Duodenal switch and SADI-S surgery in Tijuana, Mexico
A duodenal switch (DS) in Tijuana, Mexico, with bariatric surgeon Dr. Edgar Serrano combines a gastric sleeve with an intestinal bypass. SADI-S is a version with one connection. Cross Border Medical Connection Inc. coordinates your trip, from pickup in San Diego to your hospital stay. You meet your surgeon for a consultation as you shape your plan.
Rio Medica $5,895 USDNew City Medical Plaza $6,695 USDTrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights
Your health deserves personalized attention.
What do DS and SADI-S cost?
A duodenal switch or SADI-S with Dr. Edgar Serrano costs $5,895 USD at Rio Medica and $6,695 at New City Medical Plaza, for Zelle, cash, or cashier's check. Your written plan lists what's included up front, and our coordinators walk you through both hospitals.
Zelle, cash, or cashier's check price
Prices by hospital
| Procedure | Rio Medica | New City Medical Plaza |
|---|---|---|
| Gastric sleeveTrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights | Rio Medica $3,795 USD | New City Medical Plaza $4,595 USD |
| Dr. Serrano's One-Port Sleeve, a single-incision gastric sleeveTrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights | Rio Medica $4,095 USD | New City Medical Plaza $4,895 USD |
| Gastric bypassTrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights | Rio Medica $4,795 USD | New City Medical Plaza $5,595 USD |
| Mini gastric bypassTrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights | Rio Medica $4,795 USD | New City Medical Plaza $5,595 USD |
| Duodenal switch / SADI-STrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights | Rio Medica $5,895 USD | New City Medical Plaza $6,695 USD |
| Revision surgeryTrip: set after your surgeon reviews your case | Personalized quote | |
All prices in U.S. dollars (USD). Trip lengths follow Dr. Serrano's published plan. Your written quote confirms your total and your nights.
Prices as published by Dr. Serrano at dredgarserrano.com, as of October 23, 2026.
Your price includes:
A driver from the transportation company we hire picks you up in San Diego and drops you right back.
A hotel night before your procedure
Pre-op tests and labs
Anesthesia for your surgery
Your surgery and hospital stay, with 24-hour nursing care in the hospital
One team, from pickup through recovery.
For anything not on this list, your written quote confirms whether it's included.
Not included
Flights
Extra hotel nights
Additional procedures
Your companion's meals and personal expenses- Long-term supplements and regular lab checks after you're home
What can change your quote?
- The hospital you choose. Your quote shows the price for that hospital.
- Payment method. Listed totals are for Zelle, cash, or cashier's check, and your written plan shows your total for each method.
- Extra hotel nights or additional procedures, which aren't included.
Your written quote lists what's included and what isn't, before you travel.
Most U.S. insurances do not cover in Mexico, so unfortunately we're not allowed to take them. Check with your insurance first.
Pay by Zelle, cash, cashier's check, credit card, PayPal, PayPal Credit, or Apple Pay. There is a 4% transaction fee for credit card payments.
What is a duodenal switch?
A duodenal switch, or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch, is a two-part weight-loss surgery. First, the surgeon makes a gastric sleeve. Then a large part of your small intestine is bypassed. You eat less and absorb fewer calories and nutrients. NIDDK notes that it's done less often than other common weight-loss operations.
How do DS and SADI-S work?
Both start with a sleeve. A classic duodenal switch then reroutes the intestine with two connections. SADI-S is a single-anastomosis variant of the duodenal switch: it uses one connection, so it isn't identical to a classic DS. In both, food skips much of the intestine, so fewer calories and nutrients are absorbed.
Who are DS and SADI-S usually for?
A duodenal switch or SADI-S is usually considered for people with more severe obesity or serious metabolic disease, or for a complex case following an earlier weight-loss surgery. It needs long-term supplements and regular lab checks, so commitment to follow-up matters. Your surgeon reviews your health history, tests and goals, then decides whether it's right for you.
- Current ASMBS and IFSO guidelines (2022) look at your weight together with related diseases, for example type 2 diabetes.
How do DS and SADI-S compare?
NIDDK says the duodenal switch leads to more weight loss than other common operations. ASMBS endorses SADI-S. IFSO's 2023 update to its SADI-S position statement (published in 2024) says high-quality evidence on SADI-S is still limited.
| Procedure | How it works | Reroutes intestine? | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric sleeve | Removes most of the stomach; what's left is a narrow tube | No | No |
| Dr. Serrano's One-Port Sleeve | The same sleeve, through one small incision, usually at the navel | No | No |
| Gastric bypass | Small pouch joined lower in the small intestine; two connections | Yes | Difficult |
| Mini gastric bypass | Long, narrow pouch; one connection | Yes | Can be converted, or sometimes reversed, as a new operation |
| Duodenal switch | Sleeve plus an intestinal bypass; two connections | Yes | Ask your surgeon |
| SADI-S | Sleeve plus an intestinal bypass; one connection | Yes | Ask your surgeon |
| Revision | Changes or converts an earlier surgery | Depends on the plan | Depends on the plan |
Sources: NIDDK, ASMBS, a 2020 review (PMID 31982993).
What do studies say about DS and SADI-S?
Studies report more weight loss on average after a duodenal switch. In one trial that followed people with severe obesity for 5 years, those who had a DS lost more weight than those who had a gastric bypass. Each figure below names its measure and source.
