Ariel Ortiz Lagardere Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

I underwent a sleve gastrectomy on 07/05/2016. My beginning weight was 362 and today I weigh 250! The good news is I am still losing and still have 2 months to go until my 1 year anniversary (by which time I hope to be down to at least 240 lbs. I still have a long way to go before I am down to my ideal weight of 150 but I have lost 112 lbs so far and I am hopeful that I will lose the rest! I plan to return for plastic surgery after I get down to a BMI of 28 (roughly 180lbs). I wouldn't go anywhere else because I feel so safe and reassured at OCC.
On my trip, I flew into San Diego a few days early and spent time visiting Sea World (on 4th of July), San Diego Safari Park and whale watching tour. The driver picked me and my husband up at our hotel and drove us across the border (he knew a route with less traffic so no traffic jam). We left our rental car at our hotel. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the facility was modern and clean. The surgeons and anesthesiologist came in to introduce themselves prior to surgery. They were doing some patient teaching but I had just had sedative in my IV and was having trouble keeping my eyes open. As soon as I laid down on the operating table I was about to go to sleep and Dr. Ortiz asked me how I was doing as he was scrubbing in and I lifted my head and smiled and said doing great and then I went straight to sleep. My husband said it took about an hour and he was informed when I went to recovery area. He said I slept about an hour and he was there to welcome me back from la la land! I was tranferred to my room and went back to sleep. My surgery went great, with only minimal incusional pain (more like a mild discomfort). That night, my husband spent the night at the Marriott but I was kept company by the other patients who came in on the same day as me. I think there were about 5 of us. The next day, my husband was brought back to the clinic and then all of us were tranferred to the Marriot for the night. My husband said the food was good. All I had was broth and popcicles. The next day, me and the other patients were brought back to the clinic for barium swallow. Because I was not flying back home to Texas right away, I was allowed to go ahead and leave Tijuana and we were transported back to our hotel in San Diego. We put our bags in our rental car and headed up the coast to LA. We went to Universal Studios the next day! I rented a scooter to avoid too much exertion. We stayed another night and drove back to San Diego to airport the next day! It was a nice trip.
I would highly recommend Dr. Ortiz and OCC. I am a nurse practitioner by trade and I have knowledge about hospitals and surgery, and this was a top-notch facility! I was recommended by another nurse (my sister) and since going, I have met several nurse practitioners that have gone to Tijuana for gastric sleeve surgery. Dr. Ortiz has so many accolades and certifications, as well as being a Surgeon of Excellence and International Center of Excellence and Joint Commission Internnational certified. Those certifications mean a lot and not something that can just be bought.
I had never had surgery of any kind before this and would not have gone had I had any reservations about my safety, the cleanliness of the facility or the qualifications of the surgeon and surgical team. Dr. Ortiz and OCC are the best of the best of surgeons in Tijuana (even when compared to surgeons in the USA as well) and I would not recommend going anywhere else in Mexico for this type of surgery.
Again, I am very pleased with my results so far and I am still losing!
Lisa
Dallas, TX.

What a phenomenal experience! From my first contact with the OCC staff, everything has been completely professional. I was so reassured by my initial communications and research that I booked my surgery within a week of first reaching out to OCC.

With the help of the OCC Nutritionists, I lost 51 pounds before my surgery last week (12/17/2015). I had never even been in a hospital before, so I was braced for the worst (paint, uncaring staff, etc.). I was pleasantly surprised. Every person at OCC was kind, compassionate, and supportive. They answered my questions and assured me they were there to make me comfortable and support me. My stay at OCC was wonderful.

Dr. Ortiz-Lagardere was wonderful. He stopped by to chat before my surgery and assured me it would be a quick and easy surgery, and it sure was. No pain at all, and I mean I've had more discomfort from a cold or virus. I was back at my hotel 24 hours after I arrived at OCC for my surgery and feeling great. I returned home the following day. I just can't say enough positive about the experience.

I don't regret for a moment that I had the sleeve surgery or that I chose OCC -- in fact, I'm absolutely thrilled that I chose OCC and that things went so well. I'm back home now and still losing, and I hope that will be the case for the next year until I hit my goal weight. Couldn't be happier.

Biggest and most expensive mistake of my entire life.
Band implanted in 2007 and was sick for 2 years until I could afford for the removal in 2009. Had to travel back to Mexico as no US Dr. would help me at all.

What a wonderful experience. I couldn't have been better taken care of than while I was at OCC for my VSG. From the driver that picked me up at the airport, to the staff at the front desk, to the nurses, to Dr. Ortiz, everyone was attentive to my every need.

I was the first patient of 3 that day, two sleeves and a plication. We each saw a nutritionist and cardiologist before being cleared for surgery. I had a large hiatal hernia repair at no extra cost to me, and we each had a private recovery room with English television available. I had an IV from the get go, helping to keep me hydrated, and up and walking to the bathroom shortly following surgery.

After being released the next morning, we went back to our private room at the Marriott. Came back the next day for a barium swallow test and drain removal. I got another phone call from staff checking on me before hotel check out and my trip home.

I was at ease and comfortable from start to finish. I know where I'm going for plastics when I've reached my goal weight!

I wanted Gastric Plication (not the Gastric Sleeve) with Weight Loss Agents & Dr Mario Almanza. On Nov 10, 2014, I flew to Tijuana to get a Plication from Dr Almanza for $4,500.00. I was with the first group of 5 for surgery at 8:00 a.m. However, once the doctor spoke to us in broken English, it was clear that he didn't do Gastric Plications (he said he only did two a month but did 800 sleeves per month); he doesn't believe in Gastric Plications (he said I'd still be hungry so what's the point?) and there's a high percentage of folks who come back to get a sleeve (his nurse said 80% of plications are back in 6 months to get a sleeve). I wish he would've put that info on the internet & I said so. I felt it was false advertising...

