Dr. S said what?????

So i'm lurking on the PS boards an Dr. S's group page and I run across this post where someone has asked him how long he has been doing PS and how many surgeries he has done... His answers were not what I expected given the support for him I see on this page. Can someone explain? Is this wrong? Did he understand the question? Is it possible he has only done a few dozen surgeries and only been doing ps for a few years? I am going to copy and paste some of that message. Should I be concerned? I was seriously considering him because of what I have read on these boards.

These were her questions to Dr. S
>> How long have you practiced as a plastic surgeon?
>> Approximately how many of the following surgeries have you performed?
>>
>> Lower Body Lift
>> Inner thigh lift
>> Breast Augmentation
>> Small arm lift.
>>
>> Standards for cleanliness / quality:  Do you have a “joint commission" in
>> Mexico?
>> What is your post-surgical infection rate?
>> What is your post-surgical complication rate?  (general)
>> What emergency services are available in Monterrey should they be needed?
>> Example:  Go into cardiac arrest during surgery?
>> What is the training / education of the Surgical staff and assistants?
>> Do you have Medical Students training on your patients?
>> Do you and your staff maintain current ACLS certification?
>> What is the education/training for staff in your post-op clinic?  Are they
>> Registered Nurses with the same training as in the states?
>> What do you recommend for follow-up care, once back in the states?
>> What happens if there are complications that require further surgery, once
>> back in the states?
>> Is your wife the Anesthesiologist?  What is her training / experience?
>> How long has she practiced as an anesthesiologist?
>> What type of anesthesia does she use?
>> How can you work with your wife???  I would fight with my husband if we
>> worked together?  Hahaha!
>> Do you order pre-op antibiotics?
>> Do you order pre-op anti-emitics?  (I prefer Emend)
>> What do you routinely order for post-op pain?  PCA?  Pain pump with
>> topical
>> delivery?  IV? PO?
>> I’ve heard Demerol is not available in Mexico.  Morphine does not work for
>> me?  What else could be used for the first 24 hours?
>> Will I be able to take disability leave in the states, if I have surgery
>> in
>> Mexico?

And these were his answers
I will try to answer your questions:
>
> 1.-7 years
> 2.-last year alone:
> LBL: 20
> Inner thigh lift small one: 14
> Breast augmentation: 42
> Small arm lift: 10
> weight loss patients during 2009: 37
>
> 3.-There is the international joint commission, and this only
> certifies the big hospitals here (like Chistus Mugerza, San Jose,
> Santa Engracia , Oca Hospital etc, small clinics do their own.
>
> 4.-Post surgical infection rate: 3%
>
> 5.-Post surgical complication rate: 7%
>
> 6.-If you go trough cardiac arrest during surgery, we can stabilize
> you and then we have to transfer you to a 3rd level hospital ( in
> other words one with a ICU)
> And all of them (private) are certify by the JCI  (join commission
> international)
>
> 7.-We make the procedures between 2 board certify plastic surgeons (my
> partner and me)
> The anesthesiologist and 2 nurses.
>
> 8.-No, we don't have any med students.
>
> 9.-Only the doctors have it.
>
> 10.-The nurses here have different educations than the ones in the
> states, I can not tell you exactly how, but it is not the same.
>
> 11.-After you get back home you have to be in touch with me every 48
> hrs by email, if you have any question you have to attach a picture
> for me to make an evaluation.
>
> 12.-You have to come back here for me to fix the problem.
>
> 13.-The anesthesiologist has a full training program , (7 years at med
> school, and 4 years on the residency program) and 7 years of private
> practice. And she is board certify by the Mexican association of
> anesthesiology.
>
> 14.-She normally use epidural anesthesia, plus sedation, but this
> (anesthesia kind) is her choice, and she can change it at any time if
> she consider it.
>
> 15.-She is the best that I know.
> It is hard sometimes, but I don't trust anyone else.
>
> 16.-The antibiotic we use it when we start the surgery.
>
> 17.- I don't use enemas , unless we have to work with the intestines.
>
> 18.-This is the anesthesiologist call, she is going to make an
> evaluation of your case during the surgery, and she is going to decide
> bases on your analgesia requirements which  medication and how much of
> it.
> And yes, we do have pain pump.
>
> 19.-Tramadol
>
> 20.-Don't know, some of my patients has send me some paper work for me
> to fill, and they tell me this is useful, but to tell you the true, I
> don't know.
>
> Hope this help you.
>
> Things are different here in Mexico than in the states. This do not
> mean that we make a bad medicine this only means that it is different.
>
> Dr. Sauceda.

