OCC Lap Band Surgery Specialists Bariatric Center

i had my revision with Dr Juan Lopez Corvala on 02-25-2010 the same Dr that did my band... again a wonderfull experiance.. as well as they have stepped up there after care as well.. the Drs called me several times at home to check on me i have had a lot m ore contact with them than i did the first go around and that has been nice... i would recomend this dr to anyone and everyone!!!!




06-02-2007
all i can say is wow.. the whole process... the hospital was perfect.. cleaner than any hospital i have ever been to here in the states.. at first i was nervous about going to mexico just the whole idea... but it was great... i have had zero problems so far with my lap band he did a great job.. my aunt and uncle also went to him for their lap band and everything went perfect!.. if anything negative i could say was i dont speak spanish so that was a little frustrating and i would have liked to had more time b4 my surgery to talk to the dr himself but other than that it was all good!! his staff was great and babied me the whole way!

I had a great experience in Mexico with Dr. Juan Antoniono Lopez-Corvala and his staff. They check on you several times a day and are genuinely concerned. They are also very reassuring and patient with answering questions. They realize that it is a new experience from my perspective although an old one from theirs! I appreciate their ability to see it through my eyes. rnrnI did not research doctors or price before I went but now that I have researched it more fully, I realize I lucked out to have decided on him in the first place.rnrnI found the aftercare program to be quite lacking. They are available for questions but staff seem to only answer them briefly. I found the obesityhelp.com message board so I dont' really need aftercare any more!rnrnI was particularly impressed with them letting me stay an extra night in the hospital because I didn't feel well enough to go to a hotel yet. And no extra charge! I am also particularly impressed with how quickly I healed and that I had ZERO complications.

Dr Lopez-Corvala comes across as a very polite, very educated professional, as well as his staff composed of a dietitian (Dr Carmen Calleja), his Medical assistant, Dr Cleysa Gallardo, the anesthesiologists Dr Rivas and Dr Magellon. He also has a Phsychologist, Dr Diana. The driver is also a sweet and very polite person. His name is Rafael.rnrnDr Carmen speaks very, very good english. Dr Lopez and Dr Cleysa are improving every day. Dr Rivas is also very accurate in his pronunciation and speech skills.rnrnThe whole staff is available for aftercare, via email and they also have a US phone number (which I dont have at hand at this moment), and which rings in their Mexico office, for assistance. The aftercare is a very important part of Dr Lopez-Corvala's focuses, since it represents an important percentage in the steps to achieve the goal we all have: losing weight!!! This is why, right after surgery, I was invited to attend a nutrition meeting in which I could ask the dietitian every questions I could think of, regarding how and what to eat, how long I should remain in a diet, about the different types and brands of protein shakes, how to tell I need a fill, etc. I found this meeting to be very useful. Also, I was told about the risks of not following the post-op instructions, about overeating, which can lead to band slippage, etc.rnrnAs an educated patient, I did my research and found out Dr Lopez-Corvala is one of the most prestigious surgeon when it comes to weight loss surgery. He is a complete surgeon. He does the lap band procedure, the gastric bypass, the gastric sleeve, the duodenal bypass. He also fixed a hernia he found during my lap band surgery. I also found out he teaches many US surgeon on weight loss surgery procedures, and travels the world teaching (he's been in Europe, South America, Canada, the US). This alone gave me the security to feel I was having surgery with a competent surgeon and I couldn't feel safer.rnrnHe is a very competent surgeon, with very nice bedside manners. His staff was wonderful. Oh, I was forgetting: there was a lady in the evening shift, who spoke very good english and who very kindly helped me get thru with the nursing staff (I was in Mexico, where the primary language is Spanish). I think she works with the company who does the marketing for Dr Lopez-Corvala. Nurses, though, could speak a few words in english and could understand a little also, but all were very sweet to me and are also very professional. I would say, Mexican nurses are some of the best in the world.rnrnThe hospital wasn't really a very big or important issue for me. I had it done in a \"not so fancy\" hospital, but having it done by Dr. Lopez was the main point. This made all the difference.

