My Experience w/ Mi Doctor and Dra. Louisiana Valenzuela

[NotADumbBlonde 6]

I am new and have not posted before. I had my sleeve done in Tijuana at Mi Doctor Hospital on January 26 of this year. I wanted to share my experience as honestly as possible and hope anyone who criticizes my comments will do so gently as not everyone has the same expectation or experience.

I started doing my research months ago to have my sleeve. I had a friend who used Dr. Almanza and had an excellent experience with him. However, when I saw pictures and saw it was a surgery center and not a hospital, I was not interested. I also ruled out several other doctors over time based on various reasons.

I chose Mi Doctor and Dr. Valenzuela based on communications with the patient coordinator, Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center. I chose them because they worked out of a hospital with an intensive care unit, and because they were the group I contacted that took my medical history seriously.

I have some special medical needs. I had surgery for a broken ankle several years ago and ended up with a life threatening pulmonary embolism as a result of a dvt from my leg being immobilized. I spent 10 days in ICU and ended up with a horrible case of panic disorder after the fact and I had been on blood thinners ever since. When I discussed the surgery with my own doctor, he actually coordinated with Dr. Valenzuela directly. I had heard nothing bad about the team of Valenzuela and Cabrera and looked forward to my surgery with optimism, especially since Christy answered every question thoroughly and built up my confidence in them.

I was supposed to fly into Tijuana Friday morning and have my surgery Friday afternoon. My son and I were picked up at the airport as scheduled, and really enjoyed Victor, our driver's easy going nature. We arrived at the hospital and so far so good. There was construction going on all around the place and there was no parking, but no harm no foul so far. We sat in the waiting room for a short time and then Victor escorted us to a room one floor I believe above the surgery floor and the floor we were to stay on. He said it was the room I would stay in until MY room was ready. In the meantime, our Mexico coordinator came to introduce himself. It was the only time I would see him that day. Dr. Valenzuela came in and introduced herself, she is such a beautiful woman. She is sweet and gentle, but has only a cursory mastering of the English language. She explained that though my surgery was scheduled originally for that day, they were going to put it off until the next morning. NOT what I had arranged, but what was I going to say? I was a captive audience.

I wasn't overly impressed by the hospital. For a brief moment, I started to panic and almost changed my mind. But then I realized I was NOT in the US and just because the equipment they used didn't look like what I was used to, didn't mean it wouldn't work. I held my breath and waited for things to improve. They did. A nurse came to take my blood and for the first time in 10 years, someone got my blood on the first stick. After the blood draw, I was visited by the internist who said he felt there was no reason for me to wait for surgery, especially since my flight was less than 2 hours long. Then, the anesthesiologist came and he too said we should wait. While I trust the doctors, I was a little irritated, but I obviously didn't have a choice.

I was taken to my real room. Again, not overly impressed. In fact, I started feeling panic again and wanted to run. My room was depressing as hell. The only window was very small and was over a crawl space between buildings. It was raining and there was a drip the entire time that sounded oddly like a heart monitor. The bathroom was clean, but the light was so dim I could hardly see what I was doing in it. At one point I got bored and went for a walk. I was horrified to find that their "intensive care unit" was nothing more than a room with two beds in it. Here comes the panic again!

I found the nurses to be very friendly, although it was difficult to communicate with them because most of them did not speak English. However, I was in their country and do NOT count that as a negative whatsoever. In fact there were several I really liked.

The next morning, I was given an IV, again, they got it on the first poke and I was LOVING that! The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me again and then after I donned those gorgeous and uber sexy compression stockings, I went into the surgery room. I have to admit, I was impressed with that room, especially when the anesthesiologist put me to sleep so easily while listening to the Eagles "Hotel California." I think I spoke with Dr. Valenzuela, but I never got to meet Dr, Cabrera.

Before I knew it, I was awake again and being taken to my room. It hurt, I won't say it didn't, but it wasn't unbearable or anything like that. What was unbearable was the nausea, but it was short lived. I slept most of the day, in and out and did see my coordinator Daniel once while I was still kinda funky. He asked me for $20 for medication he said wasn't covered in my fee???? I didn't remember hearing anything about that, but okay, I guess so.

By late afternoon, I was up and walking the halls. Oddly enough, I never really paid attention to others who were there. I couldn't tell you who other patients were, though my son could. Dr. Valenzuela came in that night to check my drain. It was full of a nice red liquid, she said it was that red because I was on injectable blood thinner at the time. She said she would see me the next day and that I would be discharged to the hotel. I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to the hotel or not, but the next day would tell. During the night, my IV stopped twice. I called a nurse who came in and took it apart. There was a nice big blood clot in it, and she put it back together, flushed it and then it started again. The next time it stopped, I tried to tell her to remove the blood clot before reconnecting the tubing to the IV, but it was futile, she couldn't understand.

