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Comparison guide · Updated July 2026

Tijuana Bariatrics vs. Pompeii Surgical — the honest version.

Their advertised sleeve price is $750 below ours. That's real, and if the sticker is everything, this page will save you time. But a price is backed by a policy — and both of ours are published. So here they are, side by side: every fact about Tijuana Bariatrics below is quoted from their own published pages and linked, and the biggest differences aren't in the prices at all.

Competitor facts cited from their own site Last verified July 11, 2026
At a glance
Pompeii
TB
If the surgeon cancels for your safety
100% refund
Deposit lost + expenses deducted from balance[2]
Deposit to book
$0 — ever
$600 + card/wire charges[2]
Sleeve price
$4,900 flat — year-round
"Holiday Price: $4,150" (promotional)[1]
TB figures from tijuanabariatrics.com, accessed 2026‑07‑11. Their prices and policies can change — verify directly.

Read this first. We're Pompeii Surgical — of course we have a point of view. So here are the rules we wrote this page by: our claims are our published policies; every claim about Tijuana Bariatrics is quoted from their own website with a link and an access date; and where we haven't verified something, the table says "ask them" — never a guess. We won't quote their complication rates, reviews, or safety statistics — those are theirs to publish and yours to verify. Tijuana Bariatrics publishes its policies openly — that transparency deserves credit — and if anything on this page is out of date, email us and we'll correct it fast.

The plain-English version

Their sleeve is advertised at All-inclusive Holiday Price: $4,150.[1] Ours is $4,900, year-round. So the honest question isn't which number is smaller — it's what does the $750 you save actually buy? By their own published policy: a $600 deposit plus card fees, a zero balance due 15 days before you travel, a refund ladder that returns only half your deposit even two months out — and their own disclaimer states the surgeons are not employed by Tijuana Bariatrics.[2] Our $4,900 buys the opposite arrangement: nothing down, nothing forfeited, the team that answers your first call employed by the program doing your surgery, and complication insurance already inside.

The network-coordinator model

A coordination company books you with surgeons in its provider network. Their words: facilitating the obtaining of medical services provided by healthcare professionals who are not employed by Tijuana Bariatrics — with responsibility for services that are not medically related.[2]

The one-team model

One accountable program: the coordinator, the nurses, and the operating room are the same organization keeping the same promise — $0 deposit, 100% refund if pre-op says no, insurance included, at one flat price.

Neither model is a trick — TB publishes all of this openly, which is more than much of this market does. But the two models feel very different the moment plans change. Follow the money:

The short version

The $750 gap is the promise.

Both companies publish their prices and policies — rare candor in this market, on both sides. Which makes this the easiest comparison on our site: just read what each number carries.

Pompeii Surgical likely fits you if…

  • You want zero money at risk from booking to clearance: $0 deposit, no forfeiture ladder, no card-fee fine print — and a 100% refund if pre-op testing says surgery isn't safe.
  • You want the operating room and the promise under one roof — one team, accountable for both the care and the coordination.
  • You want a year-round price — $4,900 flat, every date, every payment method — not a countdown-timer promotion.
  • You want complication insurance included — extra surgeries, extra nights, rebookings, even after you fly home.

Tijuana Bariatrics may suit you if…

  • You're chasing the lowest promotional sticker and their published terms suit your risk tolerance.[1]
  • You specifically want single-incision (SILS) sleeve or specialty procedures like SADI-S and duodenal switch from their network menu.[1]
  • Their network's published experience with very high BMIs (70+) matches your situation.[1]

Whichever way you lean: get every number and every policy in writing before you pay anyone anything. That advice includes us.

Side by side

The comparison, in writing.

Our column states our published policies. Their column quotes their published pages, accessed July 11, 2026 — numbered links go to the sources at the bottom of this page.

