Any experience with having surgery outside the US?

Every week or so we've noticed members sharing information about bariatric surgery south of the border. This strikes some as unsafe until proven otherwise. On the other hand, some of the surgeons helping patients this way (most of which don't have insurance) have had a lot more experience with the lap band procedure than some US surgeons, as a result of it having been approved for use outside the USA. several years earlier than approval within the USA. Does anyone have any experience to share regarding this? We're very interested in learning from our members.

HI ERIC, I'M LINDA AND I AM HAVING SURGERY WITH DR. ALEJANDRO AGUIRRE WALLACE IN ENSENADA MEXICO, ON 5-28-03. I FOUND THE INFO ON HIM FROM THIS WEB SITE. I E-MAILED HIM FIRST, HE ANSWERED ME NEXT DAY, THEN HE GAVE ME HIS HOME PHONE #, WE SPOKE BY PHONE, I MADE A APPOINTMENT TO SEE HIM, ALSO TOOK MY DAUGHTER WITH ME, HE WENT OVER THE PROCEDURE BUT I HAD ALLREADY HEARD IT TWICE FROM PRIOR TRIES WITH INS. CO. HERE IN STATES. I LIKED WHAT I SAW AND HEARD SO I HAVE A DATE NOW. WHILE I WAS THERE WITH HIM, THERE WAS A LADY FROM OREGON WHO HAD HAD THE SURGERY THE WEEK BEFORE, AND HAD COME IN TO GET HER STAPLES REMOVED, HE WANTED ME TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH HER AND ALSO SEE HER INCISION. SHE WAS SO HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS WENT WITH HIM AND SHE LOOKED GREAT HER INCISION WAS ALLMOST HEALED ALLREADY. IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HAVING SURGERY. CHECK WITH HIM. YOU WON'T BE SORRY! I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THINGS WITH MY SURGERY. BUT CHECK WITH HIM SOON, HE'S STARTING TO HAVE A LONG WAITING LIST. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ON WHAT EVER YOU DECIDE TO DO. LINDA

Hi Eric~ I used Dr. Aguirre Wallace in Ensenada,Mexico on 3-27-03. I am very happy. I tried to help Dr. Aguirre register his information on your website numerous times and neither of us was contacted by anyone on your staff. So we have since given up. To make up for this I made a very detailed profile on Dr. Aguirre and my exp. there. Please go to my profile and read it. You now have 40+ members on his forum. Maybe that could shine some light on it for you. The problem is if you are self pay the price in the USA is to high for the normal person. Dr. Aguirre has proven himself to be the best Mexico has to offer.