The next morning after endless rounds in the hallways during the night, Daniel came in with the medication I paid for. He said I was being discharged and that he would be back later to get me and take us to the hotel after he picked up a new patient at the airport. Dra. Valenzuela came in and checked my drain again and said the Fluid in it was normal now. She said she was letting me go. I had only been there one night post op and wasn't sure I wanted to go. I asked if I should stay one more night in the hospital and she said no. So that was that. It was on to the hotel. She did not remove my drain, she said she would come to the hotel to take it out the next morning.

We went to the Marriott. My son was thrilled, he had never stayed anywhere as nice before and it was his birthday. He went out and went shopping while I settled in and tried to rest. I was really apprehensive about the next day. It was the day we were to fly home. I had not checked to see what MBC's shuttle schedule was and the latest we could be picked up and taken to the hotel was 11:00 am for a 4:00 pm flight. Christy had not told me there was certain times they would take us back and forth and Daniel said there was no other time we could go. That meant a 4 hour wait in the airport terminal.

I read somewhere on here after I was there that my support person could eat in the restaurant at a discount by just presenting the room key. I also saw where the patient was given free Water, popsicles and Jello. There was no Water or any other beverage in the room, and nobody bothered to tell me that I could have popsicles, etc. I did however get free wi-fi. While I settled with Jello, I was tormented by my son devouring a gorgeous chocolate cake for his birthday Daniel was kind enough to get for me to give him, along with the cheesiest cheese pizza I have ever seen. I took only Tylenol and in spite of the fact I had just had surgery and was on the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, I couldn't sleep. It was a looong night for sure.

Next morning, Dr. V came and took out my drain, which did not hurt even for a moment. I told her I felt weird about going home so quickly and she said I could stay another night if I wanted. I had already paid for two nights, but I really needed to get home, so I said no and at 11:00 as promised, Victor showed up to get us. We stopped at another hotel and picked up another woman and her daughter who were in the hospital the same time I was, though we never spoke until the ride. SHe had some complications with her surgery. She said her drain had migrated down into her pelvis and that she had debilitating nausea after her surgery. I told her my only complaint was my surgery was postponed. She told me that a man who had surgery and was released to the hotel had been back at the hospital the night before I got there and had almost died. In fact his condition was so grave he was transferred to a US hospital. Christy told me the same thing but added that the man had survived, but had not taken his insulin and that was where the problem started. She also offered this as a reason my surgery was postponed, because Dr. Cabrera had been up all night with the man at the hospital he was transferred to.

We got through customs in no time flat and were at the airport. I upgraded to first class for my son and I for almost nothing because we arrived so early for our flight. A rare and most welcome treat. One could get spoiled flying like that! It was very comfortable. After what seemed like the longest day, we were finally in the air and on the way home. I stayed home one more day and then went back to work. I felt good albeit a little sore.

I ran into complications a week later when my arm that held the IV inexplicably started to swell. It was hot to the touch and red. Heat, redness and swelling means only two things, infection or blood clot. Well for me it just HAD to be blood clot. In my arm! Who gets a DVT in their arm for chrissakes? I do. So, I was hospitalized for three days for that. I don't know that it was connected to my surgery, but I couldn't help but think about that nasty looking blood clot in my IV tubing that got flushed back into my arm.

Ironically, my surgery was perfect. No complications with wounds or anything else. I ate normal food while in the hospital though it was soft. Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, things like that. The hospitalist that was taking care of me said that it appeared the doctor in Mexico had done an excellent job, and in spite of the "little things" that irritated me, I am down 30 lbs in my first post op month and feel great.

I have been asked if I would do it over again, The answer is yes I would with Dr. Valenzuela though I would be smarter planning my travel and I would try to be more open minded about the differences between US and Mexico equipment. If it were not for Mexico being available, I would not have been able to have the surgery as my insurance did not cover it. All in all, I would recommend Mexico Bariatric Center. The doctors are just now building their reputation and the kudos they have accumulated online are well deserved.

[amytug 996]

Bump

[Rohler1520 119]

Thanks for sharing your story

[cindysc 108]

I am new and have not posted before. I had my sleeve done in Tijuana at Mi Doctor Hospital on January 26 of this year. I wanted to share my experience as honestly as possible and hope anyone who criticizes my comments will do so gently as not everyone has the same expectation or experience.

I started doing my research months ago to have my sleeve. I had a friend who used Dr. Almanza and had an excellent experience with him. However' date=' when I saw pictures and saw it was a surgery center and not a hospital, I was not interested. I also ruled out several other doctors over time based on various reasons.

