Hi, I've decided to go to Mexico to get sleeved and I'm trying to decide on a surgeon. I was originally thinking of dr Alverez or Acceves. Now that I've been reading this forum for a while it seems there are other doctors who do a lot of surgeries for about half the price. I am in a position to afford Alverez or Acceves, but spending less means $ for plastics later.

Can anyone explain the basis for the price difference? Is it experience, qualifications, hospital level? Or is it just that competition in tj keeps the prices down?

I'm also trying to understand the whole coordinator thing... A lighter me, etc? What role do they play? Are they necessary? Is there a cost?

Help!

Excellent questions. I think both Aceves and Alvarez are excellent doctors. Like you, I was not so sure about the whole "surgery coodinator" thing. So, I found some other doctors that do not use surgery coordinators. You can contact Dr. Pompa at LIMARP or Dr. Oritiz at Obesity Control Center directly - both without a coordinator.

Dr. Pompa and Dr. Ortiz are the same price, (and cost less than Aceves or Alvarez). Dr. Pompa and Dr. Ortiz both practice at bariatric International Centers of Excellence. It might be worth checking them out.

The other thing I wanted to be sure of is that I was traveling to a part of Mexico without a travel warning from the US State Department. Tijuana doesn't have a "defer non-essential travel" warning, so reducing the worry on top of the surgery.

Good luck in your research! And in your weight loss too.

Hi' date=' I've decided to go to Mexico to get sleeved and I'm trying to decide on a surgeon. I was originally thinking of dr Alverez or Acceves. Now that I've been reading this forum for a while it seems there are other doctors who do a lot of surgeries for about half the price. I am in a position to afford Alverez or Acceves, but spending less means for plastics later.

Can anyone explain the basis for the price difference? Is it experience, qualifications, hospital level? Or is it just that competition in tj keeps the prices down?

I'm also trying to understand the whole coordinator thing... A lighter me, etc? What role do they play? Are they necessary? Is there a cost?

Help![/quote']

Also, the cost in TJ is less than the resort coastal towns.

Amanda Rae

I'm sure the cost of the hospital is a big part of it, and even within the same city there are more expensive hospitals and less expensive ones.

I chose Dr. Almanza@ Jeruselam Hospital in Tijuana, the price was 4750.00 and I wanted Gall Bladder removed at same time for an additional 800.00..I was very pleased with Facility, the staff and the added stay at Ticuan Hotel where I recovered 2 additional Nights and got to stay with wife and what was neat there was Nurse 24-7@ Hotel that tended to us...Good Luck

Excellent questions. I think both Aceves and Alvarez are excellent doctors. Like you' date=' I was not so sure about the whole "surgery coodinator" thing. So, I found some other doctors that do not use surgery coordinators. You can contact Dr. Pompa at LIMARP or Dr. Oritiz at Obesity Control Center directly - both without a coordinator.

Dr. Pompa and Dr. Ortiz are the same price, (and cost less than Aceves or Alvarez). Dr. Pompa and Dr. Ortiz both practice at bariatric International Centers of Excellence. It might be worth checking them out.

The other thing I wanted to be sure of is that I was traveling to a part of Mexico without a travel warning from the US State Department. Tijuana doesn't have a "defer non-essential travel" warning, so reducing the worry on top of the surgery.

Good luck in your research! And in your weight loss too.[/quote']

I called Dr. Pompas office and they quoted me $7,500. I'm assuming they went up on their price because I have read where others have paid $6,500

Hi, I've decided to go to Mexico to get sleeved and I'm trying to decide on a surgeon. I was originally thinking of dr Alverez or Acceves. Now that I've been reading this forum for a while it seems there are other doctors who do a lot of surgeries for about half the price. I am in a position to afford Alverez or Acceves, but spending less means $ for plastics later.

Can anyone explain the basis for the price difference? Is it experience, qualifications, hospital level? Or is it just that competition in tj keeps the prices down?

I'm also trying to understand the whole coordinator thing... A lighter me, etc? What role do they play? Are they necessary? Is there a cost?

Help!

I haven't figured out the exact differences between prices, either.

I'd suggest deciding on where it's best for you to travel to for surgery, then start researching some surgeons in that area. Keep in mind that travel to and from is a separate cost, so that may play into your final decision.

Also, coordinators are a preference, as far as I've been able to deduce. Most surgeons have them but many surgeons opt for coordinators that are a separate entity vs an in-house employee. I chose a surgeon that has an in-house coordinator because I felt like I didn't need a middle man, just someone to act as a liason between myself and the surgeon. While many say it doesn't affect the cost, I can't see how it doesn't. The external coordinators provide a service, they are for-profit entities, and from my own research at the time, the surgeons who used them tended to be more costly.

I was fine with doing the research all on my own (it's something I love to do and do before I do *anything big, much less have surgery) and wanted to keep my costs as low as possible, so a surgeon with an in-house coordinator was the best option for me. A coordinator certainly isn't a necessity.

The things that were most important to me (I wanted a hospital vs a clinic or outpatient surgery center, etc.) were the things that helped me make my final decision. After that, I narrowed it down and emailed several, then made my final decision.

~Kat

I was so glad I had a coordinator, I paid 5,600 for a revision and a coordinator. 7,500 seems really high.