I've had surgery in Mexico twice and both times I was very impressed with the level of care I received. The facilities I went to and surgeons I used were top-notch and they took amazing care of me. They were very thorough pre and post-op and I could not recommend them more strongly. Mexico gets a bad rap from the uneducated and ignorant. But the truth is that there are world class surgeons there. The competition really does drive up the quality as long as you aren't always just looking for the cheapest option. Think about it, these surgeons all rely on word-of-mouth and the reviews of their patients to attract new patients. It is in their best interest to provide extremely positive experiences. In the US, you maybe have one or two options for local surgeons? Where is the motivation for them to do their best when they are the only option available?
As for follow-up care, I met with my PCP prior to leaving for Mexico. She ordered regular blood tests for me post-op to make sure I wasn't developing any deficiencies. Those were all covered by my insurance, because the orders were coming from my PCP. I had also contacted my insurance company prior to surgery to make sure that if I did develop a leak or infection once I was home, I would be covered if I went to the ER. They assured me that I would be. You should definitely talk to your insurance company to make sure that's the case for you. They basically explained that even though they wouldn't cover the surgery itself, any complications from the surgery would be just like complications from any other elective behavior. If I were a smoker, they would cover my lung cancer treatment, even though it was MY choice to smoke. If I fell off the roof while cleaning the gutters, they would cover my broken bones, even though it was MY choice to get up on the roof in the first place.
As for how to convince your family, you may not be able to. I am well known to make VERY well-researched decisions, so most of my family trusted that I had done my due diligence and was making a smart choice. But some people are just opposed to surgery outside the US. They are convinced your organs will be harvested and you'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice or whatever. There's no changing those people's minds. They will refuse to acknowledge that THOUSANDS of people travel to Mexico and have successful surgeries every week. As long as you do your research, you can be confident that you will be safe and well cared for. Whether or not you can convince others of that is really up to THEM, not you.
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