Anyway, there was a lot pressure to get me to change my mind. Since I was in the first group of 5 patients, surgery was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. By 10:00, Dr Almanza started on another group of five, and so by noon he'd done 9 patients (it would've been 10 had I not walked out). The folks on my bus from the airport were not in the 10:00 a.m. group so my bet is Dr Almanza would have operated on 20 people that day. That's a LOT of surgeries, even by Mexican standards.

It was like a giant manufacturing process there. I couldn't believe the number of women who were chopping off 80% of their stomachs! Yes, they do things differently in Mexico but this is extreme. I watched the women go in, get 80% of their stomachs removed and get whisked to a group recovery room. There were 5 beds in each recovery room. No TV. The women didn't have IV's in them when they came out of surgery. Not sure where they put male patients but all 10 that morning were women. I sat in the recovery room doing research on the Gastric Sleeve they were pressuring me to get. I found out that it's not true the hunger hormones are "cut out" with a Sleeve as Dr Almanza said. The N.I.H. & several other research agencies had data that post-surgical hormone levels for both surgeries are about the same. I finally got the Weight Loss Agency get their driver (who was very rude) to take me out of there. They did offer to pay another night at the hotel to let me "think about it." Once out of there & back at the hotel, I looked up other surgeons in Tijuana who actually do Gastric Plications. Dr. Ortiz and the Obesity Control Center (OCC) came up & looked great. So I called them and liked everything they presented. They sent a car for me immediately. Bye bye Dr Almanza!

Ending up at the OCC with Dr. Ortiz was more expensive, money-wise. A gastric plication there was $6,500.00, but it was so worth the extra money. Let me tell you the difference. First Dr Ortiz speaks excellent English. Dr Almanza needs an interpreter. Next Dr Ortiz has been on GMA, The Doctors, Fox News, etc. He's very well known in the bariatric surgery community!! Dr Almanza is not in same class as Ortiz. The OCC has a registered dietician on its staff. Before surgery, she explained that I'd need to be on protein shakes and vitamins the rest of my life. They didn't mention that to me at Dr Almanza's. They have a staff Cardiologist at OCC who is very professional. Their hospital is very modern. Each patient gets a PRIVATE room at the Marriott (Dr Almanza's patients have to share a room at a subpar hotel.) Each patient gets a PRIVATE recovery room with TV. There were only 5 or 6 recovery rooms at the OCC so Dr Ortiz can only operate on 5 or 6 people maximum per day. When I awoke at OCC after surgery, I still had an IV in my arm and had it the entire night of recovery. This made me very hydrated so I got up to use the bathroom all night long. This is important as walking is key to recovery & the IV facilitated that.

It's a good thing I didn't get talked into the Gastric Sleeve at the other facility. Turned out, I had a large hiatal hernia which Dr Ortiz found & repaired at no extra charge. A hiatal hernia is when part of your stomach goes up into your chest cavity. It can wreak havoc on your heart & lungs. With 20 operations per day, I'm quite sure Dr Almanza would've skipped this repair! It would've been a disaster for me! 60% of folks over 60 have hiatal hernias! Obese people are at risk for them. Women are too as child birth can rip the hiatas. Since the repair, I found I can breath much easier. Thank you OCC & DR Ortiz & his assistant Dr Martinez!

Do yourself a favor. Please don't go to Dr Almanza... You'll be in very good hands at the OCC with Dr Ortiz. I'm very happy with my choice.

After researching different Doctors in different Countries. [Luxembourg, Belgium, US, Mexico].
Dr. Ortiz credentials are the best. I could not have asked for a better surgeon. He shows Care and concern and his skills as a surgeon is amazing. He also has great personality.
I had surgery on Jul 12, 2013. With Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez. This surgery was a great experience, I never had pain and was walking 1 hour after surgery. I truly believe this surgery is better here, then anywhere in the US. I am telling everyone about my great experience and results and truly believe this is were you get the best surgery.

Very very clean. Personal attention an his Staff is excellent. He an Dr.Arturo Martinez preformed my surgery all went well. The staff an his clinic are outstanding. From picking us up at the hotel as I got there the evening before so I could have a day being a visitor in San Diego an get my pre op tests. To the return trip everything was good. I would highly recommend them.

Everything went smooth as can be! The surgery is 100% as good as Alvarez, and Acevis but less cost. This man can operate!

Had my sleeve gastrectomy on February 4, 2013. Received great care, good post-op instructions, and ability to get questions answered via email after surgery. Felt safe and cared for the entire time. Hit my surgeon's goal weight in just under 9 months and working to hit my personal goal! Cannot say enough good!

First let me say, that yes, I am Lori, Patient Coordinator for Dr. Ortiz, but this is my real review of my band to sleeve revision surgery! I had my revision surgery on 4/16/12 with Dr. Ortiz and I'm feeling GREAT! I was a Dr. Ortiz patient before I started working with him, he always treats me as his patient first, that is why I still work for him. Its not just his amazing skills as a surgeon, it is the care and concern he shows for all of his patients. The care is better then anywhere I've had surgery in the US. I have a blog that I started on our forum so if you'd like more information about my journey from band to sleeve revision just go here http://www.occforum.com/index.php?app=blog&module=display&section=blog&blogid=332

I would recommend Dr. Ortiz and Obesity Control Center for a first time weight loss surgery, or if you have had a previous weight loss surgery there is still hope! I'm proof of that :)