How to prepare for stem cell therapy in Tijuana: the same-day journey guide

Pack your passport first, eat normally, and drink more water in the 24 to 48 hours before treatment. Flying into San Diego the same day is fine. This guide covers everything that happens on your Celva treatment day, from private pickup, across the border to Hospital Angeles, and home the same day.

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Hospital Angeles · Tijuana, MX · Physician team licensed in Mexico

How to use this guide

This guide is for patients who are seriously considering treatment at Celva, or who are preparing for a consultation and want to understand the logistics before they decide anything.

It is not a sales document. It is a practical walkthrough of the same-day treatment experience, written to answer the questions patients ask most during first calls and consultations.

"If a sentence in this guide ever feels vague, it's because the honest answer varies by patient. Those sentences get finalized during physician case review, not here."

From the clinic
How most patients use it
  • Before the intake call. Read it once so you arrive with better questions and a sense of the sequence.
  • During the call. Keep it open. Our coordinators will refer back to specific sections as questions come up.
  • Share it. Hand it to the spouse, sibling, or adult child who will help you plan the trip.

Medical disclaimer This guide is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. All treatment decisions are made by Celva's physician team at Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, following independent case review.

How do you prepare for stem cell therapy?

Fly into San Diego (SAN) the day before or the same day. Both are fine. Treatment may be morning or afternoon, and you are told which in advance.

Recommended arrival timing

  • Fly in the evening before, or the same day. A night of rest and a proper meal suit some patients. Flying in the same day is fine.

    Either works

  • Stay near the waterfront or downtown. Gaslamp, Little Italy, or Mission Valley. Proximity to the I-5 south corridor helps with timing.

    Any San Diego hotel

  • Keep the day clear. About 2 hours at the hospital for an IV-only day, about 4 hours for a joint or spine day, plus the drive each way. Flying home the same day is fine. Do not plan a long drive the same day.

    2 to 4 hours at the hospital

What to bring

Pack the day before

Beforehand, do / don't

The days before

  • Eat normally. A regular dinner, a light breakfast. If your day includes sedation, nothing to eat for 6 hours before; clear liquids are fine until 1 to 2 hours before.

  • Hydrate. Increase water intake in the 24 to 48 hours before treatment.

  • Pause medications as directed. NSAIDs are ideally held for 2 weeks before. Anything your own doctor prescribed is reviewed by the medical team, who tell you what to do; if unsure, ask your coordinator.

  • No alcohol for 7 to 10 days before treatment.

  • No strenuous activity the day before, and no workouts for 7 to 10 days after.

Pickup, border, arrival

Concierge pickup

  1. Confirmation the evening before

    A message with your pickup time, driver name, and contact number arrives the evening before treatment.

  2. Private black SUV pickup

    Your Celva driver meets you anywhere in Southern California: your home, a hotel, the SAN curb, even LAX. No rideshare apps. No figuring out directions. A private black SUV and your own driver.

  3. The drive to the border

    From San Diego, the drive to San Ysidro is about 20 minutes, and the hospital is 25 to 30 minutes from San Diego in all. Your driver has done this route many times and will brief you on what to expect.

The border crossing

San Ysidro is the busiest land border crossing in the world. Northbound, public lane waits can run 3 to 4 hours. Celva's black SUV uses the medical lane on the return trip, typical wait 15 to 30 minutes. Southbound has no medical lane; there isn't one. It's typically non-stop most days regardless.

What the crossing actually looks like

You stay in the black SUV both directions. Your driver handles the logistics, and your patient coordinator is on the phone. Passport ready for the return. Officers may ask routine questions, answer honestly: you are returning from a medical appointment in Mexico. Northbound medical-lane crossing typically 15 to 30 minutes from lane entry to cleared.

  • Do not photograph border infrastructure, officials, or screening equipment.
  • Do not bring prohibited items across the border. Standard crossing rules apply.
  • Remain calm and cooperative. This crossing is routine for the Celva team.

Clinical check-in

Check-in at Hospital Angeles is short and structured: registration, vitals, a history check, consent and a briefing. Every patient goes through the same five steps regardless of protocol.

5 steps, a short check-in

  1. Registration

    Identity, contact, check-in at the Hospital Angeles desk. On-site staff meet you at the entrance and stay with you.

