COUNTERFEIT LICENSE FOR DR. ANDRES BETANCOURT

I posted this in the thread below.  But I think it is important, and needs to be on it's own thread.  This a sad day for those of us who had our surgeries there, and who cared for and respected him.

After I posted my personal experience and why I was no longer recommending that clinic, I received an email from a person familiar with his clinic.  I was told that his medical license actually belongs to a different doctor.  A doctor Cesar Lara.   

Since I was given a copy of his medical license by the clinic, I was able to look it up in the Government of Mexico's professional licensing database, which is available online.    

Unfortunately, the person who contacted me was correct.  His medical license is a counterfeit.  Since this is the copy I have from the clinic, the only reasonable explanation is that he is not who he says he is.

Here is the copy of the license.  Copy and paste does not seem to work for me :)  If anyone can help with it, I'd appreciate it.  I just added the link to my photos:

Front:
www.obesityhelp.com/myoh/photos/613297/betancourts-license/F ront-of-License/#photo

Back:
www.obesityhelp.com/myoh/photos/612981/betancourts-license/B ack-of-License/#photo


The government link is here: http://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx:7057/cedula/CntConsu ltaVisitas  

You simply type in the number 4742029  (Cedula basically means Decree or License in Spanish)  

This is who the license is registered to:  

Nombre :	CESAR ARTURO
Apellido Paterno:	LARA
Apellido Materno:	MUÑOZ
Carrera:	LICENCIATURA COMO MÉDICO GENERAL

La presente información es preliminar, por lo tanto, en caso de requerir un documento que certifique la información, será necesario realizar el trámite de "Antecedentes Profesionales" ante la Dirección General de Profesiones.

http://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx:7057/cedula/CntConsu ltaCedula?cedula=4742029&tipo=C1  

I have reported the fact that he is not a doctor and is using a counterfeit license to the Mexican authorities, although I am not sure what the outcome will be.  My spanish is not great.    

I did contact Mr. Betancourt with the evidence and he threatened me. Here is some of what he wrote:  

"Melany. You are definitely following the wrong lead. Looks like a copy and past job. As for my hospital. Your wrong again. As for me being a doctor. Your wrong again. It makes a lot of people upset because of our exito. As for your threat to report to the correct authority's. I do not take threats at all its a very weak tactic. we can continue to pursue you while you are in mexico. Or one of your reps. You know its not hard to find out where and when you might be here.there is a legal letter going out to you and your friend shirley also. Fyi."   

I'm so sorry, this is hard for me, as I felt that "Dr." Betancourt gave me my life and my health back.  I certainly didn't have anything against him personally.  I actually had a very good experience there. 

But I think the only ethical thing to do is let you all know what I now know.  

Mel  

Isn't this the same clinic Sandy Johnston pushes?  I know she was insisting on two other boards that Betancourt is a doctor, I even posted the very license SHE posted.  This is a much better fake than the one Sandy posted.

As for the threats, it shows more about Betancourt than most need to know to make rational decisions.  You aren't the first, I doubt you'll be the last.

I've been trying to warn people for three years about that place.  It's not hard posting links to people who write of their own personal experiences.

Thanks for posting this.

Thanks Mel for your honesty - though Mr. B's note there sounds like a direct threat which doesn't sound like a professional who isn't flustered in the least.  I'm wondering if you hit a nerve?

It's scary to think...he pulled patients' drains and checked their stitches...I honestly thought his story about being a bariatric surgeon but meeting Dr. Almanza and realizing that he wasn't that great of a surgeon and was a better businessman was true.  I just assumed that he was happier doing business than surgery but realize now that was pretty stupid of me.  Even after all of my complications I just thought that, since Murphy is my patron saint, it was inevitable to happen to me.  Now I'm starting to see just how huge the issue has become...

I hope Dr. Almanza walks away from such a negative situation, he's a great man, though I can't see how he couldn't know about Mr. Bs lies, seeing as though he worked with him every day?! Food for thought I guess...  

I'm glad you had the guts to post it and I apologize for all of the insanity that I know will follow.  *lol* you sure do know how to make waves don't you?!
xoxo
E

That was very brave of you.  Thank you for sharing this. 

Mel,

That took great courage. You did the right thing. I know it was difficult to post. I have great respect for you. This is about keeping people safe.

Cheers,
Chas

Mel, I admire you so much.  The courage and the care of your fellow sleevers is admirable.  You are doing everyone a service for letting us know about him. 

Your post are always caring  and honest!
P

Mel,

Thank you so much for standing up for what is right.  You are right in that it was the ethical thing to do.  You have restored my faith in the human race.  I don't often post but wanted you to know that you are an admirable person.  You posts are so helpful to all.  You are truly a caring individual. Once again, thank you.

How is Mr. Betancourt connected to Dr. Almanza?  I see both names being batted around, are they the same person?

In any case, this is simply incredible.  But, that's the chance that anyone takes when they go to a foreign country.  There are no guarantees, and there is very little you can do about it after the fact. 

You literally have no way to verify much of anything, to guarantee that the "Doctor" you talk to is actually the person doing the surgery, etc.ahead of time.  I am sorry that several people seem to have had a very bad experience with this person.  I gather that many others have been very pleased.

I WOULD be very careful about visiting Mexico in the future.  Under Mexican law, you can be jailed for a civil suit, if they have reason to believe you would leave the country before trial.  If this person were to swear out  warrant, you would be held in jail till the case was resolved.  That can take a year or more.

I knew there was something about you I liked PeanutFree.  My wife's name is Melanie!

Betancourt runs the clinic and recovery house. Almanza is the actual surgeon.

The story I received was that he had a stroke and could no longer do surgery because of that. This copy of his "license" is much better than the one I saw from MWG. Still, it's shocking. Especially when I think back to the medical advice he gave just while I was there. Like how he told me to "just take whatever" when I asked about something for a sinus infection I developed while at the recovery house (smog + open windows = ugggh). He told two of the four patients who had surgery on the day I did that they could eat whatever they wanted the day before surgery. He said, "Why exercise when you can have plastic surgery?" Lots of things like that.

Thanks for posting this, Mel, and backing up what MWG has been saying for quite awhile now. It's so crazy. I'm just glad I made it out of there with as few problems as I did.