Jaime Ricardo Ramos Kelly Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS, FASMBS

Excellent doctor! Very trust worthy. Either Dr Kelly or his wife visited every night even met his son. Cece picked me up from the airport, I went by myself( yes I was scared but after reading reviews and talking with Dr. Kelly I knew I would be well looked after) if you have any question asked. I would go back to him in an instant?

Dr Ramos Kelly was my surgeon almost 2 years ago. I had the Gastric Sleeve surgery. I still have restriction and have kept all my weight off. In the last two years I have taken my BIL to him, my step mother, and I have 2 friends who are ready to go. Dr. Kelly strives to be number one in his field. He is continually improving himself and his skill through ongoing education, research and study. His bedside manner is caring, understanding, and encouraging. When you meet him, you feel that you are reacquainted with an old friend. He demands excellence from himself, all the providers he works with and from his staff. His tireless effort to see every patient every day is unmatched, his aftercare is impeccable. In every area Dr. Kelly always gives his very best to everyone. Obviously, since I take my loved ones to him, I trust and believe in him and his staff.

I was sleeved 9/22 by Dr. Kelly after doing countless hours of research. I can't say enough good things about him- he spent an extraordinary time explaining the procedure beforehand as well as following up after the procedure. If you are considering going to Mexico for surgery- I strongly recommend Dr. Kelly. The only negative comment I have about the the experience was the inconsistency of the nursing staff at Angeles Hospital. Thirty percent of the nurses were awesome in skill and attitude- seventy percent were barely competent.

