WHAT TO EXPECT IN TIJUANA
The following information provides a detailed explanation of what to expect during your stay in Tijuana while having weight loss surgery. Please keep in mind that this process involves a large team of facilitators and medical professionals. You are traveling to a foreign country with a different culture, language, and traditions. You will most likely feel a little anxious and out of your comfort zone, as any type of surgery carries certain risks, not to mention traveling abroad for a medical procedure increases the level of anxiety. Not everyone is in the same physical and emotional health condition. We are not able to predict with 100% accuracy every outcome. Not every detail of this process is under our control, in many cases we have to rely on third-party providers, such as hotels, hospitals, airlines, etc. Thus, some of the details explained below may vary, we hope for your understanding. We promise that our Go Light Bariatrics facilitating team will do its best to make you feel safe, comfortable, and well-informed about every step of the process.
DAY OF ARRIVAL
DAY OF SURGERY
1st Day at the Hospital
DAY AFTER SURGERY
2nd Day at the Hospital
DAY OF HOSPITAL DISCHARGE
PURCHASE EXTRA MEDICATIONS
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
DAY OF ARRIVAL
HOTEL CHECK-IN
Time
Official check-in time is at 3:00 p.m. The Quartz Hotel is always in high demand; thus, we appreciate your understanding that your room may not be ready before the check-in time.
Deposit
All hotels in Tijuana, like many hotels in the US, require a security deposit that is 100% refundable. The deposit amount is subject to change and usually varies from $100 to $200 USD per stay. It can be paid with your credit card or cash during check-in and will be refunded during your check-out. Cash deposits in US dollars may be returned in Mexican pesos; be sure to verify this with the receptionist before making deposit payments in cash. The purpose of the deposit is to have an option of room charges in case you wish to use a telephone or place room service orders and charge them to your room; also, to cover the cost of damages to the hotel property if such take place. Please avoid misusing hotel amenities (such as towels, bath robes, etc.) in order to avoid extra charges.
Assistance on-site
Upon arrival at the hotel, you will be welcomed by the Go Light English-speaking on-site facilitator. Our facilitators are present at the hotel 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. (during non-business hours assistance is provided 24/7 virtually via WhatsApp Patient Care groups) and are eager to assist you and your companion and guide you throughout your stay in Mexico. The facilitator will inform you about your schedule for the day, at what time to be ready at the hotel lobby for the shuttle service (if your surgery is scheduled at the CIBA Surgical Center), or at what time you will be escorted to the New City Hospital (if your surgery is booked at this facility), in order to have pre-op tests done, as well as when to be ready for the shuttle service or escort the next morning to be taken for surgery.
PRE-OP TESTS
Time
Depending on your arrival time, you will be taken first to the hotel to check in and then to the hospital for the pre-op tests. In some cases we take our patients to the hospital directly from the airport in order to complete all the pre-op tests on time. If you arrive late in the evening, all pre-op tests will be done early in the morning on the day of surgery.
For our patients that arrive on the day of surgery
Our driver will take you from the airport directly to the hospital, all pre-op tests will be done upon arrival and you will be prepared for surgery that same afternoon.
Location
For our patients at the CIBA Surgical Center: blood work, and cardiogram (EKG) are done at the CIBA surgical center. Chest X-Ray is done at the Rio Medica clinic located within a short distance (5-minute drive) from the CIBA surgical center.
For our patients at the New City Hospital: all pre-op tests (blood work, cardiogram (EKG), chest X-Ray) are done at the NEWCITY Hospital located right next to the Quartz hotel.
Diet
Absolutely no solid food is allowed the day before surgery (we do require that you follow a full liquid diet for at least three days before surgery to have your stomach and small intestine well-prepared for the procedure). On the day of arrival (the day of pre-op testing), we ask you to avoid liquids that contain lactose, protein or fat (such as regular or clear protein shakes, milk, yogurt or broth), you may drink water, tea, apple juice, Gatorade, have popsicles or Jell-O (ideally sugar-free) up until 3 hours before your arrival in San Diego. After that, drink only water in order to be prepared for the blood work. Once the blood work is done, you may resume other liquids that may include broth, protein shakes, yogurt, etc. Only those patients who arrive in San Diego after 6 pm or those who arrive in the morning on the day of surgery, can continue a full-liquid diet the day before surgery without any restrictions, since their lab work will be done on the day of surgery.
