Lap band surgery abroad is at hand, thanks to the many quality lap band centers along the Mexico border. People suffering from obesity in Texas, California, or Arizona states do not have to look too far for bariatric surgery.

Because of the geographical proximity, there are many similarities in culture, too, and it is not like going to an alien land where you may have to be ready for culture shock.

World-class Mexico lap band centers with reputed bariatric surgeons are sprinkled along the south of the Texas-Mexico, California-Mexico, and Arizona-Mexico border, the important ones being at Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Reynosa, and Monterrey.

Lap Band Surgery in Texas-Mexico Border

Ciudad Juarez, Reynosa, and Monterrey are some of the major lap band centers along the Texas-Mexico border. These are helpful for people from the following cities in Texas state – Kingsville, Las Cruces, McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, El Paso.

Ciudad Juarez: If planning to fly here for your gastric band, best would be to land at El Paso, Texas, USA. The airport is just 25 minutes away from the Mexico border.

Reynosa: You could land at McAllen, TX Airport, USA from where the Mexico lap band hospital is 25 minutes away.

Monterrey Lap Band : You could either fly or even drive down from Texas, as it is just 4 to 5 hours from the US-Mexico border.

Lap band clinics from Medical Tourism Corporation’s network provide free pick-up and drop to US airports near the Mexico border.

Lap Band Surgery in Arizona-Mexico Border

For people living in Douglas, San Luis, Lukeville, Sasabe, Nogales, Naco cities in Arizona state, crossing over to Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico for a cheaper lap band is more than a feasible option, thanks to the superb medical care which is also incredibly low cost. Also, unlike going to far-off places, going to Mexico for follow-up visits can be done easily, as, again, the distance is not too much.

Lap Band Surgery in California-Mexico Border

Mexican gastric band surgeons in the state of Baja California in Mexico have been doing the lap band surgery much before their US counterparts, and hence have much more experience. Not only do they have excellent success rates, but they can also speak good English, making communication quicker and easier between patient and doctor. People from San Diego, Otay Mesa, Tecate, Calexico, and Andrade in California state are very close to the Mexico border and often cross over for low cost weight loss surgery. Tijuana & Mexicali offer great options for people in these areas looking for lap band surgery in Mexico.

Advantage of Obesity surgery in Ciudad Juarez/Reynosa/Monterrey for California, Arizona & Texas residents

Huge cost savings: This is the most obvious and one of the most significant advantages to be had by going across the border for lap band. To many, it is quite unbelievable that the same obesity surgery with the same quality can be had at half the cost just by traveling for a few hours. Also, the flights to US airports on the border are pretty cheap. So, you gain on the travel fare, too.

Proximity: Bariatric surgery on the Mexico border is a very attractive option as traveling to the Mexican border for lap band presents no problems at all in terms of the money or time required to travel.

Board-certified lap band surgeons and accredited hospitals: If Mexico’s cost advantage was not accompanied by quality comparable to US healthcare, it wouldn’t be the booming medical tourism destination that it is today. That said, exercise caution in the selection of the right lap band surgeon and hospital in Mexico.

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates low cost gastric band surgery south of the border at Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Reynosa, Monterrey and other places along the US-Mexico border.

Most insurance companies in the USA pay for bariatric surgeries (weight loss or obesity surgery). But the process to obtain approval is a lengthy one & not all qualify due to it. The patient needs to establish a medical necessity. Following are the points they consider:

• BMI of 40 or higher and morbidly obesity. BMI is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height and is used as an indicator of body fatness to categorize obesity.

• Prove obesity as an issue for more than five years

• Have exhausted all serious efforts to reduce weight by non-surgical methods (pills, exercise, dieting, creams & location, special clothing etc).

