My Mexico Surgery Review PART ONE - Dr. Carlos Altamirano through Bariatric Pal
- Lindsay Dubler
- Aug 25, 2015
- 5 min read
It has been almost one month since I had my VSG surgery in Mexico, the 28th to be exact. I feel very fortunate to have made my choice as I almost went with a different surgeon and coordinator who I later discovered didn't have the qualifications that I wanted.
Research, Research, oh, and More Research
Like many people, I thought about my decision long before I did anything about it. And with the magic of the internet, I spent hours scouring through patient reviews, reports, and checking medical facilities and most importantly, comparing prices.
Price was a big one for me. About to enter graduate school and already shouldered with a lot of student loan debt, I knew I could not afford to take on any more. No insurance near me would cover bariatric surgery, not even my boyfriend's insurance, and so I had no choice but to self-pay. Self-pay costs in the US can vary from $10k to $25k. Here in the Northwest, most places were well above $15k for a VSG surgery. It really wasn't an option and I had already heard about Mexico so I quickly began my research there.
There are a lot of "coordinators" such as Weight Loss Agents, A Lighter Me, etc, etc. Their websites are glossy and don't really give a lot of information without forcing you to talk to one of their sales people. I definitely wasn't interested in that. I began looking through bariatric forums and talking to people who had actually HAD THE SURGERY. I stumbled upon Bariatric Pal and began perusing their site for information about the surgery, before finding out they actually coordinated for surgeons in Mexico.
This was the price page I stumbled upon: http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/deals/index.html
The prices looked different, especially under Dr. Carlos Altamirano's name. Turns out he was new to Bariatric Pal, though not to surgery in general.
Here's his official webpage: http://www.doctoraltamirano.com/
I began researching him and after emailing with the coordinator, I was immediately invited to Facebook support groups for Dr. A and other surgeons. This quickly reinforced my decision -- not all support groups are created equal. The other surgeon support groups turned out to be catty, flirtatious, and then vindictive, calling out members who had not had surgery through THEIR surgeon. I ended up being kicked out of the group, even though I was just trying to learn from other people's experiences! That quickly led me to Dr. A's support team who was thoughtful, firm, but also fun and enthusiastic.
I have to note this: Dr. A is on Facebook A LOT. That was another key factor in making my decision. He answers questions usually within 24 hours and sometimes IMMEDIATELY after you post! He was available to Skype right away and his youth and enthusiasm for the field of bariatric surgery was especially endearing.
The Payment Process & Preparation
The payment process was a little confusing because they changed it half-way through. I began making chunk payments as we neared the date. The full balance had to be paid 48 hours before surgery so I steadily made payments in $700 or $1000 increments.
Overall cost: $3,800 + $635 for two flights to San Diego, California from Seattle.
I began by doing bank transfers but it took a long time for payments to go through, probably because of my bank. Then, towards the end of my payments, they sent me a Chase bank quickpay option which was much easier and that's what I believe they use now for all their payments.
Going through Bariatric Pal meant I could also meet with a nutrionist for my pre-op diet. Upon making my deposit and securing my surgery date, I was sent pre-op diet instructions, which although brief, were informative enough to begin the process. I then met with a nutrionist who then sent me a few more documents. I wasn't very impressed with the nutrionist and was not surprised when she later separated from the company. They then began the search for a new one. So in the meantime I didn't have anyone to talk to but I DID have the amazing Facebook support groups where I learned far more about nutrition, experiences, and recommendations. Plus Dr. A answered any questions I had almost immediately.
So I began loading up on protein shakes and trying lots of different kinds -- and I am so glad I did! So many of them tasted disgusting!!
As part of my preparation I drank protein shakes plus small healthy dinner meals. I did struggle for the two weeks before to stay on task but the last three days I really committed myself and completed successfully. My reviews of individual drinks will wait for another posting!
Flying to San Diego and Before Surgery
The day we flew to San Diego was a very early day for us. We had to be at the airport at 6:15am and we arrived in San Diego at 9:30ish. Immediately we hit our first snafu. My phone didn't seem to be working. I had the office phone number for bariatric pal and called them to find out where the driver would be picking us up. The phone rang and then it was silent. Turns out the coordinator was answering but my phone was not synced with the towers and was not connecting so I couldn't hear him!
I began to get a little worried and as time ticked by, I felt rising panic because I had no idea where we were supposed to meet. We stood outside baggage claim for 40 minutes before my phone finally aligned itself and I was able to make a successful call! The driver, Roberto, had already been at the airport for an hour, waiting to find out where we were. Henry, the coordinator, passed on my number, we began texting and within minutes he was there at the curb to pick us up! Whew!
Roberto was awesome and genuinely friendly. He chatted lively as he transported us to the border, giving us a lot of background information and sharing stories (without names of course) of previous patients and their experiences with Dr. A. I had grown up in San Diego and so had been to Tijuana many times before so there wasn't any novelty besides general nervousness about what I was about to do. Roberto took us directly to the Recovery House, which is essentially two condos next door to the Bariatric Pal office. The whole street is classic Tijuana, Mexico standards with old architecture and pot-hole streets.
But once you step inside?
They've done a great job with decorating and making it modern and accessible. Our room was LARGE and had a flat screen TV with a HDMI plug. My boyfriend, being the savvy computer genius he is, had brought his laptop and we were able to stream movies right onto the television. It was easy and the WiFi was FAST! As a result, we were also able to call home using an app through the WiFi. But the Recovery House also provides a telephone, they just ask you keep the call times reasonable because they pay for it out of their pocket.
Honestly, it was like a cozy home away from home. The bed was also very comfy but very soft. My boyfriend likes a firmer bed but I LOVED it and it was especially comfy after I had the surgery. We had some down time and then Juanito came to pick us up and take us on a tour of nearby Tijuana!
The best part was I was allowed a "final meal" because my surgery was scheduled for the next day in the afternoon. So we got authentic street tacos and they were SO SO SO good. Damn, I miss good Mexican food, especially after liquid dieting!
Then it was a sleep before heading to the hospital the next day!
I'm also splitting this up into PART TWO so check it out! :)
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