Tijuane vs. Monterrey, Help!

[BiggestLoser 0]

Thanks everyone for all the great information. Kasey, most lap band surgeries in Mexico are about 8,000-9,200. Dr. Rumbaut is 10,600 in Monterrey. I am considering Dr. Sanchez, also in Monterrey, and his cost is 8,000-8500. Both are good I have heard.

Dr. Rumbaut's facilities and staff are easily worth the piece of mind.

[GeezerSue 7]

While the Tijuana surgeons are certainly competent, there is no full-service, modern, staffed hospital like we are used to on this side of the border. Last time I was at his hospital, Kuri's less expensive facility was a little, tiny...maybe 8- or 10-room bare-bones maternity hospital, which charged $47/day. That was two or three years ago. He later added a lovely new place with a beautiful view. But is was not anything like a staffed hospital. Ortiz's latest place is one of those "south of the border alternative cancer treatment centers." Not any place I'd want to go, because (just my opinion) those places are just selling false hope to desperate people.

Sanchez has a full-fare deal, with hotel rooms on the upper floor of the hospital. Rumbaut (my guy) works a fully-staffed teaching hospital. With my kind of luck, I'm happier knowing that there is probably a cardiologist or pulmonogist in the house.

Sue

[Zoe 6]

I'm a happy Rumbaut patient. Just make sure you line up your aftercare arrangements (assuming you aren't going back to Monterrey/Tijuana for fills and check-ups) before you select the Mexican option. As you've probably read elsewhere, not all US doctors accept other surgeons' patients.

[Murphles 0]

I have heard his patients are very passionate about him! I really did not realize the difference in facilities.

I heard that Ortiz was a bit of a mill.... Not that that is necessarily bad! Mills actually can be good-Studies show that lots of procedures usually leads to more competent physicians and teams-why do you think the Cleveland Clinic is so good at heart surgery! I just want to know that I am not just a cog in the mill.

And what is so good about Rumbaut! Thank you for your time.

[shalopash 0]

After much research I went to Dr. Rumbaut. I'm very pleased with that decision for many reasons. However, as stated above, before going to Mexico make sure you have someone who will do your fills (unless you are going to return to Mexico for the fills). I personally have gone back to Monterrey for my fills because I was so impressed with Dr. Rumbaut and I don't want anyone else to mess up my band. I also live in Texas so it's not that far to go.

[GeezerSue 7]

...

And what is so good about Rumbaut! Thank you for your time.

Rumbaut was part of the pre-FDA testing, so it was a lot of his work that allowed the original band FDA-trials in this country. And, he is a band patient. so he knows the procedure from both sides. (And his family lived in Ohio when he was in junior high, so he is fluent in English.)

[Marimaru 7]

I also went to Dr. Rumbaut. He and his staff all speak fluent English, and it's very important to him that you are comfortable with the procedure. After I'd scheduled my surgery, he called me just to make sure I didn't have any questions.

The facilities are wonderful, and the rooms are nicer than anything I've seen in a hospital in the states.

I also got a follow call and email from his assistant within a couple weeks of coming home to see how I was doing. :eek:

[one gone dog 0]

with out repeating all the things already said about Dr Rumbaut ill only add a few things,

1) He has a lap band, so when you say "i feel this way or that way" he actually understands.hes had his band around 8 years.

2) he has done (verifiable) over 4,000 lap bands. no u.s. surgen has come close to this. not that there arnt some good docs here in the u s a, they just dont have the numbers.

3)hes had 15 erosions. the first 12 happened in the first 200.he believs it was how they were put in that caused this. its unkown what caused the other 3.but they also happend very early on. now these are the only ones reported to him or inamed.

4) hes only had 2 port infections. both happened in the same week. he then paid for a new air filtration sytem in his surgical room that replaces the air in the room every 2 minutes. hasnt had one since. once again thats all thats been reported to him or inamed.

5)hes on The International Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery Team.

Founders:

G. B. Cadiere, M.D., Ph.D Surgical Department, Free University, Brussels (Belgium)

F. Favretti, M.D. Obesity Center, University of Padua, Padua (Italy);

Surgical Department, Regional Hospital, Vicenza (Italy)

Members:

R. Rumbaut Diaz, M.D. Centro Medico San Jose, Monterrey (Mexico)

A. Osterwalder, M.D. Ars Medica Clinic Lugano (Switzerland)

J. Himpens, M.D. Surgical Department, Free University, Brussels (Belgium)

G. Segato, M.D. Obesity Center, University of Padua, Padua (Italy);

Surgical Department, Regional Hospital, Vicenza (Italy)

both my wife and i used Dr. Rumbaut for or bands with a aftercare doc up here next to seattle.

after seeing his hospital and knowing what i know about him, IF he was up here OR we lived closer to monterrey i would love for him to be our family doctor.

[BandsterHopeful 1]

Geezer and others - I'm afraid you're a bit out of date! Dr Kuri has a brand-new, top-of-the-line hospital that is up to ANY US standards, and is certainly "Full-staffed, competant, and modern". The fluoro lab in the hospital also is with brand-new equipment. I have to say, though, that i was banded in the "older" hospital and the care was excellent, from both a medical perspective as well as a "human" one. any medical person will tell you that many of the larger, busier, "shiny new" hospitals have a far greater infection rate that the (good) small hospitals. There were NO band or wound infections from the years time in the smaller hospital, while there were plenty with some of the other MX surgeons using larger and bigger facilities.

