Dr. Jose Luis Salas Martinez - Tijuana, Mexico

[Renwick]

Forgive my English

I've suffered with gynecomastia since the beginning of junior high.  Like many here, it ruined my life in so many ways.  Around 18, I tried to lose them by working out, eating well, running, doing all that kind of stuff.  But it didn't work.  So i went on the internet and found out about surgery.

I didn't have much money so i looked for a cheap way.  I knew that foreign countries usually have the same quality of surgeons (if not better) than the US for a fraction of the price.  I live in the Los Angeles area and knew that Mexico would be my best bet.  After much research and searching i found Clinica de Cirugia Cosmetica in Tijuana.  The price for gynecomastia surgery was only $1,800.  Super cheap compared to what i usually found!!  So being in college and not having a job really, i began to save all my money for about a year.  And finally, i had enough about a month ago.

I drove there without anyone knowing.  Not even my parents.  It was very very risky situation because i didn't know what to expect in a foreign country.  Especially since i was alone in this.  I also wasn't quite sure how professional this facility would be.  Even though it looked very legot from their e-mail, website, etc, i still was nervous about it.

I drove for about 2 hours from L.A. before arriving at the Mexico border.  Let me tell you guys in advance, TJ can be very confusing.  The street signs are situated in a way where you can easily miss your turn or exit.  Also there are many one way streets that make it difficult.  But luckily the building that i was looking for, was not only the tallest building there but the most modern/beautiful looking.  So i pretty much just found it by eye.  When i got there, the staff (like in the e-mails) were VERY kind.  VERY professional as well.  They took me in quick!  My appointment was at 8am, by 9am i found myself in the room, putting on a medical shirt thing and waiting for my operation in just a couple minutes. 

All in all, the surgery went well.  unfortunately, i had a very rare occurance.  Two hemorrhages.  Which is very very rare, probably won't happen to you.  So i had to have an additional 2 surgery that same day. 

I stayed over night (Which cost $100 per night)  But they have nurses there all night checking up on you.  The room is very comfortable with its on bathroom/ TV/ small couch/ large window BEAUTIFUL view.  The next day, i left back home...very sore.  Many bruises but i felt great because already i can see that my chest was waaaaaaaaay smaller.  I got home and my parents were worried sick.   Let me explain, i wasn't intending to stay over night.  They were asking questions and noticed that i was weak.  That i couldn't really move.  Finally, i admitted to them what i have done and explained to them that i didn't want them to try to stop me.  They were supportive and understood my situation. 

2 days later, i went back to take off my bandages and get a quick check up before my main 2 week check up.  Dr. Salas was very generous and very professional.  My mother got to meet all the staff which already knew me by name.  Very personal and loving staff.  (Now my mother wants some surgery there hehe)  To my fortune, the doctor said everything looked great and normal.  That i would need to come back in 2 weeks for the final check up before being able to take off my surgical garment.

I am only 7 days post op and i already do not feel sore, and can already move normally.  Though, i'm not supposed to do sports for at least 3 more weeks.  I feel great.  And my chest looks great.  My life has changed and i feel like i can now do anything i want.  Have a girlfriend, go out, take off my shirt, meet people, ANYTHING. 

I would 100% recommend this institute to anyone looking for a cheap, professional, great results for gyne.   
http://www.drjsalas.com/principal.htm

CLIFF NOTES:
Dr. Jose Luis Salas Martinez
Clinica de Cirugia Cosmetica
Tijuana, Mexico
$1,800 - surgery + all doctors fees / anesthesia / etc
$90 - surgical garment
$100 - overnight stay
Professional as can be (you do research)
Clean institute in very modern building
very nice and helpful staff/nurses (most very pretty too hehe)
NEED passport or birth certificate to cross border

I hope to all with this problem that they fix it right away.  I'm now 20 almost 21 and i am so grateful that i have fixed this at such a young age.  I am now free!







Any questions, i'll be happy to answer, since i feel it's my duty to get this out there because i remember how lost i was before when i didn't know what to do.

[murf2222]

I went to their website and it looks very professional, but on the video tour the doctor was not speaking any english.  Does he speak english?

Murf2222

[S.ken]

Wow. I wish I had this option

[MSJ108]

WOW! I don't think I would have had the balls to go down to Tijuana for surgery. Glad everything worked out for you man.

[Renwick]

Sorry for the loooong response. 

Yes, they speak english.  They're main receptionist lady, Grace, speaks near perfect english as well as most of the staff.  The building is very professional as well.  very modern. 

Yeah, i was pretty reluctant to go to TJ for this, but i ran out of options basically.  I'm glad that it worked out.

Now, a little update:

The puffy nipples is gone completely.  Beautiful.  The size of my chest is waaaay smaller, to the point where i can take off my shirt in public and don't fear people staring at me.  Summer has been great this year!  I've been to the beach the last week, everyday.  It's great to be able to do that and not worry about yourself and people looking. 

