I've asked this a couple of times, would someone tell me please, If I have this done in Mexico, what do I do for a Doctor is something goes wrong or for check ups and weigh ins. This is the only question I don't seem to have an answer for yet. Please help.

Sherri

Sherri Please find a doctor in your area or close to your area that will take you on as a patient before you have surgery. I assume you are having the surgery in Mexico since you asked this question.

You can get a list of doctors from Inamed for your area. www.inamed.com

They don't usually recommend a particular doctor but they will give you a list of docs.

Where are you located in the country? If you are in the Los Angeles area then I can recommend a GREAT doc for follow up. If not then I am sure others will chime in and offer suggestions.

Good luck.

SherriJo,

I posted on your other thread about a doctor who is essentially the same price (last I checked) as Mexico and WAY closer to home for you.

But, like Penni says, Inamed has a list. Be prepared to hear a lot of them say that they don't do adjustments on other doctor's patients or on people who were banded elsewhere or some similar thing.

But eventually, you'll find someone.

It really is important for you to find a doctor to care for you that is close to home. You are going to find out that not many doctors will take a patient that is banded in Mexico. Please keep trying until you find one before you are banded. Good Luck!

As far as check ups with Dr. Ortiz, as long as nothing is going wrong there are no checkups...other than fills. He has a nutritionist on staff so you can call & ask questions & he is ALWAYS available for questions or concerns. In his book he talks about referals to other drs in the states. You can get a fill from him back in MX or have him refer you to someone close to where you live. Its up to you, but he is the best & if you are going to have him do your surgery then I would have him do the fill...

It may take some searching on your part. Maybe your Mexico Dr. can put you in touch with someone. IMO, I wouldn't have surgery done until I had my US docs in place.

If you have a ton of money... you should fly to mexico when you need a fill...or unfill... I say a ton of money cuz you should be prepared to have many fills and unfills in case you have some problems.....

If you cant get to mexico often... you need to find a fill doctor close to you... for some its hard.. I am lucky, mine lives an hour away and is always open and is cheap and open to anyone and just the BEST imaginable possibility for me!

I also am lucky cuz I have the best doctor who trusts and listens and respects me... and cares.. Everything I have needed from him, I have been taken care of... as long as I told him what I needed and why and it make medical sense, lol...

I have had alot of minor complications consistantly through the year... if I didnt have my fill doctor as well as my primary care doctor there for me, IT WOULD be VERY VERY BAD!

I got lucky cuz I went into this whole thing very illprepared and ignorant.

This may help......http://www.fillcentersusa.com/locator/index.php

I would try the Inamed site before the FillCenterUSA one. I went to FillCenterUSA after being banded in Mexico and received HORRILBE service, as have others I know. Just be forewarned--if you go to one of those clinics you WILL have to pay for the session even if you don't get any fill/service done. I went to my appointment and the NP decided she "didn't feel comfortable doing my fill yet" and still charged me $300 for nothing. I was 6 weeks out and there was nothing wrong with my band or port. Plus, the Nurse Practicioner who is supossed to do your adjustment often has only been trained in a weekend course on how to perform the fills. It was very scary to think that somebody with such little experience was ready to possibly screw up my port. I eventually found a very competent bariatric SURGEON in my area to help me and even though I pay much more ($400) I feel it is worth it to be receiving excellent care. Good luck to you.

~Liz~

banded 03/10/06

Dr.Ortiz

241 highest/237 surgery/205 now/150

Wow, $400 a fill????? Are they under fluero?

I didn't know this about the fill centers. I definitely won't post them again.

If I remember correctly, you're near Nashville. It is my understanding (stories from ladies in my support group who got banded in Mexico) that it is difficult to find someone affordable in Nashville, TN to do your fills. I know that Dr. Charles Morton will. He charges between $250.00 and $300.00 a fill appointment.

P.S.--Please, PLEASE make sure you arrange good aftercare for yourself before you travel to Mexico and get banded. I've seen several posts from folks who go down and get banded but have no plan of action after that. Do lots of homework, do more homework and then make a plan of action not just for surgery but for years to come.

A few years back, when I was going to Ortiz for adjustments, I told him that what people who were banded out of the country needed was a chain of places to go for adjustments and that some smart doctor would set that up.

You don't suppose he actually listened? He and his pal Grossbard are two of the three "advisory staff" and the only California Fill Center I see is in Ortiz's backyard in Cardiff...so I'm just sayin'...

Anyway, the fill centers are being marketed--among other things--as a way for the person doing the adjustments to make $150/hour. So there will be--like in ANY line of work--those who are doing it because they love it...and those who are doing it because they have rent to pay.

http://www.aftercareprovider.com/2_life_for_yourself.html#howmuch