Mexico for a Canadian

[so done with it all 1]

If they operated on me standing up, it made no difference since I had no pain at all after surgery. I think pain and recovery are very individual and has nothing to do with the surgeon but moreso with the patient. I always recover quickly from surgery and have never had any problems and others seem to be full of pain for every single surgery they have.

[JAC 1]

The doctors at SWLC in Missisauga told one of the patients from my local group here in Calgary. She was concerned she was too low down on the bed and they told her not to worry because shortly she would be standing. I think all patients assume that the surgery is done while you are laying down because that is how you start off when you hop up on the table, but none of us really knows what happens after that.

I am glad that you had no gas, but I sure know some people who were hardly able to function for a few days because of the pain in their shoulders from the gas.

Julie

Nov 6/06

Dr. Ortiz

258/190/158

[Doddie63 6]

You are probably correct, but are you declaring ouf of country surgeries gas free or was it just you that had no gas. Can you state to me that patients that have surgery out of country are gas free. Certainly doesn't hold true to what I have read on the net.

I am sorry, but my position is that gas pains are common no matter where the surgery was performed and until I see some studies refuting that, I am wondering if you are doing any favor to people researching where they will have that surgery. The good and the bad should be revealed so that people following us in this fairly new proceedure are better informed. I don't want people to go to "my clinic" but I do wish them well in a well informed decision. Doddie.

[JAC 1]

I think you have too much time on your hands to bash people seeking surgery out of country and posting on a thread that you really don't know much about. Great for you that you had the funds and the ability to get to Toronto. Every post I have read that you have posted in this thread is negative and since you did not have your surgery in Mexico, I don't really think you have much to say.

Of course every surgery there is some gas. What I am saying, from pepole who have actually been in the operating room and observed surgeries with Dr. Ortiz, is that he uses less gas than other surgeons. Andrew (Gaffer) I think has the most to say since he had his surgery done in Canada and has also observed surgery in Mexico. His comments sum up all my thoughts as well. If you have not had your surgery in Mexico or have not stood in an operating room in Mexico, you don't have much to say on this subject or in this thread.

[Ang1982 4]

Side note from reading the past few posts - our surgery is done in a standing type position? Really had no idea. I think the gas pain varies by person/surgeon and whatnot. I actually had relatively little gas pains and hardly walked around at all (on a scale of 1 to 10 in gas pain I was a 3-4 maybe a 6 at the very most)

[JAC 1]

JAC, I live just outside of Calgary and am considering Dr. Ortiz...what can you tell me about the aftercare available here? I have been given the name of Dr. Phillip Mitchell for fills - is this who you go to? After reading some of the posts I am concerned about the level of aftercare available to us Calgarians - any info you can provide would be awesome.

Also, you mention we can claim the surgery on AHC? Can you tell me anything about this?

Thanks so very much for your answers!

Claiming with AHC - In order to get back money from AHC you have to submit an itemized receipt along with an out of country reimbursement form (available on AHC website). I got back $1700 of the $8,000 I spent. If you were to go to Toronto, you would only get back about $1,000 of the $16,000. The balance of your expenses can be claimed on your tax return. It is not close to what you have to pay out, but it does help somewhat.

[so done with it all 1]

Andrew (Gaffer) I think has the most to say since he had his surgery done in Canada and has also observed surgery in Mexico. His comments sum up all my thoughts as well. If you have not had your surgery in Mexico or have not stood in an operating room in Mexico, you don't have much to say on this subject or in this thread.

Hardly an unbiased opinion considering he is now the referral agency for Dr. Ortiz. His whole post about being able to watch 2 surgeries at Dr. Ortiz's office was a dead giveaway and after much research, I see he now has a referral service for Canadians wanting surgery in Mexico but strictly with Dr. Ortiz. Take it all with a grain of salt and exercise caution no matter where you go. In country or out of country, just be extremely informed.

[DixyChixy1966 0]

Hi, thanks for that info - I don't know if patients are "sat up" but I have read a couple of times that patients are sometimes put into a somewhat upright position when the band is actually being put on and this helps the doctor to see what he is doing and also lessens the gas needed. But this is just something I have read...and you know what they say about reading everything you believe!

Glad you were good to go - I hope I am that lucky!

[Doddie63 6]

Jac the same holds true with you. YOu never had Canadian surgery so what gives you the knowledge to compare the Mexican surgery with the Canadian. I suspect you get a pretty good bonus for referring patients to Mexico. In any event, I have as much right to speak about the dangers of travelling out of country as you do about telling people to go. Not for one minute do I tell people not to go out of country, what I do is give the flip side of the coin. They then can pick and choose what they want to do. Not like you that make out that it is all honey and roses. Well it isn't there are upsides and downsides both from Canada or Mexico. If you were being honest, you would admit that. Doddie

[Gaffer 1]

Hardly an unbiased opinion considering he is now the referral agency for Dr. Ortiz. His whole post about being able to watch 2 surgeries at Dr. Ortiz's office was a dead giveaway and after much research, I see he now has a referral service for Canadians wanting surgery in Mexico but strictly with Dr. Ortiz. Take it all with a grain of salt and exercise caution no matter where you go. In country or out of country, just be extremely informed.

Well it seems the cat is out of the bag.

