I had surgery with Dr. Lopez in Puerto Vallarta on August 13th. I worked with Cathy Zimmerman with Specialized Bariatrics beginning in April. She was a wonderful and accessible facilitator. And, yes. The focus was on my health and receiving lots of information (past and present) from me—the assessment was VERY thorough.
The experience in Puerto Vallarta went pretty smoothly. Dr. Leo picked me, my sister and another patient of Dr. Lopez’s up at the PV airport and drove us to the Marriott (which was BEAUTIFUL). The patient coordinator, AnnaKaren contacted me via email both prior to my arriving in PV and when I got there. Dr. Lopez performs only up to 5 surgeries per day. I met the two women he was operating on before me at the hotel (I was the last patient of the day). All logistical information was clearly explained to me by both Dr. Leo and AnnaKaren.
I met Dr. Lopez and Dr. Ramirez the following day before my pre-op tests and bloodwork. He explained the procedure and aftercare in great detail. The administration and nurses at Cornerstone Hospital were WONDERFUL—very caring, very attentive and no problem with a language barrier. Dr. Lopez came to see me twice after the surgery—once later that evening and the following day. I was released from the hospital after one night (with a drain, which Dr. Leo removed at the hotel the following morning), and got to spend three days, rather than two post-op at the hotel. Cornerstone is a small, private hospital with 10 beds, but it has an ICU and Emergency Room. It is very pretty, incredibly clean and very welcoming.
I can’t say enough about the care and professionalism I experienced with Dr. Lopez and Specialized Bariatrics, and believe me, I was very nervous about traveling to a foreign country for surgery. The whole experience was truly incredible and I’ve had no complications whatsoever. I know Dr. Lopez has performed several thousand bariatric surgeries and is highly credentialed. I can also share with you that the patients I was with during my week there were pleased with the experience, as well (one was from Canada, the other from Colorado). I’m truly grateful I chose Dr. Lopez (after LOTS of research) as my surgeon.
Best of luck to you on your journey! Hope this helped some.
