I Found the Best (Bariatric) Surgeon in Mexico

I have been reading copious threads in forums, along with reviews on Google and Facebook. I know how to tell the difference between real reviews and stealth marketing, and I'm quite sure these are real reviews by real people.

I quickly narrowed it down to two clinics. One is immediately over the border from San Diego (California), and one just over the border near San Antonio (Texas). They both are clean, modern facilities with English-speaking staff, and top-notch surgeons. They pick you up at the airport, you stay at the hospital the whole time, and they drive you back to the airport.

The one near San Diego sounds very good. It has hundreds of 5-star reviews, a very low complication rate. They have several surgeons and offer a choice of several surgeries.

The one near Texas is the private clinic of (what seems to be) one of the most experienced bariatric surgeons anywhere. This doctor pioneered the gastric sleeve. That's all he does, and he's the only surgeon there.

I like that. Many places have several surgeons, and you don't know who you're getting until you're there. Or, you expect to see Dr. X, but you get there, you learn Dr. Y will be performing the operation. 

I also like that he offers only one surgery. It means he's got lots of experience.

I don't mean to harp on the relative costs of these, but this is where we are.
Montreal - $20,000 or more
near San Diego - $5,000
near San Antonio - $11,000

The $5,000 price tag is tempting, and it comes with my second-choice hospital. It has an excellent reputation. I'm sure I'd be fine there.

But since we're talking about surgery, it would be best if the final decision didn't come down to price. This is a stretch, but it's possible.

So, I'm going with Endo Bariatrics.  (The runner-up, if you're curious, was Oasis of Hope. They were first and still are a cancer clinic.)

Now that I've made the decision and have chosen a doctor, I'm really excited to get going. 

* * * *

I thought I announced this in a subsequent post, but now I can't find it. I ended up choosing Oasis of Hope. Endo was more difficult to get to, plus they approved me for surgery in less than five minutes. This made me a bit wary. 

Oasis of Hope is closer to home (easier to get to), has an excellent reputation, and didn't approve me for surgery until they had more medical information. And do I really need to spend an additional $2,500?