I had a fantastic experience with Dr Kelly. I had researched several other doctors in Mexico but based on other stories and reviews from patients of Dr Kelly's that he was the doctor for me. I started my email conversation with Fabiola which was a coordinator that works directly with Dr. Kelly, but later found out she going to be on maternity leave. Ceci, Dr Kelly's wife picked up where Fabiola and I left off in arrange my procedure. First they send you a packet to fill out of your medical history and medications (answer it to the best of your Knowledge). After that they arranged a time for me to talk to Dr Kelly to ask him more questions about the procedure. Dr. Kelly was very nice and spoke perfect English and found out he had triple citizenship in Canada the USA and mexico. He answered all my questions and then some which was a relief since i was kinda of nervous talking to him. After that I had arrange a time with his Office for the procedure and they sent me instructions with the pre-op diet to follow. the Pre Op diet is very important to follow in order to shrink your liver and get you accustom to diet you will be following after surgery too to allow your stomach to heal. (this means don't go off to have a last hurrah meal where you gorge yourself) I followed it to a T. There will also be a link to a site that sells medical tourisim insurance that you will have to fill out to cover any unexpected expense from a complication during your stay in mexico, (like needing an extra night in the hospital ect...) It was around 200 dollars, no biggie, I rather be covered then sorry later. The day before the procedure I made my way down to San Diego to meet up with my travel companion ( my mom). The Day of my procedure 6/25 we arrange to meet Ceci (the doctors wife) at terminal 1 at the san diego airport. Now I want to be completely honest and say I was only slightly concerned when Ceci said she would come at a certain time and was about an hour late. Granted I understand she was without Fabiola and having to do several things on her own. Once she arrived It was a fast trip across the boarder since she has a medical pass we didn't have to wait where the normal traffic entered mexico through. Ceci English isn't perfect but we were able to communicate just fine, ( in fact I think her and my mom became BFF's throughout our stay there) and anything that wasn't clear we were able to use our google translate app to translate. Once we arrived at hospital Nova you can tell it was an older hospital but still very clean and everyone was very friendly and helpful. I had my labs done and a chest x-ray (dont wear underwire or forget to take your fitbit off like i did!! it will cause the xray tech some confusion and concern or your lungs oops) before being taken up to be checked into my room. The office staff that checked me in where very helpful and friendly at hospital Nova, I did have to pay a $500 deposit down which was later refunded to me to cover extra medication or surgical supplies. once in my room I was stripped down to a gown and had my IV started while a nurse put my compression stocking on my legs to prevent clots. After that I had an EKG done by a Marisal ( i think that was her name I can't remember) who was formally one of Dr. Kellys pt which was nice to talk to her and ask her questions and how great she looked. I saw Dr Kelly for a few mins after that to ask any last questions, The before you know it they were wheeling me into the Operating room and where I really started to get nervous and kind of scared. But that didnt last for long once i was on the table and set up how they wanted me the anesthesiologist had me count to five and before i knew it I was out. Then back in my room groggy from the procedure in only in a slight amount of pain which i believe was mostly from the gas they blow your stomach up with. I had very little pain but was super uncomfortable from the pain medication and the gas. I took a gas X and walked a lot that night while using my Lung Spirometer to help get the gas out. My mom wasn't there when I woke up cause I found out she had gone out to dinner with Ceci to get her room and eat dinner together. which i was thankful for since i wanted to be alone at the time being and I was happy she was having a good time. My Mom even got to hang out with the Doctors son who is adorable and very loving.
Wed Night after surgery I spent walking around and only in a small amount of pain, mostly from the gas and the IV in my hand. Thursday the day after surgery I spent mostly watching movies i had downloaded on my tablet, walking and sleeping, lots of sleeping and sucking on ice.... The whole floor I stayed on for two nights in the hospital Nova was for WLS patients and it was around the clock nursing care and people cleaning . I loved my nurses, they were all very nice and helpful and came around the clock to check on me, Not all of them spoke English perfectly but the Google translate app was a huge help. I felt very well taken care of . They brought me ice chips and helped me shower the following day. I give them and the hospital an A plus. THE ONLY THING I HATED was WAITING around forever Friday to get my leak test done.That day I checked out Ceci and Dr. Kelly took me and my mom to Hospital Angels which is a newer hospital to have my leak test. (my radiologist techs were hot!! not that that's important but wowzer!!) the liquid we have to drink isnt the best tasting but its over fast. They were all very friendly and spoke perfect english. (again don't forget to take your fitbit off like I did) After that Ceci and Dr. Kelly took us to Hotel Lucerna to have lunch ( they had a buffet and I had delicious chicken broth which was the first real food i could have and I only had a couple spoonfuls) The hotel was easily 5 stars with other patients like me or plastics surgery patients checking in or out. (BOTH hospital Nova and Hotel Lucerna Have free Wifi which made communicating with my family in the states alot easier) After lunch my Mom and I hung out next to the pool reading and talking till Dr Kelly showed up to ask us if we wanted to watch his son's karate award ceremony with him. It was fun But I wish I had stayed at the hotel and just let my mom go without me cause i was exhausted after that. After that It was straight to be and excitement of returning state side to be with family and start my new life. Saturday morning Ceci picked us up and Took us across the boarder with a medical pass again which I was thankful for cause the traffic on the other side was HOURS long looking. All i had with me to cross the boarder was my drivers license and my certified birth certificate. Easy peasy passed through customs and was back at the san diego airport in no time at all. I would Highly recommend Dr Kelly to anyone looking for WLS out side of the USA. I have a very positive experience. You can PM me if you have any questions.

Dr kelly is truly wonderful, he visit me everyday, 2 or 3 times. If you really want an excellent dr to operate in you, dr kelly is the one. Everything was excellent, please let me know if you need more info, ps it's too much to write. I went on sunday came back on thurs june 12/2014

Hi So far my experience hasn't been good. He was supposed to call me but has not. I really want to talk to him and the facilitators are terrible none of them have phones that work or voice mail. The office phone says sorry we are not accepting calls at this time. What gives with that? No one told me I couldn't have fake nails so now I have to have them removed. I am not feeling the love. You also have to sign a document saying not to count on anything they have told you? I am just hoping my experience when I get there is better than this.

I was sleeved on March 28 2014 by Dr. Kelly. I have to say that I was scared to death about this whole thing, but right from the start everyone was very helpful. Dr. Kelly actually called me to discuss it ahead of time , which I thought was pretty amazing. No way would that happen here at home.

I can't say enough about Dr. Kelly, Cecy and Faby. They were all so kind and answered any questions I had.

