It still amazes me the fear of "Surgery in Mexico"

[FurEllie]

As I stated in another thread, after several days of vomiting, I was forced to have my band, as well as half my stomach removed. EVERY SINGLE NURSE AND DOCTOR ASKED ME WHY I WENT TO MEXICO! "Because the doctor I went to has done more lapbands than any other doctor in the states AND has trained many if not most of the US doctors". They still couldn't believe someone would go to Mexico....what do they think happens to the Ex-pats who have moved to Mexico, Central America, etc?

Even the surgeon who did my stomach removal who was VERY, VERY against lapbands ("You shouldn't put something foreign in your body." Oh brother - I bet he stares at the chicks with the implants though, lol) said the band was one of the best he'd seen and was done very well.

TAKE THAT, U.S. DOCTORS

Heck, if I can get approved for it, I'll be back in a year or two and get another band put in by Dr. Ortiz!

After spending 2 days in the hospital after my hysterectomy and another week due to this latest problem, I can honestly say the care at Dr. Ortiz's office made the U.S. medical system look like a joke.

[fat2nrml]

HELLO!! I'M HOPING TO HAVE THE LAPBAND PUT IN BY DR. ORTIZ IN MARCH [sTILL WORKING ON THE MONEY.] I WANTED TO GET IT LAST YEAR BUT COULDN'T GET UP THE FUNDS. ANYWAYS, I WAS WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE YOUR BAND AND HALF YOUR STOMACHE REMOVED? I HAVEN'T BEEN COMMING TO THE FORUM LATELY, SO I'M BEHIND. THANK YOU, AND I HOPE ALL'S WELL WITH YOU!! DARLENE :-h

[FurEllie]

HELLO!! I'M HOPING TO HAVE THE LAPBAND PUT IN BY DR. ORTIZ IN MARCH [sTILL WORKING ON THE MONEY.] I WANTED TO GET IT LAST YEAR BUT COULDN'T GET UP THE FUNDS. ANYWAYS, I WAS WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE YOUR BAND AND HALF YOUR STOMACHE REMOVED? I HAVEN'T BEEN COMMING TO THE FORUM LATELY, SO I'M BEHIND. THANK YOU, AND I HOPE ALL'S WELL WITH YOU!! DARLENE :-h

I either got the flu, food poisoning or a reaction to some strong antibiotics I was taking after a recent hysterectomy. Whatever it was caused me to vomit uncontrollably. At some point, per the doctors, my stomach basically doubled over itself and began to die off. I was completely unresponsive to any of the anti-nausea medications they tried on me.

IMHO, had they removed the fill as soon as I got to the ER, my body wouldn't have had so much trouble expelling the vomit. Or the band could have had zero effect whatsoever. I am still waiting to get a complete report from the hospital and doctors who worked on me.

BUT the band itself didn't cause the problem. Not getting it unfilled immediately could have caused the problem to worsen though.

[Grace]

As I stated in another thread, after several days of vomiting, I was forced to have my band, as well as half my stomach removed. EVERY SINGLE NURSE AND DOCTOR ASKED ME WHY I WENT TO MEXICO! "Because the doctor I went to has done more lapbands than any other doctor in the states AND has trained many if not most of the US doctors". They still couldn't believe someone would go to Mexico....what do they think happens to the Ex-pats who have moved to Mexico, Central America, etc?

Even the surgeon who did my stomach removal who was VERY, VERY against lapbands ("You shouldn't put something foreign in your body." Oh brother - I bet he stares at the chicks with the implants though, lol) said the band was one of the best he'd seen and was done very well.

TAKE THAT, U.S. DOCTORS

Heck, if I can get approved for it, I'll be back in a year or two and get another band put in by Dr. Ortiz!

After spending 2 days in the hospital after my hysterectomy and another week due to this latest problem, I can honestly say the care at Dr. Ortiz's office made the U.S. medical system look like a joke.

