AZDee

Wow this is really interesting because last fall when I was all set to go to that other clinic, I saw a review from a lady who had used Dr. G, it was on the other site realself. When I wrote on this persons wall that I was impressed with her photos and her surgeon, I received private warnings from other members that there were no other reviews and that most likely it was fake. So I filed it away and started my search for a different surgeon, since I was no longer happy with my first surgeon. Then in March they was a whole bunch of reviews that came in for Dr G (on realself) so I gave in and called them. I am really happy I did. Turns out Dr. G is not very computer savvy, so his website is not so great. I did talk with the person who wrote the first review and she explained that there are 2 different Dr Gutierrez's in TJ so she makes sure to be specific when talking about him...I even wrote that I took a chance, since that's pretty much how I felt since I didn't have the hoards that had gone before me...

There are a lot of factors involved when picking a surgeon and I for one feel the incisions and sewing to be one of the most major factors. And yes I do feel I made the best decision. But I do have to concede that Dr Gutierrez does not operate on patients that are not at their desired goal weight, so that alone has a big impact on the final outcome. I liked Dr. Saucede, I had even paid my fee for the Las Vegas consult, before deciding to go with Dr G. The main reason I chose Dr G. is I found out 3 out of 5 of his surgeries are revisions from other PS's work. I need revisions from my previous work last year and Dr Saucede said he would do them but could not guarantee the outcome. I do believe Dr Sacede's outcomes are subject to the patients before's as he works on patients what tend to have intermediate surgeries along the way. Also I thought I should add this, just in case it was misleading the center I had originally planned on going too before learning of either of these two doctors was CosMed, which I can not recommend...

Here is the contact information: http://www.realself....Victor-Gutierrez Telephone number: 619-564-4059

After week, I was up going out, going to restaurants and shopping. I had a little yellow around my neck and side of my face and I did look swollen to me, but if you didn't know me, you would not have known I had just had a face/neck lift. I took 2 weeks off from work and I have long hair so I think I hid things pretty well.

Here is a belly shot of the before belly... Four weeks post op....not too bad for 60 years old!!!

Beautiful!!!

I think mine was $6500 for both the lower face and neck....

One thing I have learned about plastic surgery is the amount of pain after surgery has a lot to do with your surgeon. When I had my arm surgery last year, it hurt like hell for at least the first 2 weeks. My surgeon did not mention arm support sleeves, I learned about those from a surgery support website, so I quickly ordered a pair which really helped a lot. My arms did not turn out as well as I would have hoped, they need a revision. The incision was not place correctly which lead to a 3 inch pulled area on both arms. My new surgeon will be doing the revision for this surgery also. Not worried about any pain with the revision as my new surgeon (Dr. Victor Gutierrez) is very gentle when handling tissue....

I actually had a lot of regain after the little the weight I lost when I had my RNY back in 2003...I never got to goal and then over the course of the next 8 years I put on 5 lbs a year, not too bad until you fast forward 8 years and realize you are almost when you began...My daughter and her husband did the hcg diet, and lost 45 lbs each in two months, out of shear frustration I told them to get me some, really just so I could show them that nothing worked...then I started losing any where from 1/2 lb to 1 lb each day until 9 months later I had lost 102 lbs!!! that was over 3 years ago and I have kept it off...I believe my problem was hormonal and hcg is a natural hormone found in the body so that's why it worked when nothing else did....

Last April 2013, I had a breast lift and a implant put in at the CosMed clinic in TJ, although the clinic was beautiful and the Doctor was charming and charismatic, my surgery did not turn out go great. Turns out my breast pocket is completely ruined and now must be rebuilt and the implant of course must be removed and then allow the breast to heal before anything else. After all the mistakes at that clinic my husband will not allow me to ever go back, so now, My new surgeon who I highly recommend will be doing this for me. He also is located in Tijuana his name is Dr. Victor Gutierrez.

You look so great!!! You are two months ahead of me...Dr Victor Gutierrez did my lower body lift and thigh lift on 5/13/2014 I was all set to go with a different surgeon in Mexico until I saw the incredible work that Doctor G. does. I was so afraid of having a scar that made me look as if I had been simply sawed in half and so many of the pictures I had seen of peoples LBL's looked like that, so when I saw the beautiful work that Dr G, does I made the change...And I could not be happier....smartest move I ever made!!!

