Has anyone had their WLS in Mexico? Where is the best place to go? Where do I need to stay away from? Thanks!

Welcome to the forums.

There are folks here that have been to Mexico. Be sure to ask a lot of questions, particularly about after care.

Good Luck,

Tek

Look in this thread...

https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/486-mexico-self-pay-weight-loss-surgery/

Good luck!

I went to Dr. Joya in Puerto Vallarta. Down to 177 from 261, 3ish years post OP.

I took aftercare in to my own hands. Scheduled a few therapist sessions and I get my bloodwork done annually. Also from Canada, so I wasn't worried about any issues with my sleeve afterwards.

Edited October 12, 20205 yr by Ldyvenus

I went to Dr Galileo Villarreal in Nuevo Laredo and my wife went to Dr Alvarez in Piedras Negras, both a nice drive from Houston, TX. Mine was done in a local hospital and hers was done in a dedicated facility with hotel rooms and whatnot. Both of our surgeries went very well with no issues. I’m down 84lbs since June and feeling great.

On 10/12/2020 at 1:41 PM, Officially Not Fatty Matty said:

I went to Dr Galileo Villarreal in Nuevo Laredo and my wife went to Dr Alvarez in Piedras Negras, both a nice drive from Houston, TX. Mine was done in a local hospital and hers was done in a dedicated facility with hotel rooms and whatnot. Both of our surgeries went very well with no issues. I’m down 84lbs since June and feeling great.

Is there one you would recommend over the other? What were the prices? Thanks and glad to hear you both are doing well.

Mine was $4400 total, $400 of which was for a hernia repair. Hers was about $8000-$9000. If I were to do it again I would go to the $4000 one, and if she were to do it again she would do the $8000 one ?. The surgery itself was a success with zero complications for either of us. I lost 145lbs and am at a healthy BMI and weigh less than I did when I was 12 years old (I’m 46 now) and she has lost 20… yep. 20. But don’t let that be a deciding factor. She ate like a bird before, and ate healthy. The smaller stomach didn’t change that, we should have realized this… we are still trying to figure out what is up with her as there is some underlying issue. We are finding new things with each round of tests, NONE of which have anything to do with her surgery. So again, please don’t use her lack of weight loss as a factor in your decision, it is unique to her, her stomach was removed, her medical team was superb, her experience was flawless, her recovery was fast. Both of our facilities were clean, hers was better decorated and most definitely better suited to the procedure and English speaking patients. My doctor and his assistant were perfectly fluent in English but the hospital staff was not, so a lot of google translate was used by both sides. I’m really laid back and kind of enjoy the occasional adventure so none of that bothered me in the slightest. I never felt like I was at risk, and I recovered almost completely in just a few days.. it was just a little surreal being wheeled into an operating room while a phone robot voice was asking me medical questions in prep. My whole weight loss adventure has been very easy for me… but again I wouldn’t use that as a deciding factor either. I don’t imagine my results or hers would have been any different with any other doctor that performed the same operation.
I guess the simplest way to answer this is…. Mine was like a new affordable car, hers was like a new luxury car. Both will get you to where you need to go reliably… what matters is how much you want to spend and what kind of ride are you comfortable with during the journey.  

I went to Dr. Alvarez in Piedras Negras, the same doctor mentioned by the previous poster (his wife). I’ve been twice, once as a patient and once as a support person. Both experiences were positive for me. I had surgery in June 2020 and have been maintaining since January of this year.

I heartily recommend them, however it’s important for you to do the research and figure out what’s the best fit for you.