Again, i strongly strongly suggest that people get the surgery.  I know that it's expensive which is why i'm puting such a great word for this place.  it was only 1,800!!! I know many of us can save that within a year (or less) if we really tried.  Think about it.  In one year, you'll feel like a new person.  =]

[theorfander]

Well, I did it. I went to the clinic in Mexico and had it done. I'm soar and can't really sleep but it looks AWESOME! When I got out of surgery I almost cried when they took off the gauze. It turned out better then I thought it would. He removed the two glands and lipoid my chest area. He also preformed pectoral liposuction on the sides of my chest. I have bruise marks all over my upper body and my nipples have stitches (which is why I can't sleep because I usually sleep on my stomach).
 
I was really shocked by how modern and clean the facility was. Dr Salas owns the entire 17th floor of the high rise and runs his clinic from there. When I got off the elevator, it was like I stepped into a Beverly Hills beauty salon. Stone floors, spot lighting, wood doors with little glass windows and contemporary furniture. I kept joking with the staff by asking them where I could find the sauna. The girls that work at the clinic are unbelievably gorgeous and classy. Everyone spoke great English, except for the nurses who spoke only enough to get their jobs done. It really changed my whole perspective on south of the boarder medicine. I went there with the mind set that I was going to bail if this place looked anything like a back alley butcher shop.
 
The process went something like this:
 
I arrived at 7:30 am with my sister and waited in the lobby.
At 8:00 the staff started arriving and gave me paper work to fill out.
At 8:15 they took a blood sample and sent me back into the lobby.
At 8:45 they took pictures of my chest at different angles and put me in a room next door.
At 9:00 my blood work was finished and I meet Dr. Salas who gave me a consultation right on the spot.
At 9:10 I was paying for everything and signing the paper work.
At 9:30 I was being wheeled to the operating room.
At 9:35 the anesthesiologist was going to work on making me sleep.
At 9:45 the doctors went to work and I fell asleep.
At 12:15 I woke up in the operating room and BAM my Gyne was gone.
At 12:20 I was in my room, sipping juice and being wrapped up by two nurses.
From 12:30 pm to 8:30 am the next morning the nurses rewrapped my chest area and gave me pain killers.
At 8:30 am the assistant doctor evaluated my recovery and released me from the clinic.

Expenses (paid with Master Card):

Surgery for Gynecomastia: 1,800.00
Compression Vest: $100
One nights stay at the clinic: $150 (they had cheaper options but don't do it, you will want to have a nurse)
Mexico car insurance for two days (full coverage): $35.00
Parking (if you pretend that you lost your ticket): $30.00
Prescription Medication: $100.00
Total Cost: $2,215.00

They also give you a medical pass to get back through the boarder MUCH faster then everyone else. I've been to Mexico many times and the line to get back into the US can take hours to get through sometimes, but with the medico pass that the clinic gives you it took only twenty minutes. I had to declare that I had surgery and medication, but that was it. If you decide to do it, make sure you bring your Pass Port. Apparently they require all US citizens to display their pass ports when they come through the gates. I didn't know that, but the boarder patrol let me slide.
 
I brought my sister with me and you should defiantly bring someone with you. They can get you medication while you are in surgery and you’re going to need someone to help you post surgery. The surgery took two and a half hours but I thought it took much less time then that. The anesthesiologist knocked me out cold. He shoot something into the IV and then he jams a nettle in my back. After that the only thing I remember was being strapped down to the table and waking up.
 
There’s not much else to say except that the rooms are really nice and that they have a great view of Tijuana (or a gulf course depending on your room). I have to go back in two weeks to have the stitches removed and take after pictures. All and all i'm very happy with the surgery and would recommend this clinic. If you don't live in SoCal you can fly in and stay at the Grand Hotel (which is right next door and features a gold course). It’s $100 per night. The staff at the clinic will help you make reservations. Grace was my contact their and will probably be your contact as well.

I do have one last thing to say. I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly, but I do have A LOT more confidence in myself. It’s wired. I had confidence before, but this different. On my way home I was flirting with girls on the freeway that I normally wouldn’t flirt with, and they were flirting back! I actually caught myself sticking my chest out. I went out to dinner with my best friend a few hours after I got home. I noticed that the girls in the restaurant were looking at me and looking away real fast when I made eye contact. Maybe that was happening before and I never noticed, but I’m noticing it now. I can’t wait to go to the beach.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[MSJ108]

Glad everything worked out for you man!