Is your concern that he hasn't done PS for 20 years?  I'm not sure I understand your exact concern.  From what I've read, he is a fairly young doctor.  Not sure if he's even 40 yet.  You have to decide if these answers help you decide whether or not you want to use Dr S.  There are so many factors to consider when choosing your PS.  I have no experience with Dr S other than getting some quotes via email a while back but there seems to be a lot of happy patients.   If you think he doesn't have the experience you were looking for then you may want to consider someone else.  You have to be comfortable with the surgeon, his experience and his skills. 

Good luck!

Dr. S. is very young but I believe that he is very skilled. Some people can do PS for 30 years and never develop an artistic eye for PS like he has. At least that is the impression I have. Here is a link to some other bio information in case you are interested. http://mymexicopsjourney.com/drs-resume.htm

If you read his answers, he wrote that  the procedures that were listed were only the stats for the last year alone, not over his lifetime as a surgeon. 


Jessica

I agree with the other posters...You have to research and decide whether this is the right Dr. for you based on a number of factors including experience, education, location, price and the past surgeries that he/she has performed...I respect that Dr. S was completely honest and I see nothing wrong with his years of experience because as someone else mentioned that there are Drs with decades of experience that still cannot get it right.

Please, please do not base your choice of surgeon on message-board postings.  Completely unreliable.

Those are all good questions.  If the answers are Dr. S's, then he was forthcoming.  

I understand that cost is a major factor.  I myself will have to seriously postpone at least one desired procedure because of cost.  BUT ... I only have one body.  And I live in a place where hundreds of my neighbors have become desperate and gone for cut-rate surgeries, usually with horrible results.  It's a terrible phenomenon.

You are doing the right thing in looking carefully and asking good questions, and READING those answers!!!  Do not make an emotional choice, or an exclusively financial one.  And take your time until you are as confident as you can possibly be.

Hi!
First I gotta say I am very impressed with the questions you asked.....smart cookie!

The way I understood his response was like this....  he has been doing plastic surgery for 7 years and in 2009 he did 20 LBL's, 14 small inner thighs, 42 breast augs, 10 small arm lifts, and worked on/with 37 WLS patients.....all in 2009.

I am not a patient of Dr. S., I am neither for or against him.  He seems to do some really nice work.  I gotta say doing 20 LBL's in a year is a pretty good number.

I think it's good that you checking things out and get clarification. You need to be 100%
comfortable with your decision of who will operate on you regardless if you decide to travel or stay local.
Best wishes to you on your decision and your journey.

I thought I would chime in, since I am the person who asked Dr. S. all of these questions.  I am in the research phase of plastic surgery and ANY surgeon I  choose will have to answer these same questions...and more. (just didn't want to over-whelm him with questions in one email).  I am somewhat anal about health care because I am a nurse.  I have worked as a floor nurse, quality, education, and currently a unit supervisor.  Most nurses are extremely cautious when choosing a hospital or surgeon because they know what can go wrong.

As to Dr. S's answers to my questions.  I believe him to be extremely honest and sincere with his answers.  I am satisfied with his answers.  His infection / complication rates are within the average for the US.  I feel he has performed enough of these surgeries to be completely competent.  I am delighted that he doesn't run patients through the OR like cattle.  I am also impressed with his personality.  I feel the references that I receive here on the Message boards, along with the before / after pictures of real live patients is more than I could ever get from a Surgeon in the states.

I still have some research to do locally, but I am leaning towards choosing Dr. S as my surgeon.  Honestly, the only reason I would pick a surgeon at home will depend on insurance coverage.  Regardless, I feel that Dr. S's practice is outstanding.  I would not hesitate to have him as my surgeon...And I haven't had surgery yet. 

Do your research.  Read all that you can.  Ask questions.  Make friends with his former patients.  Call them.  Make a wise decision.  There are good and bad doctors everywhere!

Thanks for listening,

Kathie

I am a Dr Sauceda patient and I think why his numbers are not what you might expect is he only performs one surgery a day.  He takes his time to do it right.  If he finishes and feels that the results aren't what he wanted - he will fix them before you leave the OR.  He's a perfectionist and this is apparent at the time of your markings.  He never promises perfection - he promises improvement.

I am pro-Dr Sauceda.  He's young - mid 30's - he has an excellent bedside manner - he truly cares about his patients -  I am also an RN and did a lot of research and met with many ps here in the Denver area.  I chose Dr S because of his work with WLS patients.  I was impressed with his work - and impressed with the way he handles his patients.

Research Research Research.  Make the decision you are comfortable with and you will be happy with the results.