Mexicali Bariatric Center Bariatric Center

Such a caring doctor. Took very great care of me. I am 19 years old and I was scared due to it being my very first surgery. He assured me that I was going to be okay. Had a speedy recovery. I got the sleeve on September 9, 2017. I was 250 pounds, weighing 247 the day before my surgery. It is February 27th and I weigh 175 pounds. I haven't been at that weight since i was an eighth grader. Thank you to Dr. Wilhemy and the great staff for changing my life for the best!!!
Genesis

I am very happy that I decided to get gastric bypass sleeve surgery with Dr. Wilhelmy and Dr Campos. I tried everything else before to lose weight and was not successful. The doctors were very nice and the hospital was very clean. I would recommend Mexicali Bariatric Center to anyone serious about losing weight.

I am so happy I choose to go thru this with Mexicali Bariatric Center & Dr Wilhelmy. My cousin got the procedure done 6 months before I did and he did wonderful, that is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead. I am only 2 weeks post op and have already lost 20 lbs. I’m not going to tell you it’s easy because it’s not. The rigorous diet the first weeks is hard. But it is very worth all the suffering you might go thru. The service is exceptional, the environment is very warm and welcoming all the staff is very caring. I highly recommend to any of you thinking about getting wls.

Starting from my first phone message left at the Mexicali Bariatric Center (MBC), I was impressed by the responsiveness of the staff. Nina was extremely helpful in answering my questions and addressing concerns. Financially, I saved about $24,000 from having my surgery in the U.S., and I couldn't be happier with the experience! From the moment you decide a procedure at MBC is right for you, you'll be personally guided through each step of the process. Information and instruction sheets help you follow along as Nina, and her assistant Karla, guide you through the registration and payment process. They also instruct you on your pre-op diet and assist you in understanding which procedure is for you! Ernesto, their expert driver, picks you up at the airport and personally escorts you to the clinic when it's time for you to check in. From there Rossela and Yolanda "hold your hand" through every single step until your surgery day! My surgery (gastric sleeve) was so easy! I remember talking to my husband before they wheeled me in, then I remember asking him when they were going to come take me to the operating room? I was shocked to learn that I had already been to the operating room and was in recovery!! Whoa! My recovery at the hospital was managed and supervised by expert nurses who work just a few steps away from your room. You are never left without help if you need it. The doctors checked me each day, personally. By the third day, I was ready to go home, and Ernesto drove us back to the airport, lickety-split! Since I've been home, I've sent several questions to MBC and they're always answered within hours, but usually minutes! The doctors even helped me though a small infection I got in one of my incisions. The infection was my fault. I bathed too soon after surgery, even though my instructions were very clear on this point! I wish MBC did skin removal surgery... I'd book it with them in a heartbeat! Thank you to everyone at MBC, especially my superior surgeons, Dr. Wilhelmy, Dr. Campos, and Dr. Gutierrez!

It was about 5 years aso when I had done some research on the gastric sleeve. I was at my highest weight ever of 193 lbs, at only 5'4 tall. I went to a place in Tijuana that I dont remember the name to be honest. I went down to 135 lbs and then I regained and stayed 160 pounds. After my second baby I noticed that I was gaining more and more weight. So decided to see if my sleeve could be re-done. I found about 3 different doctors in Tijuana, but only one stood out: Mexicali Bariatric Center (MBC) NOT TO BE CONFUSED with Mexico Bariatric Center. I was a little worried because it was in Mexicali which is about 2 hours from San Diego airport, not near Tijuana. (I was a little worried about this) but once we got there Dr Campos went right to business and went into x-ray room where they did a Bariatric swallow test. There he showed me that the original gastric sleeve done in Tijuana was not done correctly. From the moment I stepped into that hospital I saw how diffferently things were done from the first time I had the sleeve. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Wilhelm, Dr Campos and the anesthesiologist. I spoke to all 3 doctors before the surgery and they all put me at ease. After surgery they showed me how my new stomach looked like, and was very interesting to see the before and after of my stomach. My sister who also had the gastric sleeve done in Tijuana (not at the same place I had my first sleeve) decided that she would pay $150 just to see how her sleeve was done (Sleeve done in 2015) and it turned out that her sleeve was not done right either her stomach was bigger than mine. I wish I had found this place from the beginning. the hospital w

