Tijuana Weight Loss Surgery: Mexico Bariatric Surgery

I had my vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery done in April 2015 with no complications and absolutely no regrets! My surgeon was Dr. Ismael Cabrera and he was fantastic! If you are having doubts about getting sleeved, I will tell you my only regret is not having it done sooner! It was the best thing I could have done for myself. Prior to having the surgery, I was depressed, had zero energy, no self confidence and absolutely loathed the way I looked. Today I feel fantastic, I have so much more energy and I feel my self-confidence is slowly starting to make its comeback. I have lost a total of 55 lbs so far with another 20 lbs to go before I reach my minimum goal weight and I could not be more pleased. The entire staff at MI Doctor were wonderful. The hospital was clean and the nurses were very attentive to my needs. Apart from the gas pains I had immediately upon waking up, I had minimal discomfort post op and was up and walking around a minute after I got back to my room. In fact I would have walked out of the recovery area if they had let me. A huge thank you to everyone at Mexico Bariatric Centre and especially to Dr Cabrera you have given me my health back!

I had Gastric Sleeve surgery on 7-10-15 with Dr Cabrera. I researched for a long time before choosing Mexico Bariatric Center. I could not find anything negative about them. I loved everything about the experience. Everyone was worried about me going to Mexico to have surgery. I was treated better in Mexico than any experience Ive had in the Unites States. I have lost a total of 111 pounds so far. I would do it again in a heartbeat. My only regret is thatI didnt do it years ago!

I underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy with Dr. Cabrera on 9/9/15. I chose Dr. Cabrera from the personal recommendation from a friend. I could not be more pleased. The entire process was wonderful. The pre-operative process was smooth with plenty of help from coordinators and the nutritionist. The on-site drivers and coordinators were welcoming, professional, and helpful. The hotel staff were kind and accommodating. The hospital was clean, and all of the hospital staff were wonderful. My nurses were extremely knowledgeable and compassionate. The aftercare is unmatched anywhere. I highly recommend VSG in Tijuana with Dr. Cabrera. I would not go anywhere else for bariatric surgery.

My adventure with MBC began in January of 2015. The ease of making this decision with the expertise of my coordinator made me feel safe in knowing I made the right decision. I joined the facebook group and instantly had a community of support that was so strong. February 27th I arrived in San Diego and was welcomed by staff to escort me into Mexico! Yay so exciting! Upon arrival I was taken to the nicest hotel with the most amazing staff. Next day was surgery and I have never felt so taken care of. All my fears were calmed and surgery took place. I will have to say that I have never received treatment in the US to where I didn't have to ask for pain medicine or help. There at MBC they took care of me like I was royalty. No asking to be comfy, I just was. I spent the next day at hotel and sightseeing and then went home. My life has changed dramatically in the almost 10 mos that I have been home. I have lost 108 lbs so far. I no longer suffer from so many things that ailed me. I can walk, cross my legs, shop in a regular store or swipe clothes from my daughter!! My family feels like they have me back! I am a new person and I will always be indebted to Dr. Cabrera and the rest of the MBC staff for giving me my life back. I could have never afforded this surgery in the states.. but even if I had been able to, I highly doubt I could have received the care of expertise I received there in Mexico. Next stop, skin removal 2017 :)

Many people have asked "WHY MEXICO? Aren’t you scared of infections? What will you do if something happens? You’re going to be so far away from home.” I will admit, I was a little standoffish when I first started researching medical tourism. I did more research and talked to SEVERAL people that had surgery at M.B.C. and was completely set in my decision no matter what anyone said. From the minute I worked with my booking agent, I knew this was the right decision. I had the Gastric Sleeve on 8/20/2015, no complications, fully healed and down 58 lbs in 10.5 wks. I found it incredibly helpful that they had a Facebook with a registered dietitian to answer any pre/post-op questions. I was able to seek guidance from all of the previous patients and support from people in the pre-op stage as well. They have a YouTube channel as well with very informative information. We arrived at the hotel which was very nice, clean and everyone was pleasant, they provided broth, water and jello so you stayed hydrated. I got my paperwork to fill out and time to be ready for surgery in the morning. I was greeted by a primary care Dr. who asked me all about my medical history, I alerted him of asthma and getting severely sick after anesthesia, he reassured me they had meds for both so I wouldn’t have any complications, his bedside manner was impeccable. They had me change and did my EKG, did my IV and off to the races. Dr. Ismael Cabrera greeted me in the “staging” room and introduced himself. Put my mind at ease, let me know everything that was going to happen and reassured me I was in wonderful hands. He has a great warm personality and smile. Really puts you at ease them taking the time as a human not just a number. His anesthesiologist told me about the drugs they were going to give me and the aftercare and I think assistant went over any questions I had. (Only one I had was if she could take a picture of my stomach once it was removed, she obliged) I was walked into the operating room, given my happy medicines and next thing I remember is getting in my bed in my original room and being greeted by my husband. I was on a breathing treatment and in and out of it for a while. Once I could really get it together I got up to walk. I had to get nausea meds but they were incredibly accommodating. I walked the halls off and on for the rest of the night but truly wasn’t in that much pain, I was floored. They changed my IV bags when needed and stayed on top of the nausea and paid meds. The next day I walked down to the little cafeteria/shop with my husband so he could eat. I could not believe how little pain I was in. I did what is called a leak test so they could make sure everything was performing the way it should and I was good to go. They cleaned my incisions and checked my drain several times to make sure everything was tip top. The nurses helped my husband order delivery food even for both nights. (Which he said was amazing) I had my drain removed the day after surgery, which is a weird feeling but SO MUCH BETTER once it is removed. They gave me a folder with all of my discharge paperwork so I could read it over and proceed with questions at discharge the next day. I was discharged, taken to a pharmacy, taken back to the hotel to drop off our luggage and got to go and tour Tijuana for a little while with one of their guides. We stayed one more night and left the next day. All in all, I know people will all be skeptics for things they don’t know, and assume the worst. I have had 2 previous laparoscopic surgeries before, BOTH in the U.S. both ending in an infection in one of the incisions, neither my fault. (One almost killing me) I had better treatment and better care in a different country because we weren’t just a number to them. We were humans and they wanted us to have a good experience. Do your research, follow the Dr’s orders and you will be successful with your new life. This was the best decision I’ve made. Dr. Cabrera and team were amazing as was the Sourcis Team. THANK YOU!