Bertha Landa didn't have many options, San Antonio television station KSAT reported.

Landa, who has diabetes, needed gastric bypass surgery.

But since her case was a pre-existing condition, her insurance wouldn't pay for the procedure.

That's when Landa decided to head south of the border to have it done.

She went to Christus Muguerza in Monterrey, Mexico, where she saved thousands of dollars.

Had Landa had her surgery performed in the United States, she would have paid about $27,000. At Christus Muguerza, she paid $13,000.

"I'm very happy. I'm satisfied, comfortable," Landa said from her hospital bed in Monterrey. "And I like the way they treated me."

Tourism And Surgery

While Monterrey is known to attract tourists for its beautiful, mountainous backdrop, food and culture, it's also become a healthcare destination.

"Obviously, because of the healthcare system in the U.S., every day we are receiving a lot of patients," said Dr. Carlos Herrejon, of Christus Muguerza.

Herrejon said many patients are comfortable having procedures performed at Christus Muguerza since it is a part of the well-known, Texas-based Christus medical group.

He added that Christus Muguerza has the same high-tech equipment you would find at hospitals in the United States.

"You (also) create confidence with the nurses and hospital staff," Herrejon said.

As for the dramatic difference in prices for procedures, hospital administrators said that wages and administrative costs are a lot lower in Mexico than in the United States.

Other examples of how much patients can save money at Christus Muguerza include hip replacement surgery for $13,000, compared to $42,000 in the United States.

A procedure to install a cardiac pacemaker would cost $84,000 in the United States but $18,000 in Mexico.