COUNTERFEIT LICENSE FOR DR. ANDRES BETANCOURT

Interesting.  The story he told me was that he used to be a bariatric surgeon and performed open RNY procedures in the 1980s/90s but that he realized he wasn't a very good surgeon and he didn't enjoy it, so he decided to employ other more talented surgeons instead.  He said he wasn't trained or licensed to perform laproscopic surgery anyway. 

He did give me a needle in my arm with some sort of narcotic in it when I was there after my tummy tuck.  It made me feel woosy, and disoriented.  I didn't like it all at, so I just lied and said I wasn't in any pain after that, as I didn't want any more medication. 

He does treat and give advice to patients while posing as a doctor.  Dr. Almanza is the surgeon, but "Dr." Betancourt certainly presents himself as a phyician, not simply as a business owner of a surgical clinic.  This is why I feel morally obligated to say something.

What did happen to Shirley? She was my co-ordinator and she vanished the day of my surgery. I was speaking to her replacement and I kept calling her Shirley and she never told me she was not Shirley until Dr Betancourt had her call me back while waiting for the clinic to pick me up at the airport. She said Shirley left and they had no records of who was getting surgery as they had no paperwork. I thought it was wierd but just chalked it up to thats the way things are handled in Mexico. I was glad I had all my receipts with me.

Betancourt also told me and my sister that he suffered from strokes a few years ago and could no longer do surgeries. He did tell us he was a bariatric surgeon though.  OMG!  Thankfully, me and my sister are doing well and have lost copious amounts of weight!

~~and backing up what MWG has been saying for quite awhile now~~

(((HUGS)))

I was going to send you a PM but I'm going to post it instead.  Thank you.  Honest to Zog all I want is for people to experience what I have.  Safe surgery and goal. That's it.

Marie, another of his victims and I have become friends.  I see what she is going through and it makes me sick.  The leak, infection, severe damage to her pancreas, being told by other Betancourt patients that she doesn't really exist (makes for minimal support during a horrific time):

www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4083549/MAJOR-COMPLICATIONS- EMMANUEL-MEDICAL-CENTER-DR-ALMANZA/

Then being told that Betancourt's clinic knows nothing of this person to the point that she had to post her OR report, emails, etc., to prove she is indeed a real person, and now due to other Betancourt issues she needs to be tested for HIV and Hepatitis.  Then there is the potential bankruptcy over all the medical bills.

I just can't imagine what it feels like to be in her shoes.

You know, I'm blunt, crass, direct, and sometimes obnoxious.  But truth is, I just want people to research their surgery type and surgeon to pieces and have a safe, successful surgery.

Thank you for posting this evidence. Since Alex is in bed with Betancourt, a thread like this would be immediately closed. You're saving a lot of lives.

who is alex?

Thank you very much for sharing.  You are very brave indeed! 

Alex owns lapbandtalk.com and verticalsleevetalk.com and is in business with Betancourt.

Yes,  Alex pretty much admitted on a posting several days ago that he supports Betancourt (in the recent posts re: Almanza).  Now, on his sites, if anyone has posted anything good about some of the surgeons in Mexico (Aceves, Ortiz, etc), or mentions the words Tijuana, Mexico, or Mexicali the words are highlighted in blue.  If you place your cursor on the highlighted words, you are directed to "Jerusalem" web site.  If you are a new person seeking information you THINK you are talking to someone in Aceves, Ortiz etc office but instead it is Betancourt's office.  The new person may not know the difference and fall for the scam.  WHAT A CROOKED, UNETHICAL THING TO DO.  It also looks like the poster recommends "Jerusalem" clinic.  This has happened to my posts and knowing what I do now, I would never recommend "Jerusalem" clinic  (personally, I don't care who people choose to be their surgeon, just that they pick someone who is honest and safe).  I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT MY POSTS ARE USED TO PROMOTE A MEDICAL PRACTICE WITHOUT MY CONSENT.   Verticlesleevetalk.com and lapbandtalk.com sites are a joke.

I am finally glad that this stuff has been brought out so that people can be aware that this stuff has been going on.  It makes me sick that innocent people have been taken in by this unethical physician and all of his paid posters.

 Hi,

While researching VSG clinics/hospitals, I came across your website. And then I found a couple of your posts on OH. Your experience was one of the ones I put into the "it seems reliable" pile.

And, I think it is very courageous of you to come forward with this information.

But, I am confused so please help. Is http://www.weightlossforever.ca your website? And is that you on the home page? If so, I don't understand why the site still promotes Betancourt, Almanza and the clinic -- or at least it did earlier today.

Thank you.