Mexico

[LezzieLez 180]

Thanks Fishy - Despite how some feel, you are appreciated! People are not being real with themselves. They are relying on information passed down from unreliable sources and coordinators that get paid to book surgeries. The harsh realities are being ignored because of desperation. These surgeons are not God and they definitely have more than one death on their belts.

We are going to a country where we cannot drink their Water. I know the hospitals have filtration systems but did they even check to see if the hotel has it? They are skipping a s-load of tests that are run here prior to surgeries, are they getting these tests prior to going?

The 1% complication rate of VSG is not 1% when you go to Mexico. I cannot imagine what the new number is.

I am going to Mexico- and unfortunately, I didn't choose Alvarez (cannot afford). All I can do is pray - and thats all the others can do because the real information on these surgeons are only known by the surgeons, the dead/butchered patients, and the coordinators.

Thanks again for you insight. You are totally right - being honest and informative doesn't always come with a pretty red bow.

[iggychic 1,405]

The 1% rate BTW is a mortality (death) rate, not the complication rate which is 3 to 5% depending on the complication. THat is a US rate. Mexican rates are not reliable because they have no standard reporting system.

I get why people go to Mexico. I totally support it, but as the last poster mentions, you do have to look at it with reality verses rose colored glasses. You don't know exactly what you're getting into because there is no reporting. Dead patients can't talk and share their story here.

That said, there are great success stories. I went to a US doctor and have a horror story, despite having fully vetted him prior to the surgery. It's surgery and it's a crap shoot sometimes For those who are going soon, I wish you the best!

[Nicolanz 1,484]

I haven't read all the replies. I went to Mexico out of desperation and thank God I'm ok. I understand giving people info that you have personally experienced and don't understand all the backlash! I don't think anyone should be put down for going to MX there are a lot of success stories. I knew a few people who went before me so I felt comfortable.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

Seriously people... ? I would much prefer to read more important things than this. Opinions stated and be done with it. We all had a say and this is not a place of confrontation .. We are here for support. If you have a problem with those of us going to MX so be it...

I am fairly sure if we could have surgery in the states we would, but for a variety of reasons we are going out... So be it, also.

No, not all of us believe it's the best choice, but it is a choice and we are taking it. I've experienced 4 MX surgeries and can feel confident in my choice. It's not convenient, but I'm ok with that at this point in my life.

Just because some of you are able to stay in the states for your surgery doesn't make you any differnt than the rest. Please reframe from making us feel as if we are second rate and don't value our life as important as yours

[SouthernSleever 228]

I could have had surgery in the US as many of the Drs in Tx are having to compete with prices in Mexico. I could have waited 3 months for my insurance to kick in as well, which wouldn't have been a big deal. All in all, I picked Dr Aceves over any other Dr I spoke with. It seems like whenever this topic comes up, everyone is an expert in some field or everyone is leery of those who post on certain doctors. I read several stories about hack jobs in Mexico and obviously several stories of successes.

It comes down to the surgeon, not the country. I'll say this. I had a f* up of an orthopedic surgeon here in the US. He ignored all of my weeks of complaining of swelling and pain in my leg, told me to call him on monday when I was coughing up blood on friday. Never compared the size of the two legs. I ended up going to the hospital with a pulmonary embolism and nearly died. I also had to have a revision on my ankle a year later. I did my research, I even straight up asked them if they had any legal action that was ever taken against them. They lied but I only found out about it after nearly dying. No lawyer would take my case, they all said that Doctors stick together and rarely will testify against each other. The surgeon did wipe clean all my bills to him but I was still left with several thousand bills for the PE through the hospital.

My surgery in Mexico far exceeded anything I have experienced in the US. The private hospital was cleaner and more well run. The entire staff was attentive and caring. Any questions I've had pre/post op have been answered quickly. If Dr A gets a bad review it hurts his rep and his pocket. He can't rely on people choosing him because their insurance covers him. He gets patients because of word of mouth, not a listing.

[Bos123 221]

This whole thread reminds me of an incident with my cousin

Once... She was an EMT and had helped deliver a baby once so she figured she knew more than me about the delivery process and certain aspects of birth... She would just argue with me... Witnessed a birth vrs me who has had three children naturally... Lol it's kind funny, there's always a right fighter or know it all around...

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

I just wanted to clarify something.. someone on here said that the DEATH RATE for VSG surgery was 1%. That is NOT true. Complications from leaks is about 1% Not DEATHS from leaks.. Complications from leaks. Mortality rates 30 days out from surgery date are around 2-3 per 1000 surgeries. Still Scary? Yes, but we can do a lot to reduce our personal risks.

Also can't wait to go to Mexico for my surgery woo hoo. I definitely feel comfortable with my choice BUT for sure I gave it a LOT more research than I would have if my surgeon was in the US.

Also, I feel much more comfortable going through a reputable US booking agency. They have a lot of requirements for their doctors and they make visits to the facilities, etc.

[partofme! 36]

I am from Canada and had my surgery in Mexico, because I need/want to lose weight before TTC and nothing was working. As I suffered from borderline Toxemia while pregnant in the past, I wanted to be in a good weight range and get my blood pressure under control. I couldn't wait the two years we have to wait here in Canada for the surgery. I could have gone into the US and yes, paid about 15K or more. However, if I could save money, then of course, I want to.

