I had a gastric sleeve almost a week ago. I was totally blown away by the level of care and professionalism that I’ve been given, from the very beginning of this journey. Martha Mejia was my initial contact and turned out to be my constant source of encouragement, information, and support. Dr. Garcia is second to none. I could not have been in better hands. I think the whole medical staff came to my room to check on me and to give me information about my surgery and recovery. The nursing staff and technicians monitored me continuously. I had misgivings about undertaking a surgery like this after age 65, but it was the right decision because I found the right team.
So my first contact with Dr. FERNANDO was Martha Mejia..she was my first point of communication and the person who gave me all the common questions and info about the procedure..she was extremely helpful, always answered me in a very friendly and timed manner.when I first arrived at the clinic until the end of my trip, every single thing was perfect! First of all dr. Fernando Garcia is knowledgeable, friendly and an amazing doctor....the nurses were all friendly and very caring...the clinic/ hospital was spotless...I've never seen such a clean health care facility like this in US and in Brazil..extremely clean..they were constantly cleaning everywere..the floors were so shiny... I was so impressed. The recovery of the surgery can be rough...you need to change your mindset and habits... but it was so so so so worth it every penny, had my sleeve zone and never gained weight again. Follow dr. GARCIA'S instructions and you'll be safe!
Post Op Day 7 Pre-op weight 252 lbs Post surgery 244 lbs Post op Day 7 232 lbs I had amazing experience with Dr. Garcia’s staff. They were extremely knowledgeable and the bedside manner was excellent.
I was well cared for and impressed by the service I received in mexico. do not hesitate to travel to Tijuana for medical care. I had a VSG procedure done on May 18, 2018 by Dr. Garcia. My recovery was quick and i have been losing weight steadily since having the procedure. its a new way or life and an adjustment but i am happy with my choice.
Had Gastric sleeve with Dr Garcia and Tijuana Bariatrics and my experience was excellent, I would highly recommend Dr Garcia!! From the minute I was picked up at the San Diego airport I was treated with respect like I was a special guest, The hotel was a Marriott and it was one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in it was clean and spotless, The hospital was extremely sterile clean and modern the staff was excellent I always saw them using universal sanitary precautions when they entered my room, I have lost over 120 pounds and this was done six years ago and I have maintain the weight and I’m very happy with my procedure ..the doctor was very attentive caring and thorough, as was the anesthesiologist and the dietitian, since I had my surgery with such great success my father my sister and several of my friends have been down to Dr. Garcia for the same procedure and have received the same service and results
So I had been considering a gastric sleeve for several years, but insurance wouldn't cover the cost because my BMI is not high enough. The total cost would be around $14,000 which is more than I can afford to spend. After doing some investigating online I decided Tijuana was my best choice. I contacted Tijuana Bariatrics and spoke with a coordinator who spoke good English. She set everything up and stayed in contact right up until I arrived. The service was fantastic as well as the transportation.
I have struggled to lose weight for years. I would lose and then gain it all back but for the last 10+ years I was never able to get beyond 130 lbs. (I'm 4'10"). At my height that is still considered overweight. My highest weight was up to 157.5lbs but where I would stay most of the time was around the 145-147lbs area. For my height, this was considered obese. My husband had VSG in August of 2016 and I saw what it did for him and I wanted the same for me. Besides the fact that I believe that it would be much easier for us to be on the same type program also. Since my BMI was between the 30-39 range I would qualify for the surgery; however, I would not qualify for insurance to cover it. My husband's surgery was covered by insurance (his BMI was 42). I knew there was no way I could afford to pay cash for it here in the US so I started looking for my options and saw that a lot of people go to Tijuana, MX to have this surgery done at a fraction of the price. I talked to my husband about it who I will say was a little skeptical at first. But after seeing more of the research I had found about going to Mexico he was finally okay with it. I searched a lot of different Bariatric companies and doctors and finally settled on Tijuana Bariatrics and Dr. Fernando Garcia. After having it done, now, I can say that I made an excellent choice also! From the first moment I contacted them, I felt comfortable. You are assigned a coordinator who will answer all