Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

I highly recommend Dr. Guillermo Alvarez for weight loss surgery. Dr. Alvarez performed my VSG surgery in early December 2013 at his Piedras Negras Mexico hospital. The staff, the facility, their care and the personal attention was fantastic and as good as any USA facility that I have experienced. There were no security concerns at all while traveling or staying in this Mexican border town and the hospital and staff were top quality and highly professional. They provided excellent personalized care, great value, exceeded my expectation and met all my objectives. If anyone is considering bariatric surgery, I strongly recommend that you choose Dr. Alvarez and his team.

11/30/2013 Was the the first day of change for me. I was very skeptical about bariatric surgery, even though I know I want and needed it. A friend of mine had the surgery approximately a year ago in Mexico. My first thought was MEXICO, really???? So she invited me to a seminar in Memphis where I met the most wonderful surgeon. He was raising awareness, I quess you would say, to a procedure called a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). I knew people that had the other options of gastric bypass (something about rearranging my guts didn't appeal and the side effects were aweful) and then there was the lap band (erosion was also not an option) and then there is VSG which had no side effects like the other two. I listened to Dr. Alvarez, everything he said made such good sense. I thought about it and research even more and finally made the best decision of my life. I talked to a woman named Susan George that makes all the arrangement and is a fabulous life-line during the whole adventure. Adventure, yes...I met some of the most wonderful, professional, and gracious people along the way. There is Rosie that takes care of you by transported you to all the appropriate places and at the appropriate times. She takes you to the clinic where the surgery is done, you have a visit with Dr. Alvarez ( I can't say enough good things about him), a nurse meets you with a smile and professionalism, her name was Anali. Anali and Jessica served as registered nurses and translators for the patient/nurse communication. Each of the nurse were precious, they dress in white head to toe with navy sweater and a nursing cap, yes a nursing cap.. The hospital was spotless and each of us had a private room. The anesthetist visits.consults prior to surgery and comes with the nurses to carry you to OR. I have to really brag on them because it is the first time in my life (58 yrs) and multiple surgeries, that have not had any vomiting. It was like I took a nap and woke up with a slightly sore stomach. Dr. Alvarez and his associates that did the surgery, never failed to check on me every day that I was there. They were ALWAYS ready to listen, help when needed, and ALWAYS had a smile. I can not think of one thing that I was not told about before I had the procedure. The best part is you are not forgotten as soon as the procedure is over. Dr. Alvarez is only an email or phone call away and ALWAYS replies in appropriate amount of time as well as Susan who is a fabulous resource person. Like I said I can't enough or brag enough about this well greased wheel. Anali and Jessica were also very helpful with my son, who accompanied me. They made sure he was comfortable, knew where he could get something to eat, and even went to get him something to eat. Friends forever. Now I proceed with my journey knowing there is ALWAYS support. So far I have a very unremarkable journey, oh except I am 31# small.....Hallelujah!!!!! Oh excuse me I couldn't help myself. Keep the faith these are amazing people and would love to help anyone follow there dream of weight loss! I thank God everyday for them coming into my life!! The other thing is if you have been turned down before, give them a try, They were a blessing to me.

This was a wonderful experience for me. I traveled alone and was nervous. His van driver, Rosie, was fabulous and made me and the other patient feel at ease. His nurses all spoke English and made us feel very at home. One even took us out walking around outside to get fresh air. Dr. Alvarez and his team were excellent. I am also very pleased with his follow-ups through email and the fact that you can send him or his assistant questions and get immediate feedback. It is nice to have your surgeon at the tip of your fingers (through email, of course). I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Surgery Date 12/2/2013. SW 207; CW 189

Update on Dec. 5th review. Dr. Alvarez's patient. I forgot to add an extremely important element of this journey- Susan, LPN. She is Dr. Alvarez's coordinater and my first contact. Great customer service. She answered emails quickly and answered them thoroughly. I pestered her a lot yet she never seem bothered by me. Susan is the contact person for all necessary paperwork. My extensive FMLA paperwork was completed and faxed in a timely manner. She personally contacted me to make sure I arrived home safely. After surgery, she took care of my clearance to go back to work papers. Anything else I needed sent or faxed was done immediately. Thank you Susan.

