Aviator

There is lots of competition here. People come from all over the world. And my surgeon's practice is almost exclusively bariatric. Plus he encourages the VSG because of the effectivness and the low complication rate. You can lose a huge amount of weight with VSG. its a great tool. Look at brother Eric...

__________________

Aviator aka AeroBear
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
Surgery date: Dec 31, 2008
Post Op wt: 310
Current wt: 229.7
Goal wt: 210
Check out:
http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/per...-log-book.html

NorCalRN

So I've been reading all your comments....

I know of a hospital in Costa Rica that does all Bariatric procedures at a fraction of the US cost, plus it is an International JCAHO commissioned hospital. Which, as a Nurse- is a big deal to me. JCAHO is who accredits all American Hospitals in order for them to stay open and operational- they have an International Accreditation, which this hospital has.

Anyways, a coworker of mine got her bypass there last june, and they keep you in-country for about 5 days (give or take, depending) to monitor you for any complications. Your first 1-2 days are in the hospital post-op, then a local hotel where a Nurse comes to check you each day. They also provide you with transportation to/from airport, hospital, the store, any tourist spots, etc as you need it. She had a fantastic experience and highly recommended it to me.

In my opinion, if other Nurses are comfortable with going out of the country, then I am too. We see the best and the worst of the healthcare/hospital world.... Just my 2 cents for now.

Aviator

You should NEVER do the band that way. It is too maintenance intensive, and you'll have trouble finding someone to take over care stateside. RnY might be OK that way...I dunno tho. VSG would be the best for out-of-country procedures becuase it is so easy and low risk. I still wouldnt. What do you save? a few thousand bucks? :: shrugs ::

__________________

Aviator aka AeroBear
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
Surgery date: Dec 31, 2008
Post Op wt: 310
Current wt: 229.7
Goal wt: 210
Check out:
http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/per...-log-book.html

NorCalRN

She did not get banded, she had a bypass. And as long as you do your homework beforehand and find a good PCP or Internist to do your care after... you should be ok. For the record, this coworker tried for 8 years to get insurance to cover surgery, finally was able to find an out of country situation she felt confident in and did her research first. When you have a family of 4 young children, 1 parent working full time and that parent is morbidly obese and unhealthy... yeah, it can be worth it to save a few grand and A LOT of heartache and hassle with insurance companies. She's lost 108 lbs in 10 months and can play with her daughters again.

I'm sorry, maybe I am taking your comment wrong... but to some folks, a couple grand is A LOT. And knowing now 2 people who have had very safe, successful WLS procedures done out of the country... I think it is a very reasonable decision to make, again so long as you do your homework. I'm not talking about finding the cheapest bidder- in those cases you usually get what you don't pay for.

Aviator

...what is your LIFE worth? In absolute terms she probably LOST money by waiting 8 years to save a few thousand dollars. In my case, Im now saving $250/per month on medications. And a minimum of $200/month on food. That is $5400 per year. That savings totally pays for my surgery in 2-1/3 years. While I do have health insurance, it has a bariatric exclusion, so I was self pay. I waited 2 years before pulling the trigger on WLS, and now wish I had not waited so long.

It is actually pointless for you and I to argue about what your collueague did and how much she saved. If it worked and she is happy is was the right decision for her.

Personally, I would not go out of the country - especially to a developing country - to have surgery. Regardless of how much research is done, I believe you shoulder more risk and have a much greater potential downside. I have read too many stories right here on TT about complications.

But that is just me. Peace.

__________________

Aviator aka AeroBear
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
Surgery date: Dec 31, 2008
Post Op wt: 310
Current wt: 229.7
Goal wt: 210
Check out:
http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/per...-log-book.html