So I have been debating going to Mexico to have surgery. Being the wait time here is so bad
Has anyone had any expereince and with what Dr?
Thanks

I dont think the wait time is that bad. It gave me time to educate myself about the surgery, get to know people who were in the same boat as me, etc.

The follow up in the Bariatric program, i've found, has been invaluable in my progress so far. I'd worry about not having that, with having surgery in mexico. The Bariatric team (SW, dietitian, surgeon, etc) has been so helpful, a resource for preparing, learning and ongoing support.

Canada is best, in my opinion.

Yes I do agree Canada is the best choice. But from reading on here average wait times is like a year. That is a long time to wait for surgery and lots can happen in that time.
I was just exploring options and looking for feedback.
Thanks

But.... A year isn't long at all.

I went through Toronto Western Hospital and my wait time was only 6 months, which went by very quickly.

I haven't had any experience with Mexico, but I have heard of someone in Alberta that went and now organizes trips for it.  The reason that she did it, is that their wait times are a lot longer than ours, I heard up to 10 years, but not sure if that's accurate or not.

Like Monica, I'd be worried about after surgery care.  It is quite valuable.  Wether your question is a little thing, or if it's something big, they are there for you.  I'd stick to Canada too, which is why I wasn't too worried when I had just missed the deadline to go to the states. I could get my surgery close to home. 

I have no regrets with what I did, or how I did it.  I needed the time, no matter how frustratly slow it seemed, it was worth it.

Cathy

i know the wait time can seem frustrating. there were times i would just cry and be like "what next?!" and think about how it'll never happen for me. i started my journey to WLS in march 2011, and here i am march 2012, drinking my morning optifast shake because my surgery is 2 weeks away!

i don't really know much about having the surgery in mexico so i cant really comment on that. but i do know that even though its been a year long wait for me, and its been hard, but i've come full circle and i say its worth the wait. wouldnt you be more comfortable having the surgery in your home setting? that way you can follow up with your same doctors every few month and if anything went wrong it would be much safer to be home. but of course the choice is yours :) good luck on your journey either way !

2Bfit...if you do decide to go south...just don't use Dr. Joffe....at his clinic....there was a 16x9 on Global about him...not good!!  good luck in your decision...Patti K.

Thank you all for your comments.
I guess when I  originally thought I would have surgery in 6 months, 1 year seems like forever.
But maybe it is well worth the wait. And the aftercare is something I would want to have as well.

Thanks for the advice I am going to stick it out and maybe it will happen sooner than later. I am just in the beginning process with my referral just being sent.

stay positive. You may think a year is long, but in the atlantic provinces, they measure their wait in years, not in months. A year would be a dream to them. If it were a wait of 6 or 8 years, i'd definitely consider mexico. but a year? that's a drop in the bucket.

exactly. The whole process in Canada is to make sure the surgery can be done safely and effectively with a much needed support system. I am getting to know all the clinical staff at humber regional bariatric. I feel their support.

Although I have heard of people having surgery out of country in places such as Mexico, I definitely agree with the others about Canada being the better choice.  If, (God forbid), you had any complicationspost-op (even more than a year out), you would want to have all of your medical records from surgery here, and you'd want to have a barriatric clinic that you could go to for help, who would know and be familiar with your file.  Even having things such as consistent bloodwork on file with your clinic is important.  I would want my surgeon close by. 

If your considering self pay I would call Dr. Christou in Montreal. He removed himself from Quebec Medicare and is only doing self pay, so there really is no wait time.  I'm having VSG on March13th with him.  It only took 5 weeks from date submitting application to surgery date.  Here's his website link http://www.weightlosssurgery.ca/
Good luck on whatever you decide.

Please please please take advise from someone who didn't wait and rushed things. I went to Michigan and had surgery a month from when I applied and looking back now I wasn't ready emotionally. I wish I had pysch consult. I met my dietitician once the day of surgery.

Please take the time and start making changes and really get your head around the changes ahead. I'm just saying I didn't. I was impatient and now 4yrs later I am back at my starting weight. Maybe having local support/dr would have made a difference when I started struggling.

I would be worried about going to a place like Mexico and being operated on by a Surgeon who is no longer allowed to pratice medicine in Canada or the USA. We all know they are out there.

Linda

in Nova Scotia the wait time is 10 plus years.  I opted to go to Mexico and have had no issues and NO pain and healed great.  The after care yes is not there but my family Dr sees to all my needs and has other WLS patients and when I was in the deciding stages she researched my DR of choice also to ensure he was a good Dr.  I have been very open and upfront about my journey even allowing a news crew from 16:9 follow me to Mexico and film my operation and whole journey.  If I had waited in NS for my turn to come I could have been dead.  1 yr I could have waited but 10 nope. I am willing to be a poster girl who jumped 2 borders but NOT the poster girl who died on that 10 plus yrs waiting list. 

 I went to Mexico to have the DS, as BC wasn't budging on covering it after a year of fighting them. I had an excellent experience with Dr. Ungson. If you are going to go to Mexico for the DS he is the ONLY surgeon to go to.

The only problem I've had with my after care is getting the proper labs ordered but IMO that's more to do with the walk-in clinic doctors since I don't have a family doctor. I have a copy of my OR report and also have all my lab information as I get copies of them to track in excel.