Hi everyone. I'm really wanting to have vgs with a single incision in Mexico because i do not have insurance here in the states. does anyone know of a doctor in mexico that performs this? What was your experience? Cost? Any qualifiers? Thanks!

I'm having my surgery two weeks from today with Dr. Jalil Illan in Mexico. It is costing me $4,399 + airfare. My experience so far has been good; my emails and questions are promptly answered, and when I call, an actual person answers rather than getting a voicemail. I don't know yet if there will be a single incision, but I can certainly let you know in approximately two weeks. :-) There were no qualifiers that I'm aware of, but I did have to fill out a 2 pg questionnaire.

Edited July 22, 201610 yr by CLN.BK

Is it possible to be done with a single incision? That would be open surgery rather than laparoscopic. With laparoscopic surgery you normally need multiple incisions for instruments.

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Why do you want a single incision? Laparoscopic surgery has better recovery times and length wise is about the same as a single incision. The scar from a single incision is harder to make it fade than 5 little incisions.

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The only Dr I know of who performs that surgery is Dr Todd McCarty in Dallas. And it's actually 2 small incisions, one is in your belly button the other under your ribs I think on the right side, and then they take an endoscope down your esophagus. Their cash price was 11k that they quoted me. I don't know if that was having my insurance pay for hernia repair or something. You might ask for yourself. I will be having it done with insurance in January.

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well single incision is done through belly button with quicker recovery and no noticeable scars afterward.

Never heard of such a thing. How would the surgeon get the stomach out through the belly button? That would amazing.

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thank you to those who have responded.

Never heard of such a thing. How would the surgeon get the stomach out through the belly button? That would amazing.

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The stomach comes out through the scope they put down your throat. Google McCarty mini sleeve.

google it, its amazing. they use a tool called spider. it opens up once place through belly button. one part holds liver and the other the other organs etc and the part in the middle i think is the part that cuts and has the camera. this method has been used for removal of gall bladder and other surgeries but they are now using it for vgs. its something i would really like to have done but i have bmi of 40 and dont know if i would qualify and if there are doctors in Mexico that are doing this.

So what the long term data on weight loss success? What's sample size? What percentage of complications? Death rate?

If insurance companies aren't paying for it yet... there must not be that many studies to back this up as a proven long term wls tool.

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So I just Googled it and it looks like we're talking about 2 different procedures. The one my surgeon does in Dallas is covered by insurance. He's done several hundred of these. The stomach comes out through the esophagus. The one with the Spider is only coming up with surgeons in Mexico. Looks like they take the stomach out through the incision in the belly button.

the surgery is the same a vgs so results would be the same. the difference is the amount of incisions. @@Deehovey which doc did you find in Mexico because i have not come across any there. i've only seen it done here in us. actually im open to any surgury that gives less than 3 cuts. i just dont like idea of having 5 to 6 cuts in my stomach area.

I Googled 1 incision gastric surgery and the first two choices websites past the paid advertising were surgeons in Mexico.

Or single incision gastric sleeve, rather.

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Can't help with Mexico, but I see what you are talking about: http://www.advancedsurgicalassociatessb.com/doctors-and-staff/dr-david-scott-thoman/