of your questions and let you know everything you need to know along the whole process. You fly into San Diego and they have a driver pick you up from the airport and take you across the border. You stay a total of 5 nights all together but broken up between the Marriott Hotel and the Hospital. The driver takes you directly to the Marriott to check in for one night. You have the rest of the day to do whatever you want to do. I didn't do anything that evening except hang out at the beautiful hotel. The next morning your driver comes to pick you up at 6am and takes you to CER Hospital where you will check in. They do blood work and then take you to get checked into a room. Before giving you your room they have you read and sign a ton of paperwork. Once you're in your room they do an EKG to make sure your heart is strong enough for surgery and then get you prepped with an IV and compression stockings. There are at least 5 different doctors that come talk with you and ask you all kinds of medical history questions and give you all the information you need to know prior to surgery. The nurses are plentiful as well. They let you know about what time your surgery will take place so you are not just sitting in the room wondering. Mine didn't happen until about 5 pm but the day seemed to fly by actually. When it was time to go they brought a wheelchair for me to ride in on the way down to the OR. I got up out of the wheelchair and got on the surgery table myself. The Anesthesiologist, whom I had met earlier, talked to me a little while I was getting adjusted and then the next thing I remember I was awake asking if it was already over. I don't exactly remember getting off of the table and getting back in the wheelchair but I know I did. The first thing I really remember was immediately walking the halls thinking I'm so groggy. They have you walking immediately after surgery as this helps prevent blood clots. They like you to walk as much as possible. That whole night I felt very tired but the next day I felt great! I had no pain at all. I was surprised I didn't have any from the CO2 that they use to blow up your abdomen. (My husband had quite a bit of pain from that.) I did get nauseated a little the first night but that was due to the anesthesia. It wasn't too bad though. While I was in the hospital there were plenty of nurses available for anything I might have needed. After my 2nd night, a nurse came in around 5:30 am to have me get up and shower so she could change all my bandages and I could get packed up. Before checking out of the hospital they have your driver come pick you up (and your group of others who had surgery the same day as you) and take you to a radiology imaging company somewhere else in Tijuana. The ride over there was a bit uncomfortable to me because the drain is very uncomfortable on bumpy roads. While at the radiology imaging facility they have you drink something with some dye in it so that they can make sure there are no leaks in your new tiny stomach. As long as there are no leaks they take you back to the hospital where they will take the drain out and remove your staples. You pick up all of your things and your driver takes you back to the Marriott hotel to stay for another two nights. The following day, if you would like and if you feel up to it your driver will pick you up and take you on a little tour around Tijuana. This was a fun day out and I recommend doing this if your feeling well enough. (This tour is free however they do accept tips as a form of payment for his time.) The driver will tell you what time you need to check out the next morning so that he can take you back to San Diego airport for you to catch your flight. Before doing this surgery I was concerned with the timing because I had a wedding to attend right after. It was scheduled for what would be my 5th-day post op. Well, I attended the wedding and even danced that evening. I have felt great ever since and feeling better every day. Currently I am 7 weeks post op and have gone from 157.5 lbs to 135.6 lbs. I have been able to eat anything so far. Nothing has given me any trouble. Although I am not eating any kinds of breads or pasta, etc. I am mostly eating lean meats with just a tiny bit of veggies, it's important to get your protein in. I can only consume about 3.5 to 4 oz of food at one time. I cook a few times a week and portion out my meals in 4 oz containers so that they are ready to go and so that I know that I am not going to eat more than I should. For me, portion control has always been my problem so I believe as long as I continue to measure out my food for a long while I should be able to get to my goal weight of 115lbs. To maintain later on down the line I am hoping I will learn what 4 oz of food looks like so that I can know better when eating out or away from home. I believe this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Absolutely NO regrets! My husband has lost 102lbs so far since Aug 2, 2016, also. We both are trying to work out at least 3 days a week as well.
