My husband and I were chatting about how much research I have been doing to try to pick the right doctor for this procedure. Chances are if I was getting it done locally and someone I knew went to the doctor and the doctor would be covered by my insurance I would go with them.

I have had 12 surgeries in my lifetime and had a few... gallbladder and a surgery to drain an abscess and a bone tumor which resulted in a broken hip that I had a to have a few surgeries on which I met the doctor right before they did my surgery. I didn't interview them, whoever in charge at the hospital or my insurance dictated who that person would be.

Do we go into research mode because its in Mexico? I have been faithfully reading the boards for a few months and still there are a few my gut says no to. A few that I feel more comfortable with and most are somewhere in the middle.

I am thankful of those who have shared their good and bad stories to make the decision a bit easier for the rest of us.

I suggest you start by calling your insurance company. I have UHC and they have a department devoted to WLS. This is all pre-approval but gets you started on the right track with doctors that your insurance will approve, provided you meet the criteria. The nurse assigned to me was very helpful and it was she who recommended I use the internet forums for research and support while I figured out what to do and who to use. My insurance required a "Center of Excellence" and in my area there were very few of those, and all were 200 or more miles away, so my choice was pretty easy, and I've been delighted with my doctor. Even though I had to travel to another state, the "Center of Excellence" lived up to its reputation.

I agree with you daisy, these boards have revealed a lot about the physicians in Mexico, as well as the companies that work along side the doctors. One thing I have also learned is not to be swayed by low prices. After all, this is a major surgery!

I did a lot of research as well and ended up going with Dr Carlos Diaz. He's did the single incision which was about a $1000. more the usual sleeve surgery. There were 4 of us that got to know one another before arriving in Mexico & we all had the single incision done by Dr.Diaz. He was great. Surgery was 8/5 & 8/6/13 for the 4 of us. Do you belong to any other sleeve groups?

I do not have coverage through insurance so I will be self pay.

I am a member of a few Facebook groups and when I hear of others I join them.

I went to Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center. I spent 6 months convinced I was going to use Fernando Garcia. My nutritionist here in Seattle strongly suggested using Ariel Ortiz and even though he was more expensive, his track record is very good. I was persuaded and I had an awesome experience. I'm glad I changed my mind!

Read as much as you can and eventually one will just "pop" as the right fit for you. Trust your intuition

4 months

 

it included learning quite abit.

 

I was between Ariel Ortiz and Alberto Aceves. Both higher than most but both have done thousands like these.

I started researching WLS February 2013. Settled on the VSG in April. Researched doctors (both in US and Mexico) for 6 months before scheduling with Dr. Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center. Sleeved 12/20 and had a great experience. (And met Slvrsax while down there ). Keep reading and researching and you will find who is right for you.

I did a ton of research, for at least 5-6 months. I was on here reading every review and sending private messages to a lot of people just to talk to them about their experience. I sent in health questionnaires to several different surgeons and every time I thought I had found my Dr., something in my gut just wouldn't feel right. Sometimes it was the coordinator, one surgeon I checked into was really good and had good stats but when I tried to ask his coordinator about wanting to talk to the Dr about some scar tissue concerns, she proceeded to try and tell me that she knew exactly what he would say. So in other words, she answered for him and that just wasn't good enough for me. I realized later that his English was really poor and he wouldn't have been able to communicated with me very well. A couple of other coordinators were real pushy and all they seemed to care about was getting that deposit sent in right away so that they could reserve my date. Then I checked into Dr Illan and his coordinator Omar Acosta was so nice, not pushy at all and when I told him about my concerns with the scar tissue, he offered to set up a Skype call with Dr Illan so I could talk to him face to face. Omar never pushed me to set a date and didn't even ask for a deposit. After talking with Dr Illan, I felt so at ease and confident that he was the one for me. I wanted to get a little dental work done while I was there and it took me a little longer to get all of the money together for that and again Omar was there to help me with that as well. He offered to set up a Skype call with his and Dr Illan's dentist and so I did, and that worked out great also. I can tell you that there are some good surgeons in Mexico, I personally think that Dr Illan is the best, but none of them have an Omar. He goes out of his way to help anybody he can and makes sure that his patients and there family member that may accompany them, are well taken care of. He has even taken family members of other Drs patients to get something to eat. He was right there by my side when I woke up from surgery, feeding me Gas-X strips and patting me on the back. He had the surgery himself and knows exactly what we are going through. He and Dr Illan are a great team and I am so grateful to both of them for there kind and compassionate caring ways. Knowing what I know now, I firmly believe that I couldn't have had a better experience anywhere, in or out of the United States.

Doing your research is vital, whether in the US or Mexico. It is your body and your life, so of course you want to be confident in the surgeon you choose, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. When people warn you about surgeons in Mexico, take it with a grain of salt and don't let it worry you. There are good and bad doctors in the US and the same goes for Mexico. That is why the research is important.

As far as my own personal experience goes, I was amazed when I went to Mexico. I too had several surgeries done in the US. The care I received in Mexico was far superior to what I received in any of the hospitals I had been in here in the US. They are so attentive to your needs and making sure you are comfortable and feel at ease. For me, it was a wonderful experience and I am currently considering going back for some additional surgery.