Would you pick a surgery option close to home or a surgeon with more surgeries?

[barbannn 4]

Hi. I am going to Dallas to interview Nick Nicholson on Wed., 10/28 regarding having Gastric Sleeving later this year. I originally was considering Endobariatric in Mexico to have the surgery. Seems that Dr. Guillermo Alvarez has had many successful surgeries in Mexico - more surgeries than Dr. Nicholson. I do not know if there is a higher complication rate, but he has done A LOT of the surgeries. The cost difference is not a huge factor, but my family is uncomfortable with me having a procedure done in Mexico - particularly if there are complications or a need for follow-ups following the procedure. For those of you who have already made these tough decisions, what are you thoughts? They are both about equal distance from my home near Austin, Texas....

Edited October 24, 2009 by barbannn

[Norma 10]

I would chose quality of surgeon and number of sleeve procedures and complication rate/leak/# of deaths over proximity.

[Tiffykins 673]

I would chose quality of surgeon and number of sleeve procedures and complication rate/leak/# of deaths over proximity.

Ditto, 100%. Cost, and location would have zero effect on my decision.

[pattan59801 0]

I am going to Mexico, Very scary but the DR's are way more experienced,

[barbannn 4]

Thanks so much for the posts and sharing your thoughts - seems like this surgery is more practiced in Mexico than the US. Your posts are so encouraging to me at this pre-surgery point in the process. I had thought I was going with a Mini-Gastric Bypass, but my search has led me to feel the sleeve is a better choice. There does not seem to be as many complications and I think the sleeve is a powerful enough tool to get me healthy. (The band just seems to be a nightmare!) Just have to find the right person to get me started... Thanks again for sharing your stories

Edited October 24, 2009 by barbannn

[cajun 46]

Me too, experience is my number one criteria.

[deedee 5]

For myself, experience and trust played huge roles, but since I was self-pay, I also was very concerned about the cost of possible complications. Part of the reason for pursuing this surgery was to be healthier to live a longer life and be able to start a family. We were worried that costs of complications could possibly make both of those things much more difficult. In the end I did find a surgeon 1.5-2 hours (depending on traffic) away from my home who I felt was extremely skilled who also was able to offer complication's insurance through Blis.

Good luck with your journey! If I had a different sort of husband, I probably would have pursued Mexico as a possibility due to the experience.

[Jachut 487]

Well, as long as the quality and skills of the surgeon werent an issue, I'd choose close to home. We're lucky here but to me, having to go out of the country to surgery is awful. I simply dont know how people can do it, not being able to just get in the car and drive a few suburbs to their appointments.

BUT - and that's a big but, I'm a band patient, not a sleever. I think with a sleeve, that doesnt require constant follow up, out of the country surgery is a much more viable option and I wouldnt choose a band over a sleeve and certainly not a bypass over a sleeve simply to be closer to home. I'd pick the surgery I wanted first and foremost.

[Manatee 0]

For myself, I -only- considered local doctors. This is major surgery, and I wanted someone close by if there were problems/complications/emergencies. Mexico/India/etc. were never an option.

[Bornagainbabe 4]

This wasn't an issue for me as my surgeon was very experienced and had performed other abdominal surgery on me so I put me trust in him.

I'm not being facetious here so don't take it the wrong way but I am just curious - are there a lot of obese people in Mexico and is that why the surgeons are so experienced?

[annak4 1]

I'm not being facetious here so don't take it the wrong way but I am just curious - are there a lot of obese people in Mexico and is that why the surgeons are so experienced?

My surgeon says yes, that overall Mexico is even fatter than America! :001_huh: But I think a lot of their experience comes from Americans more than their own country's people.

[Manatee 0]

I'm not being facetious here so don't take it the wrong way but I am just curious - are there a lot of obese people in Mexico and is that why the surgeons are so experienced?

Mexico approves surgery types quicker than the US, and so the Mexican surgeons usually have several years or more of experience than US surgeons.

Again, personally, I'm not going to any third-world (or worse!) country for surgery.