Gastric Bypass in Tijuana?

[Ninabnina77 18]

Anyone get the gastric bypass surgery or vsg to gastric bypass revision surgery in Tijuana Mexico. Can you share you good and bad experiences with me. I am looking for a great Dr. to do my surgery, any recommendations would be appreciated.

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[liveaboard15 785]

Hi. I see you got the sleeve just a few years ago. Why are you getting a revision?

[Ninabnina77 18]

Hi. I see you got the sleeve just a few years ago. Why are you getting a revision?

I think the most important thing we need to do is dig in deep and see what is the root cause of why we are overweight. Each one of us who is overweight has a different reason or cause. I am a binge eater and I have dealt with yoyo dieting and weight issues my entire life. I am also a breast cancer survivor. Originally I was looking to get a surgery that would be minimally invasive and best for my body and health over all. I did not want to do the bypass because of the malabsorbtive aspect of it, I thought it would not be good for my body being through cancer already. Now, almost 3 years post op, I realise that I should have chosen the bypass. I have had no peace of mind. My starting weight was 235 lbs, surgery weight was 227 lbs, lowest weight was 167 lbs. I am 5'5" tall and I was never able to get to goal weight. Last summer I regained some weight and went back up to 182 lbs, Jan 2022 my Dr. in Los Angeles put me on contrave and topomax, I weigh 174 lbs now. I got weight loss surgery so I dont have to be on medication, I am so sad that I am dependent on medication right now. I am struggling, and constantly worried about climbing back up to 200's. I got the VSG to have peace of mind and be healthy but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case for me. My oncologist told me that obesity increases your risk of breast cancer recurrence and death by 35%-40%. I had to sit there an reevaluate my situation, and decide to to do the bypass so I can have peace of mind about my weight and not worry about getting cancer back and dying. I have heard and seen so many stories of people who are binge eaters do so much better with the bypass as it forces them to eat better and make better choices. So now I realize this was the better option for me and I should have done it from the beginning. So at this point I want to do the bypass so I do damage control, I dont want to get back to 235 lbs or above to make this decision. I hope this helps. I am looking to go back to Tijuana because I can't afford to do this surgery in the USA. I would go back to OCC as my Dr. there, Dr. Ariel Ortiz and his center OCC were fantastic but they are on the high end when it comes to price and I can't afford to go back there.

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[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 639]

This sounds about like my thinking when I chose the Lap Band. I can now see it was a waste of time and not powerful enough to get adequate weight loss. I know now I should've chosen RNY from the beginning.

Edited May 2 by BypassingMyPhatAss♡

[Quesodip251 86]

I used Dr. Armenta with Renew Bariatrics in Tijuana. He’s a hottie, I ain’t gonna lie. A lot of people use Dr. Green there but he’s so popular that he’s booked up 2-3 months out. Mine was a week ago so can’t comment yet on results. I had the SASI (mini gastric bypass plus sleeve removal) Cost was $5600 but is $5800 now. Make sure you ask tons of questions of the surgeon bc the coordinators don’t know what’s going on. It was all Americans in my cohort. The hospital policy is 30+ bmi but I’m not sure if they would make an exception for a revision. Worst case scenario is you could gain 10 lbs and then have it.

[Ninabnina77 18]

I used Dr. Armenta with Renew Bariatrics in Tijuana. He’s a hottie, I ain’t gonna lie. A lot of people use Dr. Green there but he’s so popular that he’s booked up 2-3 months out. Mine was a week ago so can’t comment yet on results. I had the SASI (mini gastric bypass plus sleeve removal) Cost was $5600 but is $5800 now. Make sure you ask tons of questions of the surgeon bc the coordinators don’t know what’s going on. It was all Americans in my cohort. The hospital policy is 30+ bmi but I’m not sure if they would make an exception for a revision. Worst case scenario is you could gain 10 lbs and then have it.

Thank you so much for the reply and sharing. Congratulations on your revision. How is your recovery going? How did you decide that the SASI is the best procedure for you? I am confused and don't know what procedure would be best for me. I have been going back and forth between the mini gastric bypass and the full gastric bypass.

I reached out to Renew a few days ago , yes it seems like the intake prople do not know much about the procedures. Did you get to speak to your Dr. via a video call for a consultation? Does the staff at Renew speak English? Was ths hospital clean? Are you satisfied with the care they gave you at the hospital and the surgery the Surgeon performed on you?

Thank you again for your input, I terrified going back to Mexico to new facility and new surgeon. I need to do all my do diligence before I make the final decision and book my surgery. People on this app can be a lot more helpful and honest than people on Facebook.

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[Quesodip251 86]

22 minutes ago, Ninabnina77 said:

Thank you so much for the reply and sharing. Congratulations on your revision. How is your recovery going? How did you decide that the SASI is the best procedure for you? I am confused and don't know what procedure would be best for me. I have been going back and forth between the mini gastric bypass and the full gastric bypass.

I reached out to Renew a few days ago , yes it seems like the intake prople do not know much about the procedures. Did you get to speak to your Dr. via a video call for a consultation? Does the staff at Renew speak English? Was ths hospital clean? Are you satisfied with the care they gave you at the hospital and the surgery the Surgeon performed on you?