First Impression - nice man, kind of quiet, seemed like it may have been a language barrier, kept a staff member with him at all times that spoke very good EnglishrnrnImpression Over Time: I have received regular emails from Belite Weight, the facilitator of my surgery, offering help and support if needed. Very greatful to the doc for fixing a very bad hiatal hernia that I was unaware of at no extra charge. I feel so much better.rnrnStaff: at hospital, there was some language barrier, my husband speaks Spanish so it was okay, but others may have some difficulty. Everyone was very nice, although I thought the Psychologist was a little obnoxious.rnrnWhat did I like least - would have liked more details of what was done in surgery on the written report I took home, and a better explanation of fills.rnrnWhat should you know about him - I checked this doctor out extensively. I talked with Allergan, the maker of Lapband to verify that he had been a proctor surgeon and that he had left in good standing. This was confirmed for me. I also talked to a number of his former patients that I met on lapbandtalk.com and got great reports. I was very impressed with his extensive experience with this surgery, and when I had the hernia complication, I was even more greatful to have someone that had seen it all before.rnrnAftercare - I was not one that wanted to be pestered about after care. I have done my research and have found the support I need with the PN that is doing my fills. I believe if you want support through his office all you have to do is ask, but it is not pushed at all.rnrnAs far as a structured program, let's be realistic, how much can you really do online? I think Belite is there for you by phone or email if you want them. That has not been my desire, so I can't really say.rnrnRisks of Surgery - these were shared, but research and talk to your personal doc on your own before you do this. It was my understanding that the surgery was minimally invasive with very few risks before I even scheduled the surgery. Get informed yourself before going to TJ, Mexico.rnrnRating of the Doc - I would rate him as very good. Personally, I like a doc to be a bit more personable, but competent is most important, and I believe he is very good at what he does. I think he knows that bedside manner isn't his strength so he keeps his very beautiful and kind nurses, and docs, close at hand to help make patients comfortable.rnrnOne final note: I was kind of weirded out by his staff in the operating room when I was wheeled in and I did not see one female nurse (usually in USA you see many females in the OR). Everyone was wearing red scrubs so it seemed a bit like a scary movie and I thought, \"Yikes, what have I done?\" I laughed at myself afterwards for my momentary panic and I came out of surgery better than ever. I am so very greatful for this affordable option since my insurance has a \"no weightloss surgery\" clause.rnrnMy personal internist at home had no reservations after she saw the homework I had done checking out this doctor. I do not hesitate to recommend him.

The surgeon in Anchorage would not take me as a patient although my insurance said it would pay so I decided on Mexico. I found the doctor very compitent and the hospital very modern and clean. He is very professional as well as the staff. The only thing is I have to have my fills done in Wasilla,Alaska because of the travel cost. I would rather be able to go back to TJ to have it done.

Amazing experience. Everyone was so helpful. The hospital staff was on top of everything. All my questions and concerns were taken care of. I had several surgeons in the operating room so I got to meet everyone, including Dr.Lopez. They were very open and honest about everything. Aftercare is harder because the procedure was in Mexico, but they provided me with a list of doctors who were willing to follow up with my care in the States. I recommend him to EVERYONE!!

My surgeon was awesome. Very personable. His staff was very professional and efficent. The entire team was great. They made you feel like you were the only one in the hospital.

Dr. Lopez Corvala came across as confident, friendly, smart, efficient, and loves his work. rnrnAlthough Dr. Lopez Corvala has a great resume, I was more sure of his ability over time. His staff seems to be well managed. He knows how to manage his staff. I really didn't find anything I didn't like about him.rnrnIf I were going to recommend anything to anyone having surgery in a country not speaking your native language, it would be to take someone with you that does speak your language or at least a piece of equipment that will translate your language back and forth so you can better communicate with the staff.rnrnThere was not a lot of information about aftercare.rnrnThe hospital was very clean, the staff courteous, the doctor knowledgible and friendly, the service quick and recovery is going good.rnrn

Dr. Corvala was wonderful. He had a great bedside manner. The anest. he works with was great and good looking. There was/is nothing bad I can say about this doctor. I chose him as my doctor because after researching him, I found that he was a reputable doctor and the fact that he teaches the procedure to US doctors made any doubts I may have had about him disappear.

best Dr ever in my opinion both Dr and Staff very qualified efficient and caring during and after surgery