I sooooo agree FurEllie!!!!!! I have two good friends who are doctors and I have had this very same conversation with them. The bad care in the hospital part. They wouldn't dare challenge me on why I would go to Mexico, in part because they see how bad the health system is in the states. I actually suggested to one of them that they go into the biz. He is as personable as Dr. Ortiz (and as cute). I watch him run ragged from too many patients a day, too many stupid stupid er calls (example, a women who get not get her tampax out) Being a doctor is not what it used to be.

Thanks for posting about your experience. I still can't figure out the folding over part..... and I'm not real sure I am interested in a visual. Yes, I am a wimp... I am trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row, meaning my primary is getting educated (hm, he never said why mexico) I travel on business and I have found the right docs where I travel. I may not be super prepared in all parts of my life, this one I'm a bit obsesive. Your experience and posts have helped alot.

Take care!

m

He pointed out he wasn't a surgon... oh well....

[Clynn]

When I first told my primary care physician about Dr Ortiz's clinic his words were, "I cannot medically recommend this." Then he started researching Dr Ortiz and by the time my appointment came about I think he was ready to drive me to the airport himself. I go to him monthly for vitamin shots (not band related) and he's always asking me how things are going. I think he now recommends Dr Ortiz to his other patients considering weight loss surgery. I think it's just a matter of knowing what you're getting into. When my mom first suggested Mexico all I could picture was Dr Nick Riviera from The Simpsons and the urban legend where people wake up in bathtubs full of ice with their kidney removed. Once I'd educated myself and been down there I wouldn't want to go anywhere else.

[JilliePooh]

I have had the same questions, negative remarks, etc. about Tijuana and doctors in Mexico as well, but I have stood firm and I have a friend who could not be cured of cancer in the us without horrible chemo, etc. and is totally cancer free (2 years by the way) after being treated in Tijuana! I try to not get into an argument with these people but it is hard sometimes to keep my mouth shut (which is one of the reasons I need the lap band--if my mouth is open, i have either food or a foot in it)!!! Band scheduled for Feb. 18!

[PAMMIE]

hard sometimes to keep my mouth shut (which is one of the reasons I need the lap band--if my mouth is open, i have either food or a foot in it)!!!

LOL MADE MY DAY LOL >

[restrict2008]

I either got the flu, food poisoning or a reaction to some strong antibiotics I was taking after a recent hysterectomy. Whatever it was caused me to vomit uncontrollably. At some point, per the doctors, my stomach basically doubled over itself and began to die off. I was completely unresponsive to any of the anti-nausea medications they tried on me.

IMHO, had they removed the fill as soon as I got to the ER, my body wouldn't have had so much trouble expelling the vomit. Or the band could have had zero effect whatsoever. I am still waiting to get a complete report from the hospital and doctors who worked on me.

BUT the band itself didn't cause the problem. Not getting it unfilled immediately could have caused the problem to worsen though.

I hear stories like that and it makes me want to keep a syringe around just for emergencies- I know you should never ever never try to unfill your own band- but a small part of me wonders that had you been able to that day would things have been different.

[Chad]

EVERY SINGLE NURSE AND DOCTOR ASKED ME WHY I WENT TO MEXICO!

Word for the day: Ethnocentrism

[FurEllie]

I hear stories like that and it makes me want to keep a syringe around just for emergencies- I know you should never ever never try to unfill your own band- but a small part of me wonders that had you been able to that day would things have been different.

The surgeon who finally DID unfill me Wednesday AM told me today that if they had unfilled me when I got there Monday night/Tuesday AM, I probably would have walked out fine a few hours later.

Again, to add to the "Well it was because of the Mexican surgery", everyone automatically assumes it was a problem with the band. IT WASN'T. Period. The band being filled made the problem worse but the band didn't cause anything. People ask me "Can you sue the guy in Mexico?" lol. Give me a break. One friend even said she was glad I had it out now since it probably wasn't put in right in the first place. Oh freaking brother... ..

