Hello everyone—

I am new to the forums here and wanted to put a feeler out for anyone in the Cleveland area who has had lap band surgery. I am currently looking to have it in Mexico due to insurance and monetary reasons. I am nervous about the surgery and the fills aspect. Anyone willing to talk about their experiences would be great!

Thanks in advance,

Courtenay

I'm also in Cleveland and I had my surgery done in Cincinnati. If you're considering Mexico for the price, remember you have to figure in the cost of airfare and hotel every time you go!

I went to Dr Curry and it was just under $13k for everything. Slightly more than Mexico, but no flying, and he was highly recommended. There's also a Dr in Colorado that does it for under $10k.

I drive back to Cincy for my fills, too, we could carpool! lol

Hi Angie!

Thank you for your response! I also looked into Dr. Curry in Cincy. Can you share a little more about your experiences and how many times you go for fills and how much they cost? And what did you find out about the guy in Colorado?

I know this may sound weird, but I would love to be able to speak to you about this on the phone. Is that possible?

I am considering surgery in Mexico what I can tell you I asked the cordinator for current refernces of people who had the surgery and she gave me names numbers and emails and the people have had very good things to say and some with not so good but nothing out of the norm that does not happen here in the states so it really helped with my nerves

gmechele: where are you looking to have it done in Mexico?? I have looked into Dr. Kuri (in Tiajuana), and Dr. Zapata (in Monterrey)

I am scheduled for April 3rd with Dr Zapata in Monterrey. So far so good!

2 years of fills are included in the initial price, so I don't pay anything!

I went down once 4 weeks post op, and am going again another 3 weeks after that (next week).

Alicia99— How did you decide on Dr. Zapata? Did you research other Dr.'s down there? And do you plan on using him for all of your fills? Having the cost to go back to Mexico whenever you need them?

Angie—how is everything going? Any regrets? Hardships? What do you eat after surgery?

Alicia99— How did you decide on Dr. Zapata? Did you research other Dr.'s down there? And do you plan on using him for all of your fills? Having the cost to go back to Mexico whenever you need them?

There were many good reviews from people who have had lap band with Dr. Zapata. There seemed to be a lot of people happy with him online, but also I met a family in my hometown who went to him, all three, husband, wife, and son, who had lap band with wonderful results with him. His statistics seemed as good as any. The staff has so far been friendly and quick to respond. The hotel and hospital both seem very beautiful and clean from photos, somehow not my image of a Mexican hospital, and that is a good thing. The entire price, including airfare and hotel and the surgery will be about $8000, which seems pretty good for getting my weight back on track...I will sure let you know how my experience goes. I fly home on April7th to my mom's, then get all the way home on April 9th.

Frankly, as my surgery date gets closer and closer, I am searching frantically to read all posts regarding Dr Zapata to make sure I have not missed anything, or someone who is telling of a bad experience there. So far I have found nothing. I don't know, I have never had a surgery for anything before, so I am nervous for sure. I am not a big fan of doctors, and only EVER have gone for the births of my two children. At this point, I am really looking forward to putting this behind me. My overall opinion is that I don't trust Doctors in my own hometown anymore than Doctors in Mexico, so what can I say? Might as well go to Mexico!

There were many good reviews from people who have had lap band with Dr. Zapata. There seemed to be a lot of people happy with him online, but also I met a family in my hometown who went to him, all three, husband, wife, and son, who had lap band with wonderful results with him. His statistics seemed as good as any. The staff has so far been friendly and quick to respond. The hotel and hospital both seem very beautiful and clean from photos, somehow not my image of a Mexican hospital, and that is a good thing. The entire price, including airfare and hotel and the surgery will be about $8000, which seems pretty good for getting my weight back on track...I will sure let you know how my experience goes. I fly home on April7th to my mom's, then get all the way home on April 9th.

Frankly, as my surgery date gets closer and closer, I am searching frantically to read all posts regarding Dr Zapata to make sure I have not missed anything, or someone who is telling of a bad experience there. So far I have found nothing. I don't know, I have never had a surgery for anything before, so I am nervous for sure. I am not a big fan of doctors, and only EVER have gone for the births of my two children. At this point, I am really looking forward to putting this behind me. My overall opinion is that I don't trust Doctors in my own hometown anymore than Doctors in Mexico, so what can I say? Might as well go to Mexico!

And I am going to do fills locally, unless we love Monterrey and want a vacation...but I paid $1000 for airfare, so I doubt it.

Everything went great, definitely no regrets. I'm on a regular diet now, so I eat mostly what I ate before, just a lot less of it!

I don't know much about the going to Mexico for surgery part but there is a Central Ohio lapband member who was looking for a Columbus area fill doctor because she had her banding in Detroit and didn't want to keep driving back up there. A doctor from Cincinnati has an office here as well in Columbus and he is willing to do fills on other patients and he has a base price for the inital consult and then a price per fill.

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Edited March 25, 200818 yr by SpecialK
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Alicia—

Thank you so much for your response about Dr. Zapata. I am seriously considering him and spoke with a woman named Judy from his staff last night on the phone. She was very informed and answered a lot of questions I had.

You mentioned airfare being $1000!!! Where do you live?? I am in Cleveland, OH and am hping that it does not cost that much!

Keep in mind that if you have surgery in Mexico, you'll have to pay for the fills you get locally (which can run into the hundreds of dollars each!). I've also heard it's not easy to get local doctors to fill Mexico patients, so make sure you've found one before you have the surgery.

Angie— Yes, I am considering that. It is certainly a concern for me. Both of the doctors who I am considering in Mexico have Free Fills for LIFE! Unfortunately, I would still have to pay for airfare every time I go down.

I am interested in knowing if Dr. Curry in Cincy would do fills for me. I currently have Dr. Zapata's facilitator looking for doctors in Ohio who would do fills for me. It's just that thinking about Dr. Curry in Cincy—his surgery is twice the amount of Dr. Zapata's in Mexico and I just have to wonder, will I spend more than $7000 in fills for the rest of my life with a doctor in Ohio? AND, Dr. Curry's fills are only free for 2 years.

How often do you have to get fills after say... 2-3 years post surgery?