Lap-band Mexico



Mexico continues to be a good alternative to those patients to whom insurance coverage for weight loss surgery is not available or must be self pay. Monterrey, Mexico in particular, has some of the best hospitals in all of Latin America and boasts the first Mexican hospital to receive JCHO accreditation and several other hospitals which will be accredited by the end of the year. This push to meet or exceed U.S. medical standards is driven by the close proximity to the border and the ability of these top facilities to offer many medical procedures at a fraction of the cost of their U.S. counterparts. These conditions along with the continuing escalating medical costs in the U.S. have given birth to the Medical Tourism industry. As an aging population of affluent Americans is denied medical coverage within the U.S., many are seeking options that are safe and affordable out side of the U.S.

While many options do exist in border areas, Monterrey is generally safer than many border towns and offers an environment very similar to the expectations of most Americans.

When seeking surgery outside of the U.S., it is important to work with full service company providing a travel agent to insure flight changes can be made in a timely fashion should you need to change travel plans. It is also important to look at facilities, choose your facility not on price alone, the facility should be equal to or better than the medical facility you use in your own home area. Some medical tourism companies attempt to cut costs by using same day surgery centers, while that maybe acceptable for plastic surgery procedures, it is not acceptable for weight loss surgery. An obese person has certain health risks which make a full hospital a safer choice for a weight loss surgery procedure.

Many of the doctors certified for Lapband in Mexico have many more years of experience than their U.S. counterparts simply because the Lapband was available in Mexico long before it was FDA approved in the U.S. Experience of the surgeon is important, it is better to select a surgeon that has done 1000 or more lapbands with a low complication rate.

Mexico does not have a regulating agency tracking complication rates, so you may need to check out various surgeons on lapband support boards geared towards support of the foreign banded patient. Do not believe everything you hear on the boards however, there are some very good doctors in some parts of Mexico and some very mediocre surgeons also. Select your surgeon on experience, facility he/she works out of, experience with a variety of laparoscopic weight loss surgery procedures and the surgeon's willingness to speak to you regarding what procedure he/she feels would be of greatest benefit to you.

Remember that price alone should not be the deciding factor, safety is always your primary concern with experience and follow up secondary issues.

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