Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Tijuana, Mexico
Many people in the United States and Canada want to lose weight but don’t know where to start. One solution that has helped thousands of people like you is to undergo gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana, Mexico.
Gastric Sleeve in Tijuana is a proven tool for portion control and metabolic reset, helping you drop pounds quickly and permanently.
At the Tijuana Weight Loss Surgery, we are committed to providing safe, cost-effective, and highly efficient surgery options to help patients lose weight and keep the weight off. One of these bariatric surgery options is the Gastric Sleeve (VSG). Transform Your Life with Affordable, Safe Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Tijuana. Join 30,000+ successful patients with our all-inclusive packages, including transportation, starting at $4,995. See If You Pre-Qualify
What is Gastric Sleeve?
Gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana, Mexico, produces rapid results using a minimally invasive laparoscopic technique. The sleeve surgery trims down the stomach to one-sixth of its original size. The remaining stomach pouch holds only 15% of the normal stomach contents, reducing gut hormones and making you feel full with less food intake.
While the patient is under general anesthesia, the board-certified surgeon makes 3-5 small incisions through the abdomen, including a camera known as a laparoscope, a stapler, and a cutter. The surgeon then inserts a bougie or flexible tube into the patient’s esophagus as a guide to split the stomach into two parts. The smaller portion of the belly (still attached to the esophagus) is stapled closed and reformed into a small sleeve. At the same time, the rest is removed entirely, making it an irreversible procedure.
After gastric sleeve surgery, the stomach volume is reduced from approximately 30-40 ounces to approximately 3-4 ounces. This reduces the amount of food a patient can regularly eat and lowers the risk of malnutrition following bariatric surgery, unlike other surgery options.
Cost of Gastric Sleeve in Mexico
Gastric sleeve in Mexico costs substantially less than the same procedure in the United States or Canada. It is estimated that patients save between $12,000 $18,000 by undergoing a gastric sleeve in Mexico with Tijuana Weight Loss Center. As a top medical tourism operator, we offer low-cost, all-inclusive weight-loss procedures at a fraction of the cost.
The price for our all-inclusive gastric sleeve procedure starts at $4,995. We also offer single-incision laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SILS) starting at $5,995.
We operate through exclusive bariatric surgeons and their surgical teams at our primary private state-of-the-art hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.
Success Rate of Gastric Sleeve
The success rate of gastric sleeve surgery depends on the patient’s commitment to weight loss and to living a healthy, active lifestyle. Once you return home, it is essential to follow up with a physician after 3 months to ensure the process proceeds smoothly without complications.
A comprehensive blood work analysis is also required to ensure the patient is healthy following their procedure.
What happens if the gastric sleeve fails?
There are many bariatric revision options if the sleeve doesn’t work for you. Gastric sleeve surgery is often followed by gastric bypass or duodenal switch surgery if the patient does not reach a specific weight loss goal.
Note: Patients who previously had gastric banding (lap band) are likely to revise it to a gastric sleeve.
Am I Eligible for Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Naturally, those who need this bariatric procedure cannot lose weight or rid themselves of obesity through dieting and fitness alone. If you consider this type of surgery, it is always good to consider other options first – and fully understand what life will be like after the sleeve gastrectomy in Mexico.
As a general rule, the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) is best suited to individuals who are either significantly overweight or whose medical condition would rule out other forms of surgery. The laparoscopic gastric sleeve is also commonly used for high-risk and high BMI patients as a first-stage procedure.
Benefits of Gastric Sleeve Surgery
There are many advantages to having this gastric sleeve surgery in our surgical hospital in Tijuana. The first is rapid weight loss, as most patients reduce their excess body weight by more than 50% in just four to six months.
The surgery takes one hour, making the risk of complications even lower than more invasive procedures such as gastric bypass surgery. Furthermore, the sleeve is reversible in case your stomach pouch stretches over time.
Patients also feel less hungry because their stomachs are smaller after surgery. The portion of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone ghrelin is eliminated during surgery.
While other weight-loss surgeries require cutting and reattaching the small intestine, sleeve patients do not suffer the side effects of intestinal bypasses, such as intestinal obstruction, anemia, osteoporosis, vitamin deficiencies, and protein deficiencies.
Gastric sleeve surgery is suitable for patients who are already suffering from anemia, Crohn’s disease, and various other conditions that would place them at high risk for surgery involving intestinal bypass.
Another advantage of the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) is that it is one of the few surgeries performed laparoscopically in incredibly overweight patients. This fact makes this surgery more attractive and safer for high BMI and high-risk patients.
- Expected Weight Loss Long Term: 50% of Excess Weight Loss after 6 Years (source)
- Gastric Sleeve Surgery has a Similar Effect on Type 2 Diabetes as Gastric Bypass Surgery (source).
Disadvantages of Gastric Sleeve Surgery
This restrictive weight-loss technique is reliable and highly effective in reducing excess weight and allows the stomach to absorb 100% of the food. However, there are drawbacks to choosing the gastric sleeve over weight loss surgery options.
One of the disadvantages of vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery is that it does not always produce the same amount and speed of weight reduction as gastric bypass. VSG Patients can also regain weight in the long term, as is true of any purely restrictive surgery.
Because the procedure requires stapling of the stomach, the possibility of leakage and of other complications directly related to stapling, though rare, can occur. Besides, as with any surgery, patients risk additional complications such as post-operative bleeding, small bowel obstruction, pneumonia, infection, and blood clots.
Gastric Sleeve Complications
Patients need to understand the possible complications of sleeve gastrectomy:
- Leakage
- Infection
- Internal Bleeding
- Bowel Obstruction
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia
However, the risk of encountering any of these complications is minimal, ranging from about 0.5% to 1%. The risk of death from this form of surgery is about 0 .25% which is extremely small. The fact remains that the overall chances of staying obese are much more dangerous and common than doing nothing at all.
Fortunately, many of the complications can be treated by carefully managing wounds and keeping the doctors informed of any issues. With the internal bleeding, a blood transfusion may be required in severe cases.
General Side Effects
Since this bariatric surgery removes most of the stomach, patients will experience considerable weight loss. Since this is a permanent operation, you will have to get used to eating less and practice portion control.
Vomiting and diarrhea tend to be some of the mild side effects that can occur, especially when adapting to this new way of eating. Esophagitis can also occur if you are not careful about how much and how quickly you eat. If you feel that there are further complications on the way, it is a good idea to speak to your doctor as soon as possible.
Post-Op Care
Heavy lifting is not recommended. A long-term maintenance diet is also required to help keep weight down. Vitamin deficiency is a possibility, so supplements will be needed.
It’s essential to follow all instructions from your doctor and nutritionist. You will be on a liquid diet for a specific period. From there, you will incorporate a variety of foods and solids into your diet. It’s important to eat slowly and the required amount of food outlined in your post-op plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Is it safe to have surgery in Tijuana? Yes. Our hospital meets and exceeds international safety standards. Many of our patients find the care in Tijuana to be more personalized and attentive than in large US-based hospital systems.
- How much weight will I lose? Most patients lose 60%-70% of their excess body weight within the first 12–18 months, provided they follow the recommended nutritional plan.
- Can I travel alone? While many patients bring a companion, our “Single Patient” program ensures you are never alone. Our coordinators and nursing staff look after you from the moment you land in San Diego until you return.