[Dontondan]

The surgeon who finally DID unfill me Wednesday AM told me today that if they had unfilled me when I got there Monday night/Tuesday AM, I probably would have walked out fine a few hours later.

Again, to add to the "Well it was because of the Mexican surgery", everyone automatically assumes it was a problem with the band. IT WASN'T. Period. The band being filled made the problem worse but the band didn't cause anything. People ask me "Can you sue the guy in Mexico?" lol. Give me a break. One friend even said she was glad I had it out now since it probably wasn't put in right in the first place. Oh freaking brother... ..

So many people are MORONS! I was faced with "why in the world would you go to Mexico?" questions daily prior to my surgery and I would do it all over again the same way! I can compare the care I got at OCC with the care I would get if I was some sort of celebrity!!!! I am so happy that I found Dr. Ortiz and had such a good experience with them that I would recommend them to everyone.....I am so glad that you made it clear that it wasn't complications from the actual surgery. I have heard very few complaints and so many rave reviews from people who have gone down there. I think a lot of people just have pre-concieved conceptions of TJ being "third-world"....even though it is only footsteps across the border to the US! I would much rather have a MD operate on me that does the same surgery every day for years than one that does 2 or 3 of these surgeries a month. My regular Dr. tried to change my mind before I went down there too, but I see him later this week and will let him know how great everything went.

Donna

[restrict2008]

I wouldnt necessarily have a fear of getting the band placed in mexico- but a fear of who to go to if something went wrong- if mexico isnt readily accessable. Many doctors will not treat a patient who had their band placed abroad.

[FurEllie]

I wouldnt necessarily have a fear of getting the band placed in mexico- but a fear of who to go to if something went wrong- if mexico isnt readily accessable. Many doctors will not treat a patient who had their band placed abroad.

I'd be interested to know where you're getting that information. I don't know of ANY doctors who won't treat a patient who had their band placed abroad. Will every doctor fill them or do basic follow up care? Maybe not. But if "something went wrong" and you find a doctor who won't treat you because you had surgery outside the US (especially since more and more people are going abroad for all kinds of surgery), then I suggest you report them to the AMA and any other group they are a member of. That's like telling someone who lived in Europe all their life, had all their medical care done there and a US doctor saying "Nope, sorry, won't treat you cuz you didn't have it here". Sorry, but I just don't think you've researched enough to make that statement as from what I can tell and have experienced 1st hand, it's completely untrue.

[Clynn]

I've heard several people complain that they've had difficulty finding a doctor who will treat them because they were banded in Mexico. It's not so much as doctors in an emergency situation as it is doctors who do follow up care like fills and band checkups that are turning away Mexican bandsters. There are those who simply do not want to deal with bandsters who were banded outside the US. My guess is that it has to do with insurance and malpractice. If a band is placed improperly and it leads to complications down the line it is easy for whoever is doing the follow up care at the time to catch the blame. More of a quality control issue since they can't bring the American legal system to bear for international bands. Just my guess as I said. Since fills are (mostly) non-critical medical care the laws and ethics are looser than if it were an emergency and it's more up to the individual doctor's discretion on whether or not they want to take on a particular patient.

Anyone who was considering getting banded outside the US I would advise to find a fill doctor in their area who is willing to take them on as a patient beforehand. You don't want to get a nasty shock down the line and end up having to travel farther than you had originally expected for your follow up care.

[FurEllie]

I've heard several people complain that they've had difficulty finding a doctor who will treat them because they were banded in Mexico. It's not so much as doctors in an emergency situation as it is doctors who do follow up care like fills and band checkups that are turning away Mexican bandsters. There are those who simply do not want to deal with bandsters who were banded outside the US. My guess is that it has to do with insurance and malpractice. If a band is placed improperly and it leads to complications down the line it is easy for whoever is doing the follow up care at the time to catch the blame. More of a quality control issue since they can't bring the American legal system to bear for international bands. Just my guess as I said. Since fills are (mostly) non-critical medical care the laws and ethics are looser than if it were an emergency and it's more up to the individual doctor's discretion on whether or not they want to take on a particular patient.