You have a Killer Body!!!! So happy for you, and so very thankful that you turned me on to my new best friend....My most amazing Plastic Surgeon, Dr Victor Gutierrez, other wise known as the miracle worker....So glad you posted all the info on him so I could interview him myself as I was all set to go elsewhere and now am so very happy I went to Dr Gutierrez instead....It's never to late to make a change when you find something so much better!!!!

Still waiting....

I interviewed both Doctors, Had several phone calls with both, chose the one I did because i didn't like the cut lines of the other and he said, it was all up to the condition of the patients skin, the outcome. The Doctor I chose is also a Micro-Surgeon and his incisions are flawless. It all depends on what is important to you. I just couldn't stand the thought of a big noticeable scar running all the way around me.

I checked into the lifestyle lift. I went for my consult, which was with a sales lady, you don't even get to meet a Doctor until they have you on the table and you don't get to pick which of the 4 Doctors they had working there....I woman actually took the sides of my face and pulled them back and said see this is what you will look like....No thanks, I want to meet the actual Doctor talk with him...I was able to find a surgeon that cost less than the lifestyle lift and have a lower face/neck lift done....After doing some more checking I realized it was not worth it at all. Even though they do have convincing commercials...

I had a lowerface/neck lift surgery done last year. It's very common for WLS people to need this...The skin is separated from the muscle and pulled back behind the ears where a incision is made in the hairline. Then if needed a small cut is made under the chin so the surgeon can tighten up the muscle that causes the double chin...It's a pretty straight ahead surgery, not a big deal especially if you don't need the lower face just the neck. I had jowls after weight loss so I needed both...I checked into the lifestyle lifts and the mini lifts only to find they were a big waste of money...If you don't mind traveling to San Diego, I have a great surgeon for you, Dr Victor Gutierrez. I flew to SD and was picked up at the airport...

I'm 7 weeks out from having a medial thigh lift and a lower body lift. At 2 weeks I was up going places moving slowly...by 4 weeks I was fine, just still alittle stiff and would still get tired by the end of the day working. Then at 6 weeks I felt 100% me again...

I love swimming and I guess it's because I'm old (haha) but I could give a blank, blank, what anyone thinks, I love swimming and I am going to enjoy the pool. I think the thing that got me over feeling self conscious is the fact that I like to cruise, and boy you should see the people on those cruises and the bathing suits they wear,they don't seem to care. I had no idea they made bikinis in size XX6 but apparently they do.

Is there a way to post pictures on this group? I posted some on my profile, but not a lot of before's since they are nude shots...They are posted on realself. I have the same name over there so if you do a lower body lift search, my review with the pictures will come up. I didn't say but the first set of surgeries were also in Mexico at the CosMed or Vida Clinic, and although the clinic was beautiful my results were not. So like I stated I learned a very expensive lesson, that one must do their own homework...And Tiss, there really isn't the need to travel so far and spend so much in air travel and hotels when there are some really good options close to home. I paid about 1/3 of what the surgery would have cost in the states and not only that, I had a surgeon which rivals most of the work I have seen my others in every state here...

I think the word Former, is who this was directed to, so if you fit into that category you would not be offended but if you are still on your journey to release all those extra fat cells, the term could be hurtful, since it's a word we all have heard used to describe us. One in which I never enjoyed hearing, so to hear it as a former tense, it doesn't bother me, but if I was still on the losing side, yes it would make me sad...