Duodenal switch vs gastric bypass, in one 5-year trial
| What was measured at 5 years | Duodenal switch | Gastric bypass |
|---|---|---|
| Weight loss | More | Less |
| Another operation linked to the first surgery | 44.8% | 9.7% |
| Vitamin A and D levels | Lower | Higher |
| Type 2 diabetes remission | Similar | Similar |
Source: Duodenal switch vs gastric bypass trial, JAMA Surgery, 2015. The trial had 60 people.
- SADI-S excess weight loss: an average of 70% at 1 year and 85% at 2 years, in a review of 12 studies with 581 people; results reported only up to 2 years, and the authors say long-term data are needed (SADI-S review, 2018).
How long is the stay and recovery?
Dr. Serrano's published plan is 3 nights and 4 days: 1 hotel night before surgery and 2 nights in the hospital. Many people return to light work in about a month, once their surgeon's team clears them. Plan on about four to six weeks before heavy lifting, and only once your surgeon clears you.
Before surgery, you'll follow a pre-op diet, which can help shrink your liver. Your surgeon's team gives you a plan, including how long it lasts.
Your trip, in order:
- Pickup in San Diego and transportation to Tijuana
- Pre-op tests and labs, then a hotel night
- Your surgery, then 2 nights in the hospital
- A driver from the transportation company we hire picks you up in San Diego and drops you right back.
- Follow-up and nutrition guidance after you return home
Your diet moves in stages over several weeks, from liquids to soft foods and then solid foods, per your surgeon's plan (NIDDK). You'll take vitamins and minerals long-term, as your surgeon directs.
What happens after you're home?
After surgery, Dr. Edgar Serrano's team gives you nutrition and recovery guidance. Weight-loss surgery needs regular follow-up, vitamins and lab checks, so before you travel, plan which doctor will see you at home, and bring copies of your surgery records to that first visit.
Sources: NIDDK: Types of bariatric surgery · ASMBS nutrition guideline, 2017
What should you do before you travel?
- Plan for long-term supplements and a doctor at home who can order your lab checks.
- Line up a doctor at home who will see you for follow-up.
- Ask your surgeon for your follow-up plan and records in writing.
- Start your pre-op diet as your surgeon's team instructs.
- Bring a valid passport or other document accepted for land re-entry, and check the current rules with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
- Fly into San Diego, and set your return date with your surgeon's team.
- Tell our coordinators if a companion is coming with you.
Where does surgery take place?
Dr. Edgar Serrano operates at two hospitals in Tijuana. Your quote names the hospital you choose, and prices differ by hospital.
Rio Medica
New City Medical Plaza
Dr. Edgar Serrano
Dr. Edgar Serrano holds board certification in general and bariatric surgery and is certified in aesthetic surgery.
Duodenal switch and SADI-S FAQ
What's the difference between a duodenal switch and SADI-S?
Both start with a gastric sleeve and then bypass a large part of the small intestine. A classic duodenal switch uses two connections. SADI-S, short for single-anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy, uses one. IFSO notes that high-quality evidence on SADI-S is still limited. Both need vitamins and minerals with regular lab checks: for life after SADI-S, and long-term at higher doses than after other operations, as your surgeon directs, after a classic DS. Your surgeon recommends which one fits you.
Is SADI-S endorsed by ASMBS?
Yes. SADI-S is on the ASMBS list of endorsed procedures. IFSO's 2023 update to its SADI-S position statement (published 2024) adds that high-quality evidence is still limited, so lifelong supplements and regular lab checks matter. More long-term studies are still needed. Ask your surgeon how these points apply to you.
Will I need vitamins and regular lab checks long-term?
Yes. After a SADI-S, you'll need lifelong vitamins and minerals. After a classic duodenal switch, you'll need them long-term, as your surgeon directs. Either way, you'll need regular lab checks. Regular nutrition follow-up is a medical need, so plan for a doctor at home who can order your labs.
How much weight could I lose with a duodenal switch?
NIDDK says the duodenal switch leads to more weight loss than other common operations. In one trial, people with severe obesity lost more weight after a duodenal switch than after gastric bypass. Individual results vary. Your surgeon can talk through what's realistic for you.
What's the price of DS or SADI-S, and how can I pay?
A duodenal switch or SADI-S costs $5,895 USD at Rio Medica and $6,695 at New City Medical Plaza, for Zelle, cash, or cashier's check. Your written plan shows your total for each option and lists what's included up front.
How do I choose a duodenal switch surgeon?
Ask how often the surgeon does DS or SADI-S and how they plan your intestine lengths.
What does Cross Border Medical Connection Inc. do, and what do the surgeon and hospital do?
We're concierge patient coordinators. We coordinate your scheduling, transportation, hotel, and communication with Dr. Edgar Serrano and his team in Tijuana, Mexico. We coordinate your care. Your doctor and hospital provide it. Medical questions go to your surgeon, and it all starts when you request your plan.
About Cross Border Medical Connection Inc.
Cross Border Medical Connection Inc. is a team of concierge patient coordinators in San Diego and Tijuana. Dr. Edgar Serrano performs your duodenal switch or SADI-S at Rio Medica or New City Medical Plaza in Tijuana, and our coordinators are with you from pickup to recovery.
Sources
- NIDDK: Types of bariatric surgery
- ASMBS: SADI-S
- ASMBS: Endorsed procedures
- ASMBS/IFSO indications guideline, 2022 (PubMed)
- IFSO SADI-S position statement, update 2023 (Obesity Surgery, 2024)
- Duodenal switch vs gastric bypass trial, 5 years (PubMed)
- SADI-S systematic review, 2018 (PubMed)
- ASMBS nutrition guideline, 2017 (PubMed)
- Dr. Edgar Serrano's published prices
Last updated:
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