Turned off by Dr Aceves office

I called Dr Aceves office today to get information.  The call was answered by a "helloooooooooooooo", and that was it.  I thought for sure I had dialed the wrong number, but she assured me it was the dr's office.

Call me paranoid, but you would think a reputable office would answer the phone in a more professional manner.  I have never known any doctor to just answer the call with a "helloooooooooooooooooooo".

This brings up the question: did those of you who went to Mexico, do it for money issues (it being cheaper), or are some of the doctors there better than U.S. doctors.  If money was not a concern/issue, where would you go or have gone?

EDIT 7/23/13:  I meant to update this post before now, but simply forgot.  I have dealt with the staff since then,a nd they have been nothing but exemplary.  Have my surgery in 2 days.

I actually went to Dr Aceves, and found Nina super helpful and responsive. Perhaps she or whoever else it was that answered your call was having an off day.

I chose him because of his reputation, Nina, and the fact that he could give me a surgical date 3 weeks from the time I decided to travel and self pay. The fact that going to him cost about 1/2 what going to the only 2 self pay surgeons here in Canada would have cost was certainly a plus, but his 1500 sleeves (at that time - much higher now) also sounded better than "over 100" to me.

After looking within Canada I looked South, and contacted the offices of Dr Aceves, Dr Alvarez and Dr Cirangle. Dr Aceves could fit me in in 3 weeks, Dr Alvarez in 3 months, and Dr Cirangle's office didn't get back to me until I was back from Mexicali...

Kelly-Anne

I chose Dr. Kelly in TJ Mexico because of his excellent reputation. I met him here in Halifax before I went. He was here on a seminar.He is an very skilled surgeon and a great person. I would have had to wait 10 years here to get my VSG here in Halifax I booked Dr. Kelly in 3 weeks.. Of course the surgery was cheaper in Mexico. 

Dr. Kelly's staff is excellent. we were treated like gold when we were there.

My understanding is that Dr Kelly is not on the same level as Dr Aceves.  Just at the beginning of researching this, but it seems that Dr Aceves is held in high esteem.  In contemplating this surgery, it appears you can reduce your risk of complications significantly by choosing a doctor who does a high volume of surgeries, and who practices at a clinic that has a high safety rating.

I cannot choose a doctor based on price alone.  My health and my desire to select a skilled surgeon are more important than saving money (even if the difference is $10000).  I am not rich, and that is exactly why I need to select a surgeon that has the best safety track record.  I cannot afford to pay for complications out of pocket.  As such, I want to select a surgeon who will give me the best odds of having a complication-free experience.  So herein lies the rub: is Dr Aceves better than what I can find locally (even though apparently he has an unprofessional office staff), or would I be better off staying local, so I have access to local care (but with a much higher price tag)?

Would love some input.  Are there records that show complication rates for all surgeons?

Based on my research, Dr. Kelly has done over 5,000 surgeries and had some mud slinging a few years ago (why, I am not totally sure... but I have YET to read anything bad about him). He was born in Michigan and even did work in the US. Those facts eased my families mind about traveling. I wouldn't discount Dr. Kelly. Just reading this board I only see good things. 

We chose Dr. Joya because we know people who have had him do their surgery and all have done well - as well as having had good experiences. There are self pay options here in Canada - but probably the closest one would have been in Montreal - and they wait time would have been an issue. With Dr. Joya, he was able to schedule my husband in when it worked for us. As well - his reputation worked in his favor. The hospital was fantastic (and I'm an ER nurse), the hotel was fabulous, and our whole experience was great. Good luck to you! 

Weird that they would answer the phone that way!  I am a former Aceves patient, and I found that the entire staff was very professional in my dealings with them.  I would assume it was a fluke, but all my conversations were held through email so I would have a written record to review later.

As a self pay patient, I was in a position where I really could have gone just about anywhere to have surgery.  The cost here in MN is ridiculously high, but with a budget of 20,000 I could have afforded surgery in the States.  I chose to go to Mexico with Aceves because of his reputation and low complication rate.  A lot of the surgeons in the states just didn't have the track record or experience I was looking for.  Looking back, I'm so glad I chose to go with Aceves.  I received excellent care, and highly recommend him and his staff. 

There are bad surgeons stateside, too.   There is a doc in Las Vegas that operates like an assembly line, one after another that I have heard complaints about.   Also, a doctor in a state near mine that I wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole.   After doing my research, I settled on Dr. Aceves.  My decision was between him and Dr. Alvarez.   If I could have gone to any surgeon in the states, it would have been Criangle.

C'mon folks , anyone of us that has worked in an office has had a goofy day and answered the phone weird . I once answered the phone with the wrong company name. Haha

Seriously, the Dr and all his staff treated me very professionally and very well.

 

I meant to update this post, but simply forgot.  I have dealt with the staff since then,a nd they have been nothing but exemplary.  Have my surgery in 2 days.