Pros and Cons of having surgery in Mexico

[NtvTxn 1,262]

This "idiot" doesn't draw my blood, she sends me to a phlebotomist....she does keep my Migraines under control though.

That doesn't tell me anything bad about surgeons in Mexico it says tons about your PCP though. I wouldn't let a idiot like that draw my blood.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

That was my doctor's point "As far as I know the only guts removed during my surgery is 85% of my stomach" This little statement sure has stepped on some toes.....sheeesh!

BTW - at my private hospital in Dallas, where only self pay patients are, we too are in a private room for recovery. I didn't realize this was a "contest". You say extremely clean like you were surprised.

I went to Mexico to have my Lap Band removed the revise to Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.

I don't regret it for a second, and as far as I know the only guts removed during my surgery is 85% of my stomach...

I was VERY pleased with my service while I was there. From the moment we were picked up by Ernesto, they all went out of their way to explain everything to expect in detail. Sure enough that is how everything happened.

I like the idea that Dr. A keeps you in the EXTREMELY clean Almater Hospital for 3 nights. I did need all that time it turns out as I had very severe nausea. The Nurses were world class and I told them I wish there were more of them where I'm from.

Also it is a real Hospital, not a clinic and you are given a private room during your recovery.

My original first choice was Dr. Cirangle in San Francisco - because whoever I chose was going to be the very best! I ultimately had to make a choice based on funds available and went with Dr. A. Zero regrets and I'm so thankful to them to this day. I still keep in contact with them, and I'm TRYING to get back to see him post op. I had an appt for this weekend but snowy roads and lots of fog have postponed it.

Soon though!!

One thing to keep in mind is how you plan your post op care. My PCP has agreed to keep an eye on my panels and record my weight, but I'd rather still see Dr. A for my barium swallows or Upper GI's. So... I have that covered.

[SouthernSleever 236]

This "idiot" doesn't draw my blood, she sends me to a phlebotomist....she does keep my Migraines under control though.

Yeah, I get that. I did 3 years in nursing school and this kind of attitude really pisses me off. It's lumping a whole group of people with one ignorant statement. My PCP can control migraines but that doesn't excuse her to make bs comments.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

And that's your opinion, and I'm ok with that. I personally don't care who you went to or what you have to say about your doctor, American doctors, my PCP or my surgeon in Dallas for that matter. I'm not thier advocates or walking advertisment. I can't believe you're so upset with what my doctor said to me. Big deal. It's not like I considered going to Mexico and went to ask what she thought and she told me to steer clear. (but so what if she had) She had a friend who went there and she told me what she thought....kind of friend to friend. Are you on someone's payrole or what??!! Who cares what this one doctor said to me in the privacy of her office? It sure got your panties in a wad.

So, why'd you quit after three years?

Yeah, I get that. I did 3 years in nursing school and this kind of attitude really pisses me off. It's lumping a whole group of people with one ignorant statement. My PCP can control Migraines but that doesn't excuse her to make bs comments.

[SouthernSleever 236]

I'm real sure her friend who went to Mexico came back with some organs missing. I quit after 3 years because I was pregnant with my first son and the hospital I did clinicals in (common in a lot of hospitals) didn't chart the patient correctly and had me tending to a patient with shingles for a 12 hr shift without telling me till afterwords. I had never had chicken pox and was in my first trimester. So I dropped out with 1 semester to go. Last straw in a long line of messed up stuff they do in hospitals. My panties aren't in a wad, but thanks I hadn't heard that in about 10 years.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

It's a good thing you got out, sounds kind of like where I'm currently living. We call our local hospital, 'the Wal Mart of health care'. All my doctors are in the neighboring town and like I said, due to cost, and because I'm a Texas girl, I went to Dallas for my surgery. I just think they're better down there! I guess it's shocking that 'all of them' are crossing the border!! You'd think MORE of us would be going there and they'd be trying to figure out how to get rid of US!!!

Ten years huh? Wow.....you need to get out more, you must lead a sheltered life! LOL

I'm real sure her friend who went to Mexico came back with some organs missing. I quit after 3 years because I was pregnant with my first son and the hospital I did clinicals in (common in a lot of hospitals) didn't chart the patient correctly and had me tending to a patient with shingles for a 12 hr shift without telling me till afterwords. I had never had chicken pox and was in my first trimester. So I dropped out with 1 semester to go. Last straw in a long line of messed up stuff they do in hospitals. My panties aren't in a wad, but thanks I hadn't heard that in about 10 years.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Please all, let's stay on topic. I'd hate to have to close a thread that can really provide support and information to many here.

Thank you.

[renniemommie 8]

NtvTXn sure has to get the nasty little word in on every thing disagreeable. Wow. It never ends....

As far as Mexico care goes, I've had other kinds of Medical work done in Mexico and loved all the Doctors and Staff and had full confidence in them-I'll go back in a hearbeat. Funny thing, my SIL is from Columbia (the country), she says that she'd never go to Mexico to get work done, she doesn't think those Dr's are good, trained well, etc...same argument we use here, but she was shocked when I told her that was what many people would say about Columbia! And in Spain I heard that the best dentists were in France. It never ends!

