Calling all VSGers that went to Mexico for your surgery.

I am considering a trip across the border for surgery.  I would like to hear from you about your decision to do so and your experience.

1.  How did you select your doctor?

2.  Who did you use and where where they?

3.  How was your aftercare handled?

4.  What was the best thing about going to Mexico for surgery?

5.  What was the worst thing about going to Mexico for surgery?

6.  Do you regret it?  Why or why not?

I don't think my insurance is going to cover so I am trying to get my ducks in a row if I have to pay for it.  The thought of going to Mexico scares me to death and my husband is totally freaked out at the thought but I feel like I have to consider it.  Not having surgery is just not an option for me at this point.  Thanks for any insight you can share. 

I started my selection process about 9 years ago and went to one of the doctors I had originally talked to. He is not the most popular but I really liked how everything was coordinated so I basically selected my doctor because of the surgical coordinator who also had her surgery him. I also selected him because he was doing surgeries in Cancun and that is a little over an hour flight from where I live compared to 5 to get to Tijuana.

I used Dr. Sergio Verboonen. He has offices in Tijuana and Cancun.

My Primary Care Doctor handled my after care. As for diet/nutrition support I relied on this board. If I were doing this over I would have found a local psychologist and a local nutritionist to work with that had experience with VSG. I would also have found a local support group.

I really enjoyed the whole experience going to Cancun. My surgery was at the Hospiten Hospital, a beautiful small hospital where the care I received was far better than anything I have seen here in the US. I was very pleased with that facility. It was a little more money but well worth it. The nurses there were very attentive.

The worst part might have been the language barrier. I had a couple of issues with the nurses not understanding I wanted to be unhooked so I could go the bathroom, instead they thought I wanted pain meds. Other than that, nothing was bad. The power went out in the middle of the night on my last night of hospital stay and I did get a bit nervous that the hospital was being attacked by rebels, but that stuff doesn't happen.

I do not regret it even a little bit. I am going back to my surgeon for a hernia repair and I am already shopping for plastic surgeons in Mexico. It was a very good experience.

The cost was very reasonable.

Thank you for the input.  It is helpful.  And I'm glad the hospital wasn't being attacked by rebels.  Lol. 

1. Personal referal by several people that used him

2. Aceves in Mexicali

3. By primary care physician

4. Fantastic care, small hospital, personal attention from surgeon and staff

5. Really, no downside - had to travel, of course, but I do that all the time so no big deal

6. Not for one second... I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Thank you for the reply.   Have you had any complications and if so, was your primary care doctor able to handle them adequately?

Per my surgeon my PCP did labs at 3, 6 and 12 months. After my12 month   checkup we determined that my B12 levels were high, so I stopped supplementing... Calcium was low, so we upped that supplement and D3... that's been about it from monitoring during the 17 months since surgery.

On my own I've done Body fat % measurements, in order to acurately set a goal weight and assess my progress.  I did a DEXA scan 2 months ago, and it came back at 11% body fat... but also showed some calcium loss in my bones which caused us to up my Calcium and D3.

Other than that, I was totally pain free, back at work 4 days post-surgery, and hit my goal in 4 months. (I lost 35 lbs pre-surgery and 90 post).  I've been in maintenance for just shy of 11 months and have maintained in a 10 lb band.  I gained a bit over the summer due to adding muscle from a lot of workouts... Body fat continued to drop, even as weight went up, so no worries...

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with...

Great information.  Thank you!

I went with Dr. Kelly in TJ. I researched him extensively and then I was lucky enough to meet him when he came here to do a seminar.

I would have had to wait for 7 years here to have my VSG done. I had already waited 3 years.

My after care was done by my family doctor. It was just looking at my incisions sites which were great and then having blood work done which have also been within normal limits.

The best things about Mexico were the fantastic medical care I had. My friend and I were treated like gold. Dr. Kelly and his team were fantastic. The hotel(Lucerne) was beautiful.My coordinator drove us to several places including the markets and a shopping center. Dr. Kelly's wife also showed us around and drove us to and from the airport. 

There was absolutely nothing bad about my experience. My friend who accompanied me is a nurse and was impressed with my care.(I am also a nurse)

It was the best decision I have ever made....no regrets.

Thank you for the information. 

After deciding I was really going to self-pay, I started looking into my options locally.  Surgery was 45,000 alone, not including required pre and post op appointments.  I then branched out and started looking within the US for more affordable surgeons.  I found that the surgeons I could afford  were not very impressive.  I then branched out looking for surgeons in Mexico.  I made a list of all the things that were important to me (hospital recovery, fully equipped, low complication rate, high success rate, spotless reputation, safe location, etc.) and crossed off surgeons who did not meet my dream team list.  In the end I was left with the two A's-- Aceves and Alverez.  I chose Aceves in Mexicali because of his experience and reputation.  I met a woman from my local support group who had gone to Aceves a year prior, and she cemented that all I had heard about Aceves program was not just smoke and mirrors, but truth.  His program and staff are amazing.  I would recommend him to anyone-- and frequently do!  In my local support group we now have 5 members who have used Aceves, and all are very happy!

My aftercare has been handled by my primary.  It's important to get a local doc on board before you go.  She has been able to run all my tests-- but Aceves is still just an email or phone call away.  He has coordinated with my primary on a few occasions, and my primary has been pretty impressed with how fast he gets back to her.  I also had gallbladder removal surgery a few months ago and when my local surgeon was operating-- he peeked at my sleeve.  Said it was beautiful, and he could tell it was done by a skilled surgeon.

Best thing about Mexico was everything!  I had fantastic care, great aftercare and I would do it over in a heartbeat.  No regrets!

Worst thing about Mexico was that I was self-pay.  It hurt to hand over that 8750 cashiers check.  

Good luck in your search!