Type of tests
Blood work (includes the following: CBC, PT, PTT, HIV, HEP C, blood chemistry, blood type, and RH), cardiogram (to ensure the heart condition is suitable to undergo surgery under general anesthesia), chest X-Ray (mainly to check on the lung condition); COVID-19 test only if you or your companion arrive with cold-like symptoms. In such a case an Antigen test (nasal swab) will be performed at CIBA (the cost is $30 USD per test), or at the New City hospital (the cost is $40 to $50 USD per test). An ultrasound test to check on the gallbladder condition is available upon request at a $40 USD additional fee.
Balance payment
On the day of arrival our hospital coordinator will assist you with any remaining surgery balance payment that is due 24 hours before surgery. You can also make your balance payment at any time leading up to your arrival by using any payment method among those listed in the payment instructions provided by your patient coordinator.
Communicate with our team
We kindly ask that you and your companion download WhatsApp application on your cell phones and create an account prior to your arrival in Mexico (otherwise our on-site facilitators can help you download the App). UPON ARRIVAL you will be invited to join our Patient Care WhatsApp support group (for your convenience, we have separate groups for your hotel and hospital stay) as it will be used by our on-site team to provide quick service 24/7 during your stay in Tijuana. Once you leave Tijuana, your number will be removed from the group. Do not hesitate to utilize our WhatsApp line of communication to ensure quick assistance. You may also find our complete contact list here.
Wi-Fi access is free
Please ask our on-site facilitator if you need help getting connected as passwords are subject to change.
• Internet access at the CIBA Hospital – Network: Invitado, password: drzavalza.
• Internet access at the New City Hospital – Network: NewCity Hospital, password: invitadosNCH
• Internet access at the Quartz Hotel – Network: Quartz Guest; password: Quartz2021.
• Internet access at the Marriott Hotel – Network: Guest, currently no password is required, however it may change. Open any webpage in your browser and you should be online.
• Internet access at the Lucerna Hotel – Network: Lucerna, it will automatically open a webpage that has all the fields filled just for you to click OK and you are connected.
Phone service
We highly recommend that you check with your phone service provider prior to departure if you will have service in Mexico and what the cost will be. Certain providers (AT&T for example) offer travel plans at discounted rates (“International Day Plan” is available at $10 USD per day with AT&T for unlimited phone calls to the US while in Mexico, limited internet data is included).
Hotels DO NOT have free phone call arrangements. Local calls have very little cost, and international calls have an extra cost of $2.00 per minute (this cost is subject to change, check with the hotel directly before making a call). Please dial “room service” from your hotel room to talk to the front desk, and provide the phone number you wish to call. You will be connected to your room.
DAY OF SURGERY
1st Day at the Hospital
Hotel check out
If you are traveling alone, please check-out and be ready in the hotel lobby with your luggage at the hour provided by your on-site facilitator (usually around 6:00 – 7:00 a.m.). If you are traveling with a companion and your companion chose to stay at the hotel room (if previously arranged with your coordinator), please take only the luggage you will need during your hospital stay. Please make sure to not leave any belongings behind (chargers, earphones, documents in the safety boxes, TV devices, etc.).
Do not bring excessive luggage (for CIBA patients only)
For your own comfort we recommend to not overpack. Hospital rooms have space for two small/medium suitcases, and should provide easy access for the hospital staff members to the patient`s bed. Please do not bring multiple large suitcases that might prevent hospital staff from easily entering the room. You will find our recommended packing list in the Travel Instructions.
Shuttle to the hospital (for CIBA patients only)
You will be taken to the hospital either by the hotel or by the Go Light shuttle (our on-site team will confirm this with you). Please keep an eye on the WhatsApp group announcements, otherwise feel free to approach either our on-site facilitator at the lobby, or the hotel reception, or one of the bell boys, and inform them that you are to be taken to the CIBA hospital (the addresses and all contacts for the hotel, hospitals, the on-site facilitating and the medical team are available in the Contact List).
