Hello everyone, I am Rachel...

My husand and I were talking about lap band yesterday so i was on here until about 1 am reading everyones posts. I am retyping this because i accidentally hit the back button...will type more later, but i lost about 3 paragraphs :rolleyes2: lol...

Anyway, i am considering having it done in Mexico with either Dr. Ortiz or dr. aceves.

I have 80 lbs i want to lose, and my bmi is 33.6, my husbands is 35

any advice? price, pain, experiences? I have had 2 c sections, does that effect the way my surgery will be done?

Thanks...

Hello! I'm in so cal too. Going through the stages with Dr. Johnsrud at St. Joseph hospital. Have you attened any seminars?

No I have not been to any seminars...yesterday was the first time we ever talked about it, i will give my self 6 months of seriously trying to lose weight, and if i cant do it and keep it off...i will consider lap band...i just dont want to yoyo for the rest of my life, i am only 21 and feel so tired

I understand. I have tried everything and I think this wll be a good tool in losing weight and keeping it off. Good luck to you.

I just wanted to let you know that I had the lap band done in January in Mexico with Dr. Corvala and was very pleased. I am a nurse here in the states, but the hospitality and care was wonderful.

I just had lap band surgery on 12/16/07. I have lost 21 pounds since the surgery. I have had 2 fills since the surgery. I had my surgery done in Tijuana, Mexico in a beautiful clinic with an exceptional Dr. My surgery on cost $6,750, they quoted me $7,500, but I sent an email back and said that I only had $6,750, they accepted my offer. All my fills are free. If you fly into the airport in San Diego they pick you up and take you back to the SD airport. You stay the night in a 4 star hotel that is next to the building that the clinic is located at and then you have your surgery the next morning, you are realeased the following morning after that. You would be there for a total of 3 days, 1 day at the hotel and 2 at the clinic. You feel good enough to make the flight home. It was a little scarry having it done in Mexico, but it has turned out to be well worth it. Once I saw the clinic and met the Dr. my fears were gone. I have heard that the operation in the USA is in the neighborhood of $16,000.

If you live in San Diego the patient coordinator picks you up at your house and someone will take you home after the surgery. If you don't live in SD and you fly into the airport in SD, again someone will pick you up and drop you off at the airport. The surgery is very none intrusive. If you live in SD all of your fills are free at Dr. Gonzalez's, I just got back today from having a fill. I park my car on the USA side, take a cab to the clinic, next to the Grand Hotel, and then take a cab back to the walk through border, it is EZ Breezy. You really should read the content on this website for Dr. Gonzalez's website, the clinic that I had the surgery done at: (I cannot put a link to Dr. Gonzales's website, but it is golap-band and then of course dot com, if you have more questions you can email them and Dr. Alvarez will answer your questions. It is a really nice place and it is about $10,000 cheaper. Also, since lapband was just recently FDA approved, there are no American doctors with any where near the experience that Dr. Gonzales has with gastric banding. Dr. Gonzales is one of the first Dr.'s to be approved by the INAMED lapband devices. INAMED is the FDA approved lapband device that is placed around your stomach when you get banded. Good luck with your decision, lapband offers me a new and exciting outlook for my weight control and my diabetes.

ckopasek