We started out by getting picked up in San Diego by Cecy. From there we headed across the border to Tijuana, right to the hospital Nova, which is literally 5 min from the border. I will say that the hospital is a little older, but the care there was amazing. Everyone was so nice, and even though we didn't speak any Spanish we got along ok. Some of the nurses could speak English as well as other hospital staff. I was seen by the Cardiologist who personally gave me my EKG, then had some blood tests and X-rays. After this was all done Dr. Kelly came in to see us. He is so open and easy to talk to. He comes in and has a seat and starts talking like we were old friends. Oh by the way his English is impeccable. It was really nice to be able to ask any questions and get that comfortable feeling with him before going into surgery. This helped to put me at ease as I am a nervous person anyway.

As soon as it was over he came and updated my mother(who had travelled with me) and told her everything went fine. She was very grateful for that. Then when I woke up he came and saw me as well. He also brought his son in to meet me which I thought was really nice. He was so cute(same age as my son) and he gave me a rose. So sweet!

I spent 2 nights in the hospital and then was discharged to the beautiful hotel Lucerne. This is like a 4-5 star hotel by my standards. The broth was delicious. We stayed for one night. The next day Dr. Kelly and Faby came by the hotel and chatted for awhile with us. He really emphasized aftercare and support groups. He said that these things are so important to the journey, which I happen to agree with.

Later that day Cecy and Faby drove us back to San Diego. These ladies are amazing. So kind and sweet, like you've known them for your whole life.

I don't really have any negative comments. My surgery went well, I was only uncomfortable for the first day, then I started feeling better and so far have been great. I didn't have to have a Drain, so I was pretty happy about that. The worst thing would have been that liquid they make you drink for the leak test. Disgusting! Other than that, I had a great experience and would recommend Dr. Kelly to anyone!

I had the vsg (sleeve) done by Dr. Ramos-Kelly on 25 March 2014. I am a little over 2 weeks out and have lost 16 lbs from my pre-op diet to today.

I cannot say enough good about Dr. Ramos-Kelly. He is an amazing, compassionate, component, and experienced bariatric surgeon.

My husband had the sleeve done in October of 2013 and had researched several doctors. He choose well with Dr. Kelly and has now lost over 50 lbs. He no longer has high blood pressure or sleep apnea and runs circles around me.

I had this surgery at the Hospital Angeles and am totally satisfied that I choose the best hospital for this procedure. Hospital Angeles is extremely clean, well staffed, and peaceful. All of the staff were kind, patient, and caring. The facility was so quiet, you think you are in a hotel room instead of a hospital. I had the best care possible and always I had very quick response, if I needed anything. Hospital Angeles costs a little more than Nova, but to me, it was worth every penny. The staff was professional, most spoke English, and the equipment was what you would see in any of our great US hospitals. I was in good hands the moment I arrived until we were dropped off at our vehicle in the US.

Dr. Ramos-Kelly is extremely patient and so very willing to answer any questions. He visited me prior to surgery and spent a lot of time going over every aspect of this surgery. He put me at ease about the procedure and his personal demeanor is exceptional.

He again visited after surgery and explained everything that he had done. He brought his family to visit us at the hotel and spent a lot of personal time with us. He is kind, compassionate, personal, and extremely experienced as a surgeon. I have had many surgeries and Dr. Kelly shines as a person and surgeon. I came to completely trust him and his extremely high level of competence.

Looking back, both my husband and I chose the best surgeon for our sleeve surgery. Dr. Ramos-Kelly met me in my home town, while he was attending a seminar, here in the states. He speaks impeccable English and is accredited in the US with cardiac trauma. That is a plus for any patient who has any heart issues and chooses to do weight loss surgery. Dr. Kelly also has Canadian and USA citizenship. He has roots in both countries.

Going to Mexico for this surgery was a stretch for me. I am so glad that I did this and had the best of care with Dr. Ramos-Kelly and his staff. His price is a little higher than some, but I was treated as a valuable person and not as cattle. Remember, you often get what you pay for.

Thank you, Dr. Kelly for the respect, care and great results!

