I’m looking into getting gastric sleeve surgery. My insurance will not cover it in the states. So I’m branching out and looking into Mexico.

1.Who did you choose to be your surgeon, and why?

2.What are some details; good, bad, and ugly about your whole experience.

3.How is much did you need up paying out of pocket for the whole thing?

And any other advice is greatly appreciated!

my daughter went to Dr Ponce she said it was amazing she is now down 106 lbs I'm considering dr Ponce or Dr illian just have not decided yet i believe we paid $5000 for her gastric sleeve

I went through several Medical Tourism companies and researched their physicians and pricing. First and foremost, I have to explain that I work in hospital administration, and knew what I wanted in a surgeon and follow-up care. Many of the Med Tourism Agencies have comparable pricing. Some more because of the volume of Bariatric surgeries they’ve done. For me, I knew I wanted a specialist, particularly a gastroenterologist. While a Bariatric Clinic and their physicians would be ideal in the U.S., you’re not going to get the same pre-op and post-op care they would offer from Mexico. So, I wanted someone who specializes in that part of the body, particularly familiar with your esophagus and stomach. (These are the areas most doctors damage if you experience complications). Dr. Jorge Reyes Mendiola was a known gastroenterologist, and only does select surgeries, not like the others who run a conveyor belt. He sees 3 patients at most. Trust me, you do not want to be at the end of that line, no matter how quick and easy it seems. While I did not expect to hear from them again post-surgery, I have heard from the office every week for the next 4 weeks. Plus, they are a text away, and very responsive. I know this is long-winded, but I did all the research in the US, before I turned to MX. Lastly, Jet Medical offers a nutritionist post-care. I can’t tell you enough how many of these boards you will find with people with no clue how to take care of this new tool and maintain the weight loss or address a stall. Hope this helps. Wishing you luck on your journey!

1 hour ago, KCwithGSV said:

I went through several Medical Tourism companies and researched their physicians and pricing. First and foremost, I have to explain that I work in hospital administration, and knew what I wanted in a surgeon and follow-up care. Many of the Med Tourism Agencies have comparable pricing. Some more because of the volume of Bariatric surgeries they’ve done. For me, I knew I wanted a specialist, particularly a gastroenterologist. While a Bariatric Clinic and their physicians would be ideal in the U.S., you’re not going to get the same pre-op and post-op care they would offer from Mexico. So, I wanted someone who specializes in that part of the body, particularly familiar with your esophagus and stomach. (These are the areas most doctors damage if you experience complications). Dr. Jorge Reyes Mendiola was a known gastroenterologist, and only does select surgeries, not like the others who run a conveyor belt. He sees 3 patients at most. Trust me, you do not want to be at the end of that line, no matter how quick and easy it seems. While I did not expect to hear from them again post-surgery, I have heard from the office every week for the next 4 weeks. Plus, they are a text away, and very responsive. I know this is long-winded, but I did all the research in the US, before I turned to MX. Lastly, Jet Medical offers a nutritionist post-care. I can’t tell you enough how many of these boards you will find with people with no clue how to take care of this new tool and maintain the weight loss or address a stall. Hope this helps. Wishing you luck on your journey!

Thank you so much for your reply.

You helped me a lot. Not only am I researching surgeons but also the hospitals and facilities they use. Also the number of surgeries they do each day. That is very important.

Do you mind telling me about he facility Dr.Mendiola uses? Was it up to par for you?

Also do you mind me asking how much it was for you to have it done?

On 5/28/2018 at 7:22 PM, JTHmom said:

my daughter went to Dr Ponce she said it was amazing she is now down 106 lbs I'm considering dr Ponce or Dr illian just have not decided yet i believe we paid $5000 for her gastric sleeve

Thank you for your reply!

I put him on my research list! Thank you!

On 5/28/2018 at 8:22 PM, JTHmom said:

my daughter went to Dr Ponce she said it was amazing she is now down 106 lbs I'm considering dr Ponce or Dr illian just have not decided yet i believe we paid $5000 for her gastric sleeve

Hi there. I am seriously considering having my sleeve with Dr. Ponce. Would you mind sending me a pm about your daughter’s experience with him? I would really appreciate any advice on what to expect. I would be going alone so please consider helping me out. Thank you so much.

On 2018-05-28 at 5:22 PM, JTHmom said:

my daughter went to Dr Ponce she said it was amazing she is now down 106 lbs I'm considering dr Ponce or Dr illian just have not decided yet i believe we paid $5000 for her gastric sleeve

I would also be grateful for any information on Dr Ponce and his team that you can share.