I chose Mi Doctor and Dr. Valenzuela based on communications with the patient coordinator, Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center. I chose them because they worked out of a hospital with an intensive care unit, and because they were the group I contacted that took my medical history seriously.

I have some special medical needs. I had surgery for a broken ankle several years ago and ended up with a life threatening pulmonary embolism as a result of a dvt from my leg being immobilized. I spent 10 days in ICU and ended up with a horrible case of panic disorder after the fact and I had been on blood thinners ever since. When I discussed the surgery with my own doctor, he actually coordinated with Dr. Valenzuela directly. I had heard nothing bad about the team of Valenzuela and Cabrera and looked forward to my surgery with optimism, especially since Christy answered every question thoroughly and built up my confidence in them.

I was supposed to fly into Tijuana Friday morning and have my surgery Friday afternoon. My son and I were picked up at the airport as scheduled, and really enjoyed Victor, our driver's easy going nature. We arrived at the hospital and so far so good. There was construction going on all around the place and there was no parking, but no harm no foul so far. We sat in the waiting room for a short time and then Victor escorted us to a room one floor I believe above the surgery floor and the floor we were to stay on. He said it was the room I would stay in until MY room was ready. In the meantime, our Mexico coordinator came to introduce himself. It was the only time I would see him that day. Dr. Valenzuela came in and introduced herself, she is such a beautiful woman. She is sweet and gentle, but has only a cursory mastering of the English language. She explained that though my surgery was scheduled originally for that day, they were going to put it off until the next morning. NOT what I had arranged, but what was I going to say? I was a captive audience.

I wasn't overly impressed by the hospital. For a brief moment, I started to panic and almost changed my mind. But then I realized I was NOT in the US and just because the equipment they used didn't look like what I was used to, didn't mean it wouldn't work. I held my breath and waited for things to improve. They did. A nurse came to take my blood and for the first time in 10 years, someone got my blood on the first stick. After the blood draw, I was visited by the internist who said he felt there was no reason for me to wait for surgery, especially since my flight was less than 2 hours long. Then, the anesthesiologist came and he too said we should wait. While I trust the doctors, I was a little irritated, but I obviously didn't have a choice.

I was taken to my real room. Again, not overly impressed. In fact, I started feeling panic again and wanted to run. My room was depressing as hell. The only window was very small and was over a crawl space between buildings. It was raining and there was a drip the entire time that sounded oddly like a heart monitor. The bathroom was clean, but the light was so dim I could hardly see what I was doing in it. At one point I got bored and went for a walk. I was horrified to find that their "intensive care unit" was nothing more than a room with two beds in it. Here comes the panic again!

I found the nurses to be very friendly, although it was difficult to communicate with them because most of them did not speak English. However, I was in their country and do NOT count that as a negative whatsoever. In fact there were several I really liked.

The next morning, I was given an IV, again, they got it on the first poke and I was LOVING that! The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me again and then after I donned those gorgeous and uber sexy compression stockings, I went into the surgery room. I have to admit, I was impressed with that room, especially when the anesthesiologist put me to sleep so easily while listening to the Eagles "Hotel California." I think I spoke with Dr. Valenzuela, but I never got to meet Dr, Cabrera.

Before I knew it, I was awake again and being taken to my room. It hurt, I won't say it didn't, but it wasn't unbearable or anything like that. What was unbearable was the nausea, but it was short lived. I slept most of the day, in and out and did see my coordinator Daniel once while I was still kinda funky. He asked me for 20 for medication he said wasn't covered in my fee???? I didn't remember hearing anything about that, but okay, I guess so.

By late afternoon, I was up and walking the halls. Oddly enough, I never really paid attention to others who were there. I couldn't tell you who other patients were, though my son could. Dr. Valenzuela came in that night to check my drain. It was full of a nice red liquid, she said it was that red because I was on injectable blood thinner at the time. She said she would see me the next day and that I would be discharged to the hotel. I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to the hotel or not, but the next day would tell. During the night, my IV stopped twice. I called a nurse who came in and took it apart. There was a nice big blood clot in it, and she put it back together, flushed it and then it started again. The next time it stopped, I tried to tell her to remove the blood clot before reconnecting the tubing to the IV, but it was futile, she couldn't understand.

The next morning after endless rounds in the hallways during the night, Daniel came in with the medication I paid for. He said I was being discharged and that he would be back later to get me and take us to the hotel after he picked up a new patient at the airport. Dra. Valenzuela came in and checked my drain again and said the Fluid in it was normal now. She said she was letting me go. I had only been there one night post op and wasn't sure I wanted to go. I asked if I should stay one more night in the hospital and she said no. So that was that. It was on to the hotel. She did not remove my drain, she said she would come to the hotel to take it out the next morning.

