Endohospital Bariatric Center

Finally, a date- 7/24/08, and it isn't coming soon enough!rnrnWhat can I say about Dr. A. and Dr. Gabriel that hasn't already been said? I could care less about the facility; I would fly anywhere to have this man operate on me again. The recovery was more mentally challenging than physically, and there are simply not enough words in the English language to describe the compassion, care, and grace he shows every patient. Dr. Alvarez is simply the best!

I am so grateful to Dr. Alvarez and Dr. Rosales for doing my revision from a lap band to a VSG. rnrnI had been working with a doctor here in Ohio, and I got approval from my insurance company, Aetna. But at the last minute I decided to go with Dr. Alvarez instead because he had so much more experiance with revisions. rnrnI'm so glad I did. Dr. Alvarez was able to do it smoothly and in one surgery. On the x-ray afterward the stomach looked perfectly stitched. My incisions are small and healing perfectly.rnrnAlso, I think Aetna will pay for the surgery in Mexico. I don't have a check in hand yet, but when I do I'll post to the message board.

I had a wonderful experience in Mexico with Dr. Alvarez and his staff. I will echo the many supporters here to say that he is kind, informative and will put you at ease immediately. I never considered going the insurance route because the surgeons here in Colorado are just getting started with the VSG procedure. I didn't want to be someone's 25th, 50th or even 100th patient: I wanted a ton of experience and I found it in Dr. Alvarez.rnThe nursing care was amazing: pure clockwork. These gals - - some who spoke some English, others not - - came in every one to two hours with meds for pain and nausea. I never needed to ask and frankly, after surgery I had very little pain and zero nausea, but it was so reassuring to get this high level of care. Dr. A also visited more regularly than any U.S. doc would even consider which was also comforting. You kind of have to giggle at some of the old-fashioned care: I can't remember the last time I had my temperature taken under my armpit but hey, the technique still works. I have to give the whole logistical operation extra kudos: my plane into San Antonio was very late and Rosy waited for me which was a further stress reducer. Overall, a truly great team and a great experience!

Its been 18 days since surgery I have lost a total of 21 pounds and 7 inches!!! I am looking foward to Flying back to see Dr Alvarez for my first fill and visiting all of his patients in the hospital!! I am pround of my doctor and Susan for their tireless dedication to helping those like me have an outstanding life. Thank you Dr. Alvarez and Susan I love my band!! Brandyrnpsychmajor1975@yahoo.comrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrn

Mexico, YES! Thank you doctor A. You and your staff changed my life forever. I drove 700 miles (ALONE) on a Friday. I had the lapband on Saturday and drove home Sunday. I've lost 21 lbs within 35 days. I would not suggest the long drive alone. However, I would recommend anyone that's thought about the Lapband, Go for It! \"life's too short\". Safe and Satisfactory..

Dr. A's first impression upon me was that of a very personable, caring physician who loves his job, and it only strengthened. Christy, his nurse, was available to us anytime we needed her between 8-6. After 6pm, the docs make one to two more rounds checking in on their patients. The hospital is old, but as a nurse, I can honestly tell you it is CLEANER than any hospital I have ever worked in, including so called 'Magnet' hospitals. The rooms are nice, but our beds were quite uncomfortable. I'm certain it was a mixture of my body discomfort and hard beds, but it really makes you appreciate both the hotel beds, and your own!!!! Nurses check on you regularly throughout the night and will dispense pain and nausea meds as you need them, don't be stoic & afraid to ask! Keeping pain down helps improve healing! As far as aftercare, Dr. A is very serious about following the diet, it is for your own safety. We received calls each day after surgery for the first 4-5 days, just to make sure that all is well, and have received e-mails every few days since. Dr. A & his staff really care about the wellfare of their patients and are very devoted to helping their patients achieve their desired outcomes. I would go to Dr. A again and again. He is so patient, personable and genuinely caring, and his surgical judgment & skills are above reproach. He has honestly earned his stellar reputation as one of the top surgeons in North America, and I am grateful that he was my surgeon, & he and his staff will always be my friends!