My update: My surgery was on Nov.5th. I lost 10 lbs 7 weeks prior to liquid pre-op diet. Lost 9 lbs during 13 day pre-op diet. Lost 22 lbs post surgery. Grand total: 41 lbs. Most people lose more post-op but I accept my numbers as they are. My body is finally not resisting weight loss and it has become much easier. During the last two weeks, I am not obsessed with the thought of food. I wanted to eat everything during the liquid and soft diet stages. Now that I can eat regular foods, I don't want the items I dreamed about weeks ago. We only want it when we can't have it. LOL.
Dr. Alvarez is the one to go to. I had no nausea, no vomiting and no intense pain from day one. This is a classic case in most of his patients. This is a direct reflection of a perfectly performed surgery and following strict post-op instructions. Plus without narcotics, the body and mind heals quicker. Trust Dr. Alvarez- you won't be sorry.

I will start out by saying I had consultations with two other surgeons, in the US, at world renowned University Medical Centers and I was told I would have to wait six months and gain 7 more pounds before my insurance would approve me for a gastric sleeve. Needless to say I was not happy. I began searching abroad and found Dr. Alvarez...I called a former patient of his and she sang his praises, just like we all do! I am unbelievably thrilled with the level of care I received and am STILL receiving from Dr. Alvarez and all his staff! I have never been treated so well. I am a nurse practitioner and former ER nurse. Everyone far exceeded my expectations. Dr. Alvarez has a system set up so that everything runs super smooth. From the second I booked my surgery until now I have had zero complications, issues, or concerns about either my trip to Mexico or my procedure. I was so well informed! Everything felt so personal!! It was the exact opposite of the level of attention and care we give to patients in the US. The MDs felt like friends, the nurses felt like family! I am so glad I chose Dr. Alvarez to perform my procedure. Every part of my journey was seamless. My fears of crossing the border were unfounded. It was harder to go from London to Paris than from Texas to Mexico and back! The hospital was so clean and comfortable, it felt like we were in a hotel. My surgery was over in about 35 minutes. I had all the education and attention I could have ever needed. And I will say that we were able to watch NFL games ALL day Sunday which really helped my quick recovery! Dr. Alvarez and two other surgeons, that assist him, were always in my room examining me, visiting with us, chatting about football, guiding me in my recovery. I am used to seeing a MD once per day and maybe not at all on the weekends. These gentlemen were in my room no less than FIVE times on both saturday and sunday...it was amazing! Dr. Alvarez still emails me personally and provides his cell # readily in case I have any questions. This experience was the most fabulous medical experience I have ever had!! I am so thankful I found him. I would recommend Dr. Alvarez to ANY of my relatives or friends!!! OH! And I've lost 28 pounds in my first month!!

I wanted to think about this and pray over what I was going to say about Dr.Alvarez, For me this was a last step effort in getting help for my obesity, It has been something that I have struggled with all my life, and I was tired of fighting a loosing battle. I have never been a quitter in my life so to admit that I could not fight this fight any more on my own was a big deal for me. I found Dr. A. after I went to a seminar and found out my insurance would not cover this surgery. It was from a friend of a friend that I found out about the doctor, of course the first thing I did was google him, after reading about him, I could not wait to tell my husband about the doctor that I found. The hard part was that the doctor was in Mexico. At first my husband was like ARE YOU CRAZY! But I had all the facts lined up. like this part of Mexico was one of the cleanest, safest places in Mexico. All My ducks were in a row and I gave my husband FACTS, not the over all view of the country. My husband was on board with me in this decision. I called the toll free 800 number and got in touch with the doctors office, the lady that works there talked me through the whole thing. I also talked with the doctor, I will admit I was a little scared at first, but when the van came for me ( the staff drives you over to the doctors office ) and the driver speaks English, I felt better. NOT ONE TIME are you alone, The staff there were the BEST! and I am not just saying that. Dr. Alvarez was wonderful. I have had NO PROBLEMS at all and He has walked me through everything. I am a month out of surgery and I feel like a new woman, I had a friend come over last night for dinner and all she could say was that I look younger and healthier. I went back to work the same day I got out of the hospital.( I do office work ) Everything the doctor has asked me to do, I have done, and it has been great! If you are wanting to do this surgery, then dont wait, if you are wanting the best doctor in this field, then get Dr. Alvarez, for me he is the BEST in his field.

