Hi all -

I just found this forum and am trying to make a decision and thought it would be good to get insight from those who have actually gone through this. I have been researching surgery for quite some time and am ready to do it. I have it narrowed down to two options. My insurance excludes anything weight related so i am strictly self pay and thus limited financially. Here are my two options:

Angeles Hospital Tijuana - Approved and preliminarily scheduled for July 10. Hospital reviews are primarily great from what i have seen. Slight language barrier. Surgeon Juan Corvala seems to have a lot of clout in the industry and rave reviews. Downsides are lack of follow-up but that would be the case for Blossom as well since I live in Indiana. Time spent is roughly the same. This one has 2 nights in the hospital followed by one night at a hotel before traveling home.

Blossom Fast Track - Have been preapproved and received the financial piece and it is to the penny the same as Angeles. I started researching Angeles because I came across some very negative reviews on Blossom but reading this forum, these reviews are all great. So now i'm wondering what time frames all of the reviews i have seen are from. Seems to be a "safer" option to remain in the US and less paperwork (passport, etc).

Anyone actually been to one of these two facilities within the last 6 months or so that can tell me your experience so i can weigh the options and make an informed decision?

Thanks!

Hi Chrissy800,

Have you considered Dr. Selim Jalil Illan Fraijo, MD, FACS, FASMBS at Hospital BC. He is a Master Surgeon and studied under Dr. Corvala.

Check him out at https://hospitalbc.com/

I had my sleeve at Angeles 8 weeks ago. It was great. It is a high end hospital for Mexico, and they take excellent care of you there. It's really some amazing differences from the US. Like when I had an X-ray or the swallow test, they brought me into the room with the machine all ready, done in 5 minutes, whisked back up to the room - in the US, you're always waiting, waiting, waiting at every stage. They provide everything from the surgery to a bed for your support person to a toothbrush.

The only slight friction was some nurses who didn't speak English very well - which was confusing when I had an allergic reaction to a medicine and wanted to ask the nurse what she had given me and what it was for (not my first time having an allergic reaction). But one of the doctors there is from the US, and Dr. Corvala speaks good English, and the hospital administrator who checks you in also speaks great English, so you just have to ask for someone else if you need to communicate something.

I also found the cross-country stuff really, really simple. The guy who picks you up in San Diego has a medical pass to get through the border quickly. On the way down, we didn't even have to show our passport, and on the way back we skipped a 2 hour line.

I can't speak for the Mexico option - I considered it but was concerned my insurance covering post op complications if any came up. I went with Blossom. I too read the negative reviews, but felt they mostly had to do with the financial part of it. I was more comfortable staying in the US, and so went with them. I had a great experience - they handle everything once you are there, and aside from a couple of hiccups involving ground transportation, all went great. Let me know if you have any questions about my experience.

I can let you know about Blossom in June. My surgery will be the 15th, but I arrive on the 11th.

I head to Vegas to start Fast Track at Blossom, in 2 days, with surgery in 7 days. I have heard nothing but good things. The few negative reviews I’ve read were about billing issues, but by and large, they are well-reputed, so I’m feeling confident. I too initially looked into heading to Mexico, but was uneasy about coverage of potential post-op complications. Plus, once I found Blossom, realized it was all outpatient and got a great quote, I went full speed ahead.

4 hours ago, Miss215 said:

I head to Vegas to start Fast Track at Blossom, in 2 days, with surgery in 7 days. I have heard nothing but good things. The few negative reviews I’ve read were about billing issues, but by and large, they are well-reputed, so I’m feeling confident. I too initially looked into heading to Mexico, but was uneasy about coverage of potential post-op complications. Plus, once I found Blossom, realized it was all outpatient and got a great quote, I went full speed ahead.

That’s awesome! I’m looking forward to hearing all about it. I’ll be going to Vegas in a little over three weeks for my sleeve.

On 05/18/2020 at 05:34, G8trgrl said:

That’s awesome! I’m looking forward to hearing all about it. I’ll be going to Vegas in a little over three weeks for my sleeve.

Just following up...I had my sleeve done at Blossom two days ago and I was thoroughly impressed with everything. They run like a well-oiled machine. Everything was done efficiently and promptly, all questions were answered and I definitely feel that they support you even afterwards. It was a top-notch experience. As a patient, and especially as a healthcare professional, I highly recommend them.

Thanks for following up. How is traveling afterward?