My Doctor and Not wanting me to go to Mexico

 So I recently switched doctors because the other doctor I had wasn't doing anything for me. I found a new one, a recent graduate who doesn't know much about weight loss surgery but is very supportive in me getting it although she says I will most likely have to pay for it. But she is very adamate on not wanting me to have surgery in Mexico. I was looking at Dr. Aceves and have not heard one bad thing about him and the surgery is so much cheaper down there then it is up here. I think my only option up here would be Dr. Gagner, who is an excellent surgeon but is so expensive. 

I am not sure what to do here, is there anything I can do? I like this doctor for everything else just this one but part me thinks it is because she is not well enough educated on the doctor I would be seeing, should I try and convince her, I am afraid she won't want me as a patient anymore. 

Another thing, she said she was willing to give me referrals to any doctors I would need in order to possibly get into one of the programs. From what i understand, if she sends me to a bariatric specialist and they say I need WLS, they can apply for it to be covered by MB health. So, does this mean I could get referred to Dr. Gagner and possibly get it paid for? Has anyone been successful with this or am I completely mixing it up?

And one more thing, gosh I go on sometimes, what programs are accepting out of province patients? Is Sask still accepting? So far I have looked at Alberta and BC, not sure where else we can go. I don't qualify for the program here but I also don't really want to wait 5 years for this surgery.

Thanks for reading, any information would be greatly appreciated.

I just got frustrated with the whole process here.  I didn't qualify here either; so I opted for Mexico I got in within a month and have had an absolute wonderful experience.  I went to Dr. Ponce de Leon as have a few others on this board.  I am happy for my decision to not wait and get on with it.  I had my surgery on 4 Jun 12 and am down 55lbs since surgery.

I wish you all the best of luck in making your decision.

 Hi Bethypoo, 

Even if you did qualify for the program in MB, the wait list is 3-5 years and is only going to get longer when they open up the criteria.  Just to give you an idea on time frame, I was referred to the program early Dec 2011, I got a letter saying that I qualified early February.  The next step is a group orientation and I have still not heard back to find out when mine is.  I was told that after the group meeting, that you have an initial appointment with your surgeon, which is approximately 6 months after your group session.  After the initial appointment with the surgeon it's about 1 year to 18 months before you are scheduled for surgery.  (current wait times).

I opted to go to Mexico, and had a fantastic experience with Dr Ponce de Leon.  I recommend that you talk to your Dr again and ask her what her reasoning is behind you not going to Mexico.  Perhaps she is uneducated about the process.  I think that if you had a few people write letters about their experiences and the process to book in Mexico and the safety and caution that they use with their patients there that she might be a little more willing to open her eyes to the process.  It should be part of a great learning experience for her.  

I would be willing to write to her and tell her about my experience and what the entire process was so that she could get a better understanding.  I know that when I told people that I went to Mexico for my surgery their first reaction is one of shock and horror that I would even consider going to Mexico for surgery.  When you really think about it Medical Tourism is a BIG business there.  If you have ever flown into  Puerto Vallarta, you will see that right after customs is an area of the airport for patients of their hospital there to check in and have a shuttle take them there to make sure that they are safe and taken care of.   When I arrived in San Diego, I had a shuttle driver waiting for me with my name on a card so that I could be safely taken to Tijuana, and dropped off at the hotel that we stayed at for the first night.  It's in their best interest to make sure that their patients are well cared for and come home safe and healthy, or they would not be a popular Medical Tourism destination. Crazy but true...


Please feel free to PM me and I will write something with contact information for your Dr to read, and she can feel free to call me and ask any questions that she might have. You have to be your own advocate in this one, just based on the opinion that people have of Mexico.  I know that one of the members here has pictures of the hospital where Dr Ponce de Leon does his surgery, it might help for her to see pics too.  I know that helped me make my decision to go to Mexico easier.  

 I went to Mexico and am very happy with the decision . I'm a nurse and felt very comfortable with their sterility and care. Check out my blog on my profile for my experience and my pictures of the hospital at www.photobucket.com/wlssurgerytijuana 

You will get the same story from me about Mexico and Dr. Ponce.  He is great and so is his team of helpers.  Hospital was spottless and I think I had better care than I would have here. 
Dr. Ponce Is very inexpensive his patient coordinator charges 8000. for the duodendal switch and that includes everything but air fare.  The verticle sleeve is cheaper I think between 4 and 5000.  You can try to get a referal to dr. Carl Nohr in Medicine Hat, Alberta The wait times are shorter than the edmonton program and you can get it covered by manitoba health.  You have to be 55 bmi or close to it.  Your skin removal surgery would be covered too if you loose over 100 lbs and keep it off for one year.  I think Dr. Nohr only does RNY

Is she concerned because its Mexico or is there a medical reason that you are presenting with that she thinks any surgery is too risky?? Add me to the list of those who went to Mexico and have had no problems whatsoever and would also write a letter. Heck, Ill add pictures too! lol

Last I heard Saskatchewan was still accepting patients and I was referred by my GP and accepted.  It was a bit of a wait from the time I applied to my acceptance, about a year and a half, then there was the 6 month program with visits every 2 months to the clinic in Regina.  My final visit was April 25 and my surgery was June 25. 

I couldn't have been happier with the clinic there.  Super nice, very skilled, great care, all around fantastic. 

(I too was denied in Manitoba and I was probably one of the first to be referred in Manitoba.  I was just too fat...sigh)