Dr. Alvarez was everything I expected: kind, friendly, and caring, but most important an excellent surgeon. He never seemed rushed when he was with me. When I had questions, he answered them openly and honestly and backed up his answers with facts based on his experience, as did Dr. Gabriel, his anesthesiologist, who was excellent as well. Susan, his patient liaison, is beyond helpful; she always responds promptly by email or phone and answers all questions thoroughly. Rosy, the van driver, is sweet and friendly and easy to be with. The nurses were gentle, attentive, and very good at what they did. Even though some of their methods are different than U.S. nurses, I always felt they took all sanitary precautions. Christina, the English-speaking day nurse, is a gem. Dr. Alvarez gave precise instructions on how to take care of myself over the next weeks and months and gave me paperwork to take to my local doctor. He also told us to call or email him if there were any questions or problems. The little hospital was just as I had been led to believe: it is small, old, and shabby by U.S. standards; but I never felt there were any sanitation issues, nor were there any bad smells. People were frequently mopping and cleaning with disinfectant. The only difficulty I encountered was the lack of an English-speaking nurse on the night shift, but I understand they are looking to hire one soon. I had taken a Spanish-speaking friend with me for that very reason, and it worked out great. I highly recommend Dr. Alvarez to anyone considering VSG. I could not have had a better surgical experience anywhere.

Thankyou Dr. A !!! You and your entire staff are a 100 in my book. Forget about the 10 !! I can sum it up in one word-- Outstanding !!!

My first impression of Dr A was awesome. I have never met a doctor in the states that was that caring and concerned about your well-being. His staff was just as amazing as he was. They all explain everything in detail as to what is about to happen so your not left in the dark. I would highly recommend him to anyone in the future wanted to have WLS. It was definayely worth the trip to Mexico.

Dr. Alvarez and his staff were very thorough about asking questions into my health history before letting me know whether or not I was \"eligible\" for the surgery I requested. rnrnThey were also very friendly and availalbe for me when I had further questions for them. rnrnHaving the sleeve surgery was a stressful experience for me as it was something totally new to me. My care was excellent. I would let anyone know to expect things to be somewhat different from what they are in the USA. rnrnAs a registered nurse myself, I was somewhat surprised to see nursing caps being worn by nursing staff. 5-6 nurses were available all the time whether in the am or late at night. Dr. Alvarez also had a \"nurse\" that checked on me several times a day. Dr. Alvarez and his partner, Dr. Gabriel, also checked in several times a day. They both kept me abreast on what was happening next. They continually asked if I had any questions or concerns and if I understood what was happening. rnrnPost op care was \"discussed\" pre-op before setting up the surgery date. I was asked if I could comply with the regime/protocol set up by Dr. Alvarez. It was covered again upon admission to the hospital- Dr. Alvarez met with my husband and me and went over all the information before the surgery was done. rnDr. Gabriel covered all the home care instructions again on the day of my discharge. Both he and Dr. Alvarez wanted to be sure that the post-op care was understood. rnrnRisks of surgery wre discussed in the literature Dr. Alvaez's staff sent to me prior to the surgery date and again on admission to the hospital. As a nurse, I was already aware of the risks there are with any surgery. rnrnDr. Alvarez and his team were super!!!! Not only is he one of the best, if not the best, in his field, his bedside manner surpassed many of the providers I have contact with on a regular basis!!!rnrnNegative comments? Not really negative- the building took me back to 40 years ago when I worked in a small community hospital-the closed in nurses' station, having maternity, surgical and other types of patients all on the same floor, the cotton balls soaked in alcohol instead of alcohol wipes, the needles used for the IVs,etc.rnrnThese did not deter my care in the least and are just my observation.rnrnSue LaGrangernrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrn