Just back from Tijuana...

Well, I did it!  Last week, I flew to Tijuana and had VSG surgery with Dr Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center.

Best hospital/surgical experience I've ever had.  Every step was smooth--from picking me up at the airport, to hotel check in, to everything that happened at the clinic...everything was as promised.  I work in US healthcare, and let me tell you--we could learn a lot about compassion and bedside manner from the OCC staff.  It was a phenomenal experience.  I'm really glad to be home, and I'm ready to start figuring life out and seeing some victories on the scale... but I just wanted to report that my initial experience exceeded every expectation I had.

Tijuana wasn't scary... actually, it's a pretty cool city, and everyone was really friendly.  The Marriott where I stayed was beautiful, and the hotel staff went above and beyond to make life comfortable while I was there.  Crossing the border was simple--took probably 10-15 minutes going into Mexico, because we had to stop, get out, fill out a customs form, and put our bags through screening (much like the airport).  Going back into San Diego, we just handed our passports through the window to a US agent, talked to him briefly, and we were on our way in less than 5 minutes.  But both crossings were friendly and easy. 

In a nutshell?  Everything I was worried about turned out to be for nothing, and any hope I had for good care was met and exceeded x 5.  SO glad I did this!  I'm officially a loser!  :) :) :)

I am glad you had a great trip.  Welcome to the losers bench!

I am so glad to hear you had such a positive experience. Best of luck to you on you journey!

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the package?

Thanks and congrats!

Thanks, friends!  Still feeling great so far!  Just learning to beat head hunger and get over my desire to chew stuff.  :)  Honestly, if I didn't have small incisions on my abdomen and get full after a few sips, I would question if I had anything done at all.  So grateful!  The hardest part is that my family still eats around me...they are having dinner right now, and it's one of my faves.  I know I'm not hungry--but it's a mental game!  I still want what I'm smelling.  lol   Hopefully time will make things easier.

Kermer--As far as cost goes, it's definitely 1000's less than anything I would've paid for here in the states.  Depending on what you need, I'd just email the centers you are considering and ask... they will get right back to you.  Important considerations (for me, when I was deciding) are: surgeon's certifications, experience level, 3rd party reviews, and being a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)... I work in the medical field here, and I know what it takes to be in that group.  Since I was so unfamiliar with med training in Mexico, it was important that my surgeon meet standards I was familiar with.  I also wanted to make sure the center was a Surgical Center of Excellence...also subject to consistent standards be it in the States or anywhere in the world.  When I was comparing clinics, I found that in some things...it seems like you get what you pay for.  But everywhere I considered was affordable.  I would've paid about $12-15k here in my area, and you can expect to pay around half or less of that range pretty much anywhere in Tijuana (at least that's what I found).  Full disclosure--some of the clinics I saw advertised a really low price, but didn't meet the criteria I was looking for.  Now that doesn't mean that makes them bad places to have your procedure... I'm sure others here have used those dr's and had great outcomes.  For me, I was picky on what I was looking for, so it limited who I could choose from.  I just kept asking, "IF things go wrong, what do I need/want for my care, especially since I am there alone?" 

Either way, low overhead costs in medical care in Mexico made this a doable dream for me.  No regrets at all.  Just so glad I took the leap to the Losers!!!!  :) :) :)

Hi, I came across your post.  It's nice hearing about your experience.  I also had my sleeve done in Tijuana back in June.  My surgeon was Dr. Maytorena.  I have a couple of friends that got theirs with him as well after I came back.  People are a little skeptical when you tell them that you are going to a third world country for a procedure.  I had the best experience as well, very similar to yours.

Congratulations!

S.C

I'd like to hear more about maytorena s process and how the trip went. 

Congrats, and welcome to the losers bench! :) I had my surgery done in TJ in January- it was a great medical experience as well.

Thanks for posting your experience :)

I just keep thinking...why did I wait so long?  :). I am HAPPY to be on this bench!  10lbs lost this first week and already fitting into things from "that stack" in my closet.  Unbelievable.  I think the next couple of weeks are going to be a lot of fun.  :)