Lap Band in Mexico

Audria Harrington, Jeff Hogg, Rodrick Hogg

We’d been contemplating weight loss surgery since 1999 when our sister had Gastric Bypass.  We all got together late last year and decided to move forward, and decided on lap band surgery as the best option because it has the most flexibility of all the weight loss surgeries.  The band that restricts food intake can be tightened or loosened to slow down or speed up weight loss, or if some medical condition comes up that requires a change in food intake. 

Even though our mother was tiny, all her brothers have weight problems, which we inherited.  When the three of us formed a “let’s lose weight” pact, we had a combined weight of 1075.  We each set an initial goal to lose 100 pounds each, then we’ll go from there. 

We’re more than half way to that first goal.  Including the pre-surgery diet prescribed for us, we lost a combined 160 pounds in six weeks:  That’s like not having to carry more than three 50-pound sacks of dog kibble around with you!  Rodrick is in the lead, with a 70 pound loss—looks like we’ll have to renegotiate that 100 pound goal pretty soon!

Once we decided on lap band surgery, we checked out several doctors in Tucson and Phoenix, and found it would cost between $16,000 and $18,000.  None of us had insurance, so we knew we needed an alternative.

We’d never heard the term medical tourism, but we had an aunt who gone to Mexico for years for her dental work, plus several friends who’d gone there for cosmetic surgery.  We found WorldMed Assist on the internet, and sent them an e-mail to find out more about lap band surgery.  They contacted us right away.  The price in Mexico would only be under $8000 each—less than half what we’d pay in the U.S.  To make sure we were confident in our choice, WorldMed Assist put us in touch with a former lap band patient, and set up conversations with the nutritionist and surgeon.  By the time we left, we were at ease with the decision.  Everything then happened really fast. 

Hospital Angeles was amazing.  It’s brand new—about two years old, and unlike any that we’ve seen in the U.S.  Everyone was very attentive and efficient.  We all had the surgery the same day we arrived at the hospital and were home two days later.  Once the surgeon, Dr. Lopez Corvala, had the laparoscope inside, the procedure took less than 15 minutes. Before we checked out, the hospital gave each of us a free dental exam. 

WorldMed Assist stayed in close touch with us throughout the process.  They went above and beyond from the very beginning, and are still staying in close touch with all three of us to check our progress.  They are the best!
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