Surgery in San Francisco... on the cheap??

So I have a friend, who's nephew is apparently flying from OKC out to San Francisco, having WLS, and all of this for $6K...

So she doesn't know what surgery he's having, and it's all on the shady side to begin with... there was something about Interns being able to 'watch'...

Anyone has any info on something like this?

He's really being shady with the family, and didn't even tell anyone he was doing this until today (I think he's leaving, or already left)... Sad thing is, this guy's wife is having a baby on June 1st... they both work at a fried chicken place here in OK, and basically have nothing to their names... And he's flying off for whatever surgery he's having... smh

But WTH? CAN you get RNY/ VSG/ or hell, even a lapband for $6K, INCLUDING airfare/hotel and the surgery?

This sounds so not right to me... and if it's the Band... how in the hell will he keep up with fills? (She seems to think it's not the band, but she truly has no idea).

I thought maybe they were going to Mexico until I heard they were flying in San Francisco... and hell, I don't even think Mexico is that cheap?!

So, she's worried about her nephew, and came to ask me... Hahaha... because, you know... I've had WLS, so I must know everything

I'd call Mexico.

If I had to guess, It's student training, and a gastric balloon, not VSG or RNY.

I thought that too... but doesn't that require follow up in 6 months to have it removed?

I guess it really doesn't matter in the long run... guy probably doesn't want to share with his family what he's doing. They're just all pissed that he has no money, and whatever he's doing is happening just a couple of weeks before his wife has a baby.

I had mine at a teaching hospital, so in addition to the surgeon and the anesthesiologist in the room, there were two residents (one with the surgeon, one with the anesthesiologist), an intern, and a med student there (as well as the OR nurse). I honestly have no idea if the surgeon actually performed my surgery, or if he supervised the resident or the intern doing it - but with all those medical people in the room, I wasn't particularly worried. However, my surgery was nowhere near $6K. Insurance paid for it, but I did see the bill - it was *way* higher than that.

I meant a fellow, not an intern (although there may have been an intern there as well). The fellow had been a general surgeon for at least a couple of years, but he was training to be a specialist in bariatric/abdominal surgery. I suspect he may have been the one who did my surgery. He was the one who visited me in the hospital a couple of times afterward, too.

UC San Francisco and Stanford University are also teaching hospitals in the SF Bay Area, as well as Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and VA Hospital Palo Alto.

The only thing i can think of is UC Davis as this is a teaching hospital and maybe he is a special case. If it's not UC Davis then i would be worried as i can not think of any other facility in SF that would do something for so little . SF is expensive. Sure it's not San francisco New Mexico

Sounds like a Mexican package deal to me. I know people who had wonderful care in Mexico. My surgery was at Mayo in Rochester, Mn and it's a teaching hospital but my surgery was wayyyyyy more than 6. Hope all goes well for him