Intro and questions

I've been thinking of WLS for over a decade.  The last time I was seriously considering it I had insurance that would cover it and a friend talked me out of it and convinced me I should try one more time on my own.  I did - and lost about 50 pounds, kept it off for over a year, ran a half marathon, and then my Dad got sick with cancer and I started eating to deal with the emotions.  I quickly gained back all I had lost plus another 20 pounds.  And here I am again today.   I've decided my kids are old enough now that if I were to die on the table - they would survive with their Dad raising them (we are divorced and he is an alcoholic...wasn't willing to risk that when the kids were toddlers but now they are teens and I need to do something for ME).  

I went and saw a local surgeon because I need a hernia repaired and he does both surgeries.  My current insurance excludes ANYTHING to do with weight loss.  Was hoping maybe they would at least bill the operating room/anethesia/etc to insurance for the hernia and I'd pay out of pocket for the surgeon's time on the RNY.  But surgeon informed me it doesn't work because the hernia surgery is so small and short in comparison.  So that is out.   They recommended a letter to my HR department (which I'm going to do) and as a backup plan I could do financing.  Their cost for RNY is $22,500.   If I HAVE to finance it - at this point I decided I would.  Right now I work two jobs so would probably qualify.  If at some point in the future I can't make the payments...they can't reposess my body (maybe they force feed you and make you fat again if you don't pay LOL).

But I've also been considering Mexico.  I live near the border so it isn't that far distancewise.  Looks like a lot of the docs have really good reviews on here.  And I could probably afford to pay either the whole thing up front or pay a large portion and payments on the remaining if the doctors there allow that?

So...here are my questions...

1)  Do any of you have history of blood clots?  If so, what were the surgeons willing to do to make sure it wasn't an issue during WLS?  (Biggest fear...I've had blood clots x2 after c-sections but both were surface clots.)

2)  Once you make a decision on a surgeon (I'm leaning towards Cabrera and Valenzuela...close to me, well reviewed, and reasonably priced.  Where do you go from there?  Do most have a contact person or company?  (I see some look like almost medical vacations and a company seems to do it?)   Is language a barrier?   Can you ask questions prior to going down for surgery?  IE - mortality rates, how much do they bypass, diet program, is scar tissue an issue they can work with, etc.   Heard of one person who spent all the money and showed up and they did one cut and discovered scar tissue and refused to go forward or return her money.  Want to avoid anything like that happening.

3)  How quickly can you have surgery?  Is there a long wait?  Or is it pretty quick if you're self pay in mexico?

4)  Can they repair my hernia at the same time like the surgeon here would?  I COULD have a surgeon do it here but then end up with two surgeries and would prefer to avoid that if I can.

5)  When you get back home - what do you do for information/support/follow up?  Can anyone join local support groups?  Do they give you a diet plan to follow?  And when you get back...if your primary doc is anti-WLS...who do you have do your labs?  And can they be billed so that they are just labs and insurance will cover them?  Or am I going to have regular out of pocket costs for those?

Anything else you'd care to share?  Would love to hear your stories and input!

Hi! Congratulations on your decision for surgery! I went to TJ on Nov. 5th 2012 and had surgery with Dr. Kelly. I cannot say enough good and positive things about him and his staff.I had the VSG surgery and had such a positive experience in Mexico. I was 3 nights in the hospital and 2 nights at the beautiful Lucerne Hotel.Dr. Kelly is a very skilled surgeon and answers all your questions.

Please message me if you have questions about my experience.

They do send you home with a diet plan and your GP does your follow up blood work.

Questions about deep vein thrombosis prophylaxsis and whether your surgeon would be willing to do a hernia repair at the same time, and how many centimeters are bypassed  are questions best directed toward the surgeon.  The surgeons were very happy to talk to me about the details of the proceedure pre-op.  I am not sure what you mean by "surface clots".

 I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy in February with Drs. Cabrera and Valenzuela.  I had excellent results and absolutely no complications.  Language was never an issue.  All of the doctors and nurses spoke good English, as did the hotel front desk staff. 

I believe you are expected to pay for the entire procedure upfront.  I had no problems scheduling a date, but I scheduled eight weeks in advance.  I used MexicoBariatricCenters (Christie) to schedule my surgery.  There is a refund policy if the surgery is canceled for medical reasons.  It would be hard to justify refunding anything if surgery went forward but had to be canceled because of intraoperative problems like excessive scaring.  You are provided with a pre-op and a post-op diet, and there is ample reliable information on post-op diets available on the internet.  You may also work with your PCP in the US. I think people who are self-starters, take responsibility for their own health, know something about nutrition and how to diet will do better without having the option of going to support groups and to see the nutritionist frequently post-op. Post-op labs will generally be covered by your insurance in the US and were not terribly expensive or frequent in my case anyway.