Anyone who was considering getting banded outside the US I would advise to find a fill doctor in their area who is willing to take them on as a patient beforehand. You don't want to get a nasty shock down the line and end up having to travel farther than you had originally expected for your follow up care.

Correct - there are several doctors who won't do fills on Mexico banded patients. I suspect more has to do with the fact that they have patients of their own to take care of.

Dr. Ortiz has done a wonderful job of working with Fill Centers USA and more seem to opening every day.

My disagreement with restrict2008 was their statement that "....if something went wrong- if mexico isnt readily accessable. Many doctors will not treat a patient who had their band placed abroad.". That is completely untrue. A fill isn't something "going wrong", IMO.

[Clynn]

Perhaps we have different interpretations of the phrase, "something wrong." In an emergency situation doctors are compelled to assist no matter where the patient has been and what they've been doing unless it puts the doctor in a life threatening situation.

My contention is that when it's not a life threatening situation for the patient but they still need immediate care, they may run into a situation where doctors turn them away. My mother has a friend who was banded in Mexico (NOT by Dr Ortiz). This doctor did not use the Inamed band and it broke. She had difficulty finding a doctor in the states who was willing to take it out. I don't know if she eventually found someone in the US or had to go back down to Mexico as the conversation I had with my mom was more about the challenges patients who go to Mexico may have to face.

[restrict2008]

Correct - there are several doctors who won't do fills on Mexico banded patients. I suspect more has to do with the fact that they have patients of their own to take care of.

Dr. Ortiz has done a wonderful job of working with Fill Centers USA and more seem to opening every day.

My disagreement with restrict2008 was their statement that "....if something went wrong- if mexico isnt readily accessable. Many doctors will not treat a patient who had their band placed abroad.". That is completely untrue. A fill isn't something "going wrong", IMO.

I called 30 offices around my area and only one agreed to do follow up (including complications) if I had my band placed in mexico. I made an appt with that one doctor and when I called to confirm they changed their mind. That scared me. So i know first hand how frustrating it can be to get follow up. If it were an emergency any hospital would have to take me by law, but only for an emergency. Doctors have the right to deny a patient if care is not critical. Fill centers may be expanding but there are certainly none near me.

[restrict2008]

Correct - there are several doctors who won't do fills on Mexico banded patients. I suspect more has to do with the fact that they have patients of their own to take care of.

Dr. Ortiz has done a wonderful job of working with Fill Centers USA and more seem to opening every day.

My disagreement with restrict2008 was their statement that "....if something went wrong- if mexico isnt readily accessable. Many doctors will not treat a patient who had their band placed abroad.". That is completely untrue. A fill isn't something "going wrong", IMO.

There are other things that can go wrong that are not emergencies- leaks, problems with tubing, etc. I know of a girl who developed a leak and was told to go back to TJ to get it fixed. These are valid concerns, and have nothing to do with the competence of any particular mexican doctor

[snowbird]

There are other things that can go wrong that are not emergencies- leaks, problems with tubing, etc. I know of a girl who developed a leak and was told to go back to TJ to get it fixed. These are valid concerns, and have nothing to do with the competence of any particular mexican doctor

You are right, this is a valid concern. I figure that even if I am in Washington state (my summer home) I can fly down to San Diego in 3 hours for about $100 each way, and that's good enough for me. If you are farther away then Tijuana may not work for you. Things like leaks are not "emergencies" and you don't have to have them taken care of at a moment's notice. I like to go back to Dr Ortiz's clinic for my fills because they always used fluoroscopy to check band and port position with each fill. For me, surgery in Tijuana was a great choice. You will have to figure out what works best for you.

