Please share your experience, impressions, and progress. Thank you!

Jake,

Make sure you give us your story! I'm sure it's going to go great and you'll have wonderful success!

Jake sad we will miss each other. Please let me/us know how you are doing.

JerryLynn you will be there a week before I am. I am scheduled for Oct 6th. Ed thanks for the post, very reassuring.

hi Jake, well if all is the same you should be arriving today and well I will be leaving this morning. I wanted to let you know these last few days have been wonderful. Dr Wilhelmy and Dr Campos along with all the other doctors are incredible. They explain everything, you can always ask questions, they are super attentive. Seriously I have never had doctors comes see you daily and even just to say goodbye because you're leaving in the morning. Carla and Yolanda are incredible also, you will love them. Everyone is kind and has a fun sense of humor. Now for surgery..... testing took only a few mins the day I got here. Next morning I came in and was in sugery within 30 mins. No waiting no having to be anxious. Honestly it was as though he put me to sleep and I woke up 10 mins later in my room. I have been fortunate not to have any pain, I know everyone is different but the nurses and doctors are right there should you need anything. I truly can't say enough good . I wish you the best.....wish I could be here when you got here. Sending you hugs!!!! Let me know how you are doing.

Rocky1,

That is a very good question that has been running at the back of my mind lately, as well. His published CV indicates impressive credentials and experience, but i haven't been able to find much else.

From what I've come to understand, the following attributes warrant the higher fee:

1. Hospital Almater, where his group (Mexicali Bariatric Center) perform all their surgeries, is supposedly the only JCI approved facility in Baja.

2. Mexicali Bariatric Center, employs their own staff and coordinators, as opposed to contracting with a medical tourism service.

3. They use Ethicon staples and top of the line equipment, such as what are used in the U.S. (Some of the less expensive providers I've looked into say they do, as well.

4. They schedule a maximum of 3 cases a day, to ensure each patient gets adequate time and care. The feedback from every patient I've seen so far seems to substantiate this claim.

5. Additional procedure needs, i.e. hiatal hernia repair, are included in the fee, whereas the less expensive providers typically charge additionally for those services/needs.

6. I personally noted a marked difference in how they present themselves on social media (more in keeping with the professionalism of a medical practice in the US), as well as the quality and professionalism of the coordinator I've been dealing with.

7. They are located in Mexicali, which I understand is a safer area than Tijuana.

With all that being said, there are some things that I am still considering:

1. Your (Rocky1) point about his role prior to the death of Dr. Aceves.

2. Checks for Dr. Wilhelmy's services are to be paid to Dr. Aceves's widow. In the US, a surviving spouse could not take over and collect fees for medical care unless they were a licensed physician. But perhaps there aren't any rules against the corporate practice of medicine in Mexico?

3. Dr. Wilhelmy does not perform single incision sleeve Gastrectomies, as he feels it adds additional risk and may not result in the best work. I did some reading and the NIMH reported on a recent study that demonstrated no difference in the weight loss/effectiveness, or risk in either group. It also cited a faster and less painful recovery for the single incision patients. I really don't want the additional scars if I don't have to have them, so it's on my mind.

So those are my thoughts from the research I've done. I'll be interested to hear anything more that you learn.

I had my surgery done last Thursday with Dr Wilhelmy. I will comment on all of this after work today. I had an amazing experience and will tell you the price was worth it. More details to follow this afternoon.

Hi JerryLynn...I'm so glad to hear about how well things are going for you. I'm hoping to have a similar experience.

Can you share with me what the surgical scars are like? I know it may sound silly, but I'm really concerned about it.

Thank you!