In this episode of Border Masters, hosts Gustavo de la Fuente and Monique Casellas sit down with Dr. Ariel Ortiz Lagardere, founder of the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana and a pioneer in bariatric surgery who has performed over 30,000 procedures — the vast majority for patients from the United States and Canada. As GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to dominate headlines, Dr. Ortiz offers a candid, science-backed perspective on what these drugs do well, what they don't, and why surgery remains the most durable solution for many patients. His argument is simple: when you stop the medication, the weight comes back, but the muscle you lost doesn't.

The conversation goes far deeper than weight loss. Dr. Ortiz explains that the real crisis is metabolic disease, a condition affecting 80% of people who are overweight and 30% of people who appear perfectly healthy. Seven out of ten people will die from its complications: heart attack, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's. It's a statistic that reframes the entire conversation around bariatric surgery, shifting it from cosmetic choice to life-saving intervention. And with a 20-minute procedure, same-day discharge, and outcomes that last a decade or more, the case for surgery particularly in Tijuana becomes hard to dismiss.

Beyond the medicine, this episode explores the booming cross-border healthcare economy that has made Tijuana one of the top three medical tourism destinations in the world. Dr. Ortiz walks through the financial reality facing American patients, most of whom pay entirely out of pocket and explains how the Obesity Control Center has built a model that delivers world-class, accredited care at a fraction of U.S. prices. From the world's first swallowable gastric balloon to training American surgeons on new techniques, Tijuana has long been ahead of the curve, and Dr. Ortiz has been at the center of it.

The episode closes with a vision for what Tijuana could become: an organized, internationally recognized medical district where accredited hospitals, facilitated border crossings, and a commitment to hospitality create an experience unlike anything available north of the border. It's a conversation about access, innovation, and the quiet transformation happening in a city the world has underestimated for too long.

Listen to the full episode of Border Masters and discover more stories at olasmedia.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

‍