[FurEllie]

You are right, this is a valid concern. I figure that even if I am in Washington state (my summer home) I can fly down to San Diego in 3 hours for about $100 each way, and that's good enough for me. If you are farther away then Tijuana may not work for you. Things like leaks are not "emergencies" and you don't have to have them taken care of at a moment's notice. I like to go back to Dr Ortiz's clinic for my fills because they always used fluoroscopy to check band and port position with each fill. For me, surgery in Tijuana was a great choice. You will have to figure out what works best for you.

I'm in GA and I had no issues at all about flying there for a fill, an unfill (which could be considered an "emergency" as I couldn't keep ANYTHING down at all - even sips of water) and another fill. When I had my ACTUAL emergency, even though the hospital had a WLS group, they still didn't remove the fill like they should have until it was too late. I could have literally gotten in TJ faster and probably still have the band

[restrict2008]

I'm in GA and I had no issues at all about flying there for a fill, an unfill (which could be considered an "emergency" as I couldn't keep ANYTHING down at all - even sips of water) and another fill. When I had my ACTUAL emergency, even though the hospital had a WLS group, they still didn't remove the fill like they should have until it was too late. I could have literally gotten in TJ faster and probably still have the band

That really is heartbreaking fur- makes me want to keep Sterile Access Port Needle (Huber-type, straight, non-coring 20-gauge x 2†needle) on hand at all times!

[verdi]

I called 30 offices around my area and only one agreed to do follow up (including complications) if I had my band placed in mexico. I made an appt with that one doctor and when I called to confirm they changed their mind. That scared me. So i know first hand how frustrating it can be to get follow up. If it were an emergency any hospital would have to take me by law, but only for an emergency. Doctors have the right to deny a patient if care is not critical. Fill centers may be expanding but there are certainly none near me.

I know that doctor's are permitted to not treat a patient if they so choose.

[magpel]

Perhaps we have different interpretations of the phrase, "something wrong." In an emergency situation doctors are compelled to assist no matter where the patient has been and what they've been doing unless it puts the doctor in a life threatening situation.

My contention is that when it's not a life threatening situation for the patient but they still need immediate care, they may run into a situation where doctors turn them away. My mother has a friend who was banded in Mexico (NOT by Dr Ortiz). This doctor did not use the Inamed band and it broke. She had difficulty finding a doctor in the states who was willing to take it out. I don't know if she eventually found someone in the US or had to go back down to Mexico as the conversation I had with my mom was more about the challenges patients who go to Mexico may have to face.

Hi There.

I'm getting banded on Feb 15th, and also live in WA State. Abouts where do you live? Where do you get your fill? I'd love to get a good referal from somone in my area.

Many thanks!

Peace,

Maggie

[desertgal]

I couldn't agree with you all more. My mother lived in ensenada for 17 years. She was treated well by all the locals. I took her to emergency room one time in the middle of the night...I was shocked at how clean the place was & the wonderful treatment she was given. If those who "poo poo" the whole idea of Mexico would just think...these doctors NEED us to bring our money to them & their communities..if they do a bad job, word will spread & they will be out of business. I went to TJ a year ago to a dentist that was highly recommended...another shocking experience....his facility had state of the art equipment that I had never seen before! His price was about 40% of the US docs. In his waiting room was a world map with stick pins all over it....when I asked him about it (thinking these are all the places he has traveled)...he told me "no, those are all the places my patients come from"...the bottom line, is ...open your mind & do your research...you might be pleasantly surprised by other cultures and what they have to offer.

[snowbird]

Hi There.

I'm getting banded on Feb 15th, and also live in WA State. Abouts where do you live? Where do you get your fill? I'd love to get a good referal from somone in my area.

Many thanks!

Peace,

Maggie

Maggie,

Clynn's my daughter. She gets her fills in Port Orchard. They have a support group there that she attends occasionally. she has also had Dr Neal in Olympia do her fills.

She works full time and goes to school, so I just didn't want you to think she was ignoring you!