We went to the Marriott. My son was thrilled, he had never stayed anywhere as nice before and it was his birthday. He went out and went shopping while I settled in and tried to rest. I was really apprehensive about the next day. It was the day we were to fly home. I had not checked to see what MBC's shuttle schedule was and the latest we could be picked up and taken to the hotel was 11:00 am for a 4:00 pm flight. Christy had not told me there was certain times they would take us back and forth and Daniel said there was no other time we could go. That meant a 4 hour wait in the airport terminal.

I read somewhere on here after I was there that my support person could eat in the restaurant at a discount by just presenting the room key. I also saw where the patient was given free Water, popsicles and Jello. There was no Water or any other beverage in the room, and nobody bothered to tell me that I could have popsicles, etc. I did however get free wi-fi. While I settled with Jello, I was tormented by my son devouring a gorgeous chocolate cake for his birthday Daniel was kind enough to get for me to give him, along with the cheesiest cheese pizza I have ever seen. I took only Tylenol and in spite of the fact I had just had surgery and was on the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, I couldn't sleep. It was a looong night for sure.

Next morning, Dr. V came and took out my drain, which did not hurt even for a moment. I told her I felt weird about going home so quickly and she said I could stay another night if I wanted. I had already paid for two nights, but I really needed to get home, so I said no and at 11:00 as promised, Victor showed up to get us. We stopped at another hotel and picked up another woman and her daughter who were in the hospital the same time I was, though we never spoke until the ride. SHe had some complications with her surgery. She said her drain had migrated down into her pelvis and that she had debilitating nausea after her surgery. I told her my only complaint was my surgery was postponed. She told me that a man who had surgery and was released to the hotel had been back at the hospital the night before I got there and had almost died. In fact his condition was so grave he was transferred to a US hospital. Christy told me the same thing but added that the man had survived, but had not taken his insulin and that was where the problem started. She also offered this as a reason my surgery was postponed, because Dr. Cabrera had been up all night with the man at the hospital he was transferred to.

We got through customs in no time flat and were at the airport. I upgraded to first class for my son and I for almost nothing because we arrived so early for our flight. A rare and most welcome treat. One could get spoiled flying like that! It was very comfortable. After what seemed like the longest day, we were finally in the air and on the way home. I stayed home one more day and then went back to work. I felt good albeit a little sore.

I ran into complications a week later when my arm that held the IV inexplicably started to swell. It was hot to the touch and red. Heat, redness and swelling means only two things, infection or blood clot. Well for me it just HAD to be blood clot. In my arm! Who gets a DVT in their arm for chrissakes? I do. So, I was hospitalized for three days for that. I don't know that it was connected to my surgery, but I couldn't help but think about that nasty looking blood clot in my IV tubing that got flushed back into my arm.

Ironically, my surgery was perfect. No complications with wounds or anything else. I ate normal food while in the hospital though it was soft. Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, things like that. The hospitalist that was taking care of me said that it appeared the doctor in Mexico had done an excellent job, and in spite of the "little things" that irritated me, I am down 30 lbs in my first post op month and feel great.

I have been asked if I would do it over again, The answer is yes I would with Dr. Valenzuela though I would be smarter planning my travel and I would try to be more open minded about the differences between US and Mexico equipment. If it were not for Mexico being available, I would not have been able to have the surgery as my insurance did not cover it. All in all, I would recommend Mexico Bariatric Center. The doctors are just now building their reputation and the kudos they have accumulated online are well deserved.[/quote']

Great story and thank you for sharing. I almost went with valenzueala. She seemed like she would be a good dr and I have seen good reviews for them.

[HoosierGirl 780]

Thank you for sharing your story. And for being so candid about your complete experience. I know your story will help someone trying to select a surgeon. Mostly, I am glad you had a good outcome, despite the blood clot in your arm! Congratulations on your weight loss! Very impressive!

[Tim H. 168]

Thank you for sharing all the details. I love reading the good, the bad, and everything in-between. I'll be having my surgery at Mi Doctor in a couple weeks.

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,145]

I am new and have not posted before. I had my sleeve done in Tijuana at Mi Doctor Hospital on January 26 of this year. I wanted to share my experience as honestly as possible and hope anyone who criticizes my comments will do so gently as not everyone has the same expectation or experience.

I started doing my research months ago to have my sleeve. I had a friend who used Dr. Almanza and had an excellent experience with him. However' date=' when I saw pictures and saw it was a surgery center and not a hospital, I was not interested. I also ruled out several other doctors over time based on various reasons.