[txbina 0]

Obviously going to another country for surgery is a big decision, just as having elective surgery is an equally big decision....After tons of research, I chose to go to Mexico based on cost and surgeon experience. My mother in law and a friend also went to Dr Aceves. I cannot say enough wonderful things about my experience and would not hesitate for a second if my husband or another family member wanted to go as well. I will be graduating from nursing school in a few months and must say that I have seen some things during clinical that make me think holy h*ll! I'm sure these things are everywhere, but my point is that just because you choose a facility in the US doesn't mean that you'll get top notch care. Obviously the cons for Mexico: travel and lack of being in close proximity for post care; however I have had rapid response to all of my questions after surgery once I returned home. Oh and I have a 9yr old and 11yr old. Good luck with your decision. I'm happy to share more details of my experience if needed.

[former_vbg 198]

Just curious, how do you sue as a non-resident of that country? Not trying to be nosy, just seems like the cost to hire a law firm capable of taking something like that on would be cost prohibitive unless there was a death involved. I'm not saying you shouldn't have sued, guess I'm just curious more than anything.

I posted this elsewhere but maybe it bears repeating. I sued the Jerusalem Clinic in Tijuana MX.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like most things the truth lies somewhere in the middle. You basically get what you pay for, a cut rate procedure. The procedure is fine and you get what you pay for and not much else. If you come through it fine with no complications then you really save a lot of money.

As others have pointed out the facility is VERY VERY small. It is a store front in a strip mall. The rooms are tiny but adequate. Most of the staff speak SOME english, a very few speak good english. Contrary to popular opinion Tijuana is a relatively safe town. Just like any metropolitan are it has its rough sides, but you will not be near any of them unless you go out of your way to go to them.

They will pick you up at the San Diego airport at the end of the front terminal, it happens to be the Jet Blue terminal. They pick you up and take you to Tijuana, there they stop at a small medical clinic that appears to be in a rough part of town, they take a blood sample for "tests". What tests they run is a mystery as you never hear about it again. When you finally arrive at Jerusalem they check you in and take your remainder of payment. They usher you to a staging / recovery room - they are supposed to weigh you in too but often forget to. In the waiting room you strip and get ready for the operation. An elderly doctor who is a cardiologist comes in with a very tiny portable ECG machine and takes a quick ECG test, he asks some questions about your heart health. A nurse comes in and puts in an IV and wraps your feet and calves with light bandages - to help prevent DVTs. Afterwards you WALK - there is no room to wheel you on a gurney - to the operation room. You are quickly put under and the operation is done. I was rather roughly wakened by being shaken very hard and asked loudly to WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!. Then you again WALK back to the recovery room. After a while you are walked to a double room that is barely big enough for 2 beds to join another patient who may be recovering from a different procedure - they do many other things thee like cosmetic surgery. They keep you hydrated with an IV and administer pain and anti nausea drugs to you. I was having a LOT of nausea, they seemed to give me enough to keep it at bay. You spend one night in this room and about half a day more and then will leave for the guest house.

The guest house is maybe 15 minutes away in a gated community it is smallish and basic. The workmanship is very very poor by US standards but it is an OK place. The place is packed with as many patients and patients helpers as possible and there is always someone to talk to but not a lot of privacy. The third day you are asked to drink a flavorless blue dye, this is actually the second leak test done on your new stomach, if none of the dye is in the drain bulb - a small bulb attached to a tube going into your abdomen then you have no leaks. The first was done in the operating room where they suffused your stomach and check it.. You are later taken to a radiological clinic and made to drink barium which is incredibly foul, because of the VGS you are forced to sip rather than slam it and get it over with. A quick x-ray is taken to check for leaks. After the x-ray and if you have no leaks it's back to the hospital to pull your drain bulb and change your dressings. I felt a LOT better after the bulb was pulled.

After this it is back to the guest house for one more night. The trip back to the US takes a few hours as you must go through customs to re-enter the USA. You sit in traffic for hours waiting to get through. I actually elected to go back to the states a day early after the x-ray because I was traveling back by air on the 4th day and did not want to do the customs thing and THEN the airport security thing both in one day. The one thing I would recommend is to NOT make your trip as tight as I did, I was forced to by lack of vacation days. Give yourself at least 5 days or more, take the time to mess around San Diego, The air travel is brutal enough without having to be upset by recovering from surgery. Make you return flights as short as possible and spring for first class if you can afford it.

I got exactly what I paid for, nothing more nothing less. I would do it again if I needed something like this again. I was really suffering from my massive weight, blood pressure and sugar all over the place, bad edema in my legs and terrible aches and pains in my hips, knees and ankles from my size. I was 375# at my heaviest.

As a contrast - my wife has had a few laproscopic procedure including a hiatal hernia repair done locally here in the states, none of which are as serious as the VGS but still more than minor, in both cases she was treated as an outpatient and spent only a few hours in the hospital. In the case of the hernia repair she was actually fed crackers when she was to have NOTHING my mouth for 8 hours afterward. When I confronted the nurse she ran out and checked, when she came back in she actually fished the cracker package out of the trash and pocketed it, she later denied giving her anything. I mention this just to point out that you can get crappy service and dreadful mistakes ANYWHERE and the cost of service does NOT reflect the quality of care received.

