JAC

Did you make a decision about going to Dr. Ortiz? I've been to OCC for both a lapband and gastric sleeve. Both times my experience has been fantastic. Definitely worth paying a bit more money than what other places charge for first class service. Dr. Ortiz is not the cheapest and is not the most expensive in Mexico. I had additional charge for my sleeve because of my prior surgeries on my stomach. If you have not had any prior surgeries, there is no extra cost. Also, there is no extra cost if they find something during surgery. So if they find you have a hernia, they don't charge extra after the fact. They don't charge extra for the hernia repair anyway. They assume that most obese people have a hernia. Bariatric Pal also runs their own surgery clinic, so you may not get the most unbiased opinion on this support site.

There is a form on the AB Health Care website for out of country procedures that you need to submit along with an itemized receipt from the clinic. You can also claim everything else as a medical expenses, including the cost of the flight on your taxes. You need to follow the Revenue Canada rules on this, but I was able to claim everything, including a meal allowance, even though I was on a liquid diet the whole time I was there.

I had a great experience with Dr. Ortiz and would recommend him to anyone. The clinic was much cleaner and more efficient than any clinic here. The care by the nursing staff was excellent. I had a giant hiatal hernia that was fixed at the same time so I was in quite a bit of pain following surgery and the staff was excellent in helping me manage the pain and giving me tips to help me heal. I would have no concerns at all about leaving Canada for medical treatment at that clinic.

I travelled back on my own. Don't be afraid to ask for help. When I got to the check in counter in San Diego I told them I just had surgery and would need help in Vancouver to clear customs. They had someone there with a wheelchair and had someone pick up my bags from the baggage claim. They then transferred everything to the right flight to Calgary and got a golf cart to take me to the other terminal. There was no way I could have done all of that without help. I was so grateful for the help. Mind you, I did have a giant hiatal hernia that was repaired so I did have lots more pain and surgery than most.

Yes, I claimed everything including the flight, a per diem amount for food (not that you eat anything while down there), cost for surgery, and any other travel expenses (i.e. km travelled to get to the airport). It worked out to about $15,000 the year that I went, but the Canadian dollar was much lower then compared to now.

I didn't get a letter from a doctor. I just submitted everything. I think as far as Alberta Health Care goes you don't have to prove your need to have the medical procedure. I have heard that Revenue Canada requires it for your tax return, but I submitted all my receipts without a letter and they did not question it.

I see Dr. Descoteaux in Calgary for my fills. I am now down 75 pounds and wearing a size 14. It is great to be able to shop in a regular store for clothes. If you want you can join our Calgary Lapband support group through Yahoo Groups. We get together about 1 a month face to face but also have a lot of on-line support for people in Alberta. Julie calgarylapbanders : Calgary Lap Banders

In speaking with Dr. Descoteaux, he told me that if I needed the port repositioned, replaced, or the band replaced, he would do it and it would be covered. Since he is the head of the program in Calgary, I am thinking what he said is true, but then again, since there have been so many cuts to the lapband program, who knows what would be covered and what would not. If you are traveling anywhere out of the country, you can not obtain travel/medical/health insurance that would cover anything. Because the purpose of your trip is to seek medical attention, there is no company that would cover any part of complications, etc. Don't waste any money trying to buy medical insurance if you are going out of country for the procedure. You just have to take your chances.

I live in Calgary and went to see Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. I was quite apprehensive about going to Mexico until one of the support people from TLBC told me that a doctor from Mexico just finished doing training for one of the doctors. I also met three people who had been banded in Mexico, and they spoke of nothing but good, but they also said that you do have to do your research before going to Mexico, or any clinic for that matter. I read everything I could about Dr. Ortiz on-line from various websites as well as called the maker of the lapband. All reports were excellent, so I decided to book for November 6, 2006. I had 100 excess pounds to lose. The clinic was exceptionally clean and the staff was excellent. There were absolutely no issues with language as everyone but one nurse spoke very fluent English. The care I received was better than at any hospital in Canada or the US. I have had no problem with aftercare here in Calgary as I have the choice of three fill doctors here. If at this point I would need the band replaced or fixed, it would all be covered by Alberta Health and would be done by one of the four surgeons here in Calgary. Dr. Ortiz will also do any repair work free of charge, I would just need to pay for the flight. If something were to happen, I don't know which way I would go. So far I have lost 71 pounds and hope to lose another 15-20, but would actually like to hit the 100 pounds lost mark. I know there are lots of people who think it would be terrible to go to a clinic in Mexico, but I looked at it like this - Dr. Ortiz does no other surgeries but lapband. He is very skilled at it and is committed to that surgery being the best for patients. There are no surgeons in Alberta that only do lapband surgeries, so Dr. Ortiz would have more experience than any one who is close to me. He complication rate would be much lower because of his experience. He did also train all the surgeons in Montreal, so he is very familiar with Canadian standards and taught within them. Just my two cents. Julie Nov 6/06 258/187/158 Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, Mexico