Since I am pretty new here, I have noticed that there is a lot of interest in Plastic Surgery in Mexico. Having just had my LBL done down there 7 weeks ago I thought I would share about it. Having surgery in Mexico, is not new to me as I had my RNY done in Ensenada back in 2003. Then last year I had three procedures done, a lower face/neck lift, arm skin removal and a breast lift/implant all due to the weight loss. At that time I did not do all the checking that I should have and didn't pay attention to the red flags I saw, but went ahead and went to the "Fancy Clinic" all made of white marble and glass. Well the center was nice but my results didn't turn out so great, as I am now in need of having two of the procedures completely redone. So please do your homework, do not just go by what someone tells you. Why well I have seen raving reviews from a person whose photos show horrible work. I was like that too, I saw improvements in the beginning and the fact that I had sung the praises of this certain PS, I was ashamed to later say I was wrong, it wasn't until people started telling me they wanted to go to my PS that I knew I had to come forth and say something, as I did not want to be responsible for anyone's bad outcome. All I will say about The Vida Clinic, is do your homework, don't just check out the good reviews but also the not so good ones. Pictures do not lie... So today for me to give a good review of a Doctor you know he has to be pretty darn good.Thankfully for my recent surgery I found just such a Doctor. It took me a whole year to do so. I spoke with Doctors from Tijuana to Monterrey, even driving out to Beverly Hills to met with Plastic Surgeons. Some were great just way over my budget as in $40,000, where others had great prices, but not so great cut lines and sewing. I checked out every online site there is, reaching out with phone calls to past patients. I saw some incredible incision and sewing lines done by this one Doctor, who I was a little nervous about since he didn't have as many reviews as other Doctors had, but had the highest marks from the viewers that he did have. So I took a chance and called and spoke with him for quite a while, I felt good so I took a leap of faith, and I am so glad I did, because he turned out to be a master at his craft. Not only is he a board certified Plastic surgeon he also has a specialty in Micro-Surgery, thus those perfect incisions and sewing lines. He had his Plastic Surgery training all done in Israel where the standards are some of the highest in the world, which I am sure why he is so above the rest. I flew into San Diego and Dr. Victor Gutierrez picked me up himself! so we could get to know each other on the short drive down to his clinic. Later that day I had a two hour mark up...He is very detailed minded. Next day surgery, spent the night at the center, and I woke up feeling great, since he uses twilight sedation, you don't get that horrible anesthesia hangover. And just as he said, I was not in any pain. This is after having a full stomach muscle repair. When I asked about how this could be, he explained it was due to the gentle way in which he handles the tissues.... Well recovery went well and on day 7 after surgery I was on my way back home. A quick trip to the San Diego airport where there was a wheelchair to greet me I was soon home. The best part is that all my stiches were internal so no waiting to have the stiches removed and this way the incision line remains very pencil thin... I have posted some pictures taken at two weeks on my profile. So if you are in need of a Great Surgeon for any of your extra skin removal, I highly recommend my new surgeon Dr. Victor Gutierrez

That's so cool he is most caring surgeon I have ever come across...I just wish I had known about him last year...I do believe he will give me a good price on my revisions...hoping...

As far as air travel went. Even though I only live 5 1/2 hours away. I decided to fly. My surgeon picked me up from the airport. Incredible I know when it would be so much easier just to send a driver, but he likes to meet his patients and get to know them on the 30 min drive from the airport down to the clinic. It was great, he put me to ease that's for sure. Dropped me off at the hotel where I checked in for the night and his patient coordinator Elsa picked me up and took me to the clinic where I had my surgery labs done, then we went to a really nice fish restaurant where the doctor later joined us for a late lunch. Then back to the hotel for a little rest and then the Hotel van took me back to the clinic for my mark up, which takes at least 2 hours. This surgeon is very detailed in all he does... Then a week later,(yes just a week, because all of my stiches were internal 4 to 5 layers of them, with just tape on the outside) when it was time to fly back, a driver took me to the airport where they had a wheel chair waiting and took care of my carryon bag for me, so it was very easy... Then at 6 weeks I went down again (for a little follow up, which is not necessary but since I am close) with 2 friends who are having my surgeon do their surgeries too, this time we drove to the border and took a 5 min taxi ride, it was very easy also... I feel it's very do able from any location with the international airport of San Diego right there....

Oh and as far as a credit card goes...Yes you better have one handy because my husband who traveled with me was constantly handing it over for such things as, day of surgery EKG, additional day of surgery labs, pain meds, and of course the implant, that I wasn't planning on, another $1,000. We ended up with almost $2,000 in additional fees. This past surgery with the New Surgeon, there were no additional fees for any of those charges.