Travel tourism has been a popular getaway for people, especially when it comes to medical services. More people these days choose medical travel tourism services especially for weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery comes with the disadvantage of financial burdens on patients in the US or for Canadians, this means long wait times (up to 5 years) to have a medically needed surgery.
People might fear going to a new country for medical services, but education helps to break barriers in understanding what is possible. Weight loss surgery in Mexico is a great solution for international patients due to its affordability, ease of services, world-class quality care, and safety.
Weight loss surgery
Weight loss surgery can include many types to choose from whether it’s a more complex surgery like a gastric bypass or a simplified surgery like a gastric sleeve, which comes with a faster recovery, patients have options. With the growing concern of obesity and its’ related medical conditions that can almost leave a person feeling disabled, help is available.
- For patients in the US, getting insurance to cover or partially cover medically required weight loss surgery is difficult.
- Obesity can kill patients with its related conditions (high cholesterol, heart failure, lung failure, type II diabetes, and more) before they have a chance to get insurance to agree to cover their surgery.
- For Canadians, this has been especially problematic since they rely on government insurance which often comes with excessive delays for such surgeries.
- For US citizens, medical services and surgeries here are almost non-affordable without insurance coverage.
Cost of weight loss surgery in the US
Cost of weight loss surgery in the US is very high. Patients have reported costs starting at 10,000$ up to almost $30,000 for weight loss surgery including all the medical supplies and hospital lab tests and procedures provided.
- The average cost of weight loss surgery in the US is over $15,000. Many pay upwards of $25,000.
Cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico
Cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico is far less than other countries. The average cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico is up to 70% less than the cost of weight loss surgery in the US! So, “just how much does it cost for weight loss surgery in Mexico?”, you may ask.
- The cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico ranges from $3,500- $5,700.
Benefits of weight loss surgery in Mexico
Benefits of weight loss surgery in Mexico are truly incredible! Tijuana, Mexico has been the hub of weight loss surgery for years as it attracts many internationals for its successful weight loss services.
- Tijuana is a safe, beautiful city for many tourists, especially for Californians since it’s just 30 minutes away.
- Nuevo Laredo is another great option for many Texans since they can easily travel to that city. Physicians in Mexico are world-class doctors offering state-of-the-art technology and medical services.
- Cancun, Mexico has been a hotspot for its quality of care and variety of patient payment options available for weight loss surgeries, including PayPal.
Safety of weight loss surgery
Safety of weight loss surgery can be better understood from research. A study analyzed 2,458 patients by following up with their safety results 30 days after weight loss surgery. The study found:
- There was only a 0.3% risk of death for all patients one month after having weight loss surgery.
- The risk of death was only 0.2% for gastric bypass surgery patients after one month of surgery.
- About 80-85% of all patients reported mild reactions to surgery after one month, like dehydration or wound infection.
- Longer-term patient problems after weight loss surgery were vitamin deficiencies.
Reasons for Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico Chart
| Reasons people choose Mexico | Explanation |
| Affordability | Mexico can reduce weight loss surgery costs by 60-70% of what people pay in other countries. |
| Easy to get medical services | Locals and tourists can easily schedule weight loss surgeries quickly and at any time of the year without long wait times. |
| Quality doctors | Mexico has world-class surgeons ready to help you today accomplish your weight loss goals, offering a variety of weight loss surgeries to choose from. |
| Patient privacy | Patient privacy is always given the utmost respect and is an important practice in hospitals and medical centers in Mexico. |
| Top vacation destination | While a patient has a scheduled weight loss surgery in Mexico, they can also enjoy the tropical paradise around them, and stay at highly-rated hotels after surgery. |
| Payment options | Mexican surgeons offer many payment options including accepting your partial/full insurance coverage if applied, medical loans from credible companies with long-term competitive interest rates, Paypal, Self-Pay payment plans, among others. |
| Safety | Medical services in Mexico whether in hospitals or clinics are of superior quality. Mexican hospitals are either accredited by the Joint Commission International or certified by the Mexican Ministry of Health. Clinics have either a great local reputation for their excellent services or have very high care standards. |
Final thoughts
Final thoughts on weight loss surgery in Mexico are that patients need to understand they have options. Many people prefer to just stay close to home for medical services for fear of the “unknown”. They don’t know the language, they don’t know the area, they don’t know how to navigate a new country, so “let’s just pay more for peace of mind!”, they say. Well, looking to Mexico for weight loss surgery may actually bring greater peace of mind and be less stressful on patients, especially on your pocketbook!
References:
- Jet Medical Tourism. Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico. 2020. Web. https://jetmedicaltourism.com/weight-loss-surgery-in-mexico/. Accessed: 23, Mar. 2021.
- Wolfe, B. M., Kvach, E., & Eckel, R. H. (2016). Treatment of Obesity: Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery.Circulation research, 118(11), 1844–1855. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.307591. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4888907/