Thank you again for your input, I terrified going back to Mexico to new facility and new surgeon. I need to do all my do diligence before I make the final decision and book my surgery. People on this app can be a lot more helpful and honest than people on Facebook.

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My recovery is great! I had bad acid reflux the first week but it’s all but cleared up now. I’ve received several emails on nutrition since then and reminders, etc.

In your case, it won’t matter which of the MGB or RNY bypass you do since you already had the sleeve. The mini can cause more reflux with the remnant stomach backing up into the pouch, but since yours was removed with the sleeve you shouldn’t have that issue. Statistically there’s less risk of complications with the mini outside of that but for either procedure it is very low.

My Dr. didn’t tell me he was doing the mini until afterwards. There’s a lot of communication breakdown there but it’s not like they screwed up the surgery or anything. Be very careful with that. The coordinators don’t know anything about the procedures more than we do via google. The renew staff does speak English but they’re a parent co so you won’t necessarily see them 24/7 like you do the nurses. My stomach was partially removed (which makes it a SASI) to decrease ghrelin levels and reduce reflux risk since I already had GERD.

They use CER Hospital, which is only 7 years old and pretty nice. My bathroom there is nicer than the one back home! One family member/friend is allowed to come with you and stay the night at no charge and if you choose so you get a “suite” which gives an extra space and bed for said friend. The doctors there all speak English well but the nurses speak only a little so google translate helped a lot, lol. Some of the nursing practices are a little dated but I fixed anything that seemed off (I’m an RN). They were very attentive with wound care though I will say. As far as cleanliness goes, it’s the cleanest hospital I’ve ever seen! Sheets, towels, trash, etc are changed daily. I didn’t even use all of my towels bc I didn’t need that many.

One week of meds for after surgery is given to you at no charge which is nice. Getting to know the other people in your cohort was the coolest part bc you all go through it together and support each other!

I didn’t receive a video/Skype call from the Dr. beforehand but if you request it I’m sure they could do it. All bariatric procedures are done in the afternoons so he’s free in the mornings (cosmetic procedures are done in the AM).

1 night stay at The real inn hotel is part of your charge and it’s really nice and modern. I actually got mine for free bc one of the coordinators wrote down that I was waiving the hotel for the optional $100 reduction when I wasn’t, so they charged me $100 less but ended up comping the room anyway for me (I told you the coordinators don’t know what they’re doing.)

I do wish there was better communication before the procedure so if you can get a Skype call with the doctor beforehand that would be great as communication is the main problem there. If you can get Dr. Green (you better book wayy ahead) then go for it bc everyone loves him. He even takes pics of the sleeve patients’ stomachs and gives them a copy, lol. Sometimes I wish I had him!

I’m a lower bmi patient like you-my bmi was 31 when I signed up. I was the smallest one there but no one cared.

Overall, it’s a good experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat 💗

[Quesodip251 86]

The mini will have one anastomosis (connection) vs 2 for RNY bypass which gives you less risk for complications of leaks and dumping syndrome. It’s also simpler and quicker procedure for the surgeons. The cost was the same for both where I’m at. I’d go with the mini if the price is the same, otherwise go with the cheaper one!

[Ninabnina77 18]

The mini will have one anastomosis (connection) vs 2 for RNY bypass which gives you less risk for complications of leaks and dumping syndrome. It’s also simpler and quicker procedure for the surgeons. The cost was the same for both where I’m at. I’d go with the mini if the price is the same, otherwise go with the cheaper one!

Thank you so much for all this great information. That's great that you're an RN.[emoji171] Is your stomach pouch the size of a gastric sleeve? Was this your first surgery or a revision? Do you know why your Dr. chose the mini bypass for you last minute?

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[Quesodip251 86]

He said the same amount was taken out as a sleeve patient. This was my first WLS. There is a charge for a revision-maybe an extra $500 or so. I only know bc a revision patient there told me.

I have no idea why he chose it. I’d definitely try to get a consultation with a Dr. and don’t listen to the coordinators, lol

[Ninabnina77 18]

He said the same amount was taken out as a sleeve patient. This was my first WLS. There is a charge for a revision-maybe an extra $500 or so. I only know bc a revision patient there told me.

I have no idea why he chose it. I’d definitely try to get a consultation with a Dr. and don’t listen to the coordinators, lol

Thanks, for all the info. After talking to you today, I did tons of research on th mini gastric bypass, one of my worries is bile reflux. Did your surgeon discuss this with you? The mgb has a high rate of getting bile reflux when compared to all other weight loss procedures.

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[Quesodip251 86]

No but I researched it myself. It’s from the leftover stomach backing up into the pouch. My leftover stomach was removed so I have a decreased risk (as was yours with the sleeve).

If you have concerns I’d say just go with the RNY. I wouldn’t over analyze it bc at the end of the day, YOU control your weight loss and side effects more than which procedure you choose. You can bypass acid/bile reflux by not eating foods that cause it and you can control how much weight you lose by your determination to follow the rules of the surgery.

My own father had RNY bypass and gained almost all of it back. Ultimately your determination to get healthy and stick with the program will matter more than which procedure you choose. 😊