I was hesitant having surgery outside of the US, but I knew individuals from my hometown who used Dr. Fernando Garcia for WLS. The whole process was easy and I was worried for no reason. I've never received care in the US like I did from Dr. Garcia, his staff, and the medical professionals at the hospital. I was sleeved on 2/17/16 with ZERO complications and I reached my goal weight within 5 months. My whole life has changed for the better and I would do it all over again tomorrow. Look no further than Dr. Fernando Garcia if you're wanting a safe and successful WLS! Updated on 28 Aug 2016:
I have surgery scheduled on Monday (12/7/15) for a single incision gastric sleeve, with Dr. Fernando Garcia at Tijuana Bariatrics. I am 5'5" and 200lbs. I started my "pre-op" diet yesterday and I am pretty miserable. 3 protein shakes a day (premier protein) and one salad with light dressing. Karen is my coordinator at Tijuana Bariatrics and she has been very sweet. I work for a plastic surgeon and will say that Tijuana Bariatrics is a little unorganized but mostly with their pre operative information. Karen has been very helpful, replying to my emails and phone calls very quickly. Their website has loads of information which is also helpful. I will keep everyone updated as much as I can while in Tijuana. Wish me luck! (photos to come soon) Updated on 15 Dec 2015: I have to say when you're thinking about having surgery in Mexico it all feels a little uncertain and maybe a little scary. My experience was nothing close to my worst nightmares and exceeded my expectations in a best case scenario. We arrived at San Diego airport on Sunday, December 6. After getting our luggage we called our driver and he was there within 10 minutes. We went to the gas station to refuel because we had one more patient to pick up before heading to Tijuana. The drive was quicker than I thought it would be and our driver pointed out the hospital and other neat spots on the way to our hotel. Once there our Cordinator and nurse Italia helped us check in and then reviewed our paperwork with us. She gave us all the information we needed to know about the hotel, our procedure and our hospital stay. She let us know to meet her in the lobby at 6:45 AM the next morning. We were picked up promptly after checking out of the hotel and taken straight to the hospital. It was clean modern and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. First we did blood test, next we did EKGs, then they started an IV and got a settled in our rooms. Everyone had a private room with a closet desk full bathroom TV and a laydown couch for a guest if you have one. We even had Netflix. Wifi was available and made The wait during my surgery tolerable for my boyfriend. I was the third case out of five and I went back at around 11 AM. After surgery I was groggy most of my pain was in my shoulders and chest from the gas they pump in your abdomen. They make you walk for 15 minutes every hour and that really helped. I never needed for anything. They're always right there with anti-nausea, pain meds, anabiotic's and making sure my IV was full was sailine. Starting the day after surgery they gave us Gatorade and ice chips. The only complaint is the bed my boyfriend had to sleep on was very uncomfortable and they did not provide blankets or pillows for him. I spent about three days in the hospital. We did four leak tests in that time. The last one being on Wednesday with x-rays. They also removed our drains which doesn't hurt at all and is the best relief you can get. I started my period which many say is sometimes triggered by the surgery. Also on Wednesday they took us to the hotel and got us checked back in. We had to wait an hour for our room to be ready but luckily the hotel provides two free bowls of broth two bottles of water and a popsicle for free daily. So we went to the restaurant and had a bowl of broth. It was a very nice hotel and the food for my boyfriend he said was very good. Lots of walking distance restaurants as well from the hospital and the hotel which was very easy for Him. On Thursday Junior picked up a few of us and gave us a tour of the town and took us shopping. That was very cool. Friday we woke up early and they drove us to the airport in San Diego. Luckily there is a medical Lane at the border so it took us no time at all to get through. I'm now one week postop about 20 pounds down at on phase 2 of my diet. I'll try to update as much as possible. Wish me luck?? Updated on 21 Dec 2015: New week new diet. I almost skipped the second week diet all together. It was hard. I hate isopure and I'm trying other things. This week I'm also starting my workouts. Got my staples out and it looks better. Starting serums and silicone patches now to get rid of the scars. Updated on 24 Jan 2016: Everything's going great! Really having issues getting my vitamins down but trying! Eating 1/4 cup 2-3x a day and a protein shake. (Premier protein) down 35lbs. Updated on 8 Mar 2016: Almost 50lbs and more than half way to my goal and I'm not seeing it very much. I see the difference but I think I expected 50lbs to be more.... The mental part of this surgery is really getting me down these past couple weeks. But I knew it would. I was told and I read it and I'm prepared. And my loving boyfriend is prepared. We are staying positive and letting my brain catch up on its own time. I just hope that I don't get to my goal and think I'm still fat. At the end of the day I feel healthier and more comfortable and I'm so happy about that! I didn't believe it when people told me I would be happy and sad about my weighloss by now I get it! On a good note, I bought not only a swimsuit but a bikini and I feel ok about wearing it in the house. I'm buying a cover up just in case though. ?????????? (also no more selfies in the mirror. Bad angles bad lighting bad reflections. Let other people take your photos always!)
