help me narrow down mexico surgeon choice

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Many U.S. surgeons will only disclose a self-pay rate during a private consultation. It never hurts to make an appointment and shop around.

I didn't know that. Why is that?

Isn't that kind of expensive for the patient? If they are self pay they have to make an appt, pay a specialist office call just to be told they can't go to that office?

I think I'd be pretty darned upset!

[Elisabethsew 50]

Some of the surgeons I work with consider "hardship" cases and do the cases for a very reduced rate and sometimes even free of charge. Of course, the hospital will give a break for cash but rarely provides free services.

[BIG T 0]

it's my understanding that usa dr's are about 3500 more than mexico,when your having surgery i just dont understand why people would go this route i'm not bashing foreign dr"s i'm sure they are good but what if something did go wrong like the resident doing your surgery,,in the usa if they screw up you have numerous laws the will let you collect if you no what i mean,,so the dr:s are extremely careful in mexico if you are an american and they screw up you are SOL again i'm sure the mexican dr is very good but for about 3500 more are you going to take that chance...i know for a fact my dr here in america is doing the surgery.i signed the papers stating he is the surgeon,,,and he's done a lot of these even helps on this sight,,but i have read a lot that lateley in mexico you are not getting the surgeon you think you are getting,,,i hope i dont offend anyone that had there surgery in mexico,,,but maybe a little more thought should go in to this...this is a life changing surgery and i know my dr is only 15 minutes away

[gerard3906 0]

If you don't mind me asking why did the Doctor tell you he may or may not do your surgury?

[cosmos110 0]

Dear Wasa

What does PM stand for ?

[Phoenixrising 0]

PM is private message. Basically an email to the person directly rather than a post to the board itself.

In terms of Mexican doctors, while in some cases the MD advertised is not the MD that does the surgery this is not true in all cases.

In terms of legal recourse, check with Wasabubblebutt as she has information on someone that successfully sued their surgeon in Mexico so apparently it can be done.

[cosmos110 0]

Wasa

What happened ?

I did'nt mean to get us in trouble.

[recov1 0]

Wasa, you are awsome.

I have learned so much from your posts thank you.

I too had a band placed, but had to have it removed. I can only say I have learned alot, I was very trusting and nieve. Since the band removal surgery I have developed pain when I sit. It is very debilitating and difficult to diagnose. I have also realized that I need to do something about my obeysity again. Thank you for sharing the information. I really liked my surgeon in tj I mean I thought they were cool and stuff but in the end I may have been ignorant to the bad reputatation. I will say that I have met Dr.Aceves in Mexicalli and he seemed to truly be concerned for my well being even though I am somebody elses mess. That is he did not cause me the harm and yet as a physician cared enough to talk with me about some options and perhaps course of treatment. He is a total proffesional and it is that simple.

I think that says alott. My journey to regain my health is still underway, but I do have some real life experiences sadly to draw from and I strongly commend Wasa for her generous presentations of relative information for those who are trying to descide who to go to in Mexico or anywere else.

[cosmos110 0]

Dear reocv1

I'm glad you are in good spirits after you loss. I too had a very bad near death experience, loss of money and debanded in the end. My misfortune was with Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey, Mexico.

I learned the hard way that when things go wrong in Mexico you have no where to turn. Your money is gone and you have no legal recourse. I strongly advise anyone who is thinking about surgery in Mexico to picture yourself here in the USA with a surgery gone bad and all the surgeons just walked away from you because your out of money. It was totally thier fault and completely provable, but they could care less because they know there is no legal recourse. ( Not to speak of ).

That of course won't happen in the USA. The Dr will honor his commitment to you because he knows you have options that will ruin him.

Theres your price difference South of the border.

[coltonwade 27]

Dear reocv1

I'm glad you are in good spirits after you loss. I too had a very bad near death experience, loss of money and debanded in the end. My misfortune was with Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey, Mexico.

I learned the hard way that when things go wrong in Mexico you have no where to turn. Your money is gone and you have no legal recourse. I strongly advise anyone who is thinking about surgery in Mexico to picture yourself here in the USA with a surgery gone bad and all the surgeons just walked away from you because your out of money. It was totally thier fault and completely provable, but they could care less because they know there is no legal recourse. ( Not to speak of ).