I received a BilioPancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch from Dr. Antonio Esquerra on March 9, 2017. I specifically chose Dr. Esquerra and Mexicali Bariatric after extensive research. I actually have insurance here in the U.S. that would have covered weight loss surgery for me, but I read long ago that one of the greatest indicators of a surgery's success is how many times the surgeon has performed that particular surgery.

I did hours and hours of research and realized that my covered surgeons here didn't have as much experience with the BPD-DS as I would like, so I began to research self-pay options. I narrowed down my choices to Dr. Esquerra, a surgeon in California, and a surgeon in Washington. I did hours more research and discovered that while most people really liked the surgeons in California and Washington, they weren't always happy with the support staff communication. That wasn't at all the case with Dr. Esquerra. Not only did his patients rave about him, they also raved about the entire staff at Mexicali Bariatric. I couldn't find a single negative review, which is unheard of in these days of anonymous internet reviews!

Once I got to Mexicali and experienced the customer service and patient care, I was so happy with my decision. Meeting Dr. Esquerra, Dr. Gutierrez, and Dr. Campos only further comforted me. They were all personable, professional, and very reassuring.

Just yesterday I had a follow-up Upper GI fluoroscopy to make sure I was healing properly, and the radiologist took one look at the screen and said, "Whoever did your research surgery should be commended, it looks perfect, an A+ job." That was music to my ears, and is exactly what every surgery patient wants to hear.

I had a Spatz Gastric balloon procedure done in Jan 2017 at Mexical Bariatric in Mexicali, Mexico.

Pros: Dr.Edgar is really a cool doctor. He doesn't have that annoying bossy attitude what you might get from doctors in the US. I have come across US doctors who won't even listen you fully. They just shut you up in middle and pre-assume a lot of things. Luckily, Dr.Campos is not that type. He would listen to you. He is very knowledgeable and explains you in detail. He is best at what he does.

I live in Los Angeles. It's really convenient to travel to Mexicali, park at the border and a shuttle van from Doctor's office would come to pick you up. It took me 4 hrs to drive to border in Calexico. They picked me up and the procedure was done within few hours. I returned back to Hotel Lucerna the same day. Slept overnight, they dropped me accross the border in morning and I was good to drive back home. I also had another ballon filing done in March because I wanted the balloon to be bigger. I followed the same route and this time I didn't even have to stay at Hotel. I got procedure done in morning and the hospital van dropped me back across the US border where I parked my car. My experience was good and I liked it. The most helpful thing is how fast the procedure gets done by making all medical professionals readily available. The shuttle service from Dr's office has a medical pass and it's a boon when you have to cross the border. The Hotel stay is not very expensive either.

Cons: At Mexicali Bariatric, I wish there would be a dietician counsellor who follows up with patients like asking the progress report. This is something that's missing at Mexicali Bariatric.
As far as a dietitian follow up, there is nobody. I don't expect the doctor to call each & every patient because that's too much but it's something that requires an additional person.

** The doctor does reply urgent mattters in email.

Anyways, my experience was good and I highly recommend it. Thanks Doc!

