Hello

I'm new here and found this forum looking for information.

How do you decide on what doctor or hospital you will use in Mexico?

I will most likely be self pay and may have to use financing.

Also, how do you pick your financing company? Do most use their own bank or do most use a medical or weight loss financing company?

Any info will be helpful. I don't know anyone who has had this surgery and I don't want to talk about it with any of my family/friends yet.

Thanks!! Jacque

I'm still preop but I am scheduled for sleeve surgery with Dr. Lopez and Dr. Osuna on 3/18/13.

I hopped around from surgeon to surgeon, mostly in my own head, although I vocalized my flip flopping on here too.

I chose Dr. Lopez and Dr. Osuna, through A Lighter Me, (they are spouses) because they operate as a team. I like the idea of having 2 Bariatric surgeons at once. Dr. Lopez specializes in patients with high BMI, patients like me, who carry a greater risk. My sleep apnea is a big concern of mine. http://www.alighterme.com/

I spoke with people, on this forum, on Facebook, and on the phone who are former patients. Also, one of the coordinators, Janese, was sleeved going through ALM b4 becoming a coordinator.

The cost played a part too. I have to pay 500 extra b/c of my high BMI unless I can get it down to under 50 by surgery date... And I'm trying. At this time the sleeve is 4500 for a BMI under 50.

They have do financing sites on their page too. Others here have posted financing companies they've used as well. I'm paying cash from my 401k. I figure I can use some of my retirement money to ensure I live to see retirement! I hope I'm a good investment!

I hope I helped give you some info. Good luck making your choice. There are so many options and just as many people to share their experiences.

Amanda Rae

Amanda,

I think several doctors use a second surgeon buts don't advertise it as such because they want their name to be the marketing face.

Dr A Ortiz uses de Martinez and he is one of the doctors who do the follow ups. These Dr.s are listed on the website,but De Ortiz is the name that is known.

I saved like crazy for the surgery. I'm not gonna lie, cost WAS a factor in deciding which doctor to go to, but I didn't just go to the cheapest doctor I could find. If money was no object, I would have gone to Dr. Alvarez... but I realized that there were many well qualified and competent doctors in Tijuana that were about half the price of Alvarez.

You'll find that many of the doctors who using the major booking companies (R4C, ALM, MBC, MT) are well qualified and have done a LOT of surgeries before they are accepted by a booking company and begin working on American/Canadian patients. One of the single biggest determining factors of complication rates, is number of bariatric procedures that the surgeon has performed. Higher volume surgeons/hospitals have lower complication rates. (no a point, you don't want a doctor who does 15 surgeries a day, but you don't want one who only does two a week either) on average, a doctor who has done fewer than 200 bariatric procedures has more than twice the complication rate of a doctor who has done more than 1000 procedures.

Hi there,

I, too, am a newbie on this site... well not a newbie to the site but a newbie to posting. I have been interested in having the sleeve done for about 2 years. I wanted to have another baby before I did it (which I did). I have been "lurking" for about 6 months or so reading everything from how to finance to who the poster's doctor of choice, etc. I have decided to go with Dr. Ortiz in TJ as I am self pay. I am low BMI and my insurance obviously will not cover it. I got a loan from my credit union for it and the interest rate is only 3%!!! If you go thru the financing companies that they have you will pay quite a bit more in interest so IMO, not a good idea. I have several friends that went with Dr. Alvarez and they are doing FABULOUS!!! no problems whatsoever!! I chose Ortiz because my physician told me that he has patients that had their surgeries with him and they have had no problems either. I hope some of my post has helped in some way. I am excited about making some friends on here. =)

Amanda' date='

I think several doctors use a second surgeon buts don't advertise it as such because they want their name to be the marketing face.

Dr A Ortiz uses de Martinez and he is one of the doctors who do the follow ups. These Dr.s are listed on the website,but De Ortiz is the name that is known.[/quote']

I had no idea this is common practice. I'm glad my surgeon chose to advertise this fact. It lets me know that reassuring potential patients is a top priority. 'Cuz I'm a scaredy cat!!! Lol!

I was also told that the anesthesiologist is also a surgeon. Three sets of surgeon's eyes on my surgery helps ease my fears a lot!!!

My other surgeon choice was Dr. PDL. I've heard rave reviews about him and Trish. I chose Dr. Lopez b/c I felt the care I would receive was equal but the cost tipped the scales.

Drs. Aceves and Alvarez are out of my price range.

Amanda Rae

Sorry all. I amended my original post. I cannot remember if Janese used Dr. Lopez or a different surgeon with ALM. I mostly work with Ronda.

Amanda Rae

Hi there! I am extremely analytical, so I started by making a spreadsheet with all the doctors names I could find. Then I started doing research on each one - I had columns for pretty much everything I could think of. Bougie size, days in hospital, leak tests, drain tubes, notes, etc.

I, too, really wanted to go to Dr Alvarez (being in Texas I could have just driven down to him instead of having to drive to San Diego), but he was also just out of my price range.

And FYI, Dr A Ortiz does state on the short video on his website homepage that there are always two surgeons, two anesthesiologists, etc. They double up on everything.

As for financing, I decided to go this route as well, and I just went to my bank, because there are no fees and much lower interest rates.

Good luck and let us know if you have any specific questions! There are lots of people here willing to help!

Apologies in advance for my "brain dump" but there is a LOT to consider as you research surgeons in Mexico. Everyone who has posted on this thread have very specific and valid personal reasons they have selected their surgeon. Based on their high level of research, I have every confidence they will have a great experience because they know what to expect before they arrive. And that is what I hope for ALL of us, we do the research so we can have a good experience.

When I began to consider Mexico as an option for weight loss surgery, I learned a lot. There were several factors important to me in selecting a surgeon:

1. A surgeon who has performed a lot of weight loss surgery.

2. Member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery (i.e. I wanted to be able to verify their credentials)

3. The doc should have a lot of positive internet “buzz”, or testimonials on weight loss surgery forums so I could contact those and get some independent feedback.

4. Would like to go to a part of Mexico WITH NO TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS from the US State Department

5. The icing on the cake would be if they were at an International Center of Excellence as designated by the Surgical Review Corporation – same body that designates US bariatric Centers of Excellence

6. Oh, and I wanted to contact the surgeon DIRECTLY, not through a surgery coordinating company

THE SHORT LIST

1. Dr. Guillermo Alvarez in Piedras Negras http://www.endobariatric.com/doctor.htm

2. Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexicali http://gastricsleevesurgeon.com

3. Dr. Pompa in Tijuana http://www.limarp.com/en/dr_liza.php

4. Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana http://www.obesitycontrolcenter.com

I checked prices. I spent a great deal of time on each website to understand the process, review photos, verify

credentials, etc. Both Dr. Pompa and Dr. Ortiz are practicing at International Centers of Excellence. And I liked the fact Tijuana does not have a travel warning from the US State department.

Dr. Alvarez wrote a book about the sleeve. I purchased his e-Book. It’s an easy read and provides a great deal of information about the sleeve procedure, how he performs it, and what you need to do pre-surgery and post-surgery for diet.

Ultimately, I selected Dr. Ortiz. Why?

• He has a TON of YouTube videos available. I watched many of them and learned a lot about the surgery, recovery, diet, his philosophy, got to see the surgical team working together, pictures of the facility, etc. Also, he has a great video about the difference between healthcare in the US vs. Mexico and was spot on. This video actually made my decision for me. (He even addressed the sombrero issue. I’m in! Ha ha!) Check the video

• Confirmed they are a International Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate/cmcoem/

• Confirmed Dr. Ortiz is a member of the American College of Surgeons http://web2.facs.org/acsdir/public/DetailMember.cfm?CHKDGTS=88010816878

• Confirmed Dr. Ortiz is a member of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery http://asmbs.org/member-search/ (search for last name Lagardere, as in Ariel A. Ortiz Lagardere)

• Tijuana is in Baja California, the only Mexican border state that does not have a travel warning from the US State Department. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5815.html All other border states have a “defer non-essential travel” warning

My hope is that you find a surgeon and location that are right for YOU! Just by being on these forums and becoming educated on your options - I have a feeling you will have GREAT results.

Hey guys... I am pre also just because I will have a ton of vacation time off for work in June and dont want to rush back to work, so I want to research and prepare and like all of you, making the decision to do a major surgery is hard... especially going blind into picking a doctor whom we have never met or seen the facility.

This website is fantastic, I love hearding all the post patient experiences, pictures and advice but that makes it even harder to choose because about 6 or so Dr names keep coming up over and over and who to choose...??

I was torn between Ortiz, Lopez and Garcia ...

Im self pay cash, I have Care Credit but only a 10,000.00 limit and in the USA, that wont buy this surgery, hence my going to Mexico in June! (Will save the Carecredit to address loose skin later )

My husband works for Florida Hospital and has spoken thru his work with several gastrointestinal drs on my behalf casually at work... My concern was complications... They suggested Dr. Kim in Florida (by Disney), whom they gave rave reviews about or Dr Alvarez or Dr Ortiz.

They also said the majority or the complications they see from post surgery is about 3,4,5 months after surgery and mainly people who try to go back to regular food too quick, the wrong food or improper/inadequate Vitamins and dehydration... Just FYI...

I am in your boat.... Ready to set sail!!

Hey guys... I am pre also just because I will have a ton of vacation time off for work in June and dont want to rush back to work' date=' so I want to research and prepare and like all of you, making the decision to do a major surgery is hard... especially going blind into picking a doctor whom we have never met or seen the facility.

This website is fantastic, I love hearding all the post patient experiences, pictures and advice but that makes it even harder to choose because about 6 or so Dr names keep coming up over and over and who to choose...??

I was torn between Ortiz, Lopez and Garcia ...

Im self pay cash, I have Care Credit but only a 10,000.00 limit and in the USA, that wont buy this surgery, hence my going to Mexico in June! (Will save the Carecredit to address loose skin later <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> )

My husband works for Florida Hospital and has spoken thru his work with several gastrointestinal drs on my behalf casually at work... My concern was complications... They suggested Dr. Kim in Florida (by Disney), whom they gave rave reviews about or Dr Alvarez or Dr Ortiz.

They also said the majority or the complications they see from post surgery is about 3,4,5 months after surgery and mainly people who try to go back to regular food too quick, the wrong food or improper/inadequate Vitamins and dehydration... Just FYI...

I am in your boat.... Ready to set sail!![/quote']

Ortiz, Lopez, and Garcia oh my!

I've heard great things about them all. Lopez fits my needs and budget, but I think any of them will treat you well!

Amanda Rae

Thanks for all your great info and stories!!

I don't have any definite plans yet but I hope I can do this in April. It seems like a more realistic time frame.

I looked at ratings and wanted a doctor that was not in Tijuana. I picked Dr.A because of his qualifications and the strength of his patient reviews. When I was trying to get approved for financing, I tried to make myself choose a lower priced but just as qualified surgeon.... No go. Dr.A and Susan made me feel comfortable right away and I hate going to the doctor so that is no small feat.

I did what most of the other posters did. I researched, researched, and researched some more. I picked the top ten, top 5, and narrowed it to my top two and after lots of prayer and more research chose Dr Aceves. His assistant is Dr Campos and I actually saw him more after surgery than Dr Aceces.

I know he cost more, but I am extremely happy with my results. I wanted to stay in the hospital, not go to a hotel. I stayed there three nights. I saved for nine months including my tax returns, etc... I feel my results are worth every penny.

Ultimately, only you can decide the best surgeon for your budget and comfort. I wish you the best and keep asking questions. :-)

Dr. Ortiz and the rest of the staff at OCC are wonderful!!! He helped change my life and I am truly an advocate!!! I had my surgery on April 16th and am down 120 lbs... I feel amazing!!

Having my sleeve surgery was the absolute BEST decision I have ever made!!!

Best of luck to all of you on your decisions and upcoming surgeries!!

Like folks above I did extensive research and chose Dr. Ariel Ortiz for the reasons listed above. He is more expensive but for my peace of mind I'm willing and able to pay more. Heck, I was going to spend $21k to have it done by my former band surgeon!

I'm lucky in that I have money saved so I don't require a loan and as I live in Southern California it's just a 1 1/2 hour drive south for me.

Do want to point out that there's more than one Ortiz in Tijuana. Dr. Ariel Ortiz is the one with all the certifications all over the place! Also, he recently conducted a surgical bariatric demonstration at a bariatric conference in NYC.