I have been sleeved myself since march 16th down over 20lbs and feeling like my body is back to normal so to speak.

In the last few weeks I have come to understand that its possible to go to a clinic that doesn't take proper precautions and many are having leaks and infections. One lady I heard ran up a $285,000 hospital bill in the U.S. after her lowest price sleeve turned into a night mare.

Another lady I talked to quit one clinic she worked at that had many leaks and infections.

She also told me that these same people that got mistreated DON'T speak up about it afterward.

Please if you have had a bad experience speak up! When a lot of these are coming out of the same place we should be able to collectively do something about it!

I feel so bad that there are many people going to places (with lowest VSG price) that are ramming people through without proper care (because they are doing 12 per day in the same O.R) and then ending up with leaks, infections and feeding tubes, man this is so bad!!!

Please lets do something about this to save the misery of others.

People are permitted to post of their personal experiences with a doctor, whether that be good or bad. We just ask that your experience be directly with that doctor, and not heresay.

Edited April 5, 201016 yr by *susan*

That is why I started this post this in hope that those that have been mistreated will SPEAK UP!

Unfortunately the ones that have a bad experience most of the time DO NOT speak up. Notice the title of the post: Speak up those with leaks & infections!

If your mother, friend, neighbor, uncle or spouse had a bad experience you could not say anything because it would be hearsay.

So let me say it again clearly if any out there know of those that have had bad experiences encourage them to come forward so it won't be heresy and we can save others of pain and misery.

I'm speculating. I get the impression that those who refrain after having a complication or knowing of others who have or are suffering, are afraid to speak up. They may feel threatened if they expose these incidents. Anyone agree?

I hope people will speak up. This information needs to be available to anyone researching a surgeon.

Responding to what LAN2K said yes people are afraid to speak up. I was on the another board and they are speaking out and some are doing something about the bad practices so I feel relieved.

I know some that a talked to personally were threatened and told never come back to Mexico.

Sounding an alarm and drawing attention to this may help others avoid pain and suffering.

I had someone on another board who did post her story after my post and the poor soul had racked up $250,000 in the U.S. afterwords because she was messed up.

Those that are going to have procedures BEWARE and ask around!

Responding to what LAN2K said yes people are afraid to speak up. I was on the another board and they are speaking out and some are doing something about the bad practices so I feel relieved.

I know some that a talked to personally were threatened and told never come back to Mexico.

Sounding an alarm and drawing attention to this may help others avoid pain and suffering.

I had someone on another board who did post her story after my post and the poor soul had racked up $250,000 in the U.S. afterwords because she was messed up.

Those that are going to have procedures BEWARE and ask around!

Sorry - I can't play into your little trap here. No bad experiences at all and I am a "veteran" of surgeries (9) and medical procedures (6+).

Why attempt to stir up drama? If you are getting better info somewhere else, stay there.

As for people feeling threatened.... I get plenty of PM's from those who are planning to use the dr I did but are afraid of posting that publicly because how others have been treated - being told they were putting their life on the line.

Recently I met a friend whom I have not seen in many months even prior to having the surgery. She was very surprised to see my weight loss and I told her about the WLS I had. She is a slender woman. However, she told me that 5 years ago her brother had a gastric bypass and died due to the negligence of his surgeon and hospital administrators. The few nurses who spoke up for the patient were fired. There was a lawsuit and finally a 7 figure settlement, however a man died, he was happily married and a father of young children. The surgeon is still performing WLS but not in the same facility. This happened on LI in NY. The point I am trying to make is that even in our own country it is very difficult to have justice aptly served when it comes to medical malpractice. Sadly the elderly, obese and even children are victimized most. I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be to have a bad situation happen out of the country.

You said you a veteran of surgeries 9?? What does this mean? And what does thisnhave anything to do with the topic here? So you were done at J/E clinic. Did you know that Betancourt isn't even a doctor?

This place has been a disaster, since Jan especially.

Maybe you had a good experience there, thank God.

Do you want to defend a place that is causing so much pain? Why?

I don't care where people do to get there VSG. U.S. Mexico or Mars. But when I SEE people that have suffered I can't just sit back and think oh well it is not my problem.

