banded in mexico been there, done that and it was GREAT!

ask away i did it and could not be happier or say enough about dr.zapata and his whole team & operation in mexico. yes i was apprehensive at first but i friends and relatives who live in monterey and checked things out for me. most people don't have relatives or friends there to help them do their research and homework. i can't believe how many snide comments i got from others when i told them i was going to mexico to get banded. let me just tell you will get 10xs the service than if your insurance company paid for it in the US...... just listen to everything i got included no hidden cost. chauffeured limo service from the moment i landed until i was returned to the airport to and from hotel, dr.appointments, hospital for 4 days. 2 nights in what was a 4 or 5 star hotel. private rm. & overnight in hospital with nurses around the clock ( in US it is done on an out patient basis ) all lab work, surgeon,  anestigiologist, exrays, consoltaions with doctors & nutritionists NO HIDDEN COST or EXTRA SURPRISES! everyone involved spoke english including the drivers and all doctors on time no waiting around. flew in on a monday back in texas in my own bed before noon thursday. please don't be swayed by the naysayers who haven't done it themselves and criticize something they don't have all the facts on themselves. oh yeah all that listed service above i got not only was i treated like royalty also but it only cost me 5800.00. i came home even more angry & upset with the whole US healthcare system  insurance companies included than i had been before i left. the hospital i was at the head guy in charge is an american from pittsburg whos son plays in a grammy award winning country & western band. folks we are totally getting ripped of here in the states. just incase you want to know yes the hospitals are clean and no you won't get gunned down in the streets by drug cartels. TIP ask ahead of time before surgery for a list of doctor referrals in your area for follow up care & fills. janet or alma will be more than glad to get you names & numbers. then call them up talk to them develope a relationship with that doctor before you go. i did and can't say enough about the doctor they refered me to in Dallas-Ft.Worth a great guy also. i  just had my first fill 2 weeks ago. i was banded oct 21st and in less than 2 months i've lost 45lbs six inches off my waist best investment i've ever made.            please any questions ask away

food was my drug of choice - no more
brad
ft.worth texas

Brad,

Thank you so much for your post.  A friend and I are going to be banded by Dr. Zapata on January 11th & 12th and we are also in the DFW area.  So far I have been extremely impressed with the professionalism that his team has provided and frankly I have not been able to find anything negative about him or the hospital and believe me I have researched!   Alma is also helping me arrange some cosmetic dentistry.  I figure if I'm there I might as well - right?!?

Question, what doctor are you utilizing for your fills and are they done with flouroscopy?

Thanks!
Jackie

i replyed to ur original post and it is there but i see it states 0 replies. check out my reply. i used dr.dobson he is in grand prairie and not dallas they have him listed as dallas. he is one hell of a guy. i had fallen off a step ladder into my bedroom dresser broke lower 2 floating ribs in my back a week before my first fill. i'm ok just hurt and hurt really bad when i saw him because we were laughing so hard at each other i had to beg him to stop. look forward to going again in a month or so. he has done almost 300 fills & follow ups from zapata & mexico. they have others in dallas though that are closer to rockwall but i can speak for this guy. he kept my appointment even though he had been called into emergency surgery got it worked out for both.

i forgot to mention i'm so excited for u. trust me when u get back u will have the same feeling,  it will be a like WOW moment. u will be thinking what the &$#@ is wrong with healthcare in the US. if you were aginst healthcare reform in the US you will convert, if u are a supporter of healthcare reform ur ideas will be reinforced with new energy, as like yeah that's the way it sould be. mexico has alot of problem but this aint one of them. my wife here in US has had her breast done 3xs. 1st time they releasted her to soon while she was still bleeding on inside. she was back in emergency surgery 5 hrs later after they sent her home same day. her pocket was made too big and she chose the tear drop shape, well she had a spinner on that side. 2nd time went round shape with saline ( which is a bunch of crap the saline failure rate is astronomical ) it isn't safe i think becasuse when they fail it requires you to undergo surgery again. one of hers sprung a leak within 2 yrs. back in surgery again this time changed doctors went to silicone no problems 4 yrs and look better too. the reason i tell you this we have been on the short end of the stick with elective surgery here in states. i myself had to have my nose operated on twice because doctor did wrong side of passage. my daughter is having to have her nose done a 3rd time due to car accident but septoplasty done twice instead of septoplasty then a rhinoplasty for the cosmetics. i'm through with any surgeries in the US that do not require overnight and my insurance won't cover. wife is thinking about some minor touch ups around eyes & brow and i'm going to take her to the annual meeting of zapatas clients in DFW that is held here. he will have on site plastic surgeons who come with him and i'm 100% sure they will if not able to provide her with service at least able to steer her to the best in monterey, hey i don't want to be sleeping next to some thing that may look like joan rivers, that would scare me. i would be interested your expiriance with denistry. my teeth are good now but with this hot body i'm turning out i just may be vain enough later to get something done.

Hey Brad!

Thank you so much for the replies.  You are right, I hadn't checked the thread until today because it said "no replies".  Glad I did!

Have to say your comment about "waking up next to Joan Rivers" TOO FUNNY, thought I was going to wet my pants.  Made my day!

Congratulations on your success so far and WAY TO GO!  I'm very thankful for all the info you have shared and hope you don't mind me picking your brain some more!

Not sure how much I've shared of my story on this particular forum but I'm in a bit of a different situation as I had an RNY in ’03 which was very successful, but due to certain patterns I see in my life, weight, eating habits, etc, I’ve decided to have a revision and put a band over my bypass (B.O.B.). Dr. Zapata has done many of these revisions which made me feel that much more confident in my choice of a surgeon.

Alma and Janet have been absolutely wonderful and put up with all my questions. Alma is arranging the cosmetic dentistry as well, appointments, transportation, EVERYTHING. Because of the cosmetic dentistry, we will be arriving on Sunday and returning to DFW on Saturday and will have the hotel room the entire week. Janean’s surgery is Monday AM and mine is Tuesday AM. Any suggestions for items to pack as far as clothing, OTC medications, etc. that will be
helpful? I would rather be over prepared then under!

How do prescriptions, etc. work after the surgery? Are pain meds and/or antibiotics required/prescribed by Dr. Zapata? The band is such a different surgery then the RNY I’m not exactly sure what to expect.

Sounds like you love Dr. Dobson! Would you mind sharing his contact info? The distance doesn’t concern me as much as the quality of care! Did you set your appointment up with him before your surgery? You may have already told me this, so I apologize if it is a repeat question, does he do fills under fluoroscopy and what is the cost?

I didn’t know Dr. Zapata had an annual meeting in the states. That is really cool! Thank you again for all of the info and I apologize for the long post.

Hugs,
Jackie

 

 did I read COSMETIC?? Tell me ALL  you can about your research with plastic surgeons in Mexico if you have any hint, TELLME> please. thanks.