calling all Dr. Ortiz patients (Mexico)

hopetobebanded · 05-26-2005, 02:56 PM

I need help. I have done my research for about 1 1/2 years and I have made the decision to go with Dr. Ortiz.

My husband is saying "absolutely not", "I don't want you going out of the country". He supports me in my decision to have the band but not going to Mexico. I have BCBS FL and of course they don't cover the band. We may be switching to Aetna in the future but of course they say it is investigational. So I would be a cash patient.

Can you tell me your experiences with having surgery in Mexico and your thoughts on Dr. Ortiz? Good and bad. I want to show him this post and to see that many people choose Mexico.

I would appreciate all comments.

Thank you so much!!!!!

La_madam · 05-26-2005, 03:17 PM

Iam very pleased with my choice of Dr. Ortiz, please feel free to email me or PM me

Mariposa Bella · 05-26-2005, 03:23 PM

Explain to your husband that most Mexican doctors have more experience with band placement than US doctors. I don't know about the facilites where Dr. Ortiz is, but Mexico has many fine hospitals, you would be surprised at some of the facilities. The care I received in Mexico far exceeded any expectations that I had and I am very happy with the care I received. The nurses were very nice and the hospital was very clean.

La_madam · 05-26-2005, 03:48 PM

Quote:

The care I received in Mexico far exceeded any expectations that I had and I am very happy with the care I received.

I second that! Even to this day, 13 months later I can still contact Dr. Ortiz & Dr. Martinez on their cell phones and they actually answer it right away, or if I email Dr. Ortiz I get a reply from him personally within 24 hours. I emailed him twice this week and he replied that evening both times.

Mariposa Bella · 05-26-2005, 03:55 PM

You know, any time I try to call my doctor in town, he is never available and my band surgeon who is so far away would call my even late at night and answer all my questions and confort me w/ the issues I was dealing w/. Never has he not returned one of my calls when I needed him. My family dr, I always have to call him three wks in advance to get an appt, and if I am sick, I have to wait in his office all day, like I was at the local wealth fare office, or something. Go figure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by La_madam

I second that! Even to this day, 13 months later I can still contact Dr. Ortiz & Dr. Martinez on their cell phones and they actually answer it right away, or if I email Dr. Ortiz I get a reply from him personally within 24 hours. I emailed him twice this week and he replied that evening both times.

DeLarla · 05-26-2005, 05:50 PM

The most important thing (in my opinion) is to have a local aftercare doctor lined up BEFORE going to Mexico. I'm not a big fan of Mexico after all I've been through, but my problems were because I didn't have a local aftercare surgeon. If you find a surgeon close to home that's willing to work on Mexican-banded patients, then Mexico can be a good option.

DeLarla · 05-26-2005, 05:52 PM

Estella, I've never heard of your guy. What part of Mexico is he in?

La_madam · 05-26-2005, 05:59 PM

I agree with Delarla, if you do not live close to Tj and do not plan on going back to your Mexico Doctor it is vital to have aftercare lined up in your area before hand, alot of U.S. dos will not take patients banded in Mexico, however ther are some that do, they just may charge a little more if you were banded in Mexico, I am fortunate, I live in California my drive to Tj is an hour and a half and the closet U.S. doc who will see me in California is also an hour and a half away so I just go back to my original surgeon.

Vera · 05-26-2005, 05:59 PM

I agree with all that's been said especially local aftercare!!.
I just wanted to add, why not look into Dr.Sancez (www.ready4achange.com) he's alot closer to florida and he's an excellent surgeon.
Good Luck!

hopetobebanded · 05-26-2005, 09:03 PM

Thanks to everyone here I now understand the importance of aftercare. I have heard that Dr. Grossbard in Zephyrills and Dr. Gomez in Coral Gables does accept patients that have been banded in Mexico. I do need to call and double check though. Do you recommend making an apptmt before having the surgery to make sure they will see you for sure?

Vera, I checked out the web-site but how is your doctor closer to Florida. He is in Monterray, Mexico right? Does he have another facility in the U.S that you are referring to?

Thanks for all of the information. I appreciate it!!!!!

My husband seems to be warming up to the idea of me going to Mexico. We shall see.

La_madam · 05-26-2005, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Do you recommend making an apptmt before having the surgery to make sure they will see you for sure?

yes defiantely, I have heard Grossbard even though he is a patient of Ortiz, does not take any more Mexico patients. I could be wrong
It is important to find aftercare before you have surgery in your area if you do not plan on going back to TJ for your fills and aftercare. I have seen many people not have it lined up to only be forced to go back to Mexico, You can also call Dr. Ortiz and ask him , he has associates all over the U.S who he has trained personally and I'm sure he may know of doctor in your area, you can also email Don Mills at Don.Mills@inamed.com and ask him to send a list of Inamed trained doctors in your area and then just start calling and asking if they take patients banded in Mexico this is what I did even though I go back to TJ

Infaith · 05-26-2005, 10:44 PM

I am also an Ortiz patient as well as my sister. I waited to see how she did and what she thought of it all and then had her accompany me to MX for my band 6 months after hers. I was and am very pleased with the care I received and get compliments from other doctors about my itty bitty little scars (really only the port one shows at this point and it's extremely minor). I've never had to contact Dr. Ortiz otherwise because I had set up for my fills for here. My sister has contacted Dr. Ortiz via cell phone and he was always prompt, caring and helpful.
Good luck to you!

the best me · 05-26-2005, 10:55 PM

Okay, this just in from a patient of a doc in MX (not Ortiz) but I thought it was interesting regarding local aftercare. Disclaimer: names changed to protect the innocent!! jk just keeping privacy, that's all:

I tried to get a fill in [my home state], they said yes but they told me I had to have a barium swallow and then an upper gi and more tests. i was really [mad] because at first they said it will cost about 300.00 then if I would have had all the tests it was about 3000.00 dollars just to see if i could have a fill. They told me they had to cover their butts if anything was wrong because it was done in mexico...

so this person goes to Mx with local aftercare lined up and then gets this when calling about getting a fill.

I would definately recommend spending a few hundred if needed on a pre-op visit to your local doc. Money spent and your name on the books and a medical chart on file goes a long way.

Penni60 · 05-27-2005, 07:00 AM

I am another banded in MX then due to complications from that surgery I went to a US doc for aftercare. My fills and office visits are coverd on the INsurance now where the initial surgery was not. Go figure.

AFTERCARE is a must for any MEXICO patient. This is highly important.

hopetobebanded · 05-27-2005, 07:09 AM

Thank you so much for your responses. I will definitely go and have an appointment and bring this up to the doctor and see what he says. Maybe I would go back to MX for fills? I was looking online and saw that flights from where I live...(SW FL) run about $400 so I thought well maybe just get them done here for $300 but mostly I just wanted one here for an emergency situation (hopefully there won't be one!!!) Also if I went to MX for fills I would probably stay over one night so there is that cost too!

I find it strange that some people have had only one fill and are close to there goal weight while others have had 4 and 5 fills. I guess everyone is different and there is no rhyme or reason? Thanks again to everyone.