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Post by bugirll on Dec 30, 2011 15:05:54 GMT -5
I plan to go abroad for my DS with Dr. Ungson in Mexico. I know he his well respected. My parents are freaking out about Mexico -"you cant even drink the water, why would you let them cut you?" *sigh*. I have also put out feelers to Dr. Sonneville in Belgium but I dont know about his reputation. My husband would prefer to I go to Belgium...anyone heard of Sonneville? He is vetted on DSFacts.com
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emalee
Junior Member
Posts: 62
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Post by emalee on Dec 30, 2011 17:14:27 GMT -5
No, I haven't heard of him. My mom would not go over the ocean and I would think that's a lot harder travel than to Mexico.
The private hospital in Hermasillo is very nice. Private room, majority of the nurses spoke english except for a few but we had no problems. Nausea and pain they knew.
The hotel is really nice. You can walk around the pool and fountains and greens. You can walk to a mall with a movie theatre. We saw a movie in english subtitles. The hotel has a fantastic restaurant. No problems at all.
I wouldn't trade it for anything. Honestly the best hospital experience ever, compared to american hospital.
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Post by bugirll on Dec 30, 2011 17:33:25 GMT -5
Thank you so much. Everything I have heard about the experience in Mexico with him has been wonderful.
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emalee
Junior Member
Posts: 62
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Post by emalee on Dec 30, 2011 20:18:14 GMT -5
hey, I have all my pictures on my OH accounts. www.obesityhelp.com/myoh/photos/Hopefully that works. Also, I have a blog of what I did every day for people going to get an idea. Its on page 3 of the blog under My Mexico Experience.
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lo
Full Member
DS - Dr. Gilberto Ungson - 06/21/2011
Posts: 113
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Post by lo on Dec 30, 2011 21:18:25 GMT -5
Here is a picture of the hospital room I stayed in: I slept in that chair the entire time I was in the hospital and my travel buddy slept on the couch. On the lower left you can kind of see the sink and to my right (in the picture) leads down to the private washroom which had a toilet and shower. Although you can't tell since I made a mess, the rooms are VERY clean and I remember the cleaning ladies coming in at LEAST twice a day. I think I could have been more but I slept a lot. Sleep, sip, walk, pee, repeat. Dr. Ungson came to see me every day I was in the hospital and Lourdes came every day as well. I really enjoyed the nurses at the hospital, my favourites were Rodolfo and Ivette (I think they are dating lol) but they are ALL great. I didn't take many pictures. I wanted to but I forgot lol
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emalee
Junior Member
Posts: 62
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Post by emalee on Dec 30, 2011 21:39:53 GMT -5
Wow. Lo you have lost half your weight!!!!
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Post by angelcake on Jan 4, 2012 13:50:19 GMT -5
I've been looking at Dr Sonneville too but he takes cash only or a bank transfer. Given the emails and from an @hotmail.com email address that has me nervous!! I've had princes from Nigeria with similar requests! ;D
I might see about going to Belgium to visit him in person next month.
BTW there was a lady on the OtHer board that got her surgery with Dr Ungson in Mexicali @ the Almater hospital alongside Dr Aceves. I don't know if that was just a one off, but Mexicali's only just across the border.
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Post by angelcake on Jan 4, 2012 14:04:47 GMT -5
BTW there was a lady on the OtHer board that got her surgery with Dr Ungson in Mexicali @ the Almater hospital alongside Dr Aceves. the border. Dudette was the patient I was referring to. She replied on the thread entitle Dr. Aceves and travel to MX also on this board. HTH. modified coz my quote messed up
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Post by Dudette on Jan 4, 2012 18:22:45 GMT -5
Yeah, that's me. I'll gladly answer any questions you have about my DS with Drs. Aceves and Ungson including costs, logistics, recovery, follow-up care, etc. Whatever you want to know. Since it was only 3 mos. ago... all the details are still fresh in my head. :-)
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aronsmom
Junior Member
Have band-want DS
Posts: 68
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Post by aronsmom on Jan 4, 2012 19:50:12 GMT -5
Did you have to pay all of the costs up front?
