Thinkging about having the sleeve done in Mexico
I had my sleeve done by Dr. Kelly in TJ Mexico Nov.5th 2012.I would highly recommend him to anyone. My post op experience was great. We were treated like gold by everyone in TJ.
Dr. Kelly is a very skilled surgeon and also considerate and really cares about his patients. He was born in the US and speaks perfect English. He has done over 8,000 bariatric surgeries.
If you have any question about my experience please just ask.
I'm doing well. I've lost 30 pounds and +++ inches. I',m down 4 sizes. I have been on the famous stall for over 2 months now but I'm still losing inches.I can tell by my clothes. I unfortunately forgot to measure myself before surgery. I go to the pool/gym 5 days a week.I'm going to increase my protein. Some people say this helps break a stall.
I am very happy with my decision. In total I have 110 pounds to lose.
Please feel free to ask me any questions.
I had my lap band removed by Dr. Juan in Mexicalli. I am going (as soon as possible) back to get my sleeve. He is an awesome doctor, at least he was with my band removal. That's why I'm going back.
PM me if you want any info about him. He is also not as expensive as so many doctors have become. The hospital is great too!
Good Luck, where ever you go! Carla
I am just over three months post op. I had Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy in Tijuana with Drs. Cabrera and Valenzuela. I have a hard time expressing how liberating it is. I am never hungry. I don't crave food. I don't think about eating all the time. I still love the way food tastes, and sometimes eat too much because of that. I loose interest in eating before my plate is empty. I still forget sometimes that I only have room for 2-3 ounces unless I measure my food first. I have no warning that I am getting full. If I eat too much I just all of a sudden have stomach pain and nausea, excessive salivation and have to throw up. I occasionally eat what I shouldn't, but it is 1/4 cup of ice cream, not half the carton. I have had no problems at all except those I occasionally bring on myself when I eat too much or two fast. I was afraid I might not get to goal without the malabsorption component of the roux-en-y, but I think I am doing fine for now. My weight loss has been steady at about 1% of my body weight per week. I am very happy with my decision.
It is very difficult to pick a good surgeon even here in the States. The very best surgeons often do not have the nicest offices or web sites or even the greatest personalities. There is really no way of accurately comparing surgical complication rates. One surgeon may be willing to work with high risk patients and thus have a higher complication rate, totally unrelated to his surgical skill. Often times the surgeon your doctor refers you to is the buddy he went to medical school with or plays golf with. Choosing any surgeon, in my opinion, involves a leap of faith to some extent. The other thing is, no one ever picks an anesthesiologist and they have your life in their hands as much as the surgeon. I say this as a member of the medical profession myself. Cabrera and Valenzuela published their credentials online and provided an extensive CV. They claimed to have done over 2000 cases. Other surgeons did this as well. They all seemed to be of comparable skill and experience. I think the fact that Cabrera and Valenzuela worked as a team, could consult informally with one another, and could back one another up if there was a problem is what finally made me decide to go with them, but I am sure there are many surgeons in Tijuana of equal skill, experience, and training. There was another surgeon I considered highly, who had done part of his training at University of Michigan which is a highly regarded tertiary referral center here in the United States.
I was not really worried about going to Mexico at all. I was worried about having surgery, but not so much about Mexico itself, or using a Mexican surgeon.