Six months ago I had a single incision gastric sleeve performed by Dr Fernando Garcia at Tijuana Bariatrics, Mexico. It is the best thing I've ever done! I've gone from 113kgs to 82kgs, making my BMI now a healthy 25 compared to a BMI of 34 ('obese') when I had the procedure. My life has been transformed in terms of confidence, health, and energy levels and I'm now looking forward to a long happy middle age free of disability :) I decided to do something radical after struggling with my weight for the last 15 years (I'm a 39 yo male). My doctor had advised me that I was at a high risk of heart attack and diabetes, and aside from that I was feeling like rubbish most of the time. Of course I'd done all the diets and exercise regimes - we've all been there right? But at the end of the day I knew I had to change my physiology if I was going to be able to sustain a healthy weight over years and decades as opposed to weeks or months. I chose gastric sleeve based on the evidence. Although it is a relatively new procedure, the results in the research literature are surprisingly consistent - Gastric sleeve reduces excess weight by an average of 65% with a relatively low complication rate. The main (serious) complication is leakage and here it is very important to pick a good surgeon. The more experienced the better as the surgeons that do this stuff all day every day actually tend to have much, much lower complication rates than the average (which is about 1%). I chose Dr Garcia for this reason - he's done thousands of sleeve procedures and only ever had a couple of patients with leaks - in both cases they were revision surgeries with scar tissue etc. involved. Him and his whole team seemed to receive consistently great reviews, and I was reassured that the hospital there was well equipped if anything did go wrong. So with some trepidation I did the paperwork, got accepted for surgery, and paid the deposit. I had to fit the day of surgery with a week off work, so it was some months before I flew to San Diego (11 hour flight) and was picked up by the Tijuana Bariatrics driver. I had a coordinator called Alisha from the centre and she was excellent - all my questions were answered rapidly and clearly and at every stage I knew what to expect. The liquid diet before and after surgery is a bit of a pain, but I was really so nervous in the days and weeks leading up that my appetite went right down anyway. I was taken to the Marriott in Tijuana which is a fine hotel. The next morning was a blur - I was taken to the hospital where I was assessed by various members of the medical team including very briefly by Dr Garcia. I was reassured that he had read my file carefully based on him anticipating my specific questions. The whole team of docs and nurses really are excellent - they do this day in and day out, and it's all a slick well oiled machine. I never had any doubts about their skills clinically, and they're all nice people too which helps :) Mostly they spoke good English. Early in the afternoon I was taken to the operating room for surgery and that's really the last thing I remember until I woke up back in my room feeling extremely unwell. I immediately started vomiting blood. A lot of it. This was probably the worst moment of the whole experience, it was scary how ill I felt and just how much blood and bile was coming up. In addition the gas that they use to inflate the abdominal cavity is very uncomfortable until it has a chance to work its way through the body which takes hours. I was reassured that what I was experiencing was all normal (I had had my stomach chopped in half after all!) and would pass, which indeed it did over the following six hours or so. Since then it's really been smooth sailing. As I got a single incision procedure (which cost an extra $1000 but was well worth it) there was only one small drainage tube to be removed. I had some minor pain post operatively but nothing much. I did have terrible heart burn/indigestion for the first few weeks too, but that was well controlled with a 40mg once a day PPI (I'm now down to 20mg per day, the same as before my operation). In total I only had one week off work, which was fine as I have an office job. I was up and walking without any problems from day two and really within two weeks I was feeling pretty 'normal'. I followed the dietary advice to the letter which means I was eating normally (but small amounts) from week four. Now six months later life is completely normal except that I'm 30kg lighter. I've not had any major problems adjusting to my new sleeve. I did eat too much a few times and feel quite revolting at the time, but it passes fairly quickly (and believe me, you learn quickly how much you can and can't eat!). I've only eaten so much that I've vomited twice. The first time about a month in and the second just a few weeks ago. Changing lifetime habits takes a little while I guess. It seems to be true that the removal of the grehlin producing part of the stomach does reduce appetite. And my experience is that bulky carb heavy food is much less appealing - I will only ever eat a fraction of the rice/potato/pasta that is put on my plate but I can usually manage normal portions of protein. That's good because I decided at the outset not to tell anyone about my surgery. Nada. Not a single sole. I have been doing serious exercise before and after surgery, and so if anyone asks about my weight loss I just say I've been watching what I eat and swimming a lot - both of which are true statements! The way I see it, no one was that interested in the details of my weight gain journey, so they don't need to know the details of my weight loss either! So the total cost of this life saving operation? A bit over US$6500, which included transport, several nights in hospital, several nights at the Marriott and the additional costs of the single incision procedure and an umbilical hernia repair also as an added bonus :) An absolute bargain. Even with the flights thrown in, the total isn't more than US$10,000. Since I'm now spending at least $50 less on food per week, I figure the thing will have paid for itself in a few years! If you're thinking about this operation my advice is 'believe the hype'. Do your research, make sure you understand exactly what you're doing, and pick a very good surgeon that has done thousands of ops with a good track record. Then go for it - you'll feel exactly like me a few months later - you'll be saying "I only wish I'd done it sooner!"
