Dulce Herrera had two dreams in life: she helped her parents become US citizens and lose weight. Her parents say Herrera did some research on social media and found a Facebook group of people who, like them, wanted to have weight loss surgery done in Tijuana, Mexico.
“If she could hear me now, I would tell her she doesn’t,” said Maria Rodriguez, Herrera’s mother.
According to online recommendations, Herrera made the journey across the border for gastric bypass surgery.
Her parents say Herrera died in a Scottsdale hospital two weeks later.
“The doctors told us that she had a serious intestinal infection from the operation in Mexico,” said Jose Herrera.
Weight loss surgery is one of the top five medical treatments Americans will undertake in other countries such as Mexico.
Related: Amjmed.com- Medical Tourists: Incoming and Outgoing
And it has to do with the cost, bariatric surgery costs $ 20,000 if a person has no health insurance or is uninsured.
Related: Webmd.com – Paying For Weight Loss Surgery
Herrera’s family is now warning others about this medical treatment in other countries and the deadly consequences.
“Do your research before having major surgery in other countries, think twice because you only live once,” Herrera said.
Bariatric surgeries are considered major surgeries, Mayo Clinic Doctor David Pearson explains how the procedure works:
“We perform the operation through several small incisions in the abdomen and can basically create a very small stomach for the patient.”
Mayo Clinic
“We call it a stomach pouch; in the end it is around 30 to 50 milliliters in volume. “
Mayo Clinic
“We are basically creating a golf ball-sized stomach pouch, and so that the food can get downstream from that new little stomach, we bring a piece of intestine up and connect it to this pouch, which is further downstream connected to any digestive juices it becomes with mix with the food and allow people to have excellent nutrition and still achieve excellent weight loss. “
Mayo Clinic
But dr. Pearson says not everyone is a candidate. This surgery is an aggressive move for people who have struggled with chronic obesity their entire lives, and it is only part of the treatment.
As with any major surgery, there are significant risks, but they are rarely fatal.
“Fortunately, modern bariatric surgery is very safe, and the risk of serious complications is very low in an accredited center,” said Dr. Pearson.
Herrera’s parents don’t know if their daughter went to a certified bariatric surgeon.
“All we can do is share our story, maybe we can save someone else’s daughter,” Rodriguez said.
Dr. Pearson says it’s important to do extensive research. He recommends the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to review the certifications of bariatric surgery centers in the United States
Comments are closed.