Experiences?

[2ndChance]

I am in the research portion of my wls journey. I would love to hear experiences from others who had their sleeve done in Mexico.

[Sleeveroo]

There are certainly many experiences described in this forum. I would suggest reviewing the many post on bpal as well as other sites. Keep in mind that there are many options based upon physician training/experience, credentials as well as hospital level of care accredidation.
I chose a surgeon who was FACS Credentialed at a Level One Bariatric Surgery full service hospital. There are many options and preferences that each of us have. I recommend finding out what your preferences are and find the surgeon that best meets your needs. There are certainly quality surgeons in Mexico.

[Lee6Lee]

Dr. Elias Ortiz with ALighterMe in Tijuana. Our daughter also went to him a year after I did...and there had been some great improvements made. She was in a private room at a very nice hotel. I was, too, but hers was newer and there was a nurse on the floor at her beck and call.

[niki k]

I went thru a company BeLiteWeight, and they hooked me up with Dr. Jose Rodriquez, super nice, very comforting! I speak Spanish, so that helped. He does surgeries in Tijuana, and Juarez Mexico. I am in Colorado, so Juarez was closer. I liked that you stayed in the hospital, instead of a hotel. Granted I have never done the hotel, and I hear they are nice, I wanted to be in a hospital, incase there were any complications. I thought he was great!!

[Sleevedup]

I had my surgery on 4/10 w/ Dr. Juan Lopez Corvala. Dr. Corvala does surgery in Hospital Angeles in Tijuana. I spent two nights in the hospital and two nights in a hotel. The first hotel night before my surgery, and the last hotel night after checking out of the hospital and heading home. My spouse stayed all 4 nights in the hotel, short walking distance to the hospital. I was very pleased with the quality of care, both the hospital staff and Dr. Corvala and his staff.
I live about 6 hours drive from Tijuana, so I narrowed my search to there pretty quickly. From there I had to determine what my personal needs and wants were. It got narrowed down pretty quickly to 2-3 surgeons. I knew I was saving a ton of money going to Mexico, so I didn't let that be a factor in determining which surgeon to use in Mexico. I think in ranges from about $3500 to about $9000. I paid $8500 plus hotel, etc. My quotes at home were about $20-22K.
Ultimately I decided on Dr. Corvala because he uses a hospital, not an outpatient surgical center. He is very hand's on and I saw him about 3x per day in the hospital. He is also a training doctor, not in weight loss surgery but in arthroscopic procedure, so he always had 2 other surgeons with him. We drove to a parking lot near the border, were picked up at the border by one of his employees and taken to the hotel. Same on the last day coming back.
I did not go through a Medical Tourism concierge service. I just contacted the doctor's office directly. But I can certainly see how having someone to help you through the process and take care of some of the details would be an advantage for some.

I have had follow-ups with my PCP and he's very pleased with my progress and blood work. I've lost 55 lbs. I'm about 15 lbs from goal.

[2ndChance]

Thanks for responding. I am compiling a list of surgeons that I want to research further, prices, inclusions etc. I see that Dr. Almanza seems to be a popular choice. Does anyone out there care to share their experience with him? I am also looking into Dr. Quinones, Dr. Aguilar, Dr. Alverez and Dr. Kelly, but I will also read up on some of the doctors mentioned above as well. I appreciate all the help.

[Sleeveroo]

IMHO, Kelly and Alvarez are top notch.
Next Quinones.
Last would be Almanza.
I don't know anything about Aguilar.

[2ndChance]

IMHO, Kelly and Alvarez are top notch.
Next Quinones.
Last would be Almanza.
I don't know anything about Aguilar.

Alvarez seems a bit on the pricey side of things, but seems like a very good surgeon. What makes Dr. Kelly and Dr. Quinones high on the list of you. What are the pro and cons so to speak?

The more I read about Dr. Almanza the less incline that I feel I want to go with him, not that he is a bad surgeon. I know that all surgeons will have deaths, infections and post-op complications. I just don't know that I am comfortable with the number of patients that he is willing to sleeve in a single day. I have see the phrase "herded like cattle" used often with regards to he and WLA.

I like the inclusions that Dr. Aguilar offers. This lady that works in my office said that her daughter just had surgery with him at the end of July, she said that they had a really great experience with him, but I don't see very much content on the forums about him.

Oh so many choices...

[Dada]

I went with Doctor Mario Camelo through Quality Medical Facilitators and my experience was great. I am diabetic and over 50 so I was very careful researching doctors and facilities. Many in this site have used Dr. Mario Camelo, look for the reviews. I chose a hospital rather than a clinic or a surgical center. Two nights at the hospital and one night at the hotel which is located in the same facility. That was a big plus for me, not having to go to an outside hotel. I was concerned about my sugar levels being crazy after surgery and being at a hotel far from the hospital and my doctor. My facilitator took care of everything, I was treated like royalty, they anticipated my every need. And the doctors, I cannot tell you enough. Dr. Camelo came to see me every single day and took his time checking on me, same thing with the anesthesiologist, he visited daily. The nurses were attentive, hospital was nice and clean. Look for them on Facebook, they have a nice support group where you can interact with people that have already had the surgery. Good luck with your research.

[Stacy'sSleevedLife]

I went to Tijuana in 2013 to get my sleeve, I am down 124 pounds and could not be happier with my results. The care I had was amazing. Some of the reasons I chose to go to Tijuana is.

1. Many doctors speaks perfect English (I don't speak Spanish) I like the fact that I could communicate any fears or concerns that I had and not worry about things getting lost in translation.

2. Most doctors have patient liaison 24/7 to help you with anything you need.

3. Many doctors do 3 to 5 surgeries a day which means they have a lot of experience.

4. There is a good feeling of knowing that the nursing staff is not over whelmed with a lot of patients and you get a lot of 1 on 1 care with them.

5. A lot of the doctors in Tijuana have done surgical rotations in the US.

The best advise one can do is research all the doctors use the internet it is your friend don't just search on forums but do Google, Bing or Yahoo searches to get more information. Most of all pick the doctor that makes you feel good.

Good luck

Stacy