Also, Don Mills will confirm that once a doctor has done several hundred surgeries, he is highly-experienced and likely to have seen and dealt with almost all possibilities - so there is no difference in the skill of someone who has done - say - 2000 surgeries or 4000 surgeries.

So what is left, then? Personalities, staff, facilitators, and other things.

One of the biggest reasons I chose Dr Kuri, is that he has a very excellent online teaching and support site, with banded medical professionals and other very experienced bandsters trained by him to guide and advise you, from both a medical and a personal perspective. I believe no other surgeon can offer this.

The surgery itself is only the very first step - it is the care, fills, followup, trouble-shooting and teaching AFTERwards that will make a huge difference in how you do. Just things to consider. Renee

[GeezerSue 7]

Geezer and others - I'm afraid you're a bit out of date! Dr Kuri has a brand-new, top-of-the-line hospital that is up to ANY US standards, and is certainly "Full-staffed, competant, and modern". The fluoro lab in the hospital also is with brand-new equipment. I have to say, though, that i was banded in the "older" hospital and the care was excellent, from both a medical perspective as well as a "human" one. any medical person will tell you that many of the larger, busier, "shiny new" hospitals have a far greater infection rate that the (good) small hospitals. There were NO band or wound infections from the years time in the smaller hospital, while there were plenty with some of the other MX surgeons using larger and bigger facilities.

Also, Don Mills will confirm that once a doctor has done several hundred surgeries, he is highly-experienced and likely to have seen and dealt with almost all possibilities - so there is no difference in the skill of someone who has done - say - 2000 surgeries or 4000 surgeries.

So what is left, then? Personalities, staff, facilitators, and other things.

One of the biggest reasons I chose Dr Kuri, is that he has a very excellent online teaching and support site, with banded medical professionals and other very experienced bandsters trained by him to guide and advise you, from both a medical and a personal perspective. I believe no other surgeon can offer this.

The surgery itself is only the very first step - it is the care, fills, followup, trouble-shooting and teaching AFTERwards that will make a huge difference in how you do. Just things to consider. Renee

I've only visited his in town place. I've seen photos of the newer place. But what I'm talking about is something like a regional or community hospital with many professionals in place. For unexpected, emergency things happening in the OR or immediately after surgery. At his older place, it was him and an assistant surgeon. That's all...two docs.

One really good thing I didn't mention about Kuri is that he and his wife don't like for his wife to be left home alone, so he doesn't proctor and he can almost always be found in an instant.

[Boo 3]

NewSho,

Why not Tijuana?

[Tamyrn 0]

I used Dr. Del La Garza at OCA hospital, they have a small 5 suite hotel there in the hospital. The Doc comes by a couple times a day to check on the patients, he sits, visits and answers questions...also comforts crying patients umm not that I would ever cry.

I live in Texas and will be returning for my fills, one of the others girls he operated on the same day is from Canada. Three of us bonded there in the hotel and have planned our first fill trip together. The Dr. told us this is not uncommon.

Dr. Del La Garza has proformed over 1800 lap band procedures, he is fluent in english, he recieved his training here in Texas and he teaches in Latin America. My friend from Canada had consulted with a physician in Toronto who was trained by Dr. Del La Garza, but he was too expensive. Dr. Del La Garza found the story quite amusing and offered to call and get her in with the Toronto Doc for fills.

I can't say enough good things about the Dr. and the hospital. Oh, cost $8,750 which included airfare and fills.

All my best, Tammy

[NewSho 20]

This is my own opinion. But I know a ton of Mexican Banded patients. I am absolutely not impressed with the Tijuana based docs or facilities. I love San Diego so Tijuana seemed like it would be cool - but medically even the newer facilities are closer to 'tourist' clinics rather than full fledged medical centers.

Monterrey, as mentioned, is more of a cosmopolitan city. The San Jose hospital that Dr Rumbaut uses is state-of-the-art. It has ICU and trauma level care available. It's the hospital that is on call whenever President Bush flies into Mexico so its' facilities are not just 'acceptable' by Mexican standards but by international standards.

No Tijuana facilty comes close.

The medical professionals I know within the Weight Loss surgery standards would only consider Dr Rumbaut for their doctor, and they won't go anywhere other than his home hospital.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck and Happy Band Journeys To All !

[one gone dog 0]

as matter of fact Dr. Ortiz outright said Dr.Rumbaut would be his doctor should he ever have the band put in.

[kbasel 0]

I am a self pay and used Dr Alberto Aceves in Mexicali Mex. I live in AZ, so I can drive to/from his office for fills. He also has pickup included in his price to/from San Diego for those who fly in. He and the hospitaland staff were great. You may also want to consider him for you doc. He also gives free fills for life, maning you only pay for the xray at fill time. The toal cost of surgery. including transportation from San Diego and hotal is $8200. He also worked in the US. I like him.