Escort to the hospital (for NEWCITY patients only)
You will be escorted to the NEWCITY hospital from the hotel lobby by the Go Light team member. Please keep an eye on the WhatsApp group announcements to be present at the hotel lobby on time.
Admission process
Once at the hospital, our on-site coordinator will help you with admission paperwork, then you will be taken either to your hospital room (if the room is ready upon arrival) or to the preparation room where you will change into the hospital gown, compression stockings, meet our medical team, and an IV will be applied by a nurse.
IV application
To ensure easier IV application and to decrease level of stress for the patient, the nurses will make no more than 2 or 3 attempts. If the vein hasn`t been found in 2 or 3 attempts, they will not apply it until you are in the OR, where the IV will be applied by our anesthesiologist. Please stay well hydrated the day before surgery, drink extra fluids, as it helps nurses to find veins more easily. If your surgery is scheduled in the morning, stop drinking by midnight the night before surgery. If you need to take medications in the morning, take them by 6 am with a few sips of water. If your surgery is scheduled for later in the day, feel free to drink only water up until 4 hours before surgery.
Medications allowed
On the day of surgery, early in the morning, you are allowed to take the following medications: blood pressure, insulin (if needed), antiallergy, thyroid, depression/anxiety, ADD/ADHD medications. If you need to take something else, please consult with the doctor or coordinator.
Meals for companions (at the CIBA Surgical Center)
At the CIBA hospital, absolutely no food is permitted in the hospital rooms, except water and liquids provided to the patient. If your companion wishes to have a meal/snack, please inform our on-site facilitator and they will direct or accompany your family member to a nearby restaurant/café/food stand. Otherwise, ask the facilitator where it is permitted to eat food purchased outside the hospital (there is a designated area on the ground floor in the CIBA hospital where you may have a meal if purchased outside or ordered via UberEATS).
Meals for companions (at the New City Hospital)
At the NEWCITY hospital, absolutely no food or drinks are permitted in the hospital rooms, except water and liquids provided to the patient. If your companion wishes to have a meal/snack, they are welcome to visit a large food court located on the ground floor of the same building complex, right in front of the hotel entrance, or else please inform our on-site facilitator and they will direct or accompany your family member to the nearest restaurant/café/food stand.
DAY AFTER SURGERY
2nd Day at the Hospital
Leak test
Normally, two or three leak tests are performed. The first test with the CO2 gas is done in the OR, second and the most important test with X-Ray imaging is done in the morning on the day after surgery. Until it is confirmed by the medical team that this test has been passed successfully, no liquids are allowed by mouth. The third test is the blue dye test. If determined by the medical team that it is necessary, it is usually performed during the course of the day provided the patient is not allergic to certain blue dye ingredients.
Normally the X-Ray leak test is performed on-site at the CIBA Hospital, but in some cases we may need to take the patient on a 5-minute ride to the Rio Medica clinic. At the NewCity Hospital this test is performed also on-site.
Drain tube removal
The drain tube is removed either during the day after surgery or in the morning on the day of the hospital discharge. It is determined by the doctor based on the amount of drainage.
DAY OF HOSPITAL DISCHARGE
Discharge process (at CIBA)
On the day of hospital discharge start getting ready at 7:00 a.m. (if you need to take a shower, pack, etc.). Feel free to take a shower with your drain tube in (if you still have it at this point) but ask nurses to remove the IV. If you need help, our facilitators will be happy to assist you. A doctor will come to see you between 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. to dress your incisions and provide post-op medications. Please be ready for discharge and wait in your hospital room with your luggage by 10:00 am at the latest on week days or 12 pm on Sundays (this time might change, if this is the case you will be informed). Go Light shuttle will take you back to the hotel where you will check in.