I chose Mi Doctor and Dr. Valenzuela based on communications with the patient coordinator, Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center. I chose them because they worked out of a hospital with an intensive care unit, and because they were the group I contacted that took my medical history seriously.

I have some special medical needs. I had surgery for a broken ankle several years ago and ended up with a life threatening pulmonary embolism as a result of a dvt from my leg being immobilized. I spent 10 days in ICU and ended up with a horrible case of panic disorder after the fact and I had been on blood thinners ever since. When I discussed the surgery with my own doctor, he actually coordinated with Dr. Valenzuela directly. I had heard nothing bad about the team of Valenzuela and Cabrera and looked forward to my surgery with optimism, especially since Christy answered every question thoroughly and built up my confidence in them.

I was supposed to fly into Tijuana Friday morning and have my surgery Friday afternoon. My son and I were picked up at the airport as scheduled, and really enjoyed Victor, our driver's easy going nature. We arrived at the hospital and so far so good. There was construction going on all around the place and there was no parking, but no harm no foul so far. We sat in the waiting room for a short time and then Victor escorted us to a room one floor I believe above the surgery floor and the floor we were to stay on. He said it was the room I would stay in until MY room was ready. In the meantime, our Mexico coordinator came to introduce himself. It was the only time I would see him that day. Dr. Valenzuela came in and introduced herself, she is such a beautiful woman. She is sweet and gentle, but has only a cursory mastering of the English language. She explained that though my surgery was scheduled originally for that day, they were going to put it off until the next morning. NOT what I had arranged, but what was I going to say? I was a captive audience.

I wasn't overly impressed by the hospital. For a brief moment, I started to panic and almost changed my mind. But then I realized I was NOT in the US and just because the equipment they used didn't look like what I was used to, didn't mean it wouldn't work. I held my breath and waited for things to improve. They did. A nurse came to take my blood and for the first time in 10 years, someone got my blood on the first stick. After the blood draw, I was visited by the internist who said he felt there was no reason for me to wait for surgery, especially since my flight was less than 2 hours long. Then, the anesthesiologist came and he too said we should wait. While I trust the doctors, I was a little irritated, but I obviously didn't have a choice.

I was taken to my real room. Again, not overly impressed. In fact, I started feeling panic again and wanted to run. My room was depressing as hell. The only window was very small and was over a crawl space between buildings. It was raining and there was a drip the entire time that sounded oddly like a heart monitor. The bathroom was clean, but the light was so dim I could hardly see what I was doing in it. At one point I got bored and went for a walk. I was horrified to find that their "intensive care unit" was nothing more than a room with two beds in it. Here comes the panic again!

I found the nurses to be very friendly, although it was difficult to communicate with them because most of them did not speak English. However, I was in their country and do NOT count that as a negative whatsoever. In fact there were several I really liked.

The next morning, I was given an IV, again, they got it on the first poke and I was LOVING that! The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me again and then after I donned those gorgeous and uber sexy compression stockings, I went into the surgery room. I have to admit, I was impressed with that room, especially when the anesthesiologist put me to sleep so easily while listening to the Eagles "Hotel California." I think I spoke with Dr. Valenzuela, but I never got to meet Dr, Cabrera.

Before I knew it, I was awake again and being taken to my room. It hurt, I won't say it didn't, but it wasn't unbearable or anything like that. What was unbearable was the nausea, but it was short lived. I slept most of the day, in and out and did see my coordinator Daniel once while I was still kinda funky. He asked me for 20 for medication he said wasn't covered in my fee???? I didn't remember hearing anything about that, but okay, I guess so.

By late afternoon, I was up and walking the halls. Oddly enough, I never really paid attention to others who were there. I couldn't tell you who other patients were, though my son could. Dr. Valenzuela came in that night to check my drain. It was full of a nice red liquid, she said it was that red because I was on injectable blood thinner at the time. She said she would see me the next day and that I would be discharged to the hotel. I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to the hotel or not, but the next day would tell. During the night, my IV stopped twice. I called a nurse who came in and took it apart. There was a nice big blood clot in it, and she put it back together, flushed it and then it started again. The next time it stopped, I tried to tell her to remove the blood clot before reconnecting the tubing to the IV, but it was futile, she couldn't understand.

The next morning after endless rounds in the hallways during the night, Daniel came in with the medication I paid for. He said I was being discharged and that he would be back later to get me and take us to the hotel after he picked up a new patient at the airport. Dra. Valenzuela came in and checked my drain again and said the Fluid in it was normal now. She said she was letting me go. I had only been there one night post op and wasn't sure I wanted to go. I asked if I should stay one more night in the hospital and she said no. So that was that. It was on to the hotel. She did not remove my drain, she said she would come to the hotel to take it out the next morning.

