The day of vertical sleeve gastrectomy is fast approaching, and you’re feeling nothing but excitement! Okay, maybe you’re a bit nervous, too. Even a tad scared. And is that a hint of buyer’s remorse? All of these thoughts, however uncomfortable, are completely normal. Here’s my prescription for reclaiming your peace of mind then they threaten to overwhelm you.

“Maybe I didn’t try hard enough with diet and exercise.”
You’re likely in the midst of the pre-op diet required of most patients. We don’t prescribe it as a weight-loss tool (or to “train” you for the sleeve), but it’s pretty common for people to lose a bit of weight while the diet is getting their liver in tiptop shape for surgery. So, you wonder, why can’t I just continue on a diet like this to lose weight? My first response is, “Why in the world would you want to?!” It’s not horrible, but the pre-op diet is mostly liquid, which isn’t sustainable over a lifetime.

Secondly, I would urge you to really think about the inaccuracy of that “didn’t try hard enough” self-criticism. How many diets have you tried? How many years have you wasted yo-yoing? Yeah, you’ve tried hard enough. Without a bariatric invention like gastric sleeve surgery, it’s a scientific fact that overweight and obese people have an almost impossible mountain to climb. Their bodies are designed to fail. Getting enough calorie-burning exercise is very unlikely when you’re obese, for starters. And if you do crash diet and lose some weight, your metabolism will crash, too, preventing you from maintaining that loss. Heck, even the tiny organisms in an obese person’s gut are different (and not in a helpful way) than those of a person at a healthy weight. In other words: It’s not your fault.

“I’m going to be the one person VSG doesn’t work for.”
This one is the most common anxiety-producer. I can’t tell you how much weight you’ll lose because a lot of that depends on how well you use your new tool. But I can guarantee that you’ll drop pounds. During surgery we reduce the size of your stomach and also remove much of the area that contains the “hunger” hormone ghrelin. Between these two physical changes, weight loss is a given. But, as I always caution, you still have to do the work. A brief glimpse at our private Facebook group tells you all you need to know. There are some who admit to slacking on their gastric sleeve diet and have regained weight; others are consistent in their healthy routines and are dropping clothing sizes left and right. Gastric sleeve will work. Will you?

“I’m nervous about flying to Mexico for VSG.”
Even if you’ve railed at loved ones who question your decision, it’s still normal to fear the unknown. Especially when that unknown requires a passport. If it’s apprehension at the kind of care you’ll receive outside the U.S., listen to what previous patients have to say:

• ”I’ve had six friends that have had Dr A…not ONE bad thing. If I didn’t have these six references, I would NOT be going to him.”—Traci
• “You’ll be treated like royalty from the moment you are picked up. Dr A and his staff are incredible. The facility is nicer than any facility I’ve ever been to in the States.” –Natasha
• “I have never had a doctor in the States take such good care of me. He was so kind. He was in my room checking on me several times. His whole staff is amazing.” –Janet
• “I received better care in Mexico from Dr. A and staff than I ever have in the United States.” –Kristin

As for the quality of the procedure, I’ll let the facts speak for themselves. Our brand new, state-of-the-art hospital is better equipped and far more luxurious than many counterparts in the States. My team and I have performed more than 15,000 VSG procedures since 2006. It’s the only thing we do, which is why we’ve perfected it. We also never schedule more than a few surgeries each day, even though the actual procedure only takes about half an hour. We could take on more patients—and make more money—but quality of care is our highest priority. Incredible experience, the latest technology, and staff who truly care: Those are some pretty good reasons to have gastric sleeve in Mexico at Endobariatric!

I invite you to follow us on all our social networks, we are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, we also have our YouTube channel where I’m the host of the #AskDrA Show, where I (Dr. Alvarez) answer frequently asked questions that are sent to me with the Hashtag #AskDrA, subscribe to it! we talk about very interesting subjects.

If you want a more personalized experience and you have Instagram, follow me (Dr. Alvarez) to see my day both in my daily routine and in the operating room, add me! We will have a great time! My username is: gmoalvarez.

“Changing lives…one sleeve at a time”.