Warning against Mexican Doctors!!!!

[Liz1531 3]

I got my surgery in TJ and never worried about aftercare because I lived in San Diego. Now I've moved to AZ and NO ONE!!!! will touch me for aftercare. I had a problem where I was so inflamed that I need an unfill ASAP and had to drive 6 hours to TJ because I repeat NO ONE will touch me here.

I found a couple doctors who will do it, but they want $1,500-$2,500 to "enroll" me in their aftercare program. What a crock! My insurance company is worthless, because I didn't have the surgery approved and was self pay they won't cover me if I have a problem. My insurance company (Kaiser) only covers Gastric Bypass and I was not the least bit interested in that, so I chose to self pay. You'd think they'd be happy I saved them a buck, but no. They refuse to cover anything band related. I know we ALL think the band will be great and WE won't have a problem but you never know. Fair warning folks!

[drstan1 0]

very informative good luck

[marie715 0]

Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sure others will take heed. Are you doing ok now?

[HeatherO 7]

It is possible to find aftercare. I found one local doctor that would take me for $500, another within 2 hours drive which was much less expensive and there are always the fill centers available.

It is important to find the fill and aftercare support before you have the operation. When I made the initial phone calls I got quite a few that said they were not interested in aftercare for a patient that did not have surgery in their clinic. However, there are options available in a lot of areas.

I am sorry it hasn't worked out so well in your case. I think as demand increases there will be more options in a lot of areas.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I agree with the other posters and want to reiterate something HeatherO said...."not interested in aftercare for a patient that did not have surgery in their clinic"

This is true whether you went to a clinic in Mexico or the next state over...or the next COUNTY over.

You obviously CAN find aftercare, sometimes at a price, if you have surgery remote from where you live, or move.

Getting your records may help, but make sure you line it up before you go ahead with surgery that is "elsewhere"

[kgloverii 0]

I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz and lined up my aftercare before my surgery. Dr. Ortiz was great at giving me some local docs that could help me out with aftercare, and the guy that was highly recommended (Ortiz proctored him) to me is unbelievable. Fantastic. He treats me as if he were my surgeon. The guy even came in on his day off to help me out when I was ridiculously tight, and didn't even charge me a office consult fee, just the regular fill fee. I know not everyone has that experience, but I did my homework before I went down to MX.

Going to Mexico is NOT a bad thing, but you MUST do your research beforehand. You must line up your aftercare ahead of time. You must know where you will go in an emergency (DH and I know the closest hospital that is a Bariatric Center of Excellence). You must also pick a surgeon who is going to give you your records, is going to do a good job, and is going to be there if you run into a problem and you need a second opinion. Ortiz was good for that. I have no complaints, but I can see where a lot of people have problems. Your post serves as a good reminder that if we are going to go international, we MUST practice EXTRA due diligence....

[Azlee 0]

I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz and lined up my aftercare before my surgery. Dr. Ortiz was great at giving me some local docs that could help me out with aftercare, and the guy that was highly recommended (Ortiz proctored him) to me is unbelievable. Fantastic. He treats me as if he were my surgeon. The guy even came in on his day off to help me out when I was ridiculously tight, and didn't even charge me a office consult fee, just the regular fill fee. I know not everyone has that experience, but I did my homework before I went down to MX.

Going to Mexico is NOT a bad thing, but you MUST do your research beforehand. You must line up your aftercare ahead of time. You must know where you will go in an emergency (DH and I know the closest hospital that is a Bariatric Center of Excellence). You must also pick a surgeon who is going to give you your records, is going to do a good job, and is going to be there if you run into a problem and you need a second opinion. Ortiz was good for that. I have no complaints, but I can see where a lot of people have problems. Your post serves as a good reminder that if we are going to go international, we MUST practice EXTRA due diligence....

Is Dr Pleatmen in Michigan? Will he take people who live in Ohio as we can't find a fill dr here. Is he expensive? Let me know. The ones I found here charge way too much or now not accepting patients. I'd like his phone number and all. Please give me the run down as we would like to get a dr just incase and it's much closer than the OCC is for us. Leave me a message in my box.

Azleester

[blackhawkhunnie 0]

I did not have mine in Mexico, and mine was approved by insurance, but I am a military wife and move often......this situation is the case no matter if you had it in Mexico or not, I had a heck of a time finding a doc that would take me in Virginia after having surgery in Colorado. Also, I had to pay higher fees too! Doctors do not like to work with other doctors work in any case, not just Lap-band.