I had an excellent experience in Mexico getting my sleeve. There were some issues with pain meds and not getting them in a timely manner, but other than that, so far my doctor here in Canada says everything looks good.

However, I did see some things go wrong, and those were with patients that were higher risk or had a lap band and wanted to swtich to the sleeve. Personally, if I were morbidly obese or had pre-existing health conditions, I would stay in my own country.

For me, I am a very healthy 35 year old female, no health issues, not on any meds, etc. so I felt the risk was the surgery itself. I spoke with my doc here in Canada about going to Mexico and she agreed it is more of a risk.

The reason is because the results are not tracked as easily-if at all. If there are post-surgery complications they are handled back home, not by the doctor, unless it happens while still in Mexico. For example, on girl did have a leak post-surgery and ended up having to get operated on again, and stayed longer. Out of the group of 8 I interacted with in Mexico when I had my sleeve, myself and another girl seemed to have the least amount of complications or problems.

To me, the important thing is the experience of the doctor, the cleanliness and sanitary practises of the clinic, and the follow up you receive while there. I do agree I did take a chance going to Mexico but so far, so good for me, stitches are healing well and out, I am digesting food well, etc.

The decision should be based not on other successes but on your personal medical history, the advice of your doctor, and your research on individual doctors in Mexico. Best of luck in whatever you decide!

[LezzieLez 180]

Thanks Lezzie.

And you're going to be absolutely fine. Because you're smart and intuitive. Who is your surgeon?

I chose Dr. Garcia. It wasn't the best choice overall, but the best choice for the price I can afford (in my opinion).

[LezzieLez 180]

I like this post the most - out of all of the other postings on this site. It really shows a lot about the people I interact with online.

On one end, I want to bang my head against the wall and then I am handed a helmet - there are a few that "get it".

We all understand the reasons why we are going to Mexico. This posting was just someone caring enough to be REAL about the complications and deaths that arise from going there. Yes, there are complications that arise here in the states, but they are better documented.

In Mexico, do we even know if Dr. ABCD is really Dr. ABCD? He could have butchered patients and then changed his name. ( An example- please do not come at me sideways). Are those diplomas real or photo-shopped? With all of the scams we see here in the US, can you imagine what is done there?

We just don't know - and we may never. There are risks that we take as we cross the border. Fishy is just advising us to minimize those risks by doing your research. I don't see the bashing until after the insults started flying.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

I can't imagine any of us MX sleevers haven't put it in perspective all on our own.

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,146]

I think whatever message was intended was lost when everything became heated and confrontational. This thread, as a whole, deteriorated to the equivalent of shouting over top each other focusing more on your reply than what someone was saying.

I cannot speak for the masses , but myself I want to know as much as I can about Dr. alejandro lopez as possible. Good/bad/neutral. I want to hear honest experiences. I'd prefer to avoid generalizations.

I don't want to be apart of an online scream fest.

Fishy, I do not believe I once said your message wasn't worth hearing, but I did comment that the delivery (especially a few pages back in this thread) was overshadowing your point.

Amanda Rae

[iggychic 1,405]

I just wanted to clarify something.. someone on here said that the DEATH RATE for VSG surgery was 1%. That is NOT true. Complications from leaks is about 1% Not DEATHS from leaks.. Complications from leaks. Mortality rates 30 days out from surgery date are around 2-3 per 1000 surgeries. Still Scary? Yes' date=' but we can do a lot to reduce our personal risks.

Also can't wait to go to Mexico for my surgery woo hoo. I definitely feel comfortable with my choice BUT for sure I gave it a LOT more research than I would have if my surgeon was in the US.

Also, I feel much more comfortable going through a reputable US booking agency. They have a lot of requirements for their doctors and they make visits to the facilities, etc.[/quote']

serendipity, since you are going to mexico you won't be given the standard disclosures you get when you have this surgery here, but your information is incorrect. death from leaks? No one said anything about that rate specifically...it's pretty low. More likely you'll lose your stomach, revise to RNY or is it RYN? spend months in hospital...but death is typically not common...its in fact a cause of a problem not the actual thing that kills people (ie me it was lung failure that would have killed me, not the leak). But the death rates from surgery all together are 1% or so. That includes people who die because they have issues during the surgery (ie stop breathing, blood loss, heart attack, anesthesia issues, etc). Complication rates are higher and throw in all possible issues that don't end up killing the patient, ie leaks.

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

Iggy, I was referring to the 1% figure. It is commonly quoted around that there is an average 1% leak rate.. and I was not inferring that leaks kill people, only that perhaps someone had confused the leak rate with mortality rate. Sorry if the way I phrased it was confusing.

I want to make it clear that 1 out of every 100 people who have VSG surgery do not die. Here is a link to an example study. http://asmbs.org/2012/06/new-studies-weigh-in-on-safety-and-effectiveness-of-newer-bariatric-and-metabolic-procedure-sleeve-gastrectomy-demonstrates-weight-loss-and-safety-comparable-to-more-established-procedures/ As you can see, the mortality rate sited here is .08% even less than what I originally said and far far less than 1% .... Here is another example of a well researched source showing a .2% mortality rate http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy-risks-and-complications.html Yes, a variation in the rate reported but still far lower than 1%

If I am incorrect please site a recent source that proves that laparoscopic VSG has a 1% mortality rate... I would DEFINITELY want to examine any study that reports a 1% mortality rate for this surgery.