Travel to Tijuana Mexico for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Travel to Tijuana Mexico for Gastric Sleeve Surgery may be the right way to achieve long-term weight loss if you have tried to lose weight in the past and are looking for a permanent, safe, and effective bariatric surgery.

Being overweight or obese is a major health concern that affects a large portion of the American population, and more than a third of American adults are considered obese (having a body mass index above 30).

There are many ways this type of extra weight can have a negative impact on your life, including causing low self-esteem and poor body image, reducing your confidence, making you less active, preventing you from doing things you want to do, and overall lowering your quality of life.

Beyond that, there are also diseases associated with or impacted by obesity, such as heart problems and arthritis. Most people who are obese or overweight have tried many times throughout their lives to shed the excess pounds, but weight is a complicated thing that’s affected by diet, lifestyle, genetics, and more.

Consider gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana and save up to 70% on the cost. Fill in your details in the below form to see if you are eligible for VSG. 

Travel to Tijuana Mexico for gastric sleeve surgery

Also called laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy, gastric sleeve surgery is a type of bariatric surgery wherein 60 to 80 percent of the stomach is removed, and the remaining 20 to 40 percent is reshaped into a small pouch that’s about the size of a banana.

After surgery, the smaller stomach doesn’t accommodate nearly as much food, and this restriction leads to great weight loss results. Moreover, patients who undergo the surgery aren’t left feeling hungry all the time, because a large portion of the stomach that produces ghrelin (the hunger hormone) is removed, and the lower ghrelin levels lead to a reduced appetite.

This procedure is a very effective long-term treatment for obesity, and for this reason, it’s quickly becoming one of the top bariatric procedures among people looking to lose weight. In fact, between 2010 and 2013, gastric sleeve went from representing just over 9 percent of bariatric surgeries in America to accounting for 49 percent of them, and the numbers have continued to rise since then, as has the number of people opting for gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana, Mexico.

Here are some of the reasons why gastric sleeve surgery in Mexico is becoming so popular:

•       Substantial weight loss results can be seen in as few as 12 months
•       Patients lose an average of 50 to 80 percent of their excess body fat
•       The risk associated with the surgery is low to moderate
•       There’s a lower risk of malnutrition than with other bariatric surgeries

 

Going to Mexico for gastric sleeve and benefits of weight loss

The first and most obvious benefit of gastric sleeve surgery is the significant weight loss that you’ll start to notice immediately following surgery. But just as important are the related medical benefits of losing the excess weight, because obesity has been linked to numerous diseases, some of which are potentially life-threatening.

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Common health conditions linked to obesity include:

•       Certain Cancers
•       High blood pressure
•       Stroke
•       High blood sugar
•       Type 2 diabetes
•       Osteoarthritis
•       Heart disease
•       Respiratory problems like sleep apnea and asthma
•       High cholesterol

Patients who undergo gastric sleeve surgery see great improvements with their health after losing the weight, and that includes improvement and resolution with diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Because of the relationship between obesity and other diseases, weight loss surgery can also add years to your life.

CHECK THIS OUT: Pros and cons of gastric sleeve surgery

Other health benefits of gastric sleeve

However, the advantages of weight loss following gastric sleeve surgery extend far beyond the realm of health, and there are many ways that shedding the extra pounds can help improve your quality of life, your outlook, and your self-image. For instance, obesity can exacerbate pain problems such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, back pain, migraines, and knee pain.

So losing weight can help alleviate symptoms, making it easier to move, stay active, and remain positive. Increased self-esteem is another huge benefit of the weight loss associated with this type of surgery, because you’ll feel better in your own skin, have the confidence to wear the clothes you want, be happy to have your picture taken, and feel better overall about yourself and your life.

READ THIS TOO: A comprehensive guide to leisure tourism in Tijuana, Mexico while getting weight loss surgery

Advantages of gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana Mexico

So with all the advantages that gastric sleeve surgery has to offer, why don’t more people opt for the procedure? There are many reasons, including the cost, that not all health insurance companies will cover it, privacy issues, and more.

Let’s take a look at these reasons in more detail, and why getting gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana, Mexico is an appealing alternative:

Gastric Sleeve Mexico Cost

The average cost of this procedure in the U.S. is $20,000. By contrast, the cost of gastric sleeve in Tijuana Mexico is around $4,000. If your insurance doesn’t cover this procedure, then you’d be out of pocket for the entire amount if you were to have it done in the U.S., and you’d save over $15,000 just by going south of the border to Mexico.

There are many reasons why medical expenses in Mexico are so much more affordable, including that they have lower costs for salaries, equipment, training, insurance, and more, which translates to lower costs to perform procedures, and that gets passed on to patients in the form of cost savings.

Moreover, there are also many new package deals that are being made available through both clinics and third-party organizations that specialize in Mexico medical tourism, and these can further reduce the costs associated with the medical trip.