• You have co-morbidities (Medical illnesses/diseases that are either caused by or contributed to by morbid obesity. For example, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and arthritis)

Along, with this the patient also needs to provide the insurance company data about their:

• Medical condition related to liver, kidney, or any gastrointestinal disease

• Thyroid Test Results

• Any history of alcohol or substance abuse

It makes business sense for health insurance companies to pay for weight loss surgery. There is a number of health risk associated with obesity that would cost the insurance companies more money if the bariatric surgery is not performed upfront. Health risks associated with obesity are heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gout, lower back pain, pregnancy complications, bladder control problems and cancer to name a few. Additions to this are psychological disorders like low self esteem, depression & eating disorders.

According to United States, government research report published in New York Times in 2004, obesity is near to overtaking smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States(tobacco related deaths are still number 1 with 18.1 percent). According to a November 2007 report by National Center for Health Statistics obesity rate in the United States was 34 percent (U.S. adults aged 20 and over). Obesity by them is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.

The stringent requirements that a patient has to meet for bariatric health insurance benefits, discourages many from being able to avail the weight loss surgery benefits of their health insurance plan(even if their insurance policy covers it).

A viable alternative that is being explored by many is for affordable overseas bariatric surgeries. These include common bariatric surgery like lap band, gastric bypass & gastric sleeve surgery. Popular destinations for US patients seeking cost effective bariatric surgery is Mexico & Costa Rica. Many surgeons at these overseas location have more experince than their US counterparts. Many times the total cost of surgery and travel expenses combined, is still less than the cost the patient would pay if the insurance paid its part of the medical insurance coverage.

For patients that do not have their insurance covering bariatric surgery in the USA, Medical Tourism Corporation helps with high quality bariatric surgery hospital & centers overseas. A page that has links to articles on weight loss (bariatric) surgery can also accessed for more information and knowledge.

A number of people from the United States visit Mexico for cost savings on lap band surgery. This type of bariatric surgery is safer & less invasive than other obesity control surgeries. It is also known as Adjustable gastric banding surgery. Although the number one surgery for weight loss in the USA is Gastric Bypass, lap band may soon have that spot. Lap band surgery started in USA in year 2001 after FDA approval, but gastric bypass has been going on for many years. This article addresses the important things to keep in mind when shopping for a lap band facility in Mexico.

First, yes the prices are lower, about 50~70% than the USA. But that should not be the only criteria when selecting a clinic or a hospital. The range could be from 6000 to 12000 US Dollars. A too less price should be avoided, as it indicates the facility does not have much business & does not do a quality job. There are very good chances that a 6000 US dollar clinic will have an incompetent or inexperienced surgeon as well.

Another, things to choose is between a hospital and a clinic (surgery center). A fully integrated hospital is a better choice. In rare cases if there is some unexpected medical emergency or surgical complication a hospital will be a better place than a stand alone clinic. Choose a hospital that has ICU, MRI, Blood Bank, X-Ray, Pharmacy, Cafeteria and doctor offices at the same location. On top of this, if the hospital in Mexico has boarding arrangements for an patient accompanying guest, its even better. The reputation & past record of the hospital is also important. The hospital staff should know English. It’s important to confirm this in advance, since Mexico is a Spanish speaking country.

Third and equally important is the experience & credentials of the surgeon. Look for how many successful surgeries they have performed. A surgeon who has performed about 100 surgeries is good, but one with 1000 surgeries experience will be an excellent choice. Are they medical board certified? Do they know English? If possible have your local doctor talk to them. Best is to look for INAMED certified surgeons or better INAMED proctors. INAMED is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing obesity intervention products. FDA approved Lap Bands are made by them.

Other thing to consider is the geographic location. Tijuana in Mexico is very well suited for California & other western United States patients. Ciudad Juarez location is very well suitable for patients in Texas and the other southwest United States patients. Both cities have good hospitals & are drivable from many parts of the USA. Many hospitals doing lap band in Mexico have more patients from the USA than the local clientèle. You can view a video of Hospital Angeles, Juarez part of Grupo Angeles, the biggest hospital chain in Mexico, where about 70% of the lap band patients are from the USA.

Medical Tourism Corporation website has a section on Mexico lap band surgery & costs . This section has a lot of information that will help make a decision on choosing the right Lap band hospital in Mexico.