Russell, I am not willing to hold a war with you via private messages. I have nothing to hide.

1) I will try to keep it simple: You said you a veteran of surgeries 9?? What does this mean? It means that I have had 9 surgeries. I have a decent idea of what to look for and what to expect.

2) Did you know that Betancourt isn't even a doctor? Dr. Almanza operated on me and he is a doctor.

3) Do you want to defend a place that is causing so much pain? Why? I have only relayed my experience and asked those who do not have personal experience to refrain from making negative comments based on hearsay.

4) and as I have said before, things can go wrong anywhere, anytime and to anyone. People die being sedated at the dentist for oral surgery. Wrong surgeries are performed on patients in major, respected hospitals every day in this country.

Are you monitoring those situations as well???? no??? I didn't think so.

I wish this didn't have to be ugly. I just wanted to thank all of you who have shared the variety of experiences you've had. It helped me make the decision of where I was comfortable and what matters most is that we are able to make decisions we feel good with. I don't have a personal vendetta against any physician and can only speak to the experience I personally had.

And I have nothing to hide either. I get it now PNW218. So you got one or more surgeries via Jerusalem/Emmanuel so that is why you are so defensive about this. You don't care that Betancourt isn't a doctor but he says he is.

I will not war with you either, in fact I am done.

Many places in the U.S. and Mexico are doing hundreds of VSG's without issues for months. The place that you defend are doing 12 a day in the same OR and are having major problems. Go ahead defend if you like, but why? I think maybe you are working for them.

Oh, if I found out the place I had my VSG got sloppy and were having major problems coming out of there I sure wouldn't defend them!

Edited April 5, 201016 yr by Can.sleeved
wasn't directed properly

[quote

I will not war with you either, in fact I am done.

thank God for small favors!!

I wish this didn't have to be ugly. I just wanted to thank all of you who have shared the variety of experiences you've had. It helped me make the decision of where I was comfortable and what matters most is that we are able to make decisions we feel good with. I don't have a personal vendetta against any physician and can only speak to the experience I personally had.

ITA .... it seems to go in waves. When I first got to this site, things were calm. Then the dr ragging started. It is highly annoying and a distraction from the good things here.

I agree with what was previously suggested - that specific references to doctors and clinics are not included in public posts. If someone writes that they had a bad experience, they can pass their dr/clinic info via a pm to whomever is asking.

I tend to be an optimist, not a pessimist ~ so understand that some people are going to complain about any service or product, just to complain.

I too am an optimist and am never pessimistic but I don't "keep my head in the sand" or "turn a blind eye either".

But for you pnw218 I say we have a couple rounds of Kumbaya to settle you down...

Edited April 6, 201016 yr by Can.sleeved
forgot a word

Why does this issue have to be secretive and remain in PM's? Why can't we post the GOOD and BAD about our doctors if we had direct experiences that might help others?

Although many negative medical experiences are simply bad luck or coincidence, some things could be avoided with proper care and procedures and might fall in the category of negligence. These are the kinds of things people need to know about so they can make informed decisions. I think this is particularly important when we are dealing with outside countries where the doctors and medical facilities are not under the jurisdiction of our residential law, or where things may not be as regulated as we are used to. The only recourse we have in these cases is to help someone down the road with knowledge.

This is an open, public forum and I think something's wrong somewhere when certain things need to be said behind closed doors.

As sad as it is, typically when someone shares a bad experience, or even a differing opinion, people get their panties in a twist, and want to attack the person and point an ugly finger when they forget they have 3 fingers pointing back at themselves. I had it happen when I started talking about my band complications and was pretty told that it was my fault, that I didn't have willpower, that I wasn't using my tool, blah blah blah. I was shocked because my complications were definitely not related to my habits. I had a flipped port from very early on, and complications just kept coming at me. Everyone likes to play the blame game until the situation personally affects them or a loved one.

It happens. We've all read about it. The ones that have had genuine good experiences are always praised and never harassed. Let one person post a bad experience, and they are scolded for posting or accused of being paid by another surgeon to make some other surgeon look "bad".

I'm all for openness, and all the pettiness to be dropped. Unfortunately, some people can't see past their own nose to realize that sometimes things are not always daisies and rainbows.