I have been thinking about this for quite a while and now it is bugging me enough to write it down here, and see if anyone else had a similar experience.

I was sleeved/revised by Dr. Lopez in Tijuana on May 23, 2014. I felt very comfortable with my decision- I thoroughly researched all the doctors and have friends who have used Dr. Lopez in previous years. Also, to preface my account, I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali in '07 and that was an AWESOME experience!! Best hospital experience I have ever had and I have had a lot!

So, back to it...Everything seemed to be going well until I woke up in my windowless little closet of a room after the surgery sicker than hell. Horrible reaction to the anesthesia which isn't new for me. The part that bothered me was that every time I tried to get anti-nausea drugs or ice chips from the staff, they treated me like I was putting them out. As a matter of fact, none of the staff was very friendly or helpful. I was never encouraged to walk or sip my Water. I found my breath exerciser thing buried under a towel on a chair still wrapped in plastic when I was discharged, with no instruction on using it.

OK- here's the part that REALLY bothered me: When Dr. Lopez and another doctor came in to see me the day after surgery, Dr. Lopez started off by saying I had a great revision and they removed my lap-band and by-the-way I fixed your hiatal hernia. Well, that shocked me because I had my lap-band removed in 2009. Turns out that almost everyone I spoke with in those 5 days had a hiatal hernia repaired that they were not aware was a problem previous to surgery.

Maybe hiatal hernias are very common. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue regarding 'removing' my lap-band. In any case, it's still gnawing at me and I am curious if anyone else felt uncomfortable in Mi Doctor hospital and/or with the staff of Dr. Lopez.

@@Annsue, you're right, the informations and procedure have to be clearly written down before you lye down...

when was the endoscopy done? the same day of surgery?

Does no one get it. He lied about removing her lap band. He did not inform her of the hernia procedure ( When she had the test ) She was not informed about the fact that she had one or not.

The staff was horrendous to her. And there are flags going up all over the place. This doctor lied to her about her lap band. I think it is all about money. Now that so many are going elsewhere to have their sleeve done they are getting desperate for clients.

I would question everything he did and my care if all of this happened to me. Thank god you have had no complications..Some surgeon in the states would have to take that on. Even though you had the surgery by this guy....Personally folks I would rethink about my surgery with this doctor. I think he is now in it for the money and to hell with the patients comfort. I would go back and get more info about having the lap band removed earlier. If it was..Then what else did he lie about.....Fishy if you ask me...He would be scratched from my list as a potential surgeon if what she says is true.......

"I would go back and get more info about having the lap band removed earlier. If it was..Then what else did he lie about....."

that's the point,

Yea, I just wanted clarification on that one point because in the post earlier it had seemed she didn't know there would be a charge. So, now that that is clarified, I would call him and ask about the lap band removal issue - just for your own peace of mind. It could be he simply misspoke after having seen so many patients in a day. Not cool but it can happen.

I have also read in other threads that dr Lopez does a bait and switch on hospitals. Promises a shiny new hospital and when you get there they suddenly have to change to a hospital much older and not up to date. At least it happened like this to two of our pals that were sleeved this month. I have removed this dr entirely from my list!

I had not heard of a Mexican surgeon charging extra for hernia repair. My surgeon (Dr. ILLAN)) said that if he found one he would try to fix it at no charge while he was "in there." I did not have one, but my relative (whom I took 2 months later) did and She was not charged. Baja Bariatrics (dr. ILLAN) does charge $500 if you would like your gallbladder removed preemptively (and if it seems warranted ). I was given a photo of my stomach & gallbladder after they were removed (I specifically asked for gallbladder removal because all my siblings had emergency gallbladder surgery at about my age and I did not want to deal with that later). Several hospital personnel congratulated me following my surgery that my sleeve only took 30 minutes "with another 25 for your gallbladder," so there was never a question in my mind as to whether it had really been done. I'm so sorry you were not treated well by hospital staff. The doctors are clients of the hospitals they use for these elective surgeries and I have been aware of a few different doctors getting after hospitals for minor problems their patients had had either while still admitted or after discharge. For instance my coordinator got good-naturedly cranky at florence Hospital's respiratory therapist for giving me a somewhat lame lesson on my plastic lung exerciser device. He later told me that he stays "on them" to be 100% attentive because they know if they want Dr. Illan to keep working out of their hospital they need to give his patients top care. A month before my surgery some late night nurses had been loud & rowdy (laughing & listening to music, etc., at 2am) & the patients apparently received typed amends/apology letters a day or two later after the practice read the hospital the riot act over it.

I know in my case I could've been conned with a false, photo, etc., but I don't have reason to believe I was.

Best wishes And apologies for the ramble – I'm composing this on my phone at a pool and can hardly see in the bright sunlight !

Edited June 24, 201412 yr by rhw94123

Regarding being conned by a photo, rest assured when Dr. Illan emailed me a picture of my photo directly from his ipad he had a pic of me in surgery, then my stomach. My boyfriend checked out the specs and origin of the photo and it was taken during the time I was in surgery no worries about that!

