Tonya & Raymond Morgan

Michigan

September 2007

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Tubal ligation

Dec 10, 1998

Tubal reversal 

Sept 27, 2007  

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Pregnancy #1 edd

Aug 12, 2008

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6cm each side

December 2007

We tested positive for pregnancy! Our first OB Appointment will be 12-6-07.

Thank you again! You gave us a second chance...

November 2007

I'd like to start off by saying, we did our research on many places that performed tubal reanastomosis (reversal) surgeries.  We have had consultations with several doctors and always found that they were very similar, except in price. Pricing ranges from $5,000. - $12,000 USD. Pricing being a definite factor, we explored the opportunity to have our surgery performed by Dr. Perez at Rio Bravo. We flew from Michigan September 27, 2007 (our 7-year Anniversary date) to McAllen, Texas and got shuttled from the airport in to Mexico. The shuttle driver, "Al" was on time and very friendly. We felt safe. The drive was quick, approximately 25 minutes.

When we arrived, the first impression of the hospital for us was that it was very clean and calm. No hustle or bustle of people rushing around. Very nice pace.

The nurses showed us to our hospital room, complete with couch, recliners, tv and bathroom and shower. Nice set up. They gave me my hospital gown, started an IV that very night and allowed me the option to have my surgery that very evening we arrived. We accepted.   Just before surgery, the nurse brought in a tray full of wonderful Mexican food, complete with tortillas and rice for my husband to eat before surgery. Since I had to fast, I didn't get any. But I was glad they looked after him too. It smelled and looked delicious.

They wheeled me down to surgery within the hour. My husband went with the doctors to "scrub in" and get his hospital gown on. I was awake, with the assistance of a little medication to make me relaxed, my husband present at the head of my surgery table with me and everything was good. The doctors and anesthesiologist were standing by in case I needed additional assistance. It was very relaxed atmosphere, complete with music in the operating room.

When the surgery was complete, they flushed the tubes to assure proper working order and announced the length of my tubes were 6cm on each side. We were all very pleased. They took us back to our room, made us comfortable and served me a Jell-O and liquids dinner. (It was still good, though) Pain tolerance was great, besides the fact that I had a headache. I passed it off as a headache from laying down so long and all the medication. I was discharged the next afternoon and we went back to our hotel in McAllen, Texas where they would shuttle us to the airport the following day.

We checked in to our hotel in McAllen, and my headache would not go away. It got really intense, and we both thought something was wrong. The pain would worsen when I was standing upright, and would only alleviate slightly when I lay flat on my back. But we both felt that something was not quite right. We took a cab to the local hospital. They diagnosed me with a "spinal headache", also know as a post-dural puncture headache. It happens when the tough sac that surrounds the spinal cord leaks through the tiny puncture around the epidural site. This occurs in 70% of women between the ages 16-35. They started me on an IV fluids of Caffeine that make the symptoms lessen. In severe cases, which mine was, a "blood patch" would be required. This is when they draw your own blood, and insert it into the puncture of the spinal area and fill the leak of spinal fluid. The doctor in McAllen, seemed a little intolerant of us having had the surgery in Mexico and would not let us have the "blood patch" performed there due to liability. She suggested we go back to Mexico, or go home to our regular doctor. We were scared at this point and felt rejected and hurt.

I cannot begin to tell you how skull crushing this headache was. On a scale from 1-10, it was an 11. The pressure was so intense I thought my head would explode. I thought it was going to when we flew back to Michigan that next day at 35,000 feet altitude in the airplane!

Upon arriving home, we saw our regular doctor, whom referred us to a Pain Management Clinic who performs the "blood patch" procedures. Again, they also would not perform this procedure on me because we had our reversal procedure done in Mexico. They said the symptoms would probably get better within 7 days. I cried like there was no tomorrow. The pain was so severe, and I was so upset that noone would medically treat me because we had been to Mexico. We felt like second-class, condescended citizens.

Again, they had treated me "conservatively" with a caffeine cocktail filled with a sedative, pain reliever and caffeine. It made me sleep for 4 days, in which I still had nausea and the headache. Not until day 10, did the headache finally go away and I could go back to my normal activities of living.

I am back to normal. Finally. We are so disappointed in the American doctors. The spinal headache could have happened to us in the United States if we would have chosen to have an expensive surgery here.  But, because we chose Mexico, the doctors here nearly told us "I told you so" about our experience out of the country.  We do not fault our Anesthesiologist at Rio Bravo.  He performed professionally and with care. We just wanted to make others aware and learn from our experience.

We are looking forward to a successful reversal and we can't wait to update everyone on our possible pregnancy.

**Note by Dr. Levi - ***