not so much for others. My doc has a PhD on staff, she's the aftercare person. Available free of charge. I have my docs cell phone number, the assistant surgeon's cell phone. Aftercare appts are free for life and since I'm driving distance from my surgeon that's pretty nice should I ever need it but since I'm a year post op, I probably won't. I have a good rapport with my surgeon and his staff. I can call for any reason at all and talk to any person I want. His experience is fantastic, his stats are better than any US surgeon I have heard of, he's well respected in the bariatric community, he trains surgeons in these procedures all over including the US.

I guess my point here is that these services can be available to those that travel for surgery too. We all have to find what we need and what works for us and take it from there. You want to stay local, that's great! I wanted the specific surgeon I went to and that meant travel and for me it was 100% totally worth it.

Congrats on your weight loss!

Plus I didn't travel for my surgery but plenty of people travel to see my doc. Are they dumb because they traveled? I don't think so. He's one of the pioneers of the sleeve with above average stats. So it was worth it to them to travel to see him.

My doc does not have that. But I used the services of a guy on line that works with obese folks and he was fantastic, no charge.

WASa ... I'd like this guys information if possible, please.

Sounds to me like Wasa is just right about everything and I was wrong not to travel to Mexico for surgry!