Another Chance at Life After Weight Loss Surgery Gone Wrong in Mexico
By Armetta C. Landrum
My name is Armetta Landrum, I am a 57-year-old news and traffic reporter and freelance writer living in the city of Detroit. Today, I am a happier healthier person after losing more than two-hundred pounds. However, a bargain-priced weight loss procedure in Tijuana Mexico nearly cost me my life.
At my highest weight, I tipped the scales at four hundred and twelve pounds. In 2014, I had had enough. I suffered from joint pain, pulmonary hypertension, stomach problems and a host of other medical conditions. Desperate, frustrated and no health care insurance left me with few options to try and fix the weight problem. I checked into medical tourism.
The CDC states, "Medical tourism" refers to traveling to another country for medical care. It's estimated that up to 750,000 US residents travel abroad for care each year. Many people who travel for care do so because treatment is much cheaper in another country.
“Although medical tourism surgeons operate on lots of patients, they are only aware of the immediate complications. The issues that arise weeks or even years later occur unbeknownst to them, preventing them from learning from their mistakes, and allowing them to continue performing the same techniques that create issues down the road,” stated, Dr. Matthew Weiner, Bariatric Surgeon and Gastroenterologist of West Bloomfield Michigan.
I was thrilled when I found a company operating out of San Diego California that offered gastric by-pass surgery in Tijuana for under $7-thousand dollars. I thought that was a bargain compared to U.S. prices that started at around $15-thousand dollars for the procedure.
Against the medical advice of Dr. Weiner, I decided to go through with surgery in Mexico in August of 2014. When I arrived at the clinic, it didn’t look like a medical facility. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t care, I was desperate and I wanted help.
After waking up from surgery, I was told by a doctor they could not complete the gastric bypass because of my various health problems. Instead, they gave me a Gastric Sleeve. Several days after the operation. I became very Ill, and I was rushed to a San Diego hospital where I was put into a medically induced coma on life support and I remained in that condition for several months.
“Here's what I think happened,” said Dr. Weiner, “During the surgery, they had difficulty maintaining your oxygen level because of your pulmonary hypertension (which was the reason I did not think it was safe to have surgery in the first place).
Because of this, they changed to a sleeve and rushed through the surgery and didn't properly staple your stomach. The staple line leaked and you became septic. While you were in a coma, the leaking stomach contents eroded into your colon, creating a connection (also known as a fistula),” he said.
“It’s pretty much a miracle that Armetta did not die," said Dr. Weiner. “When she returned to Michigan in March of 2015, I essentially created a new surgery - half sleeve and half bypass, “he said.
Nowadays, I am working on regaining my mobility, rebuilding my life and eating healthier. I’m sharing my story in hopes that it will help others make wise decisions when it comes to their health and wellness issues.
Before making any medical decisions like weight loss surgery, talk to your doctor, study the facts and together come up with a medical plan that will work for you.
Today I am less than two hundred pounds and going strong.
For tips on weight-loss and weight-loss surgery, visit these websites:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/
http://drmatthewweiner.com/
