Alberto Aceves Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

My first impression of this doctor was very warm and gentle. I could tell he really cared about his patients. My impression did not change over time. He was caring through out the whole visit.rnThe office staff was very professional and were alway there for me. Any questions I had, i received answers for right away. rnDr Aceves stressed about the after care and how important it was to take care of your self. He stressed to eat the right foods.This dr's aftercare program is very good. His bedside manner was very warm hearted and caring. Nothing negitave about this Dr.

March 2009rnI wrote a review for Dr. Aceves back in July of 2005, a few months after my surgery. I wanted to write another one to give folks an update on a long-term post op.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnI had a proximal RNY in February of 2005. I lost a total of 130 pounds and have kept that weight off. I was very pleased with my decision to have surgery in Mexico with Dr. Aceves. He has a wonderful bedside manner. We are all interested in having a skilled surgeon, but it really helps to have a surgeon who also seems genuinely interested in his patients as well.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnThe coordinator at that time was Nina. She was incredibly warm, supportive and helpful. She went out of her way to make sure that I had everything I needed and that my arrangements were satisfactory.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnI was also very pleased with the hospital and the staff. The facilities were top-notch and the care I received far exceeded what I have been accustomed to in Jamaica and in the United States. In 2007 I had emergency surgery in the United States for a bowel obstruction and spent 10 days in the hospital. The care I received could not compare to that of care I received in Mexico.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnIn Mexico I had immediate attention from the staff any time I needed it. There was no pressing the nurse-call button over and over, waiting ages for pain meds and assistance. When I needed something a nurse would appear within seconds. Dr Aceves would stop by my room several times a day to check on me. In the U.S. I was lucky to see the same doctor twice, and certainly not more than once a day for a moment or two.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnI had no complications from my surgery and my laparascopic scars faded into what look like five little mosquito bites. No one would ever know I'd had major abdominal surgery!rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnI highly recommend Dr. Acevesrn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rn~~~~~rnJuly 2005rnMy first impression of Dr. Aceves was that he is genuinely interested in helping. I don't often have that feeling with doctors. That impression has stayed with me. I had surgery in February of 2005, and Dr. Aceves continues to be available to me whenever I need him. He has been very good about communicating with my doctors here in Jamaica.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnHe addressed the risks of surgery with me and explained the procedure thoroughly and clearly. His bedside manner is professional, courteous, and warm. I would like to see him develop a more structured after-care program, although I know that's somewhat difficult since most of his patients are from outside of Mexico.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rnI am very proactive about my health and my program, so I have spent a lot of time working on my own long-term after-care plan. I don't think most patients will go to the trouble I have, but neither are most patients willing to be compliant on a long-term basis.rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~rn***A special kudos goes to Nina, the patient coordinator. She has the patience of a saint, and deals lovingly with nervous patients and their families. She really made the whole experience much easier for me.

When I began considering weight loss surgery, my first step was accepting everything that it entails. I am naturally a very anxious person, so taking the plunge and deciding to go through with the surgery was honestly the hardest part. The next step was finding the right doctor. My cousin recommended Dr. Aceves just weeks after having undergone surgery herself. At first I was weary of the idea of traveling to Mexico for something such as this, especially because I had never had surgery before (unless you count having your tonsils taken out when you were 5 years old). Now, 3 weeks post-op (and 25 pounds later!!!), I can look back on my surgery and the experience I had with Dr. Aceves and all of the staff at Almater hospital and truly say it was the best decision I’ve ever made. rnrnEverything about the trip was extremely organized and well planned out. It was obvious that everyone involved knew exactly what they were doing and how to handle jittery patients like myself. Ernesto picked us up from the San Diego airport and off we went to the hospital for pre-op tests. There were 2 other women having surgery the same day as me that were also picked up at the airport in San Diego. Once we arrived at Almater Hospital, Yolanda was waiting for us and quickly began the testing. It was almost as if the 3 of us patients were moving from station to station (very time efficient I must say). Once we were done with the testing, Ernesto brought us to the Hotel we would be spending the night in. By this time, it was about 2:30 in the afternoon, and I was told to relax, have my last meal, and one drink if I wanted. One of the doctors (Dr. Campos I believe) came to meet with us at the hotel for kind of a Q&A session, and went over what to expect in the coming days, weeks, and even months. He brought along with him two different types of bands and let us look at them, which helped me understand the procedure itself and the idea that some foreign object would be INSIDE me for the rest of my life. After our meeting, we were given an antibiotic and a sleeping pill to take before bed that night. Bright and early the next morning, Ernesto was back at the hotel picking us up and taking us back to Almater.rnrnUpon arrival, we were each shown the rooms we would be staying in the next 2 nights, and were given the time to sort of get settled in. Before long, I was given a “happy pill” to relax me and a gown to change into. Soon after, Dr. Aceves was sitting on the edge of my bed, going over what to expect again, making sure I fully understood the ins and outs of what I was getting into. Just a few minutes later, I was being wheeled to the operating room where I met Sergio, one of the head nurses. He was probably the sweetest guy I’ve ever met and was reassured me the entire time that everything would be okay. He even let me squeeze his hand while the anesthesiologist put in the IV, and then continued holding my hand until I fell asleep. When I woke up in the recovery room, I was crying and disoriented, but there was someone right there to help calm me down. It seemed like no time before I was being wheeled back to my room to rest, or so I thought!rnrnBefore undergoing surgery, the staff stresses how important it is to walk around to help relieve some of the gas pains you are sure to encounter. It was probably only an hour after I was returned to my room before they came in and told me to get up and walk. At the time I thought they were crazy, but walking around really does help a lot. Every hour or so for the rest of the day I was up walking the halls. I have heard a lot of stories about the pain after surgery, and how most people don’t feel that it is that bad, other than the gas. I’d have to agree with them, except for the first 24 hours. I was in quite a bit of pain but the nursing staff was quick to give me something for it whenever I asked. The time passed relatively quickly, as I brought my lap top (the hospital provides free wi-fi!), books, magazines, and movies. I felt very well informed during my entire stay, and only had a problem with the language barrier on the night shift of the second night. It wasn’t hard to explain what I needed with my hands and facial expressions.rnrnBefore going home, I was taken to do a barium swallow to ensure that the band was in its proper place. Seeing the barium pass through my esophagus and down through my new pouch and then into the rest of my stomach was very reassuring that everything went as planned. Overall, I had a GREAT experience with Dr. Aceves and all of the staff of Almater hospital. I would definitely recommend surgery there for anyone considering it. I’ve walked away from this experience with outstanding memories of everyone and everything from my trip.

