Worried about Mexico

I have done exhaustive research about Mexico.  I find alot of good unsolicited comments about peoples experiences.  I can't help but wonder how many of these are generated by patient coordinator, who usually lives in the states.  It feels like the information out there about these surgeons are controlled by the clinics, and staff members.  I want to have the VSG with Ariel Ortiz, I think, but how do I know that it's the real deal.  I found 1 or 2 posts about the lap band being placed in the wrong spot, and another about getting home and the clinic avoiding a patient that had been sick, and had complications, and another about sketchy price changes.  I am stressing too much over this.  Please help, I live in Oklahoma City, Ok is there anyone that is non affiliated with these people that I can get some real answers from?  sigh

I cannot speak from personal experience because I am pre-op, but why would you get the band in Mexico when it requires so many adjustments?  Who will do your fills and unfills?  From what I've heard, it's very hard to get a US surgeon to do follow up on a surgery in Mexico.  I am also planning to go to Mexico, to Dr. Alvarez, but for the VSG, which has the least follow up and lowest complication rate of all the surgeries.

I think you read my post errantly, I found information about people who had trouble with the sleeve they received in Mexico being placed in the wrong spot, no sutures to support it, and cheeky prices.  I am interested in the VSG.

Regardless of who you choose it will be hard to find a doctor to follow up with you because you went to Mexico, they are too worried about lawsuits I think. You also have some doctors in the US who won't follow up with someone if they have moved and had to find a new doctor even if they had surgery here in the states by another physician.

Lap band requires a lot of follow up, so does RNY. I heard the VGS has the least amount of follow up care.

In my case, because my situation was life and death from complications from my surgery in Mexico, the ER doctor had to find me a doctor who would agree to take me on as a patient. She had a CT scan done and started seeking out a doctor so she had somewhere to transfer me. It took her almost three hours of calling around to find a doctor who agreed to take me on. Believe me, my hubby and I were praying. To my surprise when I finally transported to the Trauma center at Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston, the doctor who had accepted me a patient is also a man of faith. Praise God. It was here he informed me of my complications and we took it day by day until I was finally able to be released from the hospital.

The blessing he is now my bariatric doctor, the bad in this, his office is 96 miles away so I always have to travel far to see him, but I pick an early afternoon appointment to miss most traffic coming in and out of the city and make a day of it.

Good luck in your decision and your surgery.

Robyn

Hi Robyn, I read your blog, so i know your story all to well.  Its nice to hear from someone who I'm certain is an actual person.  I was very interested in having the VSG with Dr. Kelly, your surgeon right?  Until I read about your complications, and when I asked them about a patient of theirs that very recently had some complications, they told me they have never had anyone with a leak! I also read another post about Dr. Kelly showing up drunk for a check-up.  I don't know because I wasn't there but I decided not to use him.  I know your surgery was more complicated but it still is concerning for me.  In fact, I got a very generic message from someone who said very casually...I had my surgery in November of last year everything was perfect him and his staff were very easy to talk to and the hospital was so clean. etc etc etc, it just sounds like the same kind of deceptive response I see everywhere about Mexico, unless it's someone who had a problem.  IDK!

I just now saw this to follow up with you. I understand it is a difficult task to choose a weight loss surgeon, but we take those risks because we cannot get our insurance companies or our doctors to work with us here.

I am now 11 1/2 weeks out from my surgeries, the initial and and revision to repair the leak and just this week, I am finally able to drive, but not long distances as my left side still hurts. I am not ready yet to exercise, I still sleep in the recliner at night. Yes, I am getting better, but my left side went through so much with leak complications that it has been slow to heal. My bariatric doctor that took me on here, told me it could take up to 6 months before I am completely healed and being almost 3 months out, I believe him.

I finally got all my bills in the mail from the care I received to save my life from my complications once I came home, $75,000. The great news, my insurance covered almost all of it. Notes said the most out of pocket I may be billed by the various hospital and doctors, $1600. I was thrilled they covered it all. I was worried they may fight me on it.

I hope you have success with your surgery and all goes well in choosing your physician.

Robyn

Hi! I had the same concerns. It took me a loooong time to decide on a surgeon because I wanted to be sure I was making the right decision.

So, I spent a lot of time on vertical sleeve talk looking at reviews and such and I found this facebook group for Dr. Illan where lots of his former and future patients talk all about their experiences. So you know they're actual real people, not coordinators making things up. And they're really honest, which I like.  I would bet you can find these for lots of different surgeons. People have personal blogs, too, where they talk about their experiences in detail. I trust these way more than random posts. Plus, you can check out people on Facebook and confirm that the account is real and not just created. Yeah, I'm paranoid. lol

Here's the blog of a lady that was recently (like within the last week) sleeved by Dr. Illan. Anyway, just thought I'd chime in! My surgery is on Nov 25 in Tijuana! So nervous, but looking forward to getting started and making some changes in my life. 

http://notthatbigvgs.weebly.com/

Thank you for your information, I agree I really feel like a lot of the reviews I read are generated by staff.  Facebook confirmation, and blogs are a great idea, thank you so much.  I've never heard of Dr. llan I'll check into him/her thanks!

 

I have had two weight loss surgeries and dental implants in Mx and will be going. Fr plastics in Jan,2014. I am a very real person and my entire profile is an open book including pics.
I used one of the most heavily reviled surgeons on the forum,for. My VSG,before he became heavily reviled. I still have no problem with him,I think he was and is an excellent surgeon and I have had no problem with my sleeve. I no longer recommend him as I believe the management company who works with him has begun to leave a lot to be desired.

The best you can do when going out of the country ,is the best you can do. You just have to do the best research,you can and go on faith. I personally,followed many of the people who went to Mx and were frequent posters on the foru. You can usually tell the posters who are posing as patients because they will only post,like,one time and never post anywhere else. Most legitimate posters will have a posting history that you can follow and you can tell by the kinds of posts they make that they are legit.

You have to understand that the personal health histories of each individual have to be factored into their over all outcome. If they smoke,and refuse to quit,despite doctors orders,they are likely to have impaired healing,and that is eir own fault. How can the surgeon. Be blamed for someone having a complication when that person possibly brought their own problems for refusing to be compliant?

When ppl post about complications,we are not privileged to know their complete medical histories. Maybe they were in extremely poor health,and would have had the same complications that they had in Mx if they had had the surgery in the states from the very best surgeon there was to be had.

See? There are many more variables than just what we can know/ be told. Please note that I am not saying ANYONE'S complications were TOTALLY their own fault. I AM saying,that we simply can't know.

One has to go into this with more than a little common sense and a plan for what you will do if complications occur.

Many Mx surgeons put patients with complications ,into the hospital in MX at an additional cost,but less overall than in the US and some just don't want to handle complications cause they aren't prepared for that. They are surgeons,they just know about cutting. That is where reading every post on every board you follow,about every Mexican surgeon comes in. If you follow and track what is being said a out each surgeon,soon you will begin to see a pattern and be able to get a feel for the kind of surgery experience you want to try to get for yourself. Keep a list and track the surgeons you can read posts about and you will so know who to use.
GL

I agree whole heartedly!!! A LOT of these posts seem to sound a lot a like.  Im extra careful and trying to do as much research here, on the different users, and elsewhere on the web. 

How's it going so far after your surgery?