Crossing The Border For Weight Loss Surgery

February 17, 2014

My Journey to Mexico for Bariatric Surgery

by Charles Sutker
OH Username: Chasman

I remember that helpless feeling as my physician sat across from me telling me that I was standing at the edge of a cliff. "Now is the time, to lose weight or face a lifetime of  battles with the horrible side effects of your obesity." he said. I was scared, very scared. Because of my poor track record with yo-yo dieting,  he suggested bariatric surgery. My career as an airline pilot required medical certification and I knew I was close to losing that. Something that I did not want to happen. My journey had just begun!

My doctor had given me the name of a bariatric surgeon in my metropolitan area. I went to one of his seminars and was intrigued. He went over the various forms of bariatric surgery. I now had some research I needed to do and I needed to contact my insurance company to find out what they needed. Research would prove far easier than dealing with my insurance company. Over a period of several months,  my insurance company proved to be nothing more than a stonewall for me. They wanted supervised diets at their bariatric centers and were limiting in the different operations they would allow me to have performed. Lap-Band or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass were my options. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy was about to be approved but was not currently approved and as such, was not covered.

In the first few months I began researching different types of bariatric surgeries. I looked on the Internet at the main types: Lap-band, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the Duodenal Switch. There were several others but those were the dominate surgeries. There was a lot of information on the Internet, some good, some bad, some confusing and some very concise. I found videos on YouTube showing various bariatric surgeries. Also the website, ObesityHelp.com, was a gold mine. Here were people asking the same questions that I wanted to ask. Here were people who had the surgeries. Here were people that had been successful and here were those who had failed. I plowed into the message boards and the information on the various types of surgeries. After  lurking for many weeks and reading post  about various surgeries, it became very apparent to that the VSG was the right one for me. Your research and reasons for a particular type of surgery  might lead you down a different path. The sleeve, as it is referred to, just was a good fit for me.

While on ObesityHelp.com, I couldn't help but notice advertisements for physicians who performed bariatric procedures out of the country. Particularly in Mexico. At first I scoffed thinking about having bariatric surgery in Mexico. Border towns and thoughts of hospitals with goats and chickens walking through them ran through my mind.  As the son of a physician, I was frightened for people who went to Mexico to have surgery, how could they? Surely they would die! But the message boards proved me wrong. Time after time people would post of their wonderful experiences in Mexico and the care they received from their physician and staff. Maybe I was being too arrogant. And then word came from my insurance company... they were denying me! I was shocked and now I was now looking at self-pay.  Maybe Mexico  was becoming more attractive. I now began to research the true reality of bariatric surgery in Mexico. The same physicians names continued to pop up on the message boards of patients who had been to Mexico and were lauding their bariatric surgeons. There were several of them but only two Mexican surgeons who really intrigued me, mostly because of stellar reviews on ObesityHelp.com . Cost was never a big factor in my decision making process, however; safety was paramount. My bariatric surgeon had to have a absolutely sterling record and perfect credentials and the town that I was going to travel to in Mexico had to be safe. Both criteria were met with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I picked up the phone and called Dr. Aceves's patient coordinator (Nina). After spending an hour on the phone with her, I felt very comfortable, and the decision had been made! I was going to have a VSG in Mexicali, Mexico with Dr. Aceves. The hard part was over, the rest of the journey would be easy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just about everything was taken care of by the people in Mexicali. The only thing I had to do was arrange my transportation to and from San Diego. That wasn't very difficult. Because I was arriving from the Midwest , I had a go with an early flight. I traveled on Sunday to San Diego and got a hotel that was suggested by Nina and had a wonderful meal and a hotel stay on Sunday night. On Monday, I was greeted by Ernesto, the van driver and driven to Mexicali with several other people. It was an uneventful and pleasant two hour ride to Mexicali. Crossing the border prove absolutely swift and went without incident. When we arrived at Hospital Almater, we were greeted by Dr. Aceves's staff. Immediately we were taken for our blood work, vitals, urine analysis, chest x-ray and EKGs. We also met with Dr. Campos who told us what to expect and what was expected of us. Dr. Aceves stopped by and spoke with us too. We then jumped on the van and went to our hotel to enjoy the afternoon and evening. Dinner was  whatever we wanted, as long as we ceased any food by 10 o'clock.