That of course won't happen in the USA. The Dr will honor his commitment to you because he knows you have options that will ruin him.

Theres your price difference South of the border.

OH dont be so sure about that !! Docs do not ALWAYS honor their commitment to you in the US. your making a HUGE general statement . Is their legal recourse in the US yes. BUT it does not mean a doc wont walk away or do the wrong thing. We all know that happens in the US.

So to say " Go to the US cause docs do the right thing here and they dont in Mexico " is not accurate nor fair. I use to work in the medical field AND worked in a malpractice attorney's office. Ive seen BOTH sides.

Not only do docs do it our own MILITARY Docs do it !

Mindy

[djpfeils 0]

cosmos

I just wanted to add that I started this thread, and have since traveled to mexicali for the surgery. I am a nurse, and thought thru all of the pros and cons listed.

I ended up needing a hiatal hernia repair, and had to stay an additional day on IV fluids, because I was so tight and I couldn't get liquids down.

I did not pay another dime for the hernia surgery or the extra day in the hospital. do you think that would've happened in the US? Now, I really wanted to have my insurance pay a portion of the hiatal hernia surgery, but I could not get Dr A to do an itemized statement for me. I have to live with that, since I went to Mexico.

I do believe that you have to be careful when traveling out of the US. don't select any surgeon that has had problems with complications. choose a reputable Dr.

[Phoenixrising 0]

Please tell me more about your experience with Dr Arturo Rodriguez. What sort of problems did you have? When did this occur? Have you had any revision WLS? What about surgery was the problem?

[cosmos110 0]

Liveinphx

1. I am not very popular with WASA. She's very pro Mexico. I had a band put in 2006. I nearly died from pneumonia. By the time I got to a hospital in the states I had no blood pressure at all. I went for 6 months with the band before I started getting fills. I was moving very cautiously after the sickness. The fills didn't work there was no restriction at all. The doctors here in the USA would look at me but they would'nt touch me. They were afraid of the liability. Most of the Doctors were rude about go back to Mexico. Thats where I wound up. I had to borrow money to get back down there. Back to Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey, where all my trouble started. Theres no way in hell I would've went back to him if there had of been a way around it. Dr. Rod took 2 1/2 hrs longer than was predicted to install the band. In his own words he had a hard time getting the band in. Now after an endoscopy he found that the band had eroded into my stomach and was now blocking my intestines. Most of what I read nowdays is that "Erosion" is caused by the band being installed too tight. For another $2500 he cut the port out of my stomach and pulled the band up through my mouth. I still have it at home. There was no remorse to him. Tough luck. Come back when you got some more dinaro. I feel that I could have hauled him into court here or at least he would have been concerned about it. If you make a decision to go to Mexico, beware that no Doctor here will touch you if you have complications and if anything goes wrong you loose. Kinda like Las Vagas. Let me know if I can be of more help. Good Luck
   

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

it's my understanding that usa dr's are about 3500 more than mexico,when your having surgery i just dont understand why people would go this route i'm not bashing foreign dr"s i'm sure they are good but what if something did go wrong like the resident doing your surgery,,in the usa if they screw up you have numerous laws the will let you collect if you no what i mean,,so the dr:s are extremely careful in mexico if you are an american and they screw up you are SOL again i'm sure the mexican dr is very good but for about 3500 more are you going to take that chance...i know for a fact my dr here in america is doing the surgery.i signed the papers stating he is the surgeon,,,and he's done a lot of these even helps on this sight,,but i have read a lot that lateley in mexico you are not getting the surgeon you think you are getting,,,i hope i dont offend anyone that had there surgery in mexico,,,but maybe a little more thought should go in to this...this is a life changing surgery and i know my dr is only 15 minutes away

You know, I can't say I have ever gone to a doctor based on whether or not I could sue him. If I had a concern about mistakes of that nature being made, I wouldn't have gone to him.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Wasa

What happened ?

I did'nt mean to get us in trouble.

You didn't, things are fixed now and better than before.

I am not very popular with WASA. She's very pro Mexico.

I am very pro Mexico for those that can't/won't pay US costs BUT.... with a heck of a lot of research too!

Edited May 23, 2008 by WASaBubbleButt