  2. Vitals

    BP, heart rate, temperature, oxygen saturation. Standard pre-procedure protocol. Anything outside range is reviewed by the physician before proceeding.

  3. Medical history review

    Physician or nurse reviews history, current medications, and any imaging you've brought. Not a repeat of the physician team's earlier case review, a confirmation that nothing has changed.

  4. Informed consent

    You review and sign consent documentation. Read it. Ask questions. The process is designed so you fully understand what is happening before it does.

  5. Day briefing

    One of the physician team walks you through the day's sequence, what happens, in what order, how long each step takes. The right moment to ask remaining questions.

The treatment, step by step

Treatment takes place in a clinical treatment room inside Hospital Angeles. Clean, professionally equipped, and monitored throughout.

IV infusion protocol

  1. IV line placed, typically forearm or hand. Standard IV access, not surgical.

    5 min

  2. MSC infusion administered slowly. Rate controlled and monitored throughout.

    About 45 min

  3. Seated or reclined. Most patients read, listen, or rest.

    Comfort chair

  4. A nurse runs the infusion and checks vitals. The attending physician supervises.

  5. Monitored rest until the attending physician signs your discharge.

Joint injection protocol

  1. Physician reviews imaging, confirms target and approach.

  2. Injection site prepared. Local anesthetic, with twilight sedation available if you want it.

  3. MSC injection delivered by the physician under ultrasound or fluoroscopy.

  4. Procedure itself. Post-procedure monitoring follows.

    15 to 30 min

Combined protocols (IV + joint injection) completed in the same visit, sequentially. Almost every joint and spine patient also receives a systemic IV the same day.

What to tell the team during treatment

If you feel unusual discomfort, significant nausea, tightness in your chest, or anything that concerns you, tell the clinical team immediately. Do not wait to see if it resolves. The team is trained to respond and is with you throughout.

Aftercare and return

Discharge involves a brief status review, written aftercare instructions, and a scheduled follow-up. You do not leave without a plan for what comes next.

Before you leave Hospital Angeles

  • Physician or nurse reviews how you are feeling, confirms you are clear for discharge.

  • Written aftercare instructions provided. Read them before you leave.

  • Follow-up calls scheduled: 1 week, then 1, 3 and 6 months, then once a year.

  • Your driver is ready for the return. You do not navigate this alone.

The return crossing

The northbound U.S. crossing can be longer than the southbound crossing, particularly in the afternoon. Your driver times the return to minimize wait.

  • Have your passport ready for the U.S. officer. You'll be asked about citizenship and what you did in Mexico. A medical appointment at a hospital is a complete and accurate answer.
  • Most patients are home the same day.

The first 48 hours

What's normal

Expected and brief.

  • Mild fatigue, the most common post-infusion experience.
  • Transient mild headache, usually resolves with hydration and rest.
  • Low-grade temperature or flu-like sensation the evening after, usually gone within 24 hours.

What to do

Hydrate, rest, follow the written plan.

  • Hydrate well for 7 to 10 days after treatment.
  • Rest. If you feel tired, that's a signal, not something to push through.
  • No workouts, alcohol, sauna, or ice bath for 7 to 10 days. After an IV, or a shoulder or hand injection, walking is fine. After a knee, hip, ankle or foot injection, stay off the joint with very limited activity for the first 7 to 10 days.
  • Written aftercare takes precedence over general guidance.

Call us

Call your patient coordinator or your aftercare specialist if a fever lasts more than 24 hours, a treated joint or site is red or hot after the first 24 hours, or any symptom that feels disproportionate or concerning. For severe chest pain or shortness of breath, call local emergency services first, then tell your coordinator.

After you've read the guide

The guide answers the logistics questions. What it cannot answer is whether Celva is the right next step for your specific health situation, that takes the physician team's review of your case.

If the process makes sense to you, the next step is starting your intake. The first call is about 15 minutes with a Celva patient coordinator, complimentary, and it does not commit you to anything.

Celva · Hospital Angeles, Tijuana · Physician-Led Regenerative Medicine

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. Individual results may vary. These therapies are not FDA-approved. All treatment is performed in Mexico by licensed physicians at Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, regulated by COFEPRIS. © 2026 Celva.