Discharge process (at NEWCITY)
On the day of hospital discharge start getting ready around 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. (if you need to shower or pack). Feel free to take a shower with your drain tube in (if you still have it at this point) but ask nurses to remove the IV. If you need help, our facilitators will be happy to assist you. A doctor will come to see you between 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. to dress your incisions and provide post-op medications. Please be ready for discharge and wait in your hospital room with your luggage. For your convenience we offer discharge either in the morning by 10:00 -11:00 a.m. or in the afternoon by 2:00-3:00 p.m. (subject to availability). You may want to choose the afternoon option to be able to wait in the comfort of your hospital room while your hotel room is being prepared. The hotel room may not be ready until the check in time – 3:00 p.m., thus you may want to wait in your hospital room until then. If you choose to be discharged in the morning, your hotel room may not be ready until later in the day and you will have to wait either in the hotel lobby or walk around the area.
Medications provided to-go
Our patient care physician will go over a standard list of medications that are provided to you free of charge. You will receive printed instructions as well as via email. Please review all the paperwork you receive very carefully. You may be prescribed additional medications based on your individual needs (optional, not included in the standard hospital package) that you may want to purchase before leaving Mexico. When and how to order additional medications will be explained further in this article.
Leaving hospital
Please remain in your hospital room until our facilitator or a nurse comes to help you with the luggage and take you to the lobby to wait for the shuttle and get transferred to the hotel. If you arranged to be taken directly to the airport after discharge, our driver will meet you at the hospital lobby. Please make sure to not leave any belongings behind (chargers, earphones, documents in the safety boxes, TV devices, etc.).
Hotel check-in
Time: official check-in time is at 3:00 p.m. All hotels we work with always give priority to the patients arriving AFTER surgery in order to allow for a comfortable rest as soon as possible. The Go Light team has absolutely no way to secure earlier check-in, this is strictly a matter of availability at the hotel. Thus, we appreciate your understanding that you may need to wait for your room to be ready. We recommend staying at the hotel restaurant and enjoying a bowl of warm chicken broth, Jell-O or a popsicle, or at the pool area, lobby bar or enjoy the succulent Zen Garden (at the Quartz hotel only), or else you may choose to remain in your hospital room until late afternoon (NEWCITY patients only).
Room type: please request a king-size bed or two full-size beds during your check-in (even if you have already made such a request ahead of time with our coordinators). The hotels do not guarantee that our prior request for a king-size bed or a double room will be accommodated, it depends on the availability at the time of check-in, however, all hotels do their best to accommodate our needs. The Quartz hotel also offers Medical Care rooms with a twin-size bed for a companion and a full-size adjustable bed for the patient. The bed resembles the hospital bed adjusting into 3 comfortable positions and may be preferred by some of our patients specifically after surgery. There are only 2 hotel floors that feature this type of rooms, thus availability is limited.
Extend your stay if need be: if you wish to extend your stay at the hotel beyond the package coverage, additional nights will have a cost of $127 USD per night including tax (2023 rate, subject to change in the future). The hotel will apply an extra fee of approximately $45 USD including tax per night per companion when more than 2 adults occupy the same room (that is $45 USD for a 3rd room guest, or $90 USD for the 3rd and 4th room guests).
Liquid diet
Fluids provided by the hotel: hotel provides free liquid diet for our patients every day of your stay. It is limited to 2 bottles of water (600 ml each), 3 bowls of chicken broth, 3 popsicles, and 3 Jell-O servings per day (at the Marriott and Lucerna hotels the diet includes 2 bottles of water, 2 bowls of chicken broth, 2 popsicles and 2 servings of Jell-O). Please dial “room service” from your room to place an order or request ice, or come to the restaurant downstairs, be sure to mention that Go Light Bariatrics provides these items free of charge (bottled water will not be provided free of charge at the restaurant). Microwave is available on the 3rd and 5th floor of the Quartz hotel. At the Marriott or Lucerna hotel it can be provided in your room upon request.