We went to the Marriott. My son was thrilled, he had never stayed anywhere as nice before and it was his birthday. He went out and went shopping while I settled in and tried to rest. I was really apprehensive about the next day. It was the day we were to fly home. I had not checked to see what MBC's shuttle schedule was and the latest we could be picked up and taken to the hotel was 11:00 am for a 4:00 pm flight. Christy had not told me there was certain times they would take us back and forth and Daniel said there was no other time we could go. That meant a 4 hour wait in the airport terminal.

I read somewhere on here after I was there that my support person could eat in the restaurant at a discount by just presenting the room key. I also saw where the patient was given free Water, popsicles and Jello. There was no Water or any other beverage in the room, and nobody bothered to tell me that I could have popsicles, etc. I did however get free wi-fi. While I settled with Jello, I was tormented by my son devouring a gorgeous chocolate cake for his birthday Daniel was kind enough to get for me to give him, along with the cheesiest cheese pizza I have ever seen. I took only Tylenol and in spite of the fact I had just had surgery and was on the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, I couldn't sleep. It was a looong night for sure.

Next morning, Dr. V came and took out my drain, which did not hurt even for a moment. I told her I felt weird about going home so quickly and she said I could stay another night if I wanted. I had already paid for two nights, but I really needed to get home, so I said no and at 11:00 as promised, Victor showed up to get us. We stopped at another hotel and picked up another woman and her daughter who were in the hospital the same time I was, though we never spoke until the ride. SHe had some complications with her surgery. She said her drain had migrated down into her pelvis and that she had debilitating nausea after her surgery. I told her my only complaint was my surgery was postponed. She told me that a man who had surgery and was released to the hotel had been back at the hospital the night before I got there and had almost died. In fact his condition was so grave he was transferred to a US hospital. Christy told me the same thing but added that the man had survived, but had not taken his insulin and that was where the problem started. She also offered this as a reason my surgery was postponed, because Dr. Cabrera had been up all night with the man at the hospital he was transferred to.

We got through customs in no time flat and were at the airport. I upgraded to first class for my son and I for almost nothing because we arrived so early for our flight. A rare and most welcome treat. One could get spoiled flying like that! It was very comfortable. After what seemed like the longest day, we were finally in the air and on the way home. I stayed home one more day and then went back to work. I felt good albeit a little sore.

I ran into complications a week later when my arm that held the IV inexplicably started to swell. It was hot to the touch and red. Heat, redness and swelling means only two things, infection or blood clot. Well for me it just HAD to be blood clot. In my arm! Who gets a DVT in their arm for chrissakes? I do. So, I was hospitalized for three days for that. I don't know that it was connected to my surgery, but I couldn't help but think about that nasty looking blood clot in my IV tubing that got flushed back into my arm.

Ironically, my surgery was perfect. No complications with wounds or anything else. I ate normal food while in the hospital though it was soft. Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, things like that. The hospitalist that was taking care of me said that it appeared the doctor in Mexico had done an excellent job, and in spite of the "little things" that irritated me, I am down 30 lbs in my first post op month and feel great.

I have been asked if I would do it over again, The answer is yes I would with Dr. Valenzuela though I would be smarter planning my travel and I would try to be more open minded about the differences between US and Mexico equipment. If it were not for Mexico being available, I would not have been able to have the surgery as my insurance did not cover it. All in all, I would recommend Mexico Bariatric Center. The doctors are just now building their reputation and the kudos they have accumulated online are well deserved.[/quote']

Thank you for your candor and detailed experience. I'm sure those who are a researching or have surgery scheduled with this surgical team will appreciate your detailed account. I hope your recovery keeps progressing along. Don't be a stranger.

Amanda Rae

[KatInFL 216]

I am new and have not posted before. I had my sleeve done in Tijuana at Mi Doctor Hospital on January 26 of this year. I wanted to share my experience as honestly as possible and hope anyone who criticizes my comments will do so gently as not everyone has the same expectation or experience.

I started doing my research months ago to have my sleeve. I had a friend who used Dr. Almanza and had an excellent experience with him. However, when I saw pictures and saw it was a surgery center and not a hospital, I was not interested. I also ruled out several other doctors over time based on various reasons.

I chose Mi Doctor and Dr. Valenzuela based on communications with the patient coordinator, Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center. I chose them because they worked out of a hospital with an intensive care unit, and because they were the group I contacted that took my medical history seriously.