I had VSG surgery in 2007. I have lost 105 lbs to date, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, choosing Dr. Aceves as my surgeon was another one. I am very happy and am very thankful with Dr. Aceves and his staff. rnrnDr. Aceves is a very kind man and took the time to explain everything to me in detail, I felt like I was his only patient. The attention and care I got while I was there is comparable to none I have received in any other hospital. rnrnI have been in contact with Gaby his aftercare contact person and have always gotten answers promptly. She is very sweet and helpful.rnrnI love Dr. Aceves! I have recommended him to many of my friends. I am not shy about saying I had weight loss surgery and tell everyone who asks. I got my life back!rnrnIf you are thinking about VSG surgery with Dr. Aceves, all I can say is that you won't regret it!rn

He is a great doctor. I felt very confident in him and would recommend him to anyone. I had a great experience.

He is an outstanding person and Doctor. He truly cares about his patients and made me feel like I was a person not just another number.My impression of Dr. A will never change. The staff Dr. /a staff is excellent and know their duties and treat people with respect. Dr.A doesnt have anything to dislike about him. The aftercare program is awesome too. his staff periodically emails you to keep up on your progress and makes sure you see you primary care physician.
Dr. A explained the total procedure to both myself and my daughter in law Stacie, and was very thorough.If there was a scale of 1 million he would be at the top of that scale.
Dr. A is great at both of them.
Below here it says no one can be the "best" in all aspects, but In My Opinion Dr. A can and has been exceptional in all aspects of this surgery and aftercare.Although I do not speak Spanish there was no language barrier.

my surgeon was really good. i had my surgery in mexico because my insurance would not pay for any type of bariatric procedure. all the staff at the hospital were really great but it was kind of scary once i got home. found Dr. Lalor for after care and he and his staff seem to be really good so that helps alot.

My experience with Dr A and his staff was A+.rnHe has a wonderful bedside manner. As well as the other Drs. I give the hospital 5 stars. I felt comfortable immediately upon seeing where I would stay for the next 3 days. The staff was friendly and supportive. Answered any/all questions. My private room was very comfortable. I would refer anyone to use the facilities and especially Dr. Aceves. He visited me twice a day and answered any question I had. He also has the most soft hands of anyone I have ever met!!rnBy the way, I've had no complications so his surgical competence is excellent!! Hats off to him and the other doctors, as well as the staff.

I just returned from having a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I was incredibly impressed by his warmth and professionalism, as well as by his surgical staff, Drs. Campos and Gutierrez.. . they all took the time to talk through any questions or concerns I had, and I felt very confident in their skills before I went into surgery. rnThe surgery went very smoothly, and recovery was relatively easy. I did have one problem with an IV that infiltrated (hand IVs can be tricky things), but it was taken care of quickly.rnThe Almater Hospital itself is simply beautiful- marble floors, beautiful artwork, modern equipment, sparkling clean and filled with caring, skilled staff.rnrnLike I said, I was incredibly impressed. I'm a Head Nurse and have very high standards that Dr. Aceves' team met or exceeded at every turn. rnIf you have any questions, or would like a 'step by step' scenario of the trip/ process/surgery/recovery with Dr. Aceves, please email me and I'll be glad to fill you [email protected] rn

My first impression of Dr. Aceves is that he is a very serious doctor who is concerned that his patients are fully aware of the risks involved with weight loss surgery and that they are fully prepared to make lifestyle changes. His staff and all of the nurses and hospital staff were all friendly and nice. It was helpful for me that I speak beginners level Spanish. There was nothing that I did not like about Dr. Aceves, he showed genuine concern for me and even took the time to learn my mother's name as well. Patients should try to learn some basic Spanish so that you can explain what you need to those nurses who may not know enough English. Dr. Aceves continued to stress to me throughout my stay that I needed to take my time and not rush my new pouch into taking in too many liquids in one sitting. He provided a wonderful packet on foods to eat during the recovery process. He warns his patients of not over-doing it. I rate Dr. Aceves a 10 on a scale of 0-10. Both his surgical competence and bedside manner are great. My mother and I agree that we have nothing but high praise for Dr. Aceves and his team at Almater Hospital.