What to compare Pompeii Surgical Tijuana Bariatrics
Track record Since 2014 · 30,000+ patients · Tijuana Provider network reporting "+12,000 surgeries performed" across affiliated specialists (published).[1]
Company model A surgical program — one team, one facility, one flat price, accountable for the care and the coordination. Their own disclaimer: a medical tourism company that works independently, facilitating the obtaining of medical services provided by healthcare professionals who are not employed by Tijuana Bariatrics — responsible for the coordination of services that are not medically related.[2]
Gastric sleeve price $4,900 — flat, year-round, every payment method. All-inclusive Holiday Price: $4,150; single-incision (SILS) sleeve promoted at $4,650 (from $5,150).[1]
Gastric bypass price $5,800 — flat, all-inclusive. Bypass and MiniBypass — All-Inclusive for only $5,900.[1]
Deposit to reserve a date $0. We never take a deposit. Financed patients owe $0 at booking. All surgeries require a deposit at the time of booking the procedure. ($600 USD additional to CC service charge or WT charge).[2]
When the full balance is due Before surgery — after you're cleared and comfortable. Patients are required to have as zero balance fifteen (15) days prior to traveling to Mexico.[2]
Cancelling two months out Nothing to forfeit — there's no deposit and no cancellation fee schedule. 60+ days out: a refund of fifty percent (50%) of your secure deposit plus your balance payments back.[2]
Cancelling in the final two weeks Same answer: no deposit, no fee schedule. We'd rather you cancel than arrive unsure. Under 15 days: the full amount of your remaining balance deposit and the full amount of your secure deposit will be forfeited.[2]
If the surgeon cancels for your health & safety Full refund. If our team determines surgery isn't safe for you, you get 100% back — you don't pay for a surgery you couldn't have. Their policy: this will result in the loss of the entire amount of your security deposit, with incurred expenses deducted from the balance — and any shortfall the patient will be sole responsible to pay…before leaving the hospital.[2]
Rescheduling Talk to your coordinator — there's no penalty schedule to read. Deposit applies to the new date once; more than two times…the full amount of the secure deposit will be forfeited, and cancellation rules follow the ORIGINAL date.[2]
Complication coverage Complication insurance included in every package — extra surgeries, extra nights, rebookings, including after you return home. No deductible, no claim forms — and you can read the full policy before you book. Not addressed on the pages we reviewed — ask them to confirm what's covered, in writing.
Hospital & hotel nights 2–3 hospital nights, private room, all meals + all hotel nights your recovery needs. And you choose your hotel — five-star options welcome. "All-inclusive" is published; night counts are not — ask for them in writing.[1]
Payment fees No card surcharges, no wire fees, no cash-discount asterisk — the price is the price. All credit card and debit card processing fees charged are non-refundable at any time. All WT fees are non-refundable at any time.[2]
Financing Same-day approval via ModernHealthFinance / United Medical Credit · $0 down for many · soft credit pull. Not detailed on the pages we reviewed — ask for partners and terms.
Pompeii column = our published policies TB column = quoted from their site, accessed 2026-07-11 "Ask them" = not published / not reviewed — verify directly
The peace-of-mind ledger

Follow the $750, moment by moment.

Nobody books weight-loss surgery planning to cancel. But jobs change, savings wobble, and sometimes the medicine itself says "not today." Walk the same five moments through both published policies:

The day you book
Reserving your surgery date
Pompeii$0 down. Your date is held without a deposit — we think you should decide freely, not because money is already on the table.
TB — their published policyAll surgeries require a deposit at the time of booking…($600 USD additional to CC service charge or WT charge).[2]
Two months out, life happens
Cancelling 60+ days before surgery
PompeiiYou've lost nothing. There's no deposit to forfeit and no ladder to climb down.
TB — their published policyEven this far out: a refund of fifty percent (50%) of your secure deposit — half the $600 stays behind.[2]
Fifteen days out
Balance due; the point of no return
PompeiiBalance is due before surgery — and if you cancel, there's still no fee schedule with our name on it.
TB — their published policyZero balance required fifteen (15) days prior to traveling; cancel under 15 days and the full amount…will be forfeited.[2]
The surgeon says "not today"
Cancelled at the hospital for your safety
Pompeii100% refund. Being protected by your surgical team should never cost you money.
TB — their published policyThe loss of the entire amount of your security deposit, expenses deducted from your balance — and any shortfall paid before leaving the hospital.[2]
Something needs fixing after surgery
Complications, extra nights, rebooking
PompeiiComplication insurance is included in every package — extra surgeries, extra nights, rebookings. The promise doesn't end at discharge. Coverage like this sells separately in Tijuana for around $285 a year — here it's already in the price, and it covers your companion's extended room and both rebooked flights too.
TBNot addressed on the pages we reviewed — ask them to confirm what's covered, in writing.

Credit where due: Tijuana Bariatrics publishes every word of this openly — the deposit, the ladder, the safety-cancellation clause — and their policy handles bereavement case-by-case, which is humane. Nothing here is hidden; it's just theirs. Ours reads differently on purpose: no deposit, no ladder, no clause where being protected by your surgeon costs you money. That's what the $750 buys. We think it's the best $750 in bariatrics. Sources: our published pricing and FAQ · their Refund Policy, accessed 2026-07-11.

Take this list to both of us

Seven questions to ask any bariatric provider.

Including us. A provider worth your trust will answer every one of these in writing without flinching.

1

"What is my final, all-in price — and is it a standing price or a promotion with an end date?"If it's a limited-time price, ask what the price becomes when the timer runs out.

2

"Is a deposit required? Is it refundable, and what exactly does the refund ladder look like?"Get the cancellation policy as a document, not a phone summary.

3

"If your surgeon cancels my surgery for my own safety, what happens to my money?"The single most revealing question in medical travel. Read the answer, don't hear it.

