Anyone get sleeve surgery in Mexico?

[Taylor5 98]

I'm curious, If anyone has had an issue - such as a stricture - after having your procedure in MX, if you live in the US, how was it handled by the hospital/facility where you received treatment at home? Did your health insurance cover the complication...did you have complication insurance that covered it...or did you have to pay out of pocket?

Also, did doctors at home give you a hard time/treat you differently because you had your procedure outside the U.S.?

Thx!

[A_new_sara 136]

I'm curious, If anyone has had an issue - such as a stricture - after having your procedure in MX, if you live in the US, how was it handled by the hospital/facility where you received treatment at home? Did your health insurance cover the complication...did you have complication insurance that covered it...or did you have to pay out of pocket?
Also, did doctors at home give you a hard time/treat you differently because you had your procedure outside the U.S.?
Thx!

I'm going through that right now and my insurance is covering everything. My Drs are supportive, and suuuuush far I haven't received any judgement. It's just so common now, it's not as frowned upon.

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[Taylor5 98]

11 minutes ago, Sara Bronson said:

going through that right now and my insurance is covering everything

11 minutes ago, Sara Bronson said:

Drs are supportive

11 minutes ago, Sara Bronson said:

I haven't received any judgement

Thank you, that's good to hear. Good luck with your treatment & everything!

[bmellag 15]

Anyone have the sleeve done with Dr Alvarez in Piedra Nagras? I am on Feb 2nd, I’m super excited!

[NegreteLove 52]

I just had mine done by Dr. Arellano in Mexicali. I personally know 2 others that have had procedures done by Arellano and his team. Wonderful experience.


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[Cindirelly 5]

On 12/6/2017 at 1:15 PM, Sara Bronson said:

How did they fix your stricture? I'm going through an issue right now with a stricture. I couldn't even finish the upper GI because the barium wouldn't pass through. The GI dr referred me to a surgeon and now I'm waiting for their call.. I'm just not sure what to expect.. any advice?

Some strictures can be fixed with a series of stretches - they put you out and place a balloon/tube in the stricture and expand it to break up scar tissue and expand the sleeve. They might need to do it only once or several times over the course of a few weeks. Another more drastic approach is to place stents inside the stomach to expand the stricture - usually leaving them in place for 4-6 weeks.

[Sydney7 6]

After a lot of research I chose Obesity Control Center with Dr. Ariel Ortiz. The hospital is within 15minutes of San Diego, and it is JACCHO accredited - this is a major accreditation which is done mainly for U.S. hospitals. To have a facility in Mexico with this accreditation is huge. Also, the doctors there also hold U.S. license, so they are not just “Mexico doctors”.

The physicians and nurses were outstanding, as a medical manager I Could not say enough praises for the care that they gave to the patients.

The facility was immaculate and clean.

I think if you checked out this facility and Dr. Ortiz, you would be impressed with what they offer. Plus the follow up,care is great. They are available to reach even after your surgery. I Had surgery in April and went back to Tijuana with a friend for her surgery in November. At that time most of the women and men that I saw were there for surgery were there with friends and relatives that had previously had surgery with Dr. Ortiz. So, nothing says more about trust in a physician, than seeing people return with their families and friends for him to provide their surgery.

[Taylor5 98]

I agree with @Sydney7. I just arrived home yesterday after having my procedure at OCC on 12/27. I'm not saying other surgeons are not qualified or other facilities are not good, I am simply speaking on my personal experience.

That experience is streamlined from the start, which I would imagine is similar to experiences at other facilities. The thing I liked about OCC was there were no "go-between" liaisons or coordinators. Everyone you dealt with worked for the clinic, with the exception of the hotel staff at the Marriott.

The concierge driver who picked us up in San Diego was extremely polite and eager to help in any way possible. He seemed genuinely interested in why we chose OCC and spoke to his observance of other patients' experiences. He also gave many good tips on local sights, etc.

My first impression of the clinic was also how extremely clean it was. It is also very modern and comfortable. The front desk staff were so nice and called me by my first name the second I walked in the door. Some of my long-time drs office staff at home still don't do this!

The nutritionist was very encouraging and excited that I met my "surgery weight goal" the day before surgery. She went over post-op nutrition instructions in more detail and answered any questions I had. Then I had blood work and an EKG. All staff members were very pleasant, and their English was very clear and easy to understand. This is important when discussing your health and needing to be clear on all instructions!

The next day I was back in by 7 a.m. and was first up for surgery. I fell asleep very quickly after entering the OR, but did have two conversations with Dr. Ortiz and other surgical staff after waking and discussing how I was feeling. The nursing staff were diligent throughout the night and erred on the side of caution whenever anything was slightly less than ideal (oxygen level a little low? suck on your spirometer more often!) - come in with slightly more than average amount of usual health problems - stay longer in the morning to be cleared by internist before going back to hotel! Return the next day for leak test - no leaks, but slightly slower swallow time/gurgling? bend over for your steroid injection to help reduce swelling and open up that GI tract more! All after discussing your options, of course.

I was sent home with a ton of paperwork and an id card with a link to my online medical record. I am told to expect continuing interaction as part of aftercare so they can monitor my progress. There were about 7-8 patients there per day, from what I could tell, each with their companions. As mentioned by Sydney, some of the companions were former patients as well. The man who took the shuttle back to the airport with us was speaking to his friend on the phone during the trip (yay) and apparently the friend and his wife had recommended this man. Word of mouth really is the best advertising.

We flew first class to San Diego because I have serious chronic back and neck pain. First class wasn't all I had anticipated, but even with the cost of those tickets, the cost of surgery at OCC {which is not the lowest in the TJ area}, and all other related travel/surgery expenses, I still saved a few thousand over what I would have spent on surgery at a nearby facility - just for surgery locally. And I still have complication insurance for 175 more days in case, heaven forbid, something does go wrong, in which case I can be treated locally and it will be covered by my plan.

I had a really good experience at OCC and with Dr. Ortiz and the rest of his staff. I am also happy for others who have had similar experiences with other surgeons/facilities. I think options are important. I'm happy to try to help anyone still in the research process, if I can. Thanks and Happy New Year!