My experience with Dr. Ramos Kelly was great.
He was open to answer any questions, thorough in explaining the procedure and genuinely concerned with my recovery. I had the surgery done at Nova Hospital, and can't say enough about how great the nursing staff was, round the clock care, very clean room, and
most of the staff spoke quite a bit of English.
The only improvements I would like to have seen would be to have a mailed packet instead of an email for pre-op and post op instructions, FAQ's, etc. , and more information about extra fees from the hospital itself (still very reasonable). Overall a wonderful experience and I would recommend this surgeon to anyone in need.

I remember how important reading these reviews were to me, so I'll try and be as thorough as possible. I decided on Dr. Kelly b/c a family friend had used him (along with several people from her church) and the reviews from those patients were all good and their results spoke for themselves! My niece and I decided to get sleeved together. She had already started the preliminary conversations with Dr. Kelly's coordinator (Lora) and when I decided to join her, I sort of took over that part. (I work in healthcare and my niece felt comfortable with me handling the details.) After emailing Lora and telling her I was interested, she emailed me some forms to be completed and sent back. The forms focused on my medical history, etc. and after the doctor reviewed them, I received an email that Dr. Kelly would do my surgery. We decided on a date that was just a few weeks from my initial email. I was told when to make flight arrangements, payment info, etc. so I got everything ready.

I didn't hear much from them until about a week before the procedure. (That's not a bad thing. I didn't need to hear from them.) They sent a contract that explained payment requirements explained earlier and just a basic agreement. The only surprise was for my niece. In her contract there was an extra $500 charge because her BMI was between 45-50. The charge made sense (it's a longer surgery and requires longer use of the OR, etc.) but she hadn't been told beforehand so it was a shock. In the end, they didn't make her pay it. Our coordinator was on medical leave and the doctor's wife had taken over the administrative details in her absence. She doesn't speak English, so there were a few glitches in the paperwork. None of it was a big deal and when I pointed out the mistakes, they were quick to correct them.
Even though surgery was on Saturday (and we were told to arrive before 12:00 on surgery day) we chose to fly in Friday night so we wouldn't be rushed the day of surgery. (Plus it was cheaper!) We got an inexpensive hotel close to the airport and the driver picked us up there instead of the airport. (Keep in mind, when they give you a time that you're going to be picked up, it's an approximate time. I think part of that is cultural and part of it is the inability to know exactly how long it will take to fight traffic, get across the border, etc.) Our driver picked us up to take us to the hospital. (He even stopped at a Starbucks for my husband, our travel companion, b/c he needed the caffeine and wasn't sure what the day would hold for him!) Crossing the border was easy. We didn't need to show passports or anything. We just had to get all of our stuff out of the van and enter a small building (on the American side) where our bags were x-rayed and then exit the other side (Mexico side) and go to a small outside waiting area. It took about 15 minutes for our van to pick us up. We reloaded our bags and were off to Nova Hospital about 5 minutes away from the border.

About Nova: Let me digress a minute and talk about the hospital. First of all, it is nothing to look at. It's sort of wedged between other offices and has more of a "back-alley" look than I was expecting. I just had faith that everything would be ok and tried not to judge it by its appearance. There were also a few practices that were questionable, and maybe because I work in healthcare I was more critical. I thought the pre-op area was very clean and everyone that came in used hand sanitizer; however, their lack of gloves when handling blood concerned me (as much for them as me.) Also, a discarded needle from the blood draw had fallen on the floor and stayed there for quite a while. I finally asked someone to pick it up and throw it away. With that said, I think we received excellent care. The nurses could not have been more attentive or accommodating of our requests. The language barrier was an issue at times, but we muddled our way through it. (Charades anyone?)