First off, I dont want the fact that I have been setting up this company to help people who are seeking Lapband else where to undo all good will that I have built up here. It does not change the fact that I have lost 140lbs, and am now close to considering myself at goal. It does not change the fact that I have helped people, and have been helped by people here. I came to a point in my life after losing all my weight when I realized that in many cases it was not my weight that was making me unhappy, but also my current career. I felt is was time for a change, and this opportunity presented itself so I took it. If someone can fault me for doing that, then so be it.

Yes, I am working with Dr. Ortiz, but you dont know everything that lead up to that, so please dont think that my opinion is totally biased. You dont know the goings on with other clinics and what transpired with them time will tell which other clinics are on board.

I agree that people should research clinics. I think that most people who have done thier research will find that Dr. Ortiz's clinic near the top.

The reason why I have not made a post to the effect of what I am doing is that I would like to keep my posting here and my business seperate. I know it may be impossible, but I am going to try.

Please note what Julie (JAC) is talking about is a conversation that I had with her regarding my gas pains vs, her gas pains. If it will help progress the conversation here I will ask Dr. Ortiz when I am at the clinic tomorrow.

Here is what I know of the operations that I have been seen. Please note that this is only what I know of Dr. Ortiz and I cant speak for any other doctor. I have only been present for 3 Lapband surgeries, and I was only awake for 2 of them. The patient is somewhat reclined almost like that are laid back in a Lazy boy. When I asked Dr. Ortiz about gas, he mentioned that he does not use as much gas as some other doctors.

I will report more on this tomorrow.

Now, you have all read my comments earlier in this post, and they all hold true. I dont think it benefits anyone to pit bandsters against one another just because of where they were banded. I agree that people need to make their own decisions, and they need to research what is right for them.

Finally, I think that it is safe to say that gas pain is individual for everyone, just like the lapband is individual for everyone. Some people are fast losers some people are slow losers. Some people get it bad, some people dont we are all individual.

With that being said, here is my web site. Medical Edge Weight Loss Group . I figure since I was called out here I should at least be able to show you all what I have been working towards.

Andrew

Edited March 25, 2008 by Gaffer

[Donna D 1]

Good for you Gaffer. I wish you as much success with your new venture as you have had with your band.

[Donna 0]

Andrew, you have been successful and have every right to start any business or work for anyone you care to. My only issue is that it is only fair you state that you are running a business now when you are referring people to Dr. Ortiz's clinic down in Mexico. I also found that your testimonial on your web site tends to give the impression that you were banded in Mexico when you were actually banded at the SWLC. By the way your before and after pictures are great!(I thought I saw you at Heritage House when I visited another bandster friend from BC but I realize now it must of been another guy from Alberta as you were banded in Feb./07 and the person I saw was done near the end of March.)

As a person who first had weight loss surgery 21 years ago and has had a revision to the Lapband two years next month, I certainly have experience with potential issues that can arise down the road making me partial to Canadians being banded in Canada. My personal preference is Dr. Cobourn and the Surgical Weight Loss Centre because I have had terrific support there and a wonderful experience and know many others who have too. That being said I realize we are lucky there are various options where people can go for getting banded including out of country.

Wishing you continued success on your lapband journey!

Edited March 26, 2008 by Donna

[Ang1982 4]

Best of luck in your new venture Andrew.

[juney1968 2]

jane c.I just don't have the money period. I know what it's all for but It's just not possible/ By the way where in ont do you live? I'm in Haliburton. The person you found in North Bay, who is it? Thanks, and Andrew, good for you I'm sure you will have great empathy and enthusiasim for your new job. Hook me up!! Dr Ortiz is the doc I have choosen anyways.

Good luck!

Edited March 28, 2008 by juney1968
forgot something!

[susieq321 31]

I have been banded for over 6 years now my Surgeon is Patrick Yau, I can honestly say I have talked to several Mexican patients who had issues and who came back to Canada to have those issues fixed because their Mexican band surgeons didn't want to deal with them. They lost the cost of multiple flights back and forth to Mexico to hear it wasn't a band problem it was their problem, it might be a fill problem etc with NO solutions until they had a CDN surgeon fix them, and it always took surgeries in every case I know of.

I know TLBC used to take on outside patients and one of the reasons they stopped was because the main reason the patients were coming to them was to have their bands fixed because a variety of Drs in Mexico deserted them. At one point in time the Mexican Drs were even referring their banded CDN patients to the CDN surgeons because they didn't want to deal with the patients with problems!

Personally I have talked to 4-5 of these patients over the years in email, phone conversations and face to face meetings. They felt abandoned over the years by their initial surgeons who could not diagnose or refused to diagnose and fix problems for them.

They had to find alternatives after paying the money to Mexico. As of right now in ON you will be hard pressed to find any band surgeon who will take you on if you weren't banded there and why should they you choose to go with someone else. You choose someone else's aftercare etc. All I can say is in life you get what you pay for!

And if I was going to Mexico I would want a lot of things in writing and I would want them reviewed by a Mexican and a cdn lawyer to make sure they are legal. I would want it spelled out what I get, what happens for complications, who pays anything etc.

And this is coming from someone who has suffered just about every complication there is with a few exceptions. I love my band I would do it over again in a heartbeat even knowing I was going to have 6 band surgeries, but based on the people I have talked to in Canada over the years I would never ever go out of country to Mexico or anywhere else for any surgery that required follow-up whether it was banding or plastic etc.

I would take what anyone was saying who worked for a clinic with a huge salt lick and discount it cause they are making the money not you and if your band fails or you need an additional surgery I wonder if they will be there for you then?

Heather