Medical Tourism is a Safe, Viable Alternative
Thousands of patients travel to Tijuana to get affordable medical care that they need. Tijuana Bariatric Center is a premier practice with world-class doctors experienced in all types of weight reduction surgery. Our surgeries are performed at a local hospital with state-of-the-art equipment, strict safety standards and a bilingual staff. You’ll receive safe care from a board-certified surgeon. What’s more, you’ll also receive caring and compassionate attention from our support staff, who will pick you up at San Diego International Airport, take you safely across the border to your four-star accommodation and get you to your surgery and follow-up care.
How Weight Loss Surgery Works
Bariatric surgeries work in two ways:
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Restricting the amount of food by physically limiting the amount of food your stomach can hold
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Shortening or bypassing a portion of the small intestine, resulting in a process called malabsorption
Successful bariatric surgery requires close consultation and cooperation between you, the patient, and the Tijuana Bariatric staff. To help you succeed so that you can finally shed those pounds, we will counsel you and provide you with a program to follow so you can finally achiever the lighter version of yourself that you have always wanted.
Types of Weight Loss Surgery
Your doctor performs many different types of bariatric surgery. The one that is appropriate for you depends on several different factors including your current health, your BMI and your ultimate weight loss goal.
Gastric Sleeve
In this procedure, also known as a sleeve gastrectomy, approximately 80% of the stomach is removed. Our doctors will shape the remaining part of the stomach into a tube-like shape. The smaller stomach cannot hold as much food and does not produce as much Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry and also plays a part in blood sugar control. This procedure does not affect the absorption of calories and nutrients.
Gastric Sleeve Plication
This procedure, which may be performed laproscopically, involves sewing one or more large fold in the stomach to reduce volume by about 70%. No cutting, stapling or removal of the stomach or intestines occurs. Minimally invasive, gastric plication may be easily reversed or converted to another bariatric procedure, if necessary. It works by restricting the amount of food you eat, as you will feel full after consuming just a small amount.
Gastric Bypass and Mini Gastric Bypass
During gastric bypass surgery, your surgeon divides the stomach into upper and lower pouches and partially reroutes the small intestine so that your body doesn’t absorb as many nutrients. Mini gastric bypass is similar, yet when performed in its mini version, it involves less intestinal rerouting and a shorter overall surgery time. Gastric bypass works through both restriction of food and malabsorption.
Duodenal Switch
This complicated procedure, also known as a bilio-pancreatic diversion, induces weight loss through a sleeve gastrectomy and an intestinal bypass. The surgeon removes up to 70% of the stomach and then creates a diversion that bypasses about two-thirds of the small intestine so that food and digestive enzymes only meet in a small section of the digestive tract.
LAP-BAND®
Also known as adjustable gastric banding, this surgery is the least invasive procedure for weight loss. Performed laproscopically, the procedure involves placing a soft silicone ring with an expandable balloon around the top part of the stomach, effectively creating two parts. Patients eat enough to fill the top part of the stomach. Food eventually passes through to the bottom part, and digestion occurs normally.
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