4

"Is complication coverage included — especially after I fly home?"In-hospital coverage and post-return coverage are different things. Ask for both, in writing.

5

"Who is actually responsible for my care — the company I'm paying, or independent providers in a network?"Read the disclaimer at the bottom of any provider's policy page. It tells you who answers when something matters.

6

"How many hospital and hotel nights are included — and what does one more cost?""All-inclusive" means nothing until the night counts are in writing.

7

"When is my full balance due — and what happens to it if I cancel after that date?"The gap between "balance due" and "surgery day" is where the biggest forfeitures live.

Don't take our word for it

Now go read both companies' reviews.

Seriously — do it. Thousands of patients have written about both companies. Read ours, read theirs, start with the worst ones if you like. Then come back to the table above. We're comfortable with where that leaves you.

Reviews belong to their authors and their platforms — we don't cherry-pick either company's onto this page.

Sources & verification

  1. Tijuana Bariatrics — homepage: tijuanabariatrics.com (accessed July 11, 2026). Provider-network description; promotional pricing for sleeve, SILS, and bypass/mini bypass; network surgery count; BMI range statements; procedure menu.
  2. Tijuana Bariatrics — Refund Policy (effective Feb 19, 2021): tijuanabariatrics.com/refund-policy/ (accessed July 11, 2026). Deposit amount and fees; balance timing; cancellation refund tiers; rescheduling terms; safety-cancellation provisions; card/wire fee terms; company disclaimer.
  3. Note: as of the access date we could not find published night counts, complication-coverage terms, or financing details on the pages we reviewed — rows marked "ask them" reflect that.

Fair comparison disclosure. This page is published by Pompeii Surgical. Pompeii Surgical is not affiliated with Tijuana Bariatrics. "Tijuana Bariatrics" and related marks are the property of their respective owners and are used here only to identify the company being compared. All Tijuana Bariatrics information on this page was taken from their publicly available website on the access dates shown and may have changed since — always verify current prices, promotions, and policies directly with any provider before making decisions. This page compares published business terms only; it is not medical advice, and it makes no claims about any provider's clinical outcomes. Bariatric surgery is a serious medical procedure — discuss risks and outcomes with a qualified surgical team. If you represent Tijuana Bariatrics and believe anything here is inaccurate or outdated, contact contact@pompeiisurgical.com and we will review and correct it promptly.

Common questions

Asked and answered.

Is Pompeii Surgical the same company as Tijuana Bariatrics?
No. They are two separate, unaffiliated companies. Tijuana Bariatrics describes itself in its own published disclaimer as a medical tourism company that facilitates services from healthcare professionals who are not its employees, coordinating care through a provider network. Pompeii Surgical is a one-team surgical program in Tijuana with one flat, all-inclusive price — $4,900 gastric sleeve, $5,800 gastric bypass — with no deposit and a 100% refund if pre-op testing shows surgery isn't safe for you.
Tijuana Bariatrics advertises a sleeve for $4,150 — why is Pompeii $4,900?
Compare what stands behind each number. Their published $4,150 is a promotional "Holiday Price" backed by their published policy: a $600 deposit plus card or wire fees, a zero balance required 15 days before traveling, a cancellation ladder that refunds only half your deposit even 60+ days out, and if the surgeon cancels at the hospital for your health and safety, the deposit is lost and expenses are deducted from your balance. Pompeii's $4,900 is flat year-round and carries the opposite promise: $0 deposit, no cancellation fee schedule, complication insurance included, and a 100% refund if pre-op testing disqualifies you. The $750 difference is the promise.
Does Pompeii Surgical take a deposit?
No. Pompeii never takes a deposit — your surgery date is reserved without one, and your balance is due before surgery. Financed patients owe $0 at booking, with the first monthly payment about 30 days after surgery. Tijuana Bariatrics' published policy requires a $600 deposit at booking plus card or wire charges, with refund percentages that shrink as your date approaches — read any provider's policy in full before paying.
What happens if the surgeon decides surgery isn't safe for me?
At Pompeii Surgical, if pre-op testing shows you can't safely have surgery, you receive a 100% refund — we don't keep a percentage. Tijuana Bariatrics' published policy states that if the surgeon decides at the hospital not to attempt or complete your surgery for your health and safety, the security deposit is lost and incurred expenses are deducted from your remaining balance, with the patient responsible for any shortfall. This is the single most important fine print in medical travel — read it from every provider before you book.
Is complication insurance really included at Pompeii?
Yes — complication insurance is included in every Pompeii package, covering extra surgeries, extra hospital nights, and rebookings, including after you return home. We could not find complication coverage addressed in the Tijuana Bariatrics pages we reviewed, so ask any provider exactly what's covered — and what happens after you fly home — in writing.
Your move

Compare us to anyone. Then call us.

Take the seven questions above to every provider on your list — including us. We'll answer all of them in writing, and there's no deposit while you decide.

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