Tummy Tuck W/ Muscle Repair, BA, Liposuction - Tijuana, Mexico

I was diagnosed with diastasis recti many years ago after having two large babies. I have argued unsuccessfully with my insurance for years to have this repaired. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and self pay for the procedure.

After interviewing several local plastic surgeons and experiencing sticker shock at the prices being charged, I decided to look outside the United States. After months of research, I decided to work with Dr. Carimina Cardenas in Tijuana, Mexico.

At the time, it indeed was a leap of faith. However, I found her staff very responsive to my questions, and very concerned about my health before the operation. This allayed many of my fears.

After meeting with Dr. Cardenas, she had several suggestions that would significantly improve the outcome of my surgery. More importantly, I found Dr. Cardenas to be kind, understanding, incredibly professional, and (most important to me) conservative in her approach.

For example, I asked about improvements to my breasts, which were sagging and uneven after breastfeeding for many months. I had never been large, and my frame is quite petite. I know many women prefer to increase their breast size with augmentation, whereas I only wanted to achieve my original size. Dr. Cardenas understood this desire. I was later told that during the surgery, she was not satisfied with the size originally selected as that size would have looked large on my frame. She actually downsized to a smaller implant. I am grateful that she did.

After surgery, I stayed at Beauty Care Recover House (BCRH). This was another great decision that contributed significantly to my positive outcome. I found the facility very comfortable and kept meticulously clean. The nursing staff was amazing; kind, caring, patient, and very competent. These professionals knew how to effectively care for patients that had undergone plastic and reconstructive surgery. They took the time and effort to teach me how to care for myself once I had returned home.

The support staff provided healthy and delicious meals and snacks. They checked on my frequently to see if I needed juice or water.

Another benefit was that Dr. Cardenas visited with me most every day while at BCRH. She checked on my condition and progress. That instilled great confidence for a successful recovery.

In summary, I felt very well cared for (mind, body, and spirit) at BCRH. I recommend them highly.

As for the outcome of the surgery, I feel like that I may have done too much at once. If I had to do the surgery again, I believe I would have done the TT and Lipo at one time, and the BA at another time. Having abdominal muscles and chest muscles cut at the same time makes it very hard to be mobile quickly. At four weeks, I still have some difficulty sleeping and moving about, although it is getting better. I am still unable to work the hours I need to, primarily because sitting in a chair for too long causes back pain. This is why I labeled the "Was it worth it" attribute as "Not Sure" at this time.