Dr.Mario Alberto Almanza
Hell I was schedule to have the lap band procedure at the end of this month by Dr.Mario Alberto Almanza and I chickened out because when I wnet on YOUTUBE and watch some videos of people that was banded and sleeved by him, they all had very good things to say but the hospital look very small and unsanitary. I was wondering did anyone else have their procedure done by him and how was sanitation and the upkeep of the hospital.
I was sleeved by him last week. The clinic is definitely smaller than what you would possibly expect. It has about 6-8 patient rooms with 2 beds in each. Dr. Almanza is now in Jerusalem Clinic (not Emmanuel) as the entire team moved to a different facility. Not sure which videos you saw on youtube but they may not be the same clinic they work in now (they just started operating out of the new one about 2 weeks ago). There are gloves and hand sanitizer on every wall, in every room at the clinic (just like you'd see in the states).
Remember that small doesn't neccesarily mean bad. It was a very personal experience. The only things I recall thinking might not be completely clean were communal things that cannot possibly cleaned after each use (1 shower at the clinic and 2 bathrooms). You will not have your own bathroom. The recovery house has 3 bathrooms (2 showers) with about 8 people staying there.
Dr. Almanza is an excellent surgeon and the staff at Jerusalem Clinic will go out of their way to make sure you are taken care of.
Remember that small doesn't neccesarily mean bad. It was a very personal experience. The only things I recall thinking might not be completely clean were communal things that cannot possibly cleaned after each use (1 shower at the clinic and 2 bathrooms). You will not have your own bathroom. The recovery house has 3 bathrooms (2 showers) with about 8 people staying there.
Dr. Almanza is an excellent surgeon and the staff at Jerusalem Clinic will go out of their way to make sure you are taken care of.
HW: 251 SW: 243 CW: 146 Height: 5'6.5"
Hi ebroady23,
My Name is Tesha and i felt the same way about the other hospital but they have changed to the Jerusslem clinic and they have impovered alot and i always tell myself this life changing experience is for my health so there's no reason for me to chicken out.Just trust in the man up above and we'll be fine.OH YEAH,I have not had the VSG surgery yet i am going when i get tax refund back so if your looking for a surgery buddy let me know.
Tesha
Hello Tesha my name is Echo. I was wondering what procedure did you get. I was thinking about lap band but I am not sure if I want to do the whole thing with the fills and all. I like the lap band because it was less invasive. I think the gastric sleeve is what I am leaning towards now. Another reason I chicken out is I didn't have no one to go with me. My family is totally against me going to Mexico for surgery. How much is the VSG surgery? I would love to be your surgery buddy. It will make me alot more comfortable having someone to talk to. Also how was your post op care in the United States. Was you recieve well by American doctors or did you go back to Mexico for your post op care. I know these are alot of questions and I am sorry. I am just trying to see how others are making it after surgery abroad.
On January 21, 2010 at 4:54 PM Pacific Time, ebroady23 wrote:
Hello Tesha my name is Echo. I was wondering what procedure did you get. I was thinking about lap band but I am not sure if I want to do the whole thing with the fills and all. I like the lap band because it was less invasive. I think the gastric sleeve is what I am leaning towards now. Another reason I chicken out is I didn't have no one to go with me. My family is totally against me going to Mexico for surgery. How much is the VSG surgery? I would love to be your surgery buddy. It will make me alot more comfortable having someone to talk to. Also how was your post op care in the United States. Was you recieve well by American doctors or did you go back to Mexico for your post op care. I know these are alot of questions and I am sorry. I am just trying to see how others are making it after surgery abroad.What ever you do, don't get the band!!! The sleeve is only about $500 more (I think) and so much more worth it. I speak from experience, I have had both procedures! Remember with the band you will have to pay out of pocket for all of your fills and un fills, and trust me it is a never ending battle! I spent another $750 on fills and only had my band for 9 months. The VSG really has no aftercare, once it is done and healed that is it!!
Night and day difference in the two procedures, get the sleeve!!
On January 22, 2010 at 7:53 PM Pacific Time, butterfly_kisses wrote:
WOW i cant believe you go around telling people what to decide. Just because you had a bad experience with it doesnt mean ANYTHING. You just are unlucky i guess i just cant believe you go around telling people what they should do.
WOW
First of all I was NOT talking to you!! I was talking to someone asking for my advice!!! And second of all NO I would not recomend the band to ANYONE!! Not just because of what I went through, but because of what a LOT of people have been through!!!
I went into getting the band thinking, I would never have the trouble other people have!! I too was wrong! I had trouble! Read the stats! Most people who have the band end up losing it!!!!!!!!! I'm not a mean person, but I really dislike the band and what it did to me and thousands of other people!!
Go ahead and get the band, if that is what you really want!!