Fluids provided by the Go Light team
Our on-site hotel facilitator will provide you with additional fluids: 2 regular protein shakes per day the day before surgery, and 1 protein shake (clear or regular) + 1 bottle of electrolyte fluids per day after your hospital discharge. If you wish to receive more protein shakes or more electrolyte fluids, you may purchase those from your on-site facilitator at $5 USD per bottle (cash payments only), or your hotel coordinator can order it for you at a local pharmacy, and use their available products. If in stock at a local pharmacy, you may wish to purchase protein powder to be used at the airport on your way back home.
We do not guarantee any specific brands or flavors of the protein shakes and other fluids we provide. All our products are always fresh and properly stored, and we choose brands that proved to be the most popular among our patients. If you have any additional requests or special needs, we will do our best to accommodate them. In that case, please inform your onsite facilitator as soon as you can.
Welcome gift
If available, you will receive a souvenir from our team either upon your arrival to the hotel before surgery or upon your discharge from the hospital. The gift bag usually includes a stomach plush toy as a memory about your experience and a water bottle. Please note that we do not replace lost items.
Additional activities
During your hotel stay (before or after surgery) you may want to request additional services (tours, massages, Botox, dental treatment, etc.) through our hotel facilitating team, learn more at Additional Services.
PURCHASE EXTRA MEDICATIONS
If you wish to purchase medications while in Mexico (due to lower cost or according to the prescription provided by our medical team upon hospital discharge), our hotel coordinator will be happy to place an order for you, pharmacy courier will deliver medications to the hotel lobby. You will only have to come downstairs to make a payment (USD cash and credit cards are accepted). Please see the list of the most frequently prescribed medications.
It is NOT allowed to cross the border to the United States with TRAMADOL under any circumstances! It is considered drug trafficking, and severe penalties apply. Please read important information about crossing the border with pharmaceuticals.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA and any products (creams, CBD oils, etc.) that contain marijuana are NOT allowed in Mexico. They are NOT allowed to be taken across the border to the United States.
TRAVELING WITH PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
Please have all the prescription medications that you need to take daily in their original bottles, do not bring them in a pill dispenser. The bottles must have the name of the medication on them as well as your personal name, and bring only the number of pills sufficient to cover your trip (your stay in Mexico + travel time), not more than that. If you bring more pills than needed for your stay, our on-site team will ask you to discard the remaining ones (especially if they are controlled medications such as strong painkillers Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, ADD/ADHD medication) before heading toward the border, and the border police officer may send you into a secondary inspection. The same policy applies to patients and their companions.
If you have any questions, problems, or doubts of any kind, please communicate your concerns to our coordinators, facilitators, and doctors as soon as possible! We want you to have a pleasant, uneventful and worry-free experience, therefore, we would appreciate your full cooperation in communicating your requests with us as soon as possible.
We understand the difficulty associated with choosing the best surgery option that fits your needs, you can be confident that we are here to help you every step of the way. Your health is our main priority, therefore, if need be, our Doctors reserve the right to refuse to perform surgery on Patients who do not meet the proper qualifying standards. We at Go Light Bariatrics will never forfeit your well being for financial gain.
Still undecided?
Our experience and expertise are derived from working with patients from around the world, from this experience we have created a unique weight loss surgery program. And what makes it so special, is our individual Patient Approach. Each procedure has to fit your particular needs. You may want to start your research here: Compare Bariatric Surgeries
Prior to scheduling your bariatric surgery in Mexico, we require a phone or a video consultation with one of our surgeons in order to discuss your medical history, answer all specific medical-related questions or concerns you may have, recommend the best type of surgery that fits your needs, and help you to get rid of any anxieties associated with your upcoming procedure.
Where to start?
Your journey to a “new you” starts with a phone call to 1-855-991-5300 or an email request, which you can submit by filling out our contact form. We will send you a complete information packet, which will explain our process step by step, and provide you with instructions for surgery preparation and pre-operatory and post-operatory diet. You will be required to fill out the Medical Questionnaire, which will be thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by our medical team. During a free consultation with our surgeons you will be approved for surgery, the doctor will recommend the best type of surgery and the length of the pre-op diet. Next our patient coordinator will guide you through a simple scheduling process, and our nutritionist and therapist will be available to you before and after surgery.
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