I recommend Dr. Guillermo Alvarez to all that have a concern about weight loss. Even though I only have 50 lbs to loose, my health was suffering more then I knew. Not only did I have High Blood Pressure, Borderline Diabetic, High Cholesterol, and so much more. I also had an extremely large Hiatal Hernia that I was not aware of. The hole was so large my stomach was pushing through and pushing against my lungs and could see my heart through the hole. Dr Alvarez and my daughter had to make the decision to repair this instead of doing the Gastric Sleeve that I had gone to have done. Any other Dr. may have just gone ahead and done the sleeve that could have caused big complications with my health. Since that time I have been able to go back and have the Sleeve done knowing all is great with my health now. The care you get with Dr. Alvarez and his staff is so superior to any here in the states is incredible. He has extra around the clock help in the hospital just for his patients, transportation to and from. He and his staff are so much more than your Dr., they become your friends that are there for you anytime you need them, just an email away. Dr. Alvarez personally emails me just to see how I am doing and answers all my question. I don't have and have not ever had a Dr. here in the states that could care less about me once the procedure is done. Going to Mexico was not a freighting experience at all. The hospital was very clean with nice rooms and comfortable beds. Dr. Alvarez and his staff make you feel like family. If you are thinking of Gastric Sleeve procedure, I would highly recommend Dr. Alvarez. I have had several family members and friends that have had the Gastric Sleeve surgery with Dr. Alvarez.

I am happy to write this review of my experience with Dr. Alvarez. I have never been happier with my results! My sleeve was done on November 11, 2013. I am married to a physician. I was very blessed and fortunate to have found Dr. Alvarez on the web as I researched the sleeve. First off I am considered to be a low bmi. My wt was 209 and my ht 5'5" bmi 34. I had high blood pressure, high cholestrol and the bad cholestrol was rising. I do have diabetes in my family and could see the writing on the wall for my future. You name it, I have done it. Cool sculpting, WW, Jenny Craig, Atkins , high protein, fasting, the cleanse, adipex, phenfen, the list goes on and on. Sure, I could lose, then the regain...slowly but surely. 3 separate doctors spoke to me about the sleeve b/c I was unsuccessful and they knew how unhappy I was(My gyn, my internist and my gall bladder surgeon). But I did not qualify for insurance. So I would be a self pay. 18,000 . I could not afford that, having young adults at 2 colleges. I researched the sleeve and I feel God guided to me Dr. Alvarez. Every review was amazing, I could not find a negative response. My husband is a doctor, and trust me, this is unheard of. I continued to research on bariatric pal , YouTube (his videos) ObesityChat, listening to his weekly seminars and bought his book on Kindle. He has done the sleeve on his niece, mother and aunt. Trust me, this is the man you want. I even spoke to another physician and his wife from Florida that had his 1year ago. He has done amazing and so am I . My husband was worried, I understood. He called Dr Alvarez with a list of questions after researching for days to discuss the procedure. Dr Alvarez answered every
one explaining his procedures and why he has no problems with his patients. I was determined, I had a thorough blood panel done, and EKG , saw my internist and she agreed to be my PCP after my surgery. I will go to her in 2 more months to get my vitamin levels checked. You can wait a yr but I want to make sure my nutrition is good. We flew into San Antonio Texas , it was easy, everything was taken care of. I did not have to be on a liquid diet b/c I am a low bmi. We had absolutely no problems with safety, perfectly safe, we rode in the van, the hotel was splendid . I can not tell you how easy, and wonderful the staff was at the hospital. No problems with being understood. The nursing staff was fabulous and I can says this with assurance, I have never received such attentive, excellent care as I have in Mexico. My husband was amazed. I felt so good one of his staff took us to the market and we shopped a bit! My incisions are beautiful, they look like a plastic surgeon and soon they will be invisible. I have lost almost 18 lbs in 3weeks. Which is awesome for a low bmi and I am wearing clothes I haven't worn in a long time. Dr Alvarez has answered any question I have had and kept me up to date on the nutrition schedule and I have followed him perfectly. I want to be successful. His bedside manner is excellent, so kind, attentive and reassuring. His staff on time, informative and very professional. The hospital staff was amazing, the facilities were clean and it was very quiet to rest. My pain was minimal, almost non existent! All 3physicians checked on me around the clock. I can not say enough about my experience to go to the best international bariatric surgeon that has done over 5,000 gastric sleeves (says Newsweek) This is the man you want that has this much experience. My cost was 8,700. I am looking forward to being normal weight and living an active lifestyle!

