Help! Tijuana Mexico -Is it ok to go for Surgery?

[~MyNewLife~ 0]

Hey guys, my sister is freaking out :cursing: about going with me in November to Tijuana. I am scheduled in Nov with Dr. Ortiz and she having people scaring her about going to Tijuana. Please help me out with your experiences~

Carrie~

[jmegirl 2]

If you insist on going to Mexico, then Dr. Ortiz (I've heard) is the best choice. He has performed over 6,000 LBs in his career. The only problem with going to MX is that if you have any complications, then the MX doctor is not liable for anything. This is why the surgery is so much cheaper down there. Dr. Ortiz has a very good reputation, so I would not worry. Personally, I wanted to save $3,000 and go to MX to Dr. Ortiz, but my husband absolutely refused to let me have any kind of surgery in MX. Since he's paying for it (my insurance won't cover it) I let him make that decision and opted for Dr. K in CO for $9950.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Carrie, I wouldn't go to Tijuana or any other place in Mexico. Some have great experience, but many dont. More people have trouble in Mexico than here. Even if I had to pay double or triple, I'm worth it.

I know other posters will disagree but there's no way on earth you could drag me down there and treat a scratch, let alone do surgery.

[losingjusme 12]

there are MANY successful bandsters who have gone to Mexico. not sure about Tijuana specifically, but Mexico can be an option ...

DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE DOCTOR THOUGH.

good luck. :cursing:

[tomatogirl 0]

I wouldn't go to Mexico because of everything RestlessMonkey said, but if you must, go to Dr Ortiz. He has one of the best reputations.

[~MyNewLife~ 0]

Thanks for the advice.....I have been on this sight for three weeks now researching and this is the first that I have heard Negative about Mexico...I am a little shocked but appreciate the information.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Carrie...

I live in South Texas (San Antonio) and grew up in El Paso...a border town.

Maybe we just hear the nitty gritty dirt that others don't.

They are not governed like we are...don't have the rules and requirements. I don't mean to say the US is perfect surgically or any other way! And you may have a great experience (many do. but not all!)

Locally I've seen news stories of people harmed and mutilated "over there"...trying to get cheaper weight loss surgery or plastic surgery.

I just know I'm doing this because I want to live a long time. So of course I want to do it in such a way that I have the best chance of getting through it well and healthy.

Because of where I live and what I know, to me, Mexico is one strike against me so I won't go there.

Let me tell you something else...my surgeon practices mostly at 1 hospital here, and does occasional surgeries at a different hospital. Because I am a nursing student and have read the statistics, I know that no matter how skilled my surgeon, I'm safer to be operated on by him when he's with the team he's familiar with...not the occasional (also highly skilled) team that doesn't know him as well. So I go to his "home base" to get the surgery.

I'm telling you that so you'll know I do research, and I do know what I'm talking about, and I can tell you that no matter how great Dr Ortiz is, you are better off to find a GOOD surgeon near you to have the surgery done.

Regardless of how great any Mexican surgeon is. You're safer (more protected by our laws) to have it done here.

[austex 0]

well Carrie, just do ur research what ever choice u make , remember if u get sick or need immediate medical attention , who will want to touch u? When someone else did the work?? I work for a doc and he will not mess with anyone elses work that is for sure, he could wind up in a law suit. How easy is it for u to just go back to Mexico in the spur of a moment should something happen?? ask urself this??

FYI I did ask my surgeon about what causes erosions and band slippage he said why band slippage happens and then he said erosions are not common here in the US he said the only ones he has really heard of are from Mexico and that is cause they put the bands on too tight.

So alot of us have given advice or information so now it is up to u to just follow through and check on it, be careful and think things through remember it is ur life and ur future so take ur time to make this decision.

Take care

[mtnman428 1]

Hi Carrie_Nah

I'm two weeks post op from being banded by Dr Ortiz. I had no problems medically or otherwise with my trip.

Medical

Do your research on Dr Ortiz. His clinic was newer and cleaner than most medical establishments I've seen here in Canada.

Non-medical

Some people hear TJ or Mexico and have visions of some lawless place. From my experience, you can be as safe as you want. The Clinic picks you up at the airport, takes you directly to the clinic. They take you directly to the hotel, they pick you up and take you back to the airport.

If you're adventurous, you can take a cab to the tourist area. I wouldn't travel alone but I would say the same about New York City. We walked around outside the hotel a bit in daylight but wouldn't at night. Just take reasonable precautions.

People at the clinic, the hotel and Revolution Ave (the tourist zone) pretty much spoke english and were very nice.

We also went to the local mall - walked there in daylight, cabbed back that evening. Grabbed a starbucks and caught a movie. No one spoke english but it was fun.