[chubs]

You guys have any before and after pictures to share with the forum?  I'm thinking about doing this as well, but my Spanish is very limited.  I've never been to Mexico and this would be a perfect reason for me to go.  I just don't want to take my car down there, it's not a really expensive car, but I'm sure it will attract the car thieves down there.  Is taking a rental down there safe?  Or is there parking on the US side of the border?  I could just take a taxi after the crossing the border down to the clinic.  From looking at the maps on that website, the clinic doesn't seem too far, maybe even within walking distance? 

[MSJ108]

When you go chubs don't forget to indulge in the Tijuana hookers! 

[chubs]

I just went down there to have the initial surgery with Dr. Salas after seeing the posts here.  I have my surgery scheduled Nov. 15th, with Dr. Salas.  Everything looked legit like the 2 previous members stated.  It's a great place for those of us that lives in SoCal.  2 hour drive each way, a nice get-away, and affordable surgery at a contemporary/high class setting ...  For those that have never been to TJ, I'd definitely recommend contacting Grace and get some recommendation.  I speak a little bit of Spanish so I was able to get around there, even though it's my first time.  You'll find that a lot of locals down there could speak a bit of English as well, so communication isn't that big of an issue.  I was suppose to go down there with orfander, but it was my fault that I missed his check-up.  Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. 

[chubs]

I was supposed to have the surgery in mid November, but got really excited and anxious over the thought of soon not having my boobs, I changed the surgery to a month ahead.  Had it on this past Thursday the 16th with Dr. Salas.  I'd say my experience with the surgery were pretty much identical to what renwick and theorfander felt. 
Crossed the border around 8PM on Wednesday night, got a hotel and early dinner and a went to bed early.  The clinic were very clear about not having any food or beverages after 10PM the night before the surgery.  At 8 Thursday morning, went to the 17th floor of the building were Dr. Salas owns the entire floor dedicated for his practice of plastic surgery.  The staff gave me the paper work to fill out, I paid for the surgery, had the nurse took my blood for sample, changed into hospital gown, put me on IV all by 9AM.  After that I was walked into the operating room by the nurse.  After I got into the operating room, met the guy that was going to put me to sleep(don't remember his name), and had a bit of small talk with Dr. Salas, and he drew some circles on my chest.  By 9:15AM, the anesthesiologist poked a needle in my back, thought that it was kinda weird that it was injected in the back where I have nearly no fat there whatsoever and within 5 minutes, I started feeling its effects.  The last thing I remembered after that was having my hands strapped down to the operating bed and having the curtain pulled over my face.  The surgery took about 2 hours, which I was asleep most of the time, I remember waking up during the middle of the surgery asking them if that's the liposuction making all the vacuum like noise, and one of the nurse told me yes, and I went right back to sleep.  When the surgery was done, I woke up, and the anesthesiologist asked me how I felt, I said great, and he told me "congratulations, no more boobs".  I started looking around, and saw the glands that were removed from my chest sitting on a table.  The anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to see the glands, I said no, but the nurse showed them to me anyways...  kinda gross, but I'm glad that it's no longer inside my chest.  The nurse then wrapped me up with bandages, wheeled me back to my recovering room, and gave me some apple juice.  I remember lying there watching TV, and just felt like taking a walk and asked the nurse if I could.  They insisted that I should stay there and take it easy while recovering, I had to be a bit more persistent, and finally they let me go.  They were surprised to see that I just put on my clothes and picked up my duffle bag and just walked out... haha.  I was out of there within half an hour after woken up from strong anesthesia, and gyno surgery.  I know that I should of stayed there, but I was fine, and walked from the clinic to Plaza del Rio, which was a good half a mile there, on my way back from the mall, I stopped by at a billard and shot a bit of pool...haha....  I didn't know what I was thinking, I just felt like a new man after the surgery and just unstoppable.  Sleeping the first night was a pain because I can't fall asleep on my back, and sleeping on the sides puts a lot of pressure on the surgery wound.  On the second night I started sleeping on my right side, because I guess they took out less glands and did less lipo on the right side, so the pressure didn't cause too much pain. 
I can feel the pain getting much less and less as each day gone by, I'm now at the 3rd day post op, and going back at one week post op to remove the stitches.  Pretty sure by that time, there would be no more pain and that I can move completely normal.  I'm really anxious to get back to my gym routine and MMA training, but I know I should wait until at least one month post op, regardless of whether I still feel any pain or not. 
In the same building where Dr. Salas' clinic is, on the lobby floor, there was a shop that offers hyperbaric oxygen treatments, really tempted to give it a try since I'm healing from the surgery, but on my last day there, the shop was not open, and I was in a hurry to get back home so missed out on it.  I think I'd give it a try when I go back to have my stitches removed.  Overall, I'm really happy that I found out about these medical options in foreign countries, because it makes it that much more affordable.  You can get the best in the industry of Mexico for a fraction of what it costs here in the States.  If anyone have any questions please let me know.  Thanks.