Back to my story: Upon arriving at the hospital, we were ushered up to a waiting room where we waited about 10 minutes for them to take us into the intake room. Someone there filled out some forms, made our hospital bracelets, etc. The person who helped us was new and didn't speak any English, so it went pretty slow; however, another girl in the office spoke English pretty well and came to help when needed. Both ladies were very nice. It just helped to have a lot of patience. :)

After getting admitted, my niece and I were weighed and taken to a pre-op area. Our time there included a chest xray, ECG, blood work, IV started, talking with a cardiologist, and then we met briefly with Dr. Kelly. My niece was the first to go in and it didn't seem like any time they were done with her. Dr. Kelly came and talked to me about her procedure and how well it went before they pushed me back to the OR. I remember transferring onto the OR table and them strapping my arms down before I was out.

I woke up in our room (my niece and I shared a room) and felt ok. I was uncomfortable, but didn't hurt. My niece (who had never had anesthesia before) had a lot of nausea for the first 12 hours. My discomfort was from the gas they used to blow up my stomach. Just a general feeling of blah, with tightness in my back and shoulder. I used the gas x strips that everyone recommended and asked for ice packs for my stomach. (I don't see that mentioned on the forum much, but they helped me immensely.) After the first 12 hours, we felt pretty good. The rest of our time in the hospital (until Monday morning) was spent resting, sleeping on and off, walking the hall, reading, etc. We joked a couple of times that we were bored and wished we had brought some cards or something. We had an IV the whole time, so didn't need to eat or drink anything. Monday morning they discharged us from the hospital. Before they discharged us, they gave us our post-op instructions including medicine (antibiotic, pain pills, omeprazole, gauze and bandages, etc.) our medical records, a return to work note, labs, and chest xray. After that Cecy (Dr. Kelly's wife) drove us to Angeles hospital for our swallow tests (Dr. Kelly met us over there.) Angeles was a nice hospital. Knowing what we know now, we would have asked if we could have gone there instead of Nova (assuming it wasn't cost prohibitive.) We also got a copy of our leak tests to give our physicians at home. (Both my niece and I will receive follow-up from our primary care physician at home, so I asked for copies of everything. We also asked for and received an itemized bill in English in US Dollars for our flexible spending account, as we're requesting reimbursement. As with the earlier paperwork, there were mistakes, but when we pointed them out they were quick to correct them and get the back to us.) There was also a weird incidence on the first day where someone approached my husband with a bill for $35/each for our chest x-rays. My husband said that he didn't think we owed it, that it was part of Dr. Kelly's fee. He said he would talk with Dr. Kelly and get back to them. When we mentioned it to Dr Kelly, he said for us not to worry about it, that it was part of the fee we'd paid him. I don't think anyone was out to deceive us, but that they didn't understand the process.

From there, Dr. Kelly and Cecy took us to check into our hotel. We were supposed to stay at the Lucerna, but we stayed at the Ticuan instead. (Lucerna was full?) Regardless, Ticuan was nice and in the heart of the shopping district so we were excited. We walked several blocks looking in shops that had great souvenirs, tequila, silver, etc. I got a beautiful knock-off Hermes purse for $60. :) (I may have been there for surgery, but I have my priorities.) Even after doing all that walking, we felt good.

We went to dinner about 8:00 in the hotel restaurant and Dr. Kelly, his wife, and their son joined us. Their son (about 8 or 9) is awesome and even performed one of his martial art katas for us. We gave Dr. Kelly a small bottle of Don Julio tequila as a thank you gift for taking such good care of us. My niece and I had chicken broth (about 1/2 a bowl) which was the first "food" we had had since Friday. They were great dinner companions and I enjoyed hearing Dr, Kelly's stories and opinions about WLS and his bariatric surgeon colleagues both in the US and Mexico.

The next morning our driver picked us up and we crossed the border using the medical express lane. (The whole thing took about 25-30 minutes.) My husband and I showed our passports and my niece used her driver's license and birth certificate to get back across. (I was worried about her not having a passport, but she assured me it would be ok.) Our border agent was really nice and funny and we didn't have any issues. We drove about 5 minutes to the airport and the driver dropped us off at our terminal.

I'm sorry this post is so long, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible. I feel like I owe it to the ones before me to share as much as I can. Oh! I almost forgot! The morning I was discharged, they were picking up another patient. She happened to be someone I connected with on this forum so they brought her to my room to meet me! It was great meeting someone from the forum (and her daughter) in person!