Single-incision gastric sleeve in Tijuana, Mexico
Dr. Serrano's One-Port Sleeve, a single-incision gastric sleeve, is the same sleeve surgery done through one small incision, usually at the navel, instead of several. Dr. Edgar Serrano, a board-certified general, bariatric, and aesthetic surgeon, performs it in Tijuana, Mexico. Cross Border Medical Connection Inc. coordinates your trip, from pickup in San Diego to your hospital stay. You meet your surgeon for a consultation.
Rio Medica $4,095 USDNew City Medical Plaza $4,895 USDTrip: 3 nights, 4 days · Hospital: 2 nights
Your health deserves personalized attention.
What does a single-incision sleeve cost?
The One-Port Sleeve with Dr. Edgar Serrano costs $4,095 USD at Rio Medica and $4,895 at New City Medical Plaza, for Zelle, cash, or cashier's check. Your written plan lists what's included up front, and our coordinators compare both hospitals with you.
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
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 single-incision gastric sleeve?
The One-Port Sleeve is a sleeve gastrectomy done through one small incision, usually at the navel, instead of several. Inside, it's the same operation as a standard sleeve: most of the stomach is removed, leaving a narrow sleeve. The difference is the number of incisions. It can't be reversed.
How does a single-incision sleeve work?
Your surgeon works through one small incision, usually at the navel. If your anatomy calls for it, your surgeon may add another small incision during the operation. The smaller stomach holds less food, so you feel full sooner, and your intestine isn't rerouted.
What changes with one incision, and what stays the same?
Inside your body, it's the same sleeve operation. What changes is how your surgeon reaches your stomach. A standard sleeve uses several small incisions. The One-Port Sleeve uses one small incision, usually at the navel. Here's what reviews found when they compared the two.
| What's compared | Standard sleeve | One-Port Sleeve |
|---|---|---|
| Incisions | Several small incisions | One small incision, usually at the navel |
| Stomach operation, diet and vitamins | Same | Same |
| Operating time and hospital stay | Similar in reviews | Similar in reviews |
| Excess weight loss | Similar in reviews | Similar in reviews |
| Satisfaction with how the scar looks | Lower in reviews | Higher in reviews |
Sources: single-incision vs multiport reviews, 2018 (PMID 29389227) and 2023 (PMID 38022298).
- The evidence base is still small, and reviews call for larger, longer studies (single-incision sleeve review, 2018).
How much weight do people lose after a single-incision sleeve?
Because the stomach operation is the same, weight loss follows the sleeve. Reviews comparing one incision with several found similar excess weight loss. Individual results vary. The figure below names its measure, time point and source. Your surgeon can talk with you about what's realistic for you.
- Excess weight loss: an average of 49% at 5 years after a standard sleeve, in one trial that followed people for 5 years (SLEEVEPASS, JAMA, 2018).
Who is a single-incision sleeve usually for?
The One-Port Sleeve may be an option for people whose surgeon finds a gastric sleeve is right for them and who care about how the scar looks. Whether one incision is possible depends on your body and health history, and your surgeon makes that call. If it isn't a fit, a standard sleeve is the same operation inside.
- Current ASMBS and IFSO guidelines (2022) look at your weight together with related diseases, for example type 2 diabetes.
- Some surgeons suggest a single incision may not suit people with a much higher body weight, a tall build or a long torso (one review). Your surgeon checks this at your consultation.
How does a single-incision sleeve compare with other procedures?
The One-Port Sleeve and a standard sleeve are the same stomach operation, so diet and vitamins are the same, and studies report similar weight loss. Neither reroutes your intestine, while a gastric bypass does. The main difference is the number of incisions. Your surgeon helps you choose the right procedure for you.
| Procedure | How it works | Reroutes intestine? | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric sleeve | Removes most of the stomach; what's left is a narrow tube | No | No |
| 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).
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 lifelong vitamins and minerals as your surgeon's team prescribes.
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.
Planning your surgery? Read the 5 diet stages after gastric sleeve or bypass surgery, with daily fluid and protein goals.
Sources: NIDDK: Types of bariatric surgery · ASMBS nutrition guideline, 2017
What should you do before you travel?
- 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.
Single-incision sleeve FAQ
What's the price of a single-incision sleeve, and how can I pay?
A single-incision sleeve costs $4,095 USD at Rio Medica and $4,895 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.
Does a single-incision sleeve leave a scar?
Yes. Any incision leaves a scar as it heals. With the One-Port Sleeve, you have one small incision, usually at the navel, instead of several on your belly. Reviews report people are more satisfied with how it looks. How your scar heals depends on your skin and healing, so ask your surgeon what to expect.
How many incisions does a single-incision sleeve need?
Usually one. A standard sleeve uses several small incisions. The One-Port Sleeve uses one small incision, usually at the navel. If your anatomy calls for it, your surgeon may add another small incision during the operation. Ask your surgeon what size to expect and how the incision is closed.
How does a single-incision sleeve compare with a standard sleeve?
It's the same stomach operation, done through one small incision, usually at the navel, instead of several. Studies comparing the two found similar weight loss and hospital stay, with patients rating the appearance better. How the scar looks once healed varies from person to person.
How do I choose a surgeon for a single-incision sleeve?
Ask how often the surgeon does single-incision sleeves, and when they would add an incision. Ask how you'll get your records, and what follow-up looks like once you're home. Compare written quotes line by line. Your consultation with the surgeon is a good time to ask these questions.
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 One-Port Sleeve at Rio Medica or New City Medical Plaza in Tijuana, and our coordinators are with you from pickup to recovery.
Sources
- Single-incision vs conventional sleeve meta-analysis, 2018 (PubMed)
- Single-incision vs multiport sleeve meta-analysis, 2023 (PubMed)
- Single-incision sleeve 2023 meta-analysis full text, Cureus (PMC)
- Single-site bariatric surgery review, 2018 (PubMed)
- ASMBS/IFSO indications guideline, 2022 (PubMed)
- SLEEVEPASS trial, JAMA, 2018 (PubMed)
- NIDDK: Types of bariatric surgery
- ASMBS nutrition guideline, 2017 (PubMed)
- ASMBS: Endorsed procedures
- MedlinePlus: Sleeve gastrectomy
- Dr. Edgar Serrano's published prices
Last updated:
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