The Full Picture
Most websites show you before-and-after photos. We'd rather show you the calendar — every step, every milestone, every question you'll have and when you'll have it.
Click any phase to jump to the detail
Weeks 1–4
This is research time. No commitments, no deposits.
Start with the procedure guides on this site. Sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, SADI-S — they explain not just what each surgery does but what life looks like afterward. Take your time. There's no clock.
When you have questions, reach out through the form at the bottom of any page. You'll talk to a coordinator who's a patient advocate, not a salesperson. They won't push you toward a decision — their job is to make sure you understand your options.
What most people ask in week one
Before any commitment, you have a video call with the surgeon who would perform your procedure. This is a real medical consultation — not a sales call. You can ask anything. The surgeon will review your history and tell you honestly whether you're a good candidate and which procedure they recommend.
After the consultation, take a week. Talk to your family doctor. We're not going anywhere.
Weeks 5–8
Once you decide to move forward, this is what happens before you leave home.
We'll send you a list of labs and tests your primary care doctor can order. Standard bloodwork, an EKG if you're over 50, a clearance letter. You share the results with us digitally. In most cases, nothing unusual comes up — but if it does, we address it before you travel, not after.
Required pre-op labs
What we coordinate for you
Pre-op diet — the two weeks before surgery
Two weeks before surgery you'll follow a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. This shrinks the liver, which makes laparoscopic access safer for the surgeon. It's medically necessary, not optional. Your coordinator will give you the exact protocol and check in with you during those two weeks.
Days 1 through 7 in Mexico City
A day-by-day picture of your time here.
Your driver meets you at the airport with a sign — no navigating an unfamiliar city. You check in at the hospital that afternoon. An anesthesiologist and the nursing team do a pre-operative assessment. Light dinner (liquids only). Early to bed.
Nothing by mouth after midnight. Surgery typically happens in the morning. The procedure itself is 45–90 minutes laparoscopically (5 small incisions, no large cuts). You're in the OR for 2–3 hours total including anesthesia induction and recovery room time. Your family or travel companion waits in a private lounge with updates.
By early afternoon you're awake, alert, and talking. You'll be encouraged to sit up and take a few steps by evening. This is standard — early mobility reduces clot risk.
Clear liquids begin. You walk the hallway. The nursing team manages pain with IV medication — most patients rate their discomfort at 3–4/10, not the 8–9 they feared. Your surgeon does morning rounds. If everything looks right (it usually does), you're discharged to Camino Real in the afternoon.
Three nights in a comfortable hotel suite within walking distance of the hospital. Your coordinator checks in daily — by phone if you want quiet, in person if you'd rather have company. You progress from clear liquids to full liquids. Short walks around the hotel. Most people feel surprisingly well by day 3.
If anything concerns you — new pain, unusual symptoms, questions — the hospital is five minutes away, 24 hours a day. The surgeon is on call.
A final check-up with your surgeon. Incision review, vitals, questions answered. You receive your discharge packet: a full surgical report in English (for your US physician), your post-op diet guide for the next 8 weeks, all medications labeled in English, and your 30/60/90-day follow-up schedule. Cleared to fly. Your driver takes you to the airport.
Months 2–12
The surgery is the beginning. This is where the real work happens.
Your diet advances gradually. Week 1–2: full liquids (protein shakes, soups, milk). Week 3–4: pureed foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, mashed vegetables). Starting week 5: soft proteins — eggs, fish, tender chicken. This staging lets your stomach heal properly before handling solid food.
You'll have a video check-in with your coordinator at the 2-week mark. Any questions, any concerns — that call is built into your program.
Month 1
Typical weight loss
15–25 lbs
Varies by procedure and starting weight
Month 3
Cumulative range
35–55 lbs
Most rapid loss phase
Month 12
Average excess weight loss
60–80%
Sleeve; higher for bypass/SADI-S
Video check-in with coordinator. Diet progression review. Symptom screen.
Video consultation with surgeon. Lab review (bloodwork you order locally). Supplement adjustment.
Labs + surgeon video. Weight milestone review. Diet and exercise coaching.
Comprehensive labs. Surgeon consultation. Comorbidity reassessment (many patients are off diabetes or blood pressure medications by now).
One-year evaluation. Full labs. Body composition if available. Long-term supplement plan. Transition to annual follow-up.
Serious complications after bariatric surgery are rare — serious enough to require re-hospitalization happen in approximately 1–3% of cases. Most issues that come up are manageable: nausea, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, or wound questions.
If something comes up after you're home, you contact your coordinator. Depending on what it is, they'll either advise you directly, connect you to the surgeon via video, or recommend you go to an urgent care or ER locally. You'll also receive a document to hand to any ER physician that explains your surgery, the approach used, and what to watch for.
A 20-minute conversation with our coordinator can answer most of the questions on your list — at no cost and with no pressure to move forward. We're here when you're ready.
Book a free information call