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I have to say it was a bit scary at first, more than scary, it was different. I live in California so we drove to San Diego and left our car at a parking place near the border, the driver picked us up there. Right when you cross the border into Tijuana, you see an area with a dry river and there are homeless people there, pretty depressing. Our driver explained that we were driving through the oldest and poor part of the city. Then the scenery changed and we arrived at the area where the hospital is located, very nice and close to the beach. The view from my hotel was beautiful. I now have family living in Tijuana and visit often, but my first impression was not that good, at least not until I arrived in the area where the hospital is. I tried to keep an open mind, not every city is as the one where one lives. I always felt safe but I didn't really go out to shop or walk around outside of the hospital. My daughter did and she loved every minute of it, she spent her day at the beach and shopping around, visiting her family members. I just walked and walked, trying to get rid of the gas after my surgery!
As a Mexico Sleever, I agree with the posts saying you have to be very careful when choosing, not just your doctor, but also the facility. I'm sure there are bad experiences along with the good ones. Personally, I made sure my surgeon did not perform too many surgeries per day and also, because of my age (over 55) and as a diabetic, I had to be extra careful. Do your research, that's the best advice I can give.
on 8/10/15 6:41 am
My wife got a Cosmetic Surgery in Mexico, with the help of Placidway, a medical tourism company. We were referred by this company to Centro Plastica Dr. Allan Ceballos Pressler in Guadalajara which is a modern and highly specialized medical center. My wife did not have so much difficulties in undergoing the surgery since the staff were so kind to us and made my wife comfortable. for more info visit - http://www.placidway.com/package/2011/8-Places-for-Affordabl e-Cosmetic-Surgery-in-Mexico/
I had my surgery with Dr. Fernando Garcia last October. While the aftercare is pretty much non-existent, I really have nothing else negative to say about him and only positives. My scarring is minimal and I had no complications, other than the standard sleeve complications such as constipation and nausea. If you want more info, let me know.
I would check out Dr. Fernando Garcia at Tijuana Bariatrics. This is who I've decided to go with and I've done tons of research, have talked to so many coordinators from various companies, and have talked to past patients from various surgeons. Dr. Garcia's patients have had nothing but great things to say about him, his staff, and his facility. His facility is brand new, has 2 ICUs, and all pre and post-op testing is done on-site. He charges $4,250 for the sleeve surgery. What I really liked was the amount of information the coordinator sent me right away and the amount of information available on their website. Plus, the medical forms they have you fill out to see if you qualify for the surgery are really in-depth, even asking you about your parents and grandparents medical history. This really impressed me because I had previously filled out an approval form for another surgeon and it was only 2 pages long and was very basic. Search his name and you can read some of the reviews. I was very impressed. They also offer medical tourism insurance which is a good option if your insurance doesn't cover medical tourism, and if you're worried about complications. Hope this helps narrow it down for you; I know how hard it is to pick a surgeon. I've looked into at least 8 different ones! Let me know how you make out and who you decide to go with!
After years of research, I will be having my VSG with Dr Alvarez on 8/15. In all my research, I am yet to find one negative comment, experience, review....anything! He also has a youtube channel, and is committed to his patients long term success, and continued communication after surgery. You can find tons of people on youtube also that give him rave reviews, aside from the ones he posts on his channel. And I think over 700 positive reviews on here! :) And most of all, I liked that he never does more than 3 surgeries a day. On my surgery day, it is only me and 1 other patient.
As I have gone through the prep process, his staff has been amazing. Every question answered, no stone left unturned. I feel like they have prepared me for everything to expect, before, during, and after. Not to mention, I watched ALOT of these surgeries in my research and I thought (coming from a family in the medical field) that his surgery was the performed flawlessly.
I know he costs more money, but I didn't want a dollar figure to determine my care. I wanted what I felt was the best. There are so many people on here that had great experiences in Tijuana, and there are some that have not.
This is all such a personal journey, and I'm sure when you make a decision about a Doctor, you will know that is the right choice for you. Good luck! And I'll be sure to give you a recap of my experience when I return back to the states next Tuesday after my VSG!
Thanks Chrissy! I'll give your videos a watch for sure and check out the Facebook groups.
Megan, Good morning. I recovered very fast. then again I am a very active person. A couple of hours after surgery, I started walking around. I walked about four times a day. When I got home three days later, I walked 3 miles every day. 8 days after surgery, I went hiking. I had no complications and i am actually loosing weight at a study pace. I am at 206. Starting weight was 222. I will do it all over again. Please reconsider the VSG, you will gain all the weight back
Pearl
Also, did you arrange any follow up care in the United States? Or how have you been handling that? Thanks so much!
Hello! Thank you for responding! I'd love to hear if you had any surgical complications and how your recovery went.
