clk 3,519 Posted February 11, 2012 I had the ability to go wherever I wanted because I was lucky enough to get an unsecured loan through my bank to cover the expense. We have Tricare which does not cover the sleeve and we were not close enough to any Military Treatment Facility doing the procedure on their own. I researched three doctors and quickly narrowed it down to two: Dr. Nick Nicholson (in Plano, TX) and Dr. Aceves (in Mexicali). For me it came down to bang for my buck, honestly. I had two great surgeons to choose from and both offices were great at responding to my questions and putting me at ease with my choice of surgery. However, I ultimately chose to go with Dr. Aceves. The sheer number of absolutely glowing reviews really swayed me, as did the fact that I got more than twice the amount of time in the hospital for half the price. I flew all the way from Germany to San Diego just to see Dr. Aceves and I don't regret my decision one bit! Oh yeah, and one big factor for choosing Dr. Aceves? No hoops to jump through! I filled out my paperwork, picked my surgery date and booked my flight. Easy-peasy. I feel awful for the folks that go through six or more months of fighting their insurance companies just to get denied. Good luck with your decision. If my insurance would have covered the procedure I would have tried that first. If they jerked me around too much I would have gotten impatient and self-paid, anyway, I think. ~Cheri Share this post Link to post Share on other sites