Finally, there are many options available for funding the procedure, including:

•       Financing through the clinic, hospital, or organization
•       Personal or medical credit cards
•       Bank loans, personal loans, home equity loans, and peer-to-peer loans
•       Borrowing from a 401K
•       Asking for help from family

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Privacy

Although you may consult close friends and family about your decision to get weight loss surgery, the decision is still a very private one for many people, and not often something that people want the world to know. This includes friends, acquaintances, employers, co-workers, and others in your life that you simply don’t want to know about your surgery.

When you go to Tijuana Mexico for the gastric sleeve procedure, it’s easy to tell everybody that you’re going on vacation, and no employer would bat an eye if you requested time off for that.

Moreover, even though there are confidentiality rules that protect your privacy in the U.S., there’s always the possibility that somebody might see you at the hospital when you go for your bariatric surgery, and that can be avoided if you leave the country.

CHECK OUT: Best bariatric surgeons in Mexico

Choosing the right Bariatric surgeon for the job

There are many things to consider when you choose gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana Mexico and the clinic or hospital and surgeon are among the most important. It can be more difficult to find the right surgeon when you’re looking out-of-country, but there are things you can do to make the process easier and smoother, and it all starts with knowing what to look for.

First and foremost, make sure your weight loss surgeon in Mexico and the medical staff have all the training, accreditations, and experience necessary to perform the gastric sleeve procedure safely. You can also request safety records from the clinics or hospitals, and even ask to schedule a video call with the bariatric surgeon before making the trip.

Another thing to consider is the technology and equipment the clinic has access to because it’s important to select one that offers comprehensive services. A good example of this is that some clinics will provide you with digital medical files you can take back home to show your primary care physician or surgeon, and that includes records about the surgery, pre- and post-op tests, and x-rays.

To get started in your research, you can check many online directories to find the names of weight loss surgeons in Tijuana and elsewhere in Mexico, or you can partner with a medical tourism organization such as Jet Medical Tourism that can put you in touch with board-certified surgeons who are working in top-notch clinics and hospitals.

RELATED POST: Choosing a bariatric surgeon in Tijuana – A step by step guide

Travel to Tijuana Mexico for gastric sleeve surgery

Planning a trip can always be stressful, but even more so when you have a surgery scheduled and have to make arrangements for both the travel and the procedure. To start, talk to your surgeon about the appropriate preoperative diet, exercise, and other preparations you should make to get your body ready for the procedure. Your doctor or healthcare practitioner may also recommend certain vaccines before you go, and these could include for hepatitis A and typhoid.

When you make your travel plans, it’s a good idea to arrive a couple of days before the surgery to give yourself time to settle in and relax before heading to the clinic. You should also plan the trip well in advance, and that includes making sure your passport will still be valid for at least six months by the time you head south.

Similarly, you should also talk to your surgeon about how long you should stay in the country before traveling back home because gastric sleeve surgery typically requires a recovery time of three to four weeks, and your surgeon may recommend that you don’t travel during that time.

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Get recommendations from others who have taken this path

Opting to travel to Tijuana, Mexico for gastric sleeve surgery isn’t a decision that you’ll make lightly, but the more information you have, the easier it will be to make. And what better way to determine if this step is right for you than to talk to other people who have done it?

There are plenty of online forums, social media groups, and communities out there where you can connect with others who have already committed to gastric sleeve surgery, who have already been through the process, and who can share their success stories, tips, and other recommendations.

INTERESTING READ FOR YOU: Gastric sleeve before and after stories

Topics you might want to consider talking about with people who have had the surgery include:

•       How did you connect with your weight loss surgeon in Mexico?
•       Were there any complications?
•       How did you prepare for your trip to Tijuana Mexico?
•       Do you have tips for a smooth recovery?
•       Was the gastric sleeve procedure successful?
•       How has your life changed?
•       Would you recommend the procedure to others?
•       Were you scared, and how did you overcome that?

There are many ways gastric sleeve surgery can change your life for the better, including weight loss, reduced risk of associated health problems, less pain, easier movement, improved self-esteem and self-image, a better quality of life, and increased longevity.

But for many Americans, expensive weight loss surgery isn’t an affordable option, even if it is a potentially life-saving procedure that can improve your health and reduce your reliance on the healthcare system. This is especially true if your insurance doesn’t cover gastric sleeve and other weight loss procedures because the cost of these surgeries in the U.S. can be well over $15,000.

In these instances, going to Tijuana Mexico for gastric sleeve surgery is an excellent alternative, because it’s more affordable, it’s private, and you can get access to an excellent standard of care if you do your research and put in the time to find the right clinic or hospital and the right bariatric surgeon for the job.

And when you look back on the decision and see how far you’ve come, you’ll realize that your short trip to Tijuana Mexico for gastric sleeve surgery was one of the best decisions of your life, because you’ll have more freedom, more self-confidence, better health, and the body you’ve always wanted.

Find out if you qualify for the Tijuana Mexico Gastric Sleeve by clicking through to our online application form or contact us today to find out more.