Lurker turned member... Still trying to figure out which surgeon to use.
There are 2 Dr. Ortiz's. Dr. Elias Ortiz did my surgery 2 weeks ago at Mi Doctor Hospital. So you might want to make sure that the reviews are specifying which Dr. Ortiz. Just so you know. I had a great experience with Dr. E Ortiz though. I posted my account under the Mexico Forum Message board as well :)
Hi Downsizing Diva,
I have had surgery. I ended up doing self-pay, but stayed stateside locally in Richmond, VA. I had surgery on 1/15/14 and I've lost 68lbs so far. No major complications, but a really long stall (6 weeks) in Feb/early March. I decided to stay local in case I had any complications as locally I could get BLIS insurance.
Laura
There was a pretty big price difference but when I told my family my plans, they loaned me the difference. My surgery cost right around $14,000, but I've seen it vary greatly in other states. It's the hospital that really sets the price, not the surgeon, FYI.
I still believe there are great surgeons in Mexico so it wasn't a matter of the quality or success of the surgeon. I really wanted the complication insurance and the face to face follow up that I receive locally with my surgeon and nutritionist. I know that there are some surgeons in Mexico that do follow ups via Skype and I think that's awesome.
If you'd like I can try to send you the docs I received so you can see what was included for the price.