Best Wishes,
Varun Kumar

If I could give more than 5 stars I would! I was a bit apprehensive at first as many are researching surgery in another country but I had the opportunity to speak with former patients that were family friends and ultimately wound up knowing nearly a dozen people that had been down to have the surgery at Mexicali Bariatric. Not only were they years out having great experiences but some were weeks out and doing fantastic. I had never left the country before but after researching the facility and talking with close family friends I filled out my application and Yolanda responded shortly thereafter. I had picked a random date about 3 weeks out and it was actually available so I jumped at the opportunity and began the process of getting my passport and everything setup for my trip. It was a great trip and I was welcomed on Sunday afternoon by Yolanda who wasted no time getting me to x-ray and to get my blood drawn. She went over everything then I received a visit from the anesthesiologist which blew my mind that he came in on a Sunday to explain the procedure to me and walk me through exactly what was going to happen. My dad and I then went to the hotel they had set up which was lovely and got ready for the next day. I was greeted promptly at 6am on my way into the hospital and the process began. I was wheeled into the operating room and saw my fantastic anesthesiologist as promised then I went to sleep. The surgery went very well and I was very shocked to hear most surgeries in the US are outpatient or 1 night only in the hospital. I was there for 3 nights which wasn't necessary but I would HIGHLY recommend it. The IV fluids were a lifesaver as were the round the clock nurses that were so kind in addition to the twice daily doctors visits (Dr. Campos is phenomenal). I was up and walking the day of surgery and kept it up for the rest of the week which really helped with the gas and on Thursday I headed home. My friends were ambitious and had said they ran errands the following week, I was not as ambitious but did return to work at about half strength that week but if you can I would recommend taking an additional week off because getting on a "food" schedule is tricky enough without adding the stress of work on top. That was incredibly long winded but I cannot say enough great things about Mexicali Bariatric; the hospital was spotless and everyone was so kind! I recommend it to anyone I talk to considering the surgery especially after all the hoops I jumped through in the US only to be denied but I am glad I was :)

I had my surgery about 5 1/2 weeks ago in Mexicali, with Dr. Wilhelmy. I traveled alone from Reno, Nevada. The entire process from being picked up at the airport by Ernesto was a great experience. It's a bit of a drive from San Diego, but Ernesto is funny and full of information about the area. He made it comfortable and enjoyable.
Everyone I came into contact with greeted me with open arms at the hospital and quickly got me through the pre op process. Ernesto then took me to my hotel, which was very nice and picked me up the next morning for my surgery.
Dr. Wilhelmy and his team of surgeons/staff were wonderful. I felt completely at ease going in to surgery with this team! A lot of them have had the procedure done themselves, which is comforting as well and they all look GREAT!
Easy, Easy surgery! Besides a little bit of gas pressure post op, I had little to no discomfort. My sleeve was checked 3 times to ensure no leakage and all was good! I did not have any complications and if I had to do it all over again, I would most definitely choose Dr Wilhelmy and his team! Highly recommended!
I had surgery with a low bmi of 32.3, I have lost 22 lbs as of today, well on my way to my goal. I couldn't be more happy that I chose this procedure and this surgeon!

My daughter and I both had the Gastric Sleeve done with Dr. Wilhelmy on January 20, 2017 and as a member of the healthcare system in the United States I can tell you I have worked in some outstanding facilities with some outstanding medical professionals and Dr. Wilhelmy and his team rate top notch in my opinion! The hospital is small in comparison to even many rural type hospitals in the US, but it's clean and adequate. Prior to surgery my daughter was experiencing severe anxiety about the decision she had made, but I really feel that few moments with Dr. Wilhelmy prior to surgery really put her mind (and mine as her mother and as well as the next patient) at ease! His bedside mannerism far exceeded many physicians I have worked with. My husband asked Dr. Wilhelmy to "take care of them during surgery" and Dr. Wilhelmy replied "like family" and that is exactly how we felt! The whole experience is top notch and if you are considering weight loss surgery this is the team you want! From Nina and Karla for pre-op instructions, to Ernesto at the airport, to surgery and post-op with Dr. Beltran and Dr. Campos this team is First Class A++++!! Don't hesitate any longer, make the best decision for your health today and choose this Team! Oh did I mention I am down 30 pounds since begin pre-op diet and surgery...GO ME! I will be forever grateful to Dr. Wilhelmy and his great Team of professionals for making this weight loss tool safe, affordable, and such a positive experience! Thank you all!!