Day of Surgery

We were picked up at the hotel promptly at 7AM and driven to the hotel by Ernesto, a very pleasant and helpful man. Once at the hospital we were met by the staff and shown to our rooms. Everyone was on the same bariatric wing. The rooms were nice with comfy chairs or couches, private bathrooms with showers and extremely clean. Companions were welcomed to stay at the hospital or stay at the hotel at their own personal expense. As we settled into our rooms we were each met with a personal visit from an internist who reviewed our blood work, urinalysis and chest x-ray and the anesthesiologist.  Everyone was very professional, pleasant and all staff were there to easy the anxiety of having surgery. Finally, after a couple hours of waiting, it was my turn for my life-changing bariatric procedure. The next few hours I remember nothing. I do remember waking up in my room and not feeling bad at all. The anesthesia used been Propofol, which is a very easy recovery and a nerve block had been administered. I experienced no nausea and no groggy feeling. The nurses were attentive and right there if I had questions or concerns. Dr. Campos was always nearby if we had any issues or questions. I felt well enough to be able to get out of bed about three hours post surgery. I began walking the halls and I felt pretty good. I had no pain, really!! The rest of the day was a blur. I asked for sleeping medication the first night which was given to me in powder form and before I knew it, it was day 2.

Days two and three

I won't going to excruciating detail about the next two days.  They were pretty uneventful as we watched TV ( yes, English speaking), chatted on our cellphones ( yes, they had a signal) and walked the halls of Hospital Almater. There was a  little pain but mostly soreness from the surgery. I figured, hey, after all, I did just have an operation. It felt like the day after doing 50 situps, just a little stomach muscle soreness. There were frequent visits from all of the staff including several visits each day from Dr. Campos and Dr. Aceves. Everyone was willing to take whatever time they needed to help you or explain what was happening to you. You're  on a clear liquid diet for the first 10 days. Jell-O , broth, water and tea are the mainstays. The hospital provided whatever you wanted in that regard. But the amounts consumed were very small.

Day four

The fourth day you awaken to your clear liquid diet breakfast. After breakfast, Dr. Campos takes you back where they do a final leak check.  It's noninvasive and very easy. You'll actually be able to see what your new stomach actually looks like!  It's quite remarkable. Your lab results and  pictures of your new stomach are given to you so your doctors at home can review them. After hearty good luck wishes from the doctors and staff, we were escorted back into the van for the two hour ride back to San Diego. Crossing the border back into the US can take a little bit of time but it is not difficult. There is no need for concern.

The trip home

I'm not going to tell you this is a fun day or a fun 10 days of clear liquid dieting. For me, it was the roughest. By the time I got to the airport, waited for my flight, made a connection and made it back to my house in the Midwest, I was whipped. But because of my research, I knew what to expect and was prepared for it. I had also prepared  to have sugar-free Popsicles, sugar-free Jell-O and chicken and beef broth available at my house for the remainder of my 10 day clear liquid diet. The days went quickly and it was fun watching the scale. I was finally on a downward trend. The second 10 days of recovery consists of a full liquid diet. Meaning yogurts and creamier soups are acceptable. This makes a huge difference. Finally, some taste and texture in your mouth and you're on your way.  These 10 days are pretty easy. The third 10 days are mushy's. Scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, tuna salad and the like are acceptable. This was a breeze.  The amount of food that you can eat is very small and you get very full, very quickly. The scale continued to head south, yippee! I was on my way. For the next nine months I watched what I ate and I exercised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weight came off, quickly at first and slowly towards the end but I did lose a total of 140 pounds. It was simple. I have been post-op for four years and although I have put on a few pounds, I am thrilled to death with the results. Follow the rules and you too can lose the weight. Eat your protein first, no liquids 15 minutes prior to the meal, no liquid during the meal and you may drink 30 minutes after completion.

Summary

I have helped dozens of  people who have chosen  bariatric surgery. I tell all of them to do plenty of research. Knowledge is paramount. Knowing the various surgeries will help you and your doctor decide which one will be best suited for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You must be willing to make some changes. None of them are hard and are well worth it. You will know what they are when you discuss bariatric surgery your doctor and his staff.  My greatest lesson was learning to be open minded. Mexico for me... and my friends who have gone after me, all think that it was a wonderful experience. The staff and the doctors my friends and I  used are superb and the hospital is immaculate. This is the best decision I have ever made for myself, it was life altering. For those struggling, I wish for you a safe and successful weight loss journey.

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