Should I Go to Mexico for My Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Last Updated on February 14, 2020

Who doesn’t like to save thousands of dollars? Especially if you’ve come to the conclusion that gastric sleeve weight loss surgery is your best hope for losing weight and keeping it off for the long term. When you make that decision, you’ve probably already spent thousands of dollars on diets, books, gym memberships and any number of other weight loss tricks and methods, with no success.

It’s always a bit of a shock when you find out the cost of private bariatric surgery here in Canada. It makes cheap surgery alternatives in Mexico and other less developed countries seem attractive. Without the same regulations, medical training and technical facilities, similar surgeries in developing countries can cost a fraction of what they do here at home.

But, as the saying goes, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Why is Private Gastric Sleeve Surgery a Bigger Investment in Canada?

For patients that don’t qualify for OHIP covered sleeve surgery, there are a number of important reasons why you need to make an extra investment for private bariatric surgery in Canada compared to less developing countries:

• Weight Loss Surgery Requires Extensive Training, Skill And Education – We may be biased, but Canadian surgeons are extremely well educated and trained compared to many other countries. The fastest anyone in Canada can become a fellowship-trained weight loss surgeon is 15 years. Not only does your surgeon need to put in that time to receive the training, but there is an equally large team of additional health professionals that are needed to assist in safely carrying out the surgery.

• Medical Team & Leading-Edge Facilities – Successful surgery is just one part of successful weight loss. How well you are prepared, both emotionally and physically, before the surgery, and the five-year aftercare program needed to ensure your weight loss remains on track long after the surgery, are key components of reaching your health and weight loss goals, and staying there.

The Risks of Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico

Before you decide to save some money, consider what the real costs of visiting Mexico for bariatric surgery can be. And you only have to look at the news headlines to find out.

• At least 30 Canadians at risk of potentially deadly infection after weight loss surgery in Mexico – The National Post, Feb. 24, 2019

• These 3 People Went To Mexico For Weight-Loss Surgery And Now They Regret It – Megyn Kelly TODAY, May 24, 2018

• They went to Mexico for surgery. They came back with a deadly superbug. – The Washington Post, Jan. 23, 2019

If you found this post helpful, check out our recent article “Gastric Sleeves: How They Work, Surgery, And Who Should Have It”.