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Post by Dudette on Jan 4, 2012 21:14:59 GMT -5
Did you have to pay all of the costs up front? I paid a $500 deposit about two weeks prior to the surgery. I actually thought that was a little cheap. What if I flaked out and didn't show up? You'd think it would cost more than that for a hospital to set up the procedure, staff, surgeons, etc. Then again... it was Mexico. Maybe that amount did cover any potential loses if I was a no-show. Who knows? I paid the balance of the cost in the form of a Cashier's Check made payable to my surgeon shortly after I arrived at the hospital. They took me to the lab and did all my tests first, then I sat down, filled out all the admission paperwork and handed over the dough. It was all very above board. The only scary thing was carrying that big check around with me while in Mexico. I arrived down there a week early to have some dental work done first. I practically had that thing taped to my freaking body 24-7! I never let it out of my sight... even when I showered! LOL! Of course, everything was fine and I never felt like I was in danger of being robbed. Just a little healthy paranoia on my part. However, I did leave photo copies of it and my bank contact info back home with my husband just in case. Edit: Fixed a typo. I'm too anal.
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Post by bugirll on Jan 4, 2012 21:23:00 GMT -5
Well, plans have changed...I am going to Belgium now with Dr. Sonneville, another vetted DS surgeon. It is going to cost me several thousand dollars less. I had a phone consultation with him today and asked a million questions. I went through World Med Assist. I have to put a down payment down, then I can pay the rest later. I asked for March 19th and they will get back to me probably tomorrow to tell me if the date is good.
Why the change? Well, the money is a big factor. I spoke to Dr. Sonneville today and was very impressed. Dr. Ungsons office still has not gotten back to me. My mother is going with me but she refuses to go to Mexico (dont get me started). I also have never been to Belgium so that is a plus, get to see a new place. I have been to Mexico.
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Post by Dudette on Jan 4, 2012 21:36:18 GMT -5
Why the change? Well, the money is a big factor. I spoke to Dr. Sonneville today and was very impressed. Dr. Ungsons office still has not gotten back to me. My mother is going with me but she refuses to go to Mexico (dont get me started). I also have never been to Belgium so that is a plus, get to see a new place. I have been to Mexico. Belgium? Exciting! If I may ask, how much will you be paying for the DS over there? Just curious. I paid $13K for mine (done Lap). Also, I am not surprised to hear about the slow communication with Ungson's office. I've heard that from a few other folks too. I hesitate to even bring this up because I know he's an excellent surgeon and everyone who's gone to him loves him (including me). However, when I was still shopping for my surgeon I had contacted both Ungson's office and Aceves's office in MX. I always had lightning fast follow-up when I contacted Aceves. Even when I had post-op questions they got back to me immediately. Communication with Ungson's office was always slower. I have no idea why. Maybe I just caught them on a bad week. I'm sure it's a staff thing and in no way diminishes my opinion of him as a surgeon. I suppose the thing to do would be to clue him in so he can crack the whip on his staff... but I don't know if it's even my place to go there. Just thought I'd mention it.
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Post by bugirll on Jan 4, 2012 22:03:06 GMT -5
Dr. Ungson is charging $16,000 according to a poster in OH for a lap DS now. But I cant confirm that because I have not heard back and I have sent several emails to different addresses. I know they got them because I spoke breifly to Dr. Ungson. But anyway, its 10,290 Euros (about $13,400) and it included the hotel. The airfare is cheaper than going to Mexico by a couple hundred per ticket and I have to pay for two people. Im coming from the east coast.
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Post by Dudette on Jan 4, 2012 23:20:06 GMT -5
Wow. Great price in Europe. Keep us posted as the date draws closer. Would love to hear all about the trip, the hospital and the surgery over there in Belgium. :-)
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Post by bugirll on Jan 5, 2012 10:53:21 GMT -5
Well I have a date! March 29th is a go!