I had my surgery with Dr. Alvarez on November 7, 2013. I am a nurse so I had done my research. From my first contact with Susan to being dropped back off in San Antonio with Rosie, the experience more than exceeded all my expectations. The packet that Susan sent was invaluable. It tells you EVERYTHING that will happen step by step and it was right on the money. On the day of the surgery, there were 3 of us scheduled. We were picked up by Rosie and taken across the border (literally 2 miles) to Dr. Alvarez' office. We each met with him privately, weighted and did a photo, then had a chest X-ray and labs and were put in our private rooms. Let me say that the hospital is small and dated but CLEAN and I MEAN CLEAN. Believe me I was looking and you could EAT off the floors. I was last because I wanted to observe the flow of things. About an hour after the first gentleman went Dr. Alvarez came and spoke to the family letting them know all went well. Then the next lady went and the same thing. Then it was my turn, I was put onto the stretcher and as I was being rolled into the OR I was given a little sedation and that was it. Next thing I know, I was back in my bed in my room and it was over. My husband told me Dr. Alvarez told him I did fine but had a hiatal hernia that required repair so he did it. I was up within 2h to the restroom and walking around in my room that evening. The nurses gave all the appropriate meds for pain, nausea on time without asking. The next day was spent walking and taking ice chips. We were allowed to walk outside and it was lovely weather. During the surgery day, I saw Dr. Alvarez twice in the evening and Dr. Rosales, his associate twice as well. The next day, again both came by numerous times to check on me. That evening I was given discharge instructions and a packet with my receipt of payment for tax purposes and a copy of my operative report to give my physician's back home. Also included was a nice pillow for the ride home and a card to use at restaurants that asked that you are allowed to order a small portion because of your surgery. I have already used this although I confess I never thought I would. (of course the waitress wanted to know all about my surgery as she herself was quite obese) The discharge was the next morning and we were on our way back to San Antonio.

If I had to pinpoint one outstanding thing about the experience, I think it would be the kindness and compassion of all the people I came in contact with in Mexico. As an American, I know there is a lot judgment about WLS and as a nurse I know the general opinion is that it's viewed as "cheating or taking the easy way out". I never felt judged while I was in Mexico. From Rosie our driver, Susan the surgery coordinator, all the staff nurses and Dr. Alvarez and Dr. Rosales......NO ONE made me feel "guilty" that I couldn't loose the weight. Instead I felt that everyone there was encouraging me on my journey to obtain my weight loss goal. I will be forever grateful for the respect and dignity that was shown to me while under the care of these people.

Someone in the previous reviewed said it and it is true....DO NOT be taken in by the cheaper bargains in Mexico. Dr. Alvarez IS THE ONE hands down for WLS in Mexico. I am still in contact with Dr. Alvarez. I have had a few questions and all I have to do is email him and he answers me quickly. I have received 3 emails from him regarding my diet stages and even got an email from Susan following up with me to be sure I was doing well. It's not just.....do the surgery and that's it. I believe Dr. Alvarez genuinely cares about your follow up and success. His post op complication rates are well below US standards AND they are posted on his website for all to view. That data would be more than enough to choose him. If you are considering WLS please check out Endobariatrics and Dr. Guillermo Alvarez.

Dr. Alvarez is an Amazing person and a great doctor! His entire staff was extremely attentive and polite, great experience, On November 4, 2013, I had the Gastric Sleeve procedure with Dr. Alvarez, and it has been an amazing journey. As of today, December 2, 2013, I have lost 30lbs, and feel great. I did a lot of research prior to my surgery, and found that Dr. Alvarez was highly recommended by many patients, including on of my close friends. Like most, my only reservation at the time was having the surgery in Mexico. Everything worked out perfect, from pick up at the hotel in Eagle Pass, to a short drive to Dr. Alvarez' office and hospital, it was flawless! Rosie, Dr. Alvarez' driver was great, crossing the border was a breeze and before I knew it, I was in Dr. Alvarez' office and greeted by Dr. A, and staff as soon as I walked in. Amazing experience! Thank you Dr. Alvarez!