I agree with the others, do research BEFORE you have surgery!!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I got my surgery in TJ and never worried about aftercare because I lived in San Diego. Now I've moved to AZ and NO ONE!!!! will touch me for aftercare. I had a problem where I was so inflamed that I need an unfill ASAP and had to drive 6 hours to TJ because I repeat NO ONE will touch me here.

I found a couple doctors who will do it, but they want $1,500-$2,500 to "enroll" me in their aftercare program. What a crock! My insurance company is worthless, because I didn't have the surgery approved and was self pay they won't cover me if I have a problem. My insurance company (Kaiser) only covers Gastric Bypass and I was not the least bit interested in that, so I chose to self pay. You'd think they'd be happy I saved them a buck, but no. They refuse to cover anything band related. I know we ALL think the band will be great and WE won't have a problem but you never know. Fair warning folks!

I live in AZ as well and you need to call a few more doctors. AZ is a great state for finding aftercare if you didn't stay local for WLS.

I take it you are referring to Orris & Debarros (sp?). Yep, if they take over your care they want you to get the whole package deal. Psych, nut, the works.

There is also Wendy Hall from FillCentersUSA, in a pinch Juarez and I forget his partner's name from St. Lukes. They'll do emergency care but not routine fills. Then there is Berger and his partner in flag. They will do all your aftercare, everything from problems to routine fills/unfills. They are quite affordable too. Then there is Aceves in Mexicali, MX. He's easy driving distance from AZ. About 3 hours from central Phx.

Aftercare is not a problem in AZ, not in the least.

Now, some of this also depends on who your doctor is. If it is a handful of doctors with poor reps, you'll always have a hard time finding aftercare. Doctors know there are some docs in MX that have less than stellar reps (same holds true in the US) and they will not take on the patients of those doctors. But if you went to a good doc, there is absolutely no problem finding aftercare in AZ.

Edited February 9, 2009 by WASaBubbleButt

[Liz1531 3]

Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sure others will take heed. Are you doing ok now?

I'm doing fine now thanks for asking. Since the unfill I have gained back every pound and then some since I had the band put in in 2007. I am getting a fill thru Fill Centers on Monday BUT not too crazy about it. They use a nurse to do the fills and don't use Fluro. I thought my doc (Ortiz) was one of the founders of Fills Centers so I'm surprised they allow fills w/out fluro. Last time I was at Ortiz's office the girl in line in front of me had a non-fluro fill and they poked a hole in her band. So this poor girl missed her flight back to wherever she lives because they found this problem and now she has to come back to TJ and pay for surgery to fix the problem. I totally agree with the advice to find follow up care BEFORE you get the surgery. In my case, I am BROKE and really can't afford the cost of the local docs. They all want quite a bit of money. Just wanted to give fair warning to anyone considering MX. (P.S. The surgery itself w/ Ortiz was a breeze!)

[kgloverii 0]

Flouro is not necessary as long as you have someone who knows what the heck they are doing. In most countries (besides the US) standard practice is to do fills without flouro. My doc does my fills 'blind' without flouro and has always gotten me on the first try. Hope you stay on the road to recovery!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I'm doing fine now thanks for asking. Since the unfill I have gained back every pound and then some since I had the band put in in 2007. I am getting a fill thru Fill Centers on Monday BUT not too crazy about it. They use a nurse to do the fills and don't use Fluro. I thought my doc (Ortiz) was one of the founders of Fills Centers so I'm surprised they allow fills w/out fluro. Last time I was at Ortiz's office the girl in line in front of me had a non-fluro fill and they poked a hole in her band. So this poor girl missed her flight back to wherever she lives because they found this problem and now she has to come back to TJ and pay for surgery to fix the problem. I totally agree with the advice to find follow up care BEFORE you get the surgery. In my case, I am BROKE and really can't afford the cost of the local docs. They all want quite a bit of money. Just wanted to give fair warning to anyone considering MX. (P.S. The surgery itself w/ Ortiz was a breeze!)

Doing fills under fluoro is the Mexican way. Doing blind fills is the US way (cheap).

Most in the US do blind fills.

If you want fluoro go to Berger in Flag or Aceves in Mexicali. Berger is $200, Aceves for patients he did not band is $175.