I have some special medical needs. I had surgery for a broken ankle several years ago and ended up with a life threatening pulmonary embolism as a result of a dvt from my leg being immobilized. I spent 10 days in ICU and ended up with a horrible case of panic disorder after the fact and I had been on blood thinners ever since. When I discussed the surgery with my own doctor, he actually coordinated with Dr. Valenzuela directly. I had heard nothing bad about the team of Valenzuela and Cabrera and looked forward to my surgery with optimism, especially since Christy answered every question thoroughly and built up my confidence in them.

I was supposed to fly into Tijuana Friday morning and have my surgery Friday afternoon. My son and I were picked up at the airport as scheduled, and really enjoyed Victor, our driver's easy going nature. We arrived at the hospital and so far so good. There was construction going on all around the place and there was no parking, but no harm no foul so far. We sat in the waiting room for a short time and then Victor escorted us to a room one floor I believe above the surgery floor and the floor we were to stay on. He said it was the room I would stay in until MY room was ready. In the meantime, our Mexico coordinator came to introduce himself. It was the only time I would see him that day. Dr. Valenzuela came in and introduced herself, she is such a beautiful woman. She is sweet and gentle, but has only a cursory mastering of the English language. She explained that though my surgery was scheduled originally for that day, they were going to put it off until the next morning. NOT what I had arranged, but what was I going to say? I was a captive audience.

I wasn't overly impressed by the hospital. For a brief moment, I started to panic and almost changed my mind. But then I realized I was NOT in the US and just because the equipment they used didn't look like what I was used to, didn't mean it wouldn't work. I held my breath and waited for things to improve. They did. A nurse came to take my blood and for the first time in 10 years, someone got my blood on the first stick. After the blood draw, I was visited by the internist who said he felt there was no reason for me to wait for surgery, especially since my flight was less than 2 hours long. Then, the anesthesiologist came and he too said we should wait. While I trust the doctors, I was a little irritated, but I obviously didn't have a choice.

I was taken to my real room. Again, not overly impressed. In fact, I started feeling panic again and wanted to run. My room was depressing as hell. The only window was very small and was over a crawl space between buildings. It was raining and there was a drip the entire time that sounded oddly like a heart monitor. The bathroom was clean, but the light was so dim I could hardly see what I was doing in it. At one point I got bored and went for a walk. I was horrified to find that their "intensive care unit" was nothing more than a room with two beds in it. Here comes the panic again!

I found the nurses to be very friendly, although it was difficult to communicate with them because most of them did not speak English. However, I was in their country and do NOT count that as a negative whatsoever. In fact there were several I really liked.

The next morning, I was given an IV, again, they got it on the first poke and I was LOVING that! The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me again and then after I donned those gorgeous and uber sexy compression stockings, I went into the surgery room. I have to admit, I was impressed with that room, especially when the anesthesiologist put me to sleep so easily while listening to the Eagles "Hotel California." I think I spoke with Dr. Valenzuela, but I never got to meet Dr, Cabrera.

Before I knew it, I was awake again and being taken to my room. It hurt, I won't say it didn't, but it wasn't unbearable or anything like that. What was unbearable was the nausea, but it was short lived. I slept most of the day, in and out and did see my coordinator Daniel once while I was still kinda funky. He asked me for $20 for medication he said wasn't covered in my fee???? I didn't remember hearing anything about that, but okay, I guess so.

By late afternoon, I was up and walking the halls. Oddly enough, I never really paid attention to others who were there. I couldn't tell you who other patients were, though my son could. Dr. Valenzuela came in that night to check my drain. It was full of a nice red liquid, she said it was that red because I was on injectable blood thinner at the time. She said she would see me the next day and that I would be discharged to the hotel. I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to the hotel or not, but the next day would tell. During the night, my IV stopped twice. I called a nurse who came in and took it apart. There was a nice big blood clot in it, and she put it back together, flushed it and then it started again. The next time it stopped, I tried to tell her to remove the blood clot before reconnecting the tubing to the IV, but it was futile, she couldn't understand.

The next morning after endless rounds in the hallways during the night, Daniel came in with the medication I paid for. He said I was being discharged and that he would be back later to get me and take us to the hotel after he picked up a new patient at the airport. Dra. Valenzuela came in and checked my drain again and said the Fluid in it was normal now. She said she was letting me go. I had only been there one night post op and wasn't sure I wanted to go. I asked if I should stay one more night in the hospital and she said no. So that was that. It was on to the hotel. She did not remove my drain, she said she would come to the hotel to take it out the next morning.