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Post by Dudette on Jan 5, 2012 18:25:13 GMT -5
Well I have a date! March 29th is a go! w00t! Very excited for you! ;D
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lo
Full Member
DS - Dr. Gilberto Ungson - 06/21/2011
Posts: 113
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Post by lo on Jan 7, 2012 5:54:24 GMT -5
Wow. Lo you have lost half your weight!!!! Heh, thanks Em! I hope I end up looking half as good as you ;D
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emalee
Junior Member
Posts: 62
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Post by emalee on Jan 8, 2012 18:10:42 GMT -5
cool on the date! wow.
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Post by Leonie on Jan 12, 2012 4:34:24 GMT -5
I am so interested to hear how Belgium goes. It will definitely be a shorter flight for me from South Africa
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aronsmom
Junior Member
Have band-want DS
Posts: 68
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Post by aronsmom on Jan 13, 2012 0:01:36 GMT -5
Dr. Ungson is charging $16,000 according to a poster in OH for a lap DS now. But I cant confirm that because I have not heard back and I have sent several emails to different addresses. I know they got them because I spoke breifly to Dr. Ungson. But anyway, its 10,290 Euros (about $13,400) and it included the hotel. The airfare is cheaper than going to Mexico by a couple hundred per ticket and I have to pay for two people. Im coming from the east coast. In an email that I received from Dr. Ungson today he quoted me $15,000 for revision from band to DS.
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Post by Band to DS on Jan 17, 2012 17:24:02 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info on Dr. Ungson. If I lose my Level 2 appeal & external review, I'll be looking closely at either Dr. Ungson or Dr. Sonneville.
Shelli
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Post by Band to DS on Jan 17, 2012 17:26:44 GMT -5
hey, I have all my pictures on my OH accounts. www.obesityhelp.com/myoh/photos/Hopefully that works. Also, I have a blog of what I did every day for people going to get an idea. Its on page 3 of the blog under My Mexico Experience. Your link didn't work. It took me to my own photos! LOL What's your username on the other site? Thanks, Shelli
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2012 19:28:21 GMT -5
I am so interested to hear how Belgium goes. It will definitely be a shorter flight for me from South Africa Depending on the strength of your currency, it might be a marvelous deal. The weakness of the Euro could bring quite a bit of overseas surgery business to the several surgeons in the Euro zone. Have you checked into Prof. Dr. Rudolf Weiner in Frankfurt? I'll also look forward to hearing more about your communication with Dr. Kreidar in Israel. How would travel time there compare to going to Europe for you?
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Post by bugirll on Jan 21, 2012 21:31:17 GMT -5
Going to Israel was a no go. The flight was much longer and costs 50% more. Im going with my mom and she is mo and handicapped. I want her to go because she has been a nurse for 35 years and has done it all. With her being MO and handicapped, I tried to limit how far we would go.
I checked out Dr. Himpens who is in Madeira but his staff told me he only does the DS in two steps.
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Post by omeaga7 on Jan 22, 2012 9:04:12 GMT -5
I am considering Dr. Ungson so thanks for all the post. Now I am interested in your Belgium trip. I am concerned about the return flight. Mexico for me is a short trip from the midwest. Hmmmm options options.
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Post by bugirll on Jan 22, 2012 10:42:46 GMT -5
Mexico was about the same amount of time for me as to Belgium as I am in Maryland.
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Post by justelizabeth on Jan 22, 2012 13:40:22 GMT -5
Dr. Ungson has an excellent reputation and I, personally, would not have a problem going to him in Mexico to have surgery. However, I had my surgery in Kuwait, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
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Post by omeaga7 on Jan 22, 2012 17:39:57 GMT -5
Dr. Ungson has an excellent reputation and I, personally, would not have a problem going to him in Mexico to have surgery. However, I had my surgery in Kuwait, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Cool, Kuwait, how did you decide on Kuwait?
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Post by tutton on May 28, 2017 19:17:03 GMT -5
How did your surgery in Belgium go??
Thanks in advance for the info!
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