Bariatric Gastric Sleeve surgery in Mexico?
January 24, 2019 2:32 PM Subscribe
I am a candidate for weight loss surgery, but I cannot afford it. Anyone have any experience with weight loss surgery in Mexico?
I'm a 35 year old mother of 3, who is severely obese. I have tried every diet in the world with limited success. I have PCOS, which makes is extremely difficult to lose weight. I have been considering the gastric sleeve surgery for years now. Over the last year, it's been worse than normal. I've been told by 2 different primary care physicians that I should look into bariatric surgery. I've also been evaluated by bariatric surgeons here in the US and told I am a candidate for the surgery.
Here is the issue: My insurance does not cover this procedure, at all, under any circumstances. It is completely eliminated as a benefit.
Self pay for this procedure is around $15k. We are not in a financial place to do that.
A friend of mine suggested checking into Mexico for cheaper procedures. Being one who has seen BOTCHED enough times to know that plastic surgery is cheaper and can be terrible there, I had never considered it. After seeing the results of someone I know, I'm sold.
I found a place in Tijuana, just over the US border, who does this for 5k all inclusive, including a traveling companion (which would be my husband) at no cost. It includes the surgery, anesthesiologist, pre-op, post-op hotel stay for 2 days. They also provide after care at the facility if needed and online/over the phone check ups if needed. Afterward, they tell you to establish follow up care with a local bariatric surgeon.
TL;DR - Am I crazy for considering cheaper surgery in Mexico? Do you have any person experience with this?
I'm a 35 year old mother of 3, who is severely obese. I have tried every diet in the world with limited success. I have PCOS, which makes is extremely difficult to lose weight. I have been considering the gastric sleeve surgery for years now. Over the last year, it's been worse than normal. I've been told by 2 different primary care physicians that I should look into bariatric surgery. I've also been evaluated by bariatric surgeons here in the US and told I am a candidate for the surgery.
Here is the issue: My insurance does not cover this procedure, at all, under any circumstances. It is completely eliminated as a benefit.
Self pay for this procedure is around $15k. We are not in a financial place to do that.
A friend of mine suggested checking into Mexico for cheaper procedures. Being one who has seen BOTCHED enough times to know that plastic surgery is cheaper and can be terrible there, I had never considered it. After seeing the results of someone I know, I'm sold.
I found a place in Tijuana, just over the US border, who does this for 5k all inclusive, including a traveling companion (which would be my husband) at no cost. It includes the surgery, anesthesiologist, pre-op, post-op hotel stay for 2 days. They also provide after care at the facility if needed and online/over the phone check ups if needed. Afterward, they tell you to establish follow up care with a local bariatric surgeon.
TL;DR - Am I crazy for considering cheaper surgery in Mexico? Do you have any person experience with this?
I'm neither a medical doctor nor an expert on medical tourism, but I'll note that yesterday the Washington Post ran a story on the possible dangers of doing that exact procedure there:
They went to Mexico for surgery. They came back with a deadly superbug.
I hope you find a cost effective and safe option whatever it is.
edit: on preview, someone else cited the same article. oops.
posted by bluecore at 2:38 PM on January 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
They went to Mexico for surgery. They came back with a deadly superbug.
I hope you find a cost effective and safe option whatever it is.
edit: on preview, someone else cited the same article. oops.
posted by bluecore at 2:38 PM on January 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm a nurse in a hospital in the US. We recently had a patient who went to Mexico for bariatric surgery because it was not covered under their insurance. This person developed *severe* post-operative complications after returning from Mexico. They were hospitalized for more than a week, and went home with IV antibiotics and had to be fed by IV at home. They will be recovering from this for at least the next 8-12 months.
Their insurance company is refusing to cover any of this. The argument is that since the bariatric surgery is excluded from coverage, any needs related to the bariatric surgery are also excluded from coverage.
This person "saved" about $10K by going to Mexico, and is now looking at upwards of $250K in medical bills. They will probably end up in bankruptcy, and their body has been badly damaged. And they haven't lost any significant amount of weight.
I know this is an anecdote. But if I knew you in person, I would beg you not to do this.
posted by shiny blue object at 2:57 PM on January 24, 2019 [18 favorites]
Their insurance company is refusing to cover any of this. The argument is that since the bariatric surgery is excluded from coverage, any needs related to the bariatric surgery are also excluded from coverage.
This person "saved" about $10K by going to Mexico, and is now looking at upwards of $250K in medical bills. They will probably end up in bankruptcy, and their body has been badly damaged. And they haven't lost any significant amount of weight.
I know this is an anecdote. But if I knew you in person, I would beg you not to do this.
posted by shiny blue object at 2:57 PM on January 24, 2019 [18 favorites]
My husband is a surgery resident in the US and took care of a patient last weekend with a story similar to shiny blue object’s above. I think establishing appropriate follow up care (both with a surgeon and the dietitian, psych follow up, etc. that a bariatric program in the US should set you up with) and what insurance coverage would exist if you have complications are the two key things you should figure out before you decide to do this.
posted by MadamM at 3:02 PM on January 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by MadamM at 3:02 PM on January 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
I have heard good things about Thailand for similar surgery. The expense of travel would be a problem.
posted by Peach at 3:56 PM on January 24, 2019
posted by Peach at 3:56 PM on January 24, 2019
A friend of mine did this and it was fine. That was close to 15 years ago and she's had no complications. She got a lap band and, later on, a boob reduction and lift. However she IS a doctor* and therefore was able to suss out a good facility and qualified surgeon. I'm also pretty sure she spent more than $5K and went to a facility that did not cater to medical tourists.
As a Californian I can tell you that Tijuana, in general, is not where the good facilities are. A lot of people here go to Mexico for things like oral surgery and the like and I've never heard of anyone going to Tijuana.
*I always assumed doctors had good health care but apparently as a contractor she had none. Yay America.
posted by fshgrl at 9:24 PM on January 24, 2019
As a Californian I can tell you that Tijuana, in general, is not where the good facilities are. A lot of people here go to Mexico for things like oral surgery and the like and I've never heard of anyone going to Tijuana.
*I always assumed doctors had good health care but apparently as a contractor she had none. Yay America.
posted by fshgrl at 9:24 PM on January 24, 2019
Does your insurance cover other types of WLS? My wife has had very good long-term success with Roux-en-Y bypass and would be happy to talk about it.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:01 AM on January 25, 2019
posted by Rock Steady at 8:01 AM on January 25, 2019
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posted by exogenous at 2:38 PM on January 24, 2019 [6 favorites]