My complaint is about patient safety. Before I left, Kathy T. from the Rio Bravo Reversal board told me it was okay to eat a normal breakfast before boarding the plane. When I arrived, they prepped me for surgery many hours earlier than my original time (only 5 hours after I ate my last meal).

My uneasiness began when the nurse had blood on her hands. She attempted to start an IV on me without gloves. When I questioned the blood, she walked back to the bathroom and rinsed her hands, but she did not use soap. I know this because there was no soap when I just went to the bathroom prior.

Upon entering the operating room I noticed that it was very warm. I was given an epidural and anesthesia. To my surprise, I awoke halfway during the surgery. I couldn't feel my neck up to my lips. I couldn't talk. I knew immediately that I was given too much medication in my epidural & that something was very wrong! I then started to feel very nauseated. Vomit was coming up and I was unable to turn my neck to puke! I was completely paralyzed and terrified. There was no anesthesiologist next me, not like they do here in the United States. The doctors were laughing and making Spanish jokes during the entire procedure. I was alone and my only silent cry at that moment was God. I was trying to remain emotionally calm as I could, fearing that I would die and choke on my own vomit, without ever being able to see my husband again. All I could do was pray. I was so scared. I really did not think I was going to make it out alive but by the grace of God I did.

The vomiting continued every 10 minutes, for the next 24 hours. My daughter asked the nurse if there was something for me to vomit in, and she said no. The garbage can with contaminated needles was all there was. There was no needle bin in any of the rooms, so the garbage can was it. Those 24 hours were pure hell. I thought I would never see the end of it.

When I questioned Dr. Levi about the vomiting in surgery, he replied, "oh, we would have heard you gurgling so we knew you were ok. We've had that with other patients and we're experienced with it". Seriously??? I was NEVER so glad to leave Mexico and come back home. I was just so grateful to be alive and happy to see my husband again. I had a lot more appreciation for the healthcare in the USA after my experience there.

The same things that happened with others happened with me as well, such as them giving me profina which was banned in the US, the mold on the walls, etc... (though the hallways and bedding were clean), were all the same things that happened with me. The showers or room that I was in, also did not have any hot water.

I really did not save that much money. After paying for two flight tickets, I only saved about $500 less than what I would have paid in the US. The only good thing I can say about my experience in Mexico, was that the nurses were nice and the food wasn't bad. But that doesn't compensate for the safety of my experience or compromise my health when my life was at risk with anesthesia & the nurses didn't use gloves.

A year later, I found out that both my tubes had blocked. I had a 2nd reversal done with Chapel Hill in North Carolina. The experience was NIGHT and DAY. Unlike my experience in Mexico, I had NO vomiting episodes, and my recovery, health, healing & well being was so much better compared to my experience in Mexico. Now that I have experienced two different reversals in two different countries, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend Rio Bravo Reversal in Mexico to anyone.