Too many preop tests

Good luck to all of you having your surgery done outside of the US. My insurance won't pay, so I'm looking for a place that costs less too. Not only are surgery and doctors expensive in the US, but so many of them require an amazing amount of tests. Even if I could afford the surgery, I couldn't afford to pay for the Psych exam, the cardiac exam, the sleep apnea studies, the Gall bladder exam, the stress test, the upper GI, the lower GI, and on and on and on. And now, everyone wants the filter put in and that is another expensive procedure. I like the approach taken by the foreign doctors. If you have a history of a particular illness, then they require that test (such as sleep apnea) or if you have a history of heart problems, they might require a special tests. Otherwise, you don't have to go through thousands of dollars of exams and months of delays waiting for results. I know, I know, I know, the doctors say they are being "cautious", but can't doctors narrow in on potential problems and not use the "shotgun" approach to medicine. I haven't seen any statistics that show there are more problems from surgeries performed by foreign doctors. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox. Guess I had one to many doctors push my buttons today. Ray Bechtel

Dear Ray, I agree with you and so does my PCP here in the states. She had me get a physical exam with blood work, EKG, Chest Xray, and said that was all I needed to be ready for surgery. I already had set up a study for sleep apnea, just because I know I have it to some degree and wanted to know if I really needed a c-pap before surgery. Most of these tests, if not all, should be paid for by my insurance. She told me that she was sure that I had done my homework and checked this out thoroughly. She will be setting me up to see a bariatric surgeon when I get home from Ensenada who specializes in nutrition. I feel confident that this is plenty of medical attention, barring complications. Wish you the best!