Questions about surgery in MX

I am sure that these questions are very common for this board, and I apologize for that. I have gone back in your history and have yet to find the answer to all of them. I am waiting for information packets from a few of the docs recommended here, so some of these questions may be in those packets. - How do you get fills for the lap band in the US? - Hospital safety? It is a sterotype, but I am wondering about the safety of a hospital in a less developed country. - What about the legal question if something does go wrong or if there is negligence of any sort? Is it possible to sue a doc in MX if he is a member of the US Bariatric Society? - How long is the typical stay in MX post op? - How long has it taken on average to get surgery scheduled? What is the total wait time for self pays after making the decision on a doc? - and finally, which docs does this forum recommend? I have requested information from Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Aguirre. Thanks for any help/information you can give! I really appreciate it! ~Lea

Lea - for what its worth, here is what I can answer. 1. I decided for the RNY rather than the band especially because I didn't want to deal with the fills. However, my site stated it could be done at home for 300 to 1000 dollars. 2. I had my surgery in monterrey with dr zorrilla. I found the hospital, clinica vitra, to be clean, and the nurses to be very helpful. It was not as modern as hospitals in the US, but I found it to be perfectly adequate. I advise taking a spanish -english dictionary so you can look up that special word - like tampon. I speak a tiny bit of spanish too. 3. I arrived 7/2 late in the day, had exams 7/3, surgery 7/4 Lap fobi pouch) released from hospital 7/7, able to do sight seeing 7/8 and 7/9, flew home 7/10. 4. They scheduled me within six weeks after I completed my application. -- Jody

Lea, have you researched Dr. Ungson ? He is located in Hermosillo MX. About 2 hours from Tucson AZ. He performs the DS surgery. His website is www.drgungson.com. Dr. Ungson is awesome. I just happened to stumble on him through some profiles on obesityhelp.com. He is not as busy as some other drs.so my wait has only been for 1 month. You really should read some of his patient comments. That's what finally made my decision. Let me know if I can help you in your journey.