If you are being strung out by insurance or simply have no insurance and are in fairly good health it is well worth the risk. There most definitely IS risk and you may end up in serious condition. You will have to study and pray about it and seek counsel from friends and your doctor and ultimately make you own decision.

[RMB 0]

Thank you so much for your information. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

I have not decided yet who I will choose. It is an overwhelming decision. I do not have insurance, but I can not afford surgery in the US.

Wishing you success in your journey.

I posted this elsewhere but maybe it bears repeating. I sued the Jerusalem Clinic in Tijuana MX.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like most things the truth lies somewhere in the middle. You basically get what you pay for, a cut rate procedure. The procedure is fine and you get what you pay for and not much else. If you come through it fine with no complications then you really save a lot of money.

As others have pointed out the facility is VERY VERY small. It is a store front in a strip mall. The rooms are tiny but adequate. Most of the staff speak SOME english, a very few speak good english. Contrary to popular opinion Tijuana is a relatively safe town. Just like any metropolitan are it has its rough sides, but you will not be near any of them unless you go out of your way to go to them.

They will pick you up at the San Diego airport at the end of the front terminal, it happens to be the Jet Blue terminal. They pick you up and take you to Tijuana, there they stop at a small medical clinic that appears to be in a rough part of town, they take a blood sample for "tests". What tests they run is a mystery as you never hear about it again. When you finally arrive at Jerusalem they check you in and take your remainder of payment. They usher you to a staging / recovery room - they are supposed to weigh you in too but often forget to. In the waiting room you strip and get ready for the operation. An elderly doctor who is a cardiologist comes in with a very tiny portable ECG machine and takes a quick ECG test, he asks some questions about your heart health. A nurse comes in and puts in an IV and wraps your feet and calves with light bandages - to help prevent DVTs. Afterwards you WALK - there is no room to wheel you on a gurney - to the operation room. You are quickly put under and the operation is done. I was rather roughly wakened by being shaken very hard and asked loudly to WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!. Then you again WALK back to the recovery room. After a while you are walked to a double room that is barely big enough for 2 beds to join another patient who may be recovering from a different procedure - they do many other things thee like cosmetic surgery. They keep you hydrated with an IV and administer pain and anti nausea drugs to you. I was having a LOT of nausea, they seemed to give me enough to keep it at bay. You spend one night in this room and about half a day more and then will leave for the guest house.

The guest house is maybe 15 minutes away in a gated community it is smallish and basic. The workmanship is very very poor by US standards but it is an OK place. The place is packed with as many patients and patients helpers as possible and there is always someone to talk to but not a lot of privacy. The third day you are asked to drink a flavorless blue dye, this is actually the second leak test done on your new stomach, if none of the dye is in the drain bulb - a small bulb attached to a tube going into your abdomen then you have no leaks. The first was done in the operating room where they suffused your stomach and check it.. You are later taken to a radiological clinic and made to drink barium which is incredibly foul, because of the VGS you are forced to sip rather than slam it and get it over with. A quick x-ray is taken to check for leaks. After the x-ray and if you have no leaks it's back to the hospital to pull your drain bulb and change your dressings. I felt a LOT better after the bulb was pulled.

After this it is back to the guest house for one more night. The trip back to the US takes a few hours as you must go through customs to re-enter the USA. You sit in traffic for hours waiting to get through. I actually elected to go back to the states a day early after the x-ray because I was traveling back by air on the 4th day and did not want to do the customs thing and THEN the airport security thing both in one day. The one thing I would recommend is to NOT make your trip as tight as I did, I was forced to by lack of vacation days. Give yourself at least 5 days or more, take the time to mess around San Diego, The air travel is brutal enough without having to be upset by recovering from surgery. Make you return flights as short as possible and spring for first class if you can afford it.

I got exactly what I paid for, nothing more nothing less. I would do it again if I needed something like this again. I was really suffering from my massive weight, blood pressure and sugar all over the place, bad edema in my legs and terrible aches and pains in my hips, knees and ankles from my size. I was 375# at my heaviest.

As a contrast - my wife has had a few laproscopic procedure including a hiatal hernia repair done locally here in the states, none of which are as serious as the VGS but still more than minor, in both cases she was treated as an outpatient and spent only a few hours in the hospital. In the case of the hernia repair she was actually fed crackers when she was to have NOTHING my mouth for 8 hours afterward. When I confronted the nurse she ran out and checked, when she came back in she actually fished the cracker package out of the trash and pocketed it, she later denied giving her anything. I mention this just to point out that you can get crappy service and dreadful mistakes ANYWHERE and the cost of service does NOT reflect the quality of care received.

If you are being strung out by insurance or simply have no insurance and are in fairly good health it is well worth the risk. There most definitely IS risk and you may end up in serious condition. You will have to study and pray about it and seek counsel from friends and your doctor and ultimately make you own decision.

[americangrrl 0]

_{formerVBG..... I was confused too... UNtil I read thru and figured out he must have transposed the letters and typed sued instead of used...}