traveling out of state for surgery

I am in the process of looking for a surgeon. I still have a little ways to go b/f I can have any body work done but I am trying my hardest to make it happen for next summer or early fall of next year!!!.....SO my question is how long can I expect to be gone? If I choose to say go to Mexico or even TX. How long will I be in the hospital, how many post opt appointments will I have to go to. I am trying to figure out if I will be able to travel or look in to surgeons in Louisiana. Any advice you can give me or tips I would be extremely grateful!!!
Thanks,
     Katherine

Hey girl!  I can only go off consults, since I didn't have anything done yet, but...

My local PS said my procedure would be outpatient and I would go home the day of surgery, and I would have a 48hr and 1 week follow up to start.  I contacted Dr S as a back up and he told me for my TT and BA I would have to be in MX for 12 days, although I think the procedure there is outpatient as well, you just have to stay at the hotel.

Hi ya Honey! When you spoke to Dr.S, did they say anything about follow ups after the 12 days? My concerns are what if I get an infection after I get home? Don't we need alot of follow up like our WLS? How safe is the area in MX & how clean is the hospital? I just am wondering about everything..lol..do you know the price difference vs in states? sorry I am asking a million questions..lol

Price difference for me was HUGE!  I had a lower body lift, breast lift with silicone implants, small/medial thigh lift, and lipo to my tummy, back, sides, hips, outer thighs, and neck with some fat transferred to my butt, and it cost me $14,000 all inclusive.  It included my clinic stay, hotel stay, transportation to and from the airport, 2 sets of garments, and up to $600 of my plane ticket reimbursed. 

The area is very safe, and I even walked to the grocery store that is located behind the hotel at night, and I felt completely safe. 

I went to Mexico for my WLS too and didn't need follow up as it was all laprasopic. Well I did need blood work to check vitamin levels etc and the Dr checked my incisions but I had planned on doing that anyway. But after March I only saw him at 6 months. My local pcp was willing to be that follow  up person.

Utah the prices for a tt were between 5000-7000. That was WAY less that where I live. Who knows.I started looking locally, then 3-7 hours away and then out of state. If I was willing to go out of state and deal with the travel issues and not have constant medical care like I would in Mexico I decided to check it out too.

I went for WLS in Mexicali. It was the cleanest hospital EVER. That stay was the best hospital experience I've ever had. I've had wonderful doctors in the (OB and reproductive endocrinologist) but the hospital caring with my triplet pregnancy was horrendous).

Safety - it deepends on where you go. Border towns like Tijuana and Juarez have a lot of violence and travel advisories. None for Monterrey.

These are GOOD questions to ask.

The follow is the scary part for me honestly, and may stop me from considering him seriously. My insurance specifically excludes any follow up from PS not done at an MTF and ANY complications at all that arise if I get it done on my own.

The price difference for me is BIG.  If I can do it on the specific day they want, my insurance will cover my full TT (I am not sure I can however, sigh...lol), but it is $6200 to add a BA- and that is with a significant discount for doing it at the same time as a covered procedure.  My quote from Dr S for both procedures was not too much higher and included airfare and hotel stay.  That being said, NY is a high priced area for PS in general, and everywhere is different.

As for cleanliness and safety.  I have done my research (CJ research is my field after all, lol) and Monterrey is consistantly the safest city in MX.  I would not travel to places like Juarez even if the surgery were FREE, but I would feel safe enough going to Monterrey.  As for clean...well, I guess I would just be taking other people's word for it, but I have heard only good things.

MTF - military? I didn't realize they would exclude complications. WOW. I am surprised. I thought tricare covered almost anything. To be honest if I had insurnace that would cover it and my other work was almost the same price and the surgeon was highly skilled I wouldn't go out of the country. For me its impossible where I live to afford it. It would be about $13K here for a tummy tuck and breast lift. And that was a random quote - based on pics. It could be higher. My friend in San Francisco paid about the same amount.

Yeah, I don't want to go outside my MTF if I can help it.  BUT....they have one day open for me to have surgery.  One day EVER- then the surgeon is going overseas and they do not know when or if he will be back here.  And I have been told flat out that another surgeon (if they get one) would not do my surgery for free.  That I am not technically medically nessecary, and they are doing it because he promised my bariatric surgeon that he would do TT for all his patients that lost significant weight and needed one.  Soooo. If I can't take that date, I am back to square one, and unfortunately that date falls on a school holiday, I have my two girls, and my hubby can't get off work to care for them or me, and I have no family who could come.  I am in a really tight spot with it all right now, lol.

Do you have friends who can help you? Crap. I'd try to take it but I know it's hard with little kids.

Unfortunately, no.  I only have one close friend here (the rest are spread all over the darn place, lol) and since it is the holidays when I would be having surgery she will be at home in VA with her family...I am trying to take the attitude that it will all play out as it is meant to...but that is hard for me...