My wife has had three trips to TJ this year (her band, her 1st fill and she came with me for my band) and had no troubles on any trip.

Everyone's experience is different but I would not hesitate to recommend TJ and Dr Ortiz.

Good luck.

Edited August 27, 2008 by Cujo

[shrinknme 0]

I have heard Dr. Ortiz is the best as well.. I met someone on this forum that went dr. ortiz and was very impressed.. I just worry about the after care though.. here in the states you can have YOUR doc there if something goes wrong after..

[snowbird 2]

My daughter, my husband, and I are all banded by Dr Ortiz. I would not recommend that any of my friends go anywhere else. Dr Ortiz's van will pick you up at the San Diego airport and drive you to the clinic; his mother or his van driver will take you between the clinic and the hotel, and the van will take you through customs and back to the SD airport. If you don't want to, you never need to take a step outside of the clinic and the hotel, which is first rate.

As far as riskiness goes, Dr O knows his stuff and is one of the best. I would not want anyone I care about going to anyone else. My insurance would have covered my surgery in the US, and I went to Dr Ortiz because he has so much more experience than ANY US surgeon. (My insurance also reimbursed my husband and me for our surgery in Tijuana.) Dr Ortiz proctored many of the lap band surgeons on the west coast, as he was doing the surgery years before it was approved in the US.

Aftercare at Ortiz' OCC is great, but you do need to get back to his clinic. He and his assisting surgeon, Dr Martinez, will both give you their cell phone numbers to call them if you have problems, and they will return your calls. All fill adjustments with them are done under fluoroscopy, so they can see exactly what they are doing, not the hit and miss methods that many US surgeons employ. There are some Mexican horror stories, but not with Dr Ortiz that I have seen. By far, the largest number of horror stories I see on this forum arise from treatment by US surgeons, who do not take the time to talk to their patients or find out what problems they are having. And if you are depending on malpractice insurance to insure you are treated well, you are already in trouble!

Put "Mexican surgeons" into the search window at the top of the page and you can read a lot of opinions on this subject. Generally speaking, the people most opposed to surgery in Mexico are those who have been talked out of it by their American surgeons. However, if you are not able to return to Tijuana for your fills you should be sure ahead of time there is someone in your area who will take care of your band adjustments. Go on the USA support forums (subforums on this site) for your home state and ask about fills in your area.

[~MyNewLife~ 0]

Thank everyone for all the informatoin, good and bad. I think alot of peoples concern is the aftercare. I have found a Doctor that was actually proctored by Dr. Ortiz for my Aftercare doctor and her office seems wonderful ~ She highly recommends Dr. Ortiz if you are going to go to Mexico.

I will pass the information on to my sister...Again thanks ~

[coppercorrie 0]

I was banded on March 15th in Tijuana and was very happy with the care I received. All the doctors spoke English well and were very thorough. The nursing staff are not 100% bilingual so if I had it to do over again I would have asked for the translated list of frequently used phrases in advance of my trip. They give you one but its 24 hours or more after the surgery and I could have used it when I arrived because the nurse who did my IV had a hard time (but so do the healthcare professionals in the US), I have really tiny veins - I wish I could have communicated with her and some of the other nursing staff better. I have to say that the nurses were all trying hard to learn English and were very open to attempting communication. My Spanish is almost non-existent so I was at a disadvantage.

I have kept up with all of the patients who were banded on March 15th with me and we are all doing well. At the 5 month mark, I had lost over 50% of my desired target weightloss.

The hardest part is getting the band to the correct tightness and then mastering the behavior modifications that you go through a couple of months after the surgery. If you follow the rules closely and contact the staff any time you have questions, you should do fine.

I have my band super tight and its not always fun, but it is always worth it (to me).

Good luck and feel free to keep in touch.

Corrie

[Bamagal 1]

My gosh people,I have been on this board long enough to know people have

problems with doctors is every country yes even the good ole USA.I had my surgery in Tj,Mexico and was treated better than I have ever been treated here.Was picked up at the airport by a nice young man and a driver.Took me for my blood work then the cardio.From there I went right to the hospital got hooked up to the IV and then attending Physician came in took my vitals,ask me some questions about my health.Then the surgen came in ask me the same questions again,let me ask question and we just chatted.Then the anthesiologist came in ask me more question ask me if I was nervous,gave me something to help me relax and I woke up and it was all over LOL.Through all this my escourt never left my side he was a fine companion and a great young man.Then he took me to the Mariott where I spent the night and he picket me back up in the morning took me back to the hospital for a checkup.Then he took me shopping and back to the Motel.Next day he took me back to the airport and I flew home.

Thruth is Mexico ha been doing this surgery longer than USA,they even came here and taught us how.