It will just be a matter of time until the, “you shouldn’t say anything bad about surgery in Mexico” police come out and scold you. I have a theory; it seems the Mexican bariatric Docs advertise heavily on this site. I have seen several responses written to address other warning of surgery in Mexico that were not written by the average patient. Instead, I feel the letters were written by professional marketing people. One letter claimed that a bariatric Doc in the US chose Mexico because it was more successful than the practice he worked for. I don’t know about everyone else, but I call major BS on that write up. Another, letter puts forth the idea that a very well educated women that could afford to have the surgery anywhere chose Mexico because her own research pointed to it. Again I call BS. Sounds like marketing to me.

I fully understand that Mexico or other 3rd world countries might be the only option for some to pursue due to financial considerations, but don’t forget you have no recourse if they damage you. My Doc has repaired several messed up Mexican surgeries. Plus I like to know the Water is palatable and the sewer system functions along with not getting mugged because of an out of control drug problem. Just last year, I was near an Arizona border town and told not to cross because of the violence. No thanks.

I had my sleeve surgery on April 14. I had it here in New Jersey with Advance Lapriscopic In. Paramus NJ. I would never go over seas for any surgical procedure. Being in the nursing field also. My dr is the head of the bariatric department at a major trauma center here. He did 990 sleeves last year and not one issue. I had 3 friends who were sleeved by him also. Whoops.. Dr Hans Schmidtt

Edited June 25, 201412 yr by OGmom3122

The idea of just automatically crossing surgery off the list because its not in the USA I don't buy into. I am a fairly seasoned traveler who has lived a lot in Africa. I know perfectly well that there are good medical centers to be found outside of the USA/Europe. By the way, Mexico is not considered '3rd world' rather it is considered a 'developing country'. Heck, half of the doctors in the USA were trained in foreign medical schools (including in the 3rd world) and then came here for their residencies. That said, one definitely needs to do research above and beyond before deciding on any surgeon. When one is considering a place like Mexico, one should take into factors like corruption, sanitation, etc. One should be skeptical of internet forums because we know damn well there are coordinators posting as patients.

That doesn't mean that one can't get a good surgeon with due diligence though. I reject blanket condemnations of Mexican surgeons as much as I reject blanket praises of them.

Edited June 25, 201412 yr by Travelmego

Those who are > bmi 40 with good insurance and paying almost $0...should just let people with bmi< 35 keep on struggling to save their health before it becomes morbid and that are ready to pay $5000-$10,000 for it.

@OGmom3122 "i would never got over seas", no problem, you can say so since you have possibility to stay home and have the surgery done.

but if you were suffering with no possibility to be rescued/helped, won't you think about going elsewhere? or should we all (bmi<35) just eat like madness and put on weight in order to get a surgery done in USA/Europe???

Those who are > bmi 40 with good insurance and paying almost $0...should just let people with bmi< 35 keep on struggling to save their health before it becomes morbid and that are ready to pay $5000-$10,000 for it.

Ok but why Mexico? Why not find a local surgeon and facility to do it? I don't see many cash pay people even trying that route. They just aim for Mexico.

There are great docs and hospitals all over the world and just as great here. I would be concerned with future care, complications and immediate follow up and want a local person

If it means a little extra more than so be it.

Really, just self pay here in the US?

Try looking into that option. My friend just had her surgery in the US. $28,000. That is not even an option for my daughter. We both live on limited budget. I am retired with fixed income so I am unable to help her. She is single so only one income. Not sure how we can pull that kind of money out of the air. In the mean time others... the ins company, decide who can and who cannot have the surgery. This is not even a patient doctor decision as to the necessity of surgery!

So what are the other options beside Mexico? Just not have it? I see my daughter live a lonely and unhappy life because she feels like an outcast due to her size. She has no energy to even get out and walk or do other exercise because her feet, knees, and back hurt so bad. It has become a vicious cycle. I am proud that she wants to make a better life for herself, starting with this surgery. Unfortunate, yes, that she could not afford to have the surgery here, but we have done what we can to make the best educated decision based on information available to us, and we will be heading to Mexico.

As far as after surgery, whether it be the surgery was performed here or in Mexico, self pay is deemed elective surgery. So complications, if they occur, must be addressed for either patient. The location of where the WLS occurred should be irrelevant in regards to follow up care here in the US.

Jersrose43

I never considered doing it in the US. After much research I found the best surgeon I could find with the best flow up care, and it was in Mexico. Which meant I didn't have to jump through insurance hoops, and I liked that. I meant I had 3 days in the hospital instead of outpatient. I liked that. It meant I had 3 leak tests instead of just the one during the surgery. I liked that. It meant I got to see a barium swallow of my own stomach and have pictures of it and can see how it works. I liked that. It meant going to a surgeon who fixes other surgeons bad sleeves because he is so well known for his tight, well done sleeve. Which I loved.

This isn't a surgery where you just pick a doctor and go. The is a talent and an art to doing it right if you don't want it redone and I wasnt going to risk this important surgery on whatever doctor did it that was close. With his complication rate less than 1% I was willing to risk I wouldn't have any and not worry about that part.

I picked the surgeon, being in Mexico and less than 9k was a bonus.

That whole ordeal sounds like "fly by night". If I had of gone in and the scale was broken that would have been it for me. Lots of red flags there.

Edited June 26, 201412 yr by DarbiMolly