Procedures · Surgeries & balloons

Bariatric procedures in Mexico: find yours in Cancún

I perform nine bariatric procedures in Mexico, at my hospitals in Cancún: six surgeries (sleeve, bypass, mini bypass/BAGUA, SASI, SADI-S, and intestinal bipartition), two non-surgical gastric balloons (Allurion and Spatz3), and revision surgery. There’s no single “best” procedure — the right one comes down to your BMI, your health, and your goals.

How to use this page: each card takes you to the full procedure — what it is, who it’s for, results and risks, told straight. Comparing surgeries? Start with the side-by-side guide to the four main ones. I see patients from all over Mexico and abroad; your first assessment can happen online.

01 · Bariatric surgeries

Six surgeries, six different cases.

All are laparoscopic, and all demand commitment to follow-up. What sets them apart is the mechanism — restriction, malabsorption, hormonal effect — and who each one is meant for.

Restrictive · The most performed Gastric sleeve

Laparoscopic surgery that removes 75–80% of the stomach to curb appetite. The most performed bariatric surgery in the world; 1–2 nights in the hospital.

See the procedure →
The gold standard Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y)

Restrictive and malabsorptive, backed by decades of long-term data. The go-to when type 2 diabetes or severe reflux is in the picture.

See the procedure →
Single anastomosis Mini bypass / BAGUA (OAGB)

A bypass variant built with a single connection: less time in the operating room, with results comparable to the traditional bypass.

See the procedure →
Preserves the pylorus SASI

A gastric sleeve plus a single ileal anastomosis that keeps the natural passage through the pylorus. Strong metabolic effect for type 2 diabetes.

See the procedure →
The strongest · BMI ≥50 SADI-S

A sleeve plus a single-anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass. The strongest option for very high BMI or severe diabetes; recognized by the ASMBS.

See the procedure →
Hormonal effect · Investigational Intestinal bipartition (Santoro)

A sleeve with a dual intestinal pathway that works hormonally. Classified as investigational by the IFSO (2022), for type 2 diabetes with obesity.

See the procedure →

02 · Gastric balloons

No surgery: the balloons.

If you’re not a candidate for surgery — or simply don’t want it — there are gastric balloons: temporary, no scalpel, with a supervised nutrition plan. They’re not for everyone either; I’ll tell you straight if you’re a candidate.

No surgery · 4 months Allurion gastric balloon

A swallowable balloon — no surgery, no anesthesia, no endoscopy. A 4-month program with a supervised nutrition plan.

See the procedure →
No surgery · Adjustable Spatz3 gastric balloon

An adjustable endoscopic balloon for 6–12 months: its volume is adapted in the clinic as you progress.

See the procedure →

03 · Revision surgery

Already had a surgery that didn’t work?

Regain — or not losing enough — after bariatric surgery is not your failure, and it has options. The first step is always an honest assessment of what happened and what makes sense now.

After a prior procedure Revision bariatric surgery

Correction or conversion of a previous bariatric surgery due to insufficient weight loss, regain, or complications.

See the procedure →

04 · How to choose

Not sure which one is for you? That’s normal. It’s what I’m here for.

The choice comes down to your BMI, your diabetes, your reflux, your surgical history, and your goals — not to a catalog. WhatsApp me your weight, height, and medical conditions and I’ll tell you straight which procedure fits your case, within 24 hours. And if you’re not a candidate, you’ll hear that from me too.

05 · Why Mexico, why Cancún

Searching from the US? Here is what Cancún actually gives you.

If you are searching from abroad, the first decision is Mexico and the second is where in Mexico. These are the facts on my side of that decision — all of them checkable before you book a flight.

Getting here, and getting home

You fly into CUN. Cancún has direct flights from roughly 90% of US hubs. You recover at your hotel, minutes from the Caribbean, and the minimum stay is three days before I clear you to fly home. That call is medical, not budgetary — if you need another day, you stay.

Where the operating happens

I operate at three private hospitals in Cancún: Hospital Joya in the hotel zone, Hospital Amerimed and Hospital Galenia downtown. Each is a private surgical hospital with ICU and 24/7 emergency capacity.

What you can verify before you fly

  • CMCOEM bariatric board certification CB240071 — public at cmcoem.info
  • Mexican government licenses — Specialty CE 14247260 and Medical CP 11031853, public at cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx
  • ASMBS, IFSO and ACS — the same international and American bodies that credential US bariatric surgeons
  • Training at UNAM, Centro Médico Nacional 20 de Noviembre — the highest-volume specialty bariatric program in Mexico’s federal system

Aftercare does not stay in Cancún

Once you are home, follow-up is virtual with a named team: Isabel Murra and Mercedes Rullán for nutrition, Adriana Palacios for bariatric psychology — plus structured six-month and one-year check-ins. WhatsApp stays open to me at any hour.

See exactly what a quote covers — and what it doesn’t →

Next step

Nine procedures. One of them is yours.

WhatsApp me your weight, height, and medical conditions, and within 24 hours I’ll tell you straight which one fits your case. You get me, not a coordinator.

I reply within 1 hour · 24/7
WhatsApp Dr. Lomelí — 24/7