First of all I was NOT talking to you!! I was talking to someone asking for my advice!!! And second of all NO I would not recomend the band to ANYONE!! Not just because of what I went through, but because of what a LOT of people have been through!!!
I went into getting the band thinking, I would never have the trouble other people have!! I too was wrong! I had trouble! Read the stats! Most people who have the band end up losing it!!!!!!!!! I'm not a mean person, but I really dislike the band and what it did to me and thousands of other people!!
Go ahead and get the band, if that is what you really want!!
That was a little uncalled for. She was simply telling this person why they shouldn't get the lapband. I see that you haven't gotten your band yet so you have no experience versus the person who had the revision. You will also find out when you get to the hospital that Dr. Betancourt will advise you to get the sleeve versus the lapband because it is a superior procedure.
Now by all means, if you've done all the research on both procedures and if you've made up YOUR mind that's fine, but don't push someone else down because they're trying to advise someone else of their prior actual experience with the procedure before a final decision is made. Yes, you will have to get numerous fills done as you lose weight...that's how you keep losing weight, by creating more restriction, and this costs money and most insurance doesn't cover it. It is not cheap. The other poster was not telling anyone what to do, simply voicing her opinion of the lapband loudly and saying why you might not want to get it done.
Dr. Betancourt (the owner of the Jerusalem Clinic) will tell you straight up that if he had it to do over again he'd do the sleeve in a heartbeat because he's not qualified to get the sleeve.
Yes, I have the sleeve and so far love it, but I did research on the lapband (and my angel has the lapband...who is also my boss at work) and found that the success rate on it isn't nearly as high and it has continual maintenance. It just seems like a lot of extra money and time to waste on the lapband when you could get a different procedure that doesn't have any required maintenance (other than eating properly) after surgery.
Feel free to blast me, because you know you want to, not that it's going to matter to me because I'm happy with what I've done and I just feel sorry for the people who go around the boards spreading negativity.
Now by all means, if you've done all the research on both procedures and if you've made up YOUR mind that's fine, but don't push someone else down because they're trying to advise someone else of their prior actual experience with the procedure before a final decision is made. Yes, you will have to get numerous fills done as you lose weight...that's how you keep losing weight, by creating more restriction, and this costs money and most insurance doesn't cover it. It is not cheap. The other poster was not telling anyone what to do, simply voicing her opinion of the lapband loudly and saying why you might not want to get it done.
Dr. Betancourt (the owner of the Jerusalem Clinic) will tell you straight up that if he had it to do over again he'd do the sleeve in a heartbeat because he's not qualified to get the sleeve.
Yes, I have the sleeve and so far love it, but I did research on the lapband (and my angel has the lapband...who is also my boss at work) and found that the success rate on it isn't nearly as high and it has continual maintenance. It just seems like a lot of extra money and time to waste on the lapband when you could get a different procedure that doesn't have any required maintenance (other than eating properly) after surgery.
Feel free to blast me, because you know you want to, not that it's going to matter to me because I'm happy with what I've done and I just feel sorry for the people who go around the boards spreading negativity.
On January 22, 2010 at 9:17 PM Pacific Time, spritesdelights wrote:
That was a little uncalled for. She was simply telling this person why they shouldn't get the lapband. I see that you haven't gotten your band yet so you have no experience versus the person who had the revision. You will also find out when you get to the hospital that Dr. Betancourt will advise you to get the sleeve versus the lapband because it is a superior procedure.Now by all means, if you've done all the research on both procedures and if you've made up YOUR mind that's fine, but don't push someone else down because they're trying to advise someone else of their prior actual experience with the procedure before a final decision is made. Yes, you will have to get numerous fills done as you lose weight...that's how you keep losing weight, by creating more restriction, and this costs money and most insurance doesn't cover it. It is not cheap. The other poster was not telling anyone what to do, simply voicing her opinion of the lapband loudly and saying why you might not want to get it done.
Dr. Betancourt (the owner of the Jerusalem Clinic) will tell you straight up that if he had it to do over again he'd do the sleeve in a heartbeat because he's not qualified to get the sleeve.
Yes, I have the sleeve and so far love it, but I did research on the lapband (and my angel has the lapband...who is also my boss at work) and found that the success rate on it isn't nearly as high and it has continual maintenance. It just seems like a lot of extra money and time to waste on the lapband when you could get a different procedure that doesn't have any required maintenance (other than eating properly) after surgery.
Feel free to blast me, because you know you want to, not that it's going to matter to me because I'm happy with what I've done and I just feel sorry for the people who go around the boards spreading negativity.
I did not know where that came from, I have been attacked so many times on here that I just accept it! I will never in a million years tell someone to get the lap band! I just don't think it is safe. Not just because of what happened to me! I would not recomend it because it is only temporary!! I want a permanant fix! Anyway, you live and you learn! I wish I would have learned 10 months ago what I know now! I would have saved myself $5000 and a lot of trouble!
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