We went to the Marriott. My son was thrilled, he had never stayed anywhere as nice before and it was his birthday. He went out and went shopping while I settled in and tried to rest. I was really apprehensive about the next day. It was the day we were to fly home. I had not checked to see what MBC's shuttle schedule was and the latest we could be picked up and taken to the hotel was 11:00 am for a 4:00 pm flight. Christy had not told me there was certain times they would take us back and forth and Daniel said there was no other time we could go. That meant a 4 hour wait in the airport terminal.

I read somewhere on here after I was there that my support person could eat in the restaurant at a discount by just presenting the room key. I also saw where the patient was given free Water, popsicles and Jello. There was no Water or any other beverage in the room, and nobody bothered to tell me that I could have popsicles, etc. I did however get free wi-fi. While I settled with Jello, I was tormented by my son devouring a gorgeous chocolate cake for his birthday Daniel was kind enough to get for me to give him, along with the cheesiest cheese pizza I have ever seen. I took only Tylenol and in spite of the fact I had just had surgery and was on the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, I couldn't sleep. It was a looong night for sure.

Next morning, Dr. V came and took out my drain, which did not hurt even for a moment. I told her I felt weird about going home so quickly and she said I could stay another night if I wanted. I had already paid for two nights, but I really needed to get home, so I said no and at 11:00 as promised, Victor showed up to get us. We stopped at another hotel and picked up another woman and her daughter who were in the hospital the same time I was, though we never spoke until the ride. SHe had some complications with her surgery. She said her drain had migrated down into her pelvis and that she had debilitating nausea after her surgery. I told her my only complaint was my surgery was postponed. She told me that a man who had surgery and was released to the hotel had been back at the hospital the night before I got there and had almost died. In fact his condition was so grave he was transferred to a US hospital. Christy told me the same thing but added that the man had survived, but had not taken his insulin and that was where the problem started. She also offered this as a reason my surgery was postponed, because Dr. Cabrera had been up all night with the man at the hospital he was transferred to.

We got through customs in no time flat and were at the airport. I upgraded to first class for my son and I for almost nothing because we arrived so early for our flight. A rare and most welcome treat. One could get spoiled flying like that! It was very comfortable. After what seemed like the longest day, we were finally in the air and on the way home. I stayed home one more day and then went back to work. I felt good albeit a little sore.

I ran into complications a week later when my arm that held the IV inexplicably started to swell. It was hot to the touch and red. Heat, redness and swelling means only two things, infection or blood clot. Well for me it just HAD to be blood clot. In my arm! Who gets a DVT in their arm for chrissakes? I do. So, I was hospitalized for three days for that. I don't know that it was connected to my surgery, but I couldn't help but think about that nasty looking blood clot in my IV tubing that got flushed back into my arm.

Ironically, my surgery was perfect. No complications with wounds or anything else. I ate normal food while in the hospital though it was soft. Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, things like that. The hospitalist that was taking care of me said that it appeared the doctor in Mexico had done an excellent job, and in spite of the "little things" that irritated me, I am down 30 lbs in my first post op month and feel great.

I have been asked if I would do it over again, The answer is yes I would with Dr. Valenzuela though I would be smarter planning my travel and I would try to be more open minded about the differences between US and Mexico equipment. If it were not for Mexico being available, I would not have been able to have the surgery as my insurance did not cover it. All in all, I would recommend Mexico Bariatric Center. The doctors are just now building their reputation and the kudos they have accumulated online are well deserved.

Thanks for sharing your story!

I've read previously that some people were surprised by slight differences in medical equipment...not that it was old or not working, but less cutting edge than things in the US. If I recall correctly, maybe a thermometer was one? Not critical items but you get used to seeing brand new, cutting edge technology that isn't necessarily used every where else.

I'm glad you shared that and the rest of your experience. Fluency in English was one of the items on my spreadsheet when I was trying to decide on a surgeon.

I'm so sorry to hear about the issue with a blood clot! How scary! It's fantastic that you did know what to look for and were able to get immediate attention.

Fantastic news on your weight loss....best of luck in your continued success!

~Kat

[NotADumbBlonde 6]

Thanks everyone. I am coming along nicely, and the arm is doing fine as well. It could have been worse for sure, and I almost felt guilty mentioning it.

The other thing I have noted with Dr. Valenzuela and Mexico Bariatric Center is that there was only one communication from my coordinator Christy after I returned. I told her everything I said here save for the blood clot because that hadn't happened yet. She took my concerns to the doctors who basically said it was their decision that I should wait until the next morning for surgery and according to them, I understood and was okay with it. Really, at that point, what could I do? Fly home and try again another time? NOT! LOL I kind of thought they would check in periodically, but so far they haven't. It's okay though, I have a good doctor state side.

All in all, it was money well spent. My sister had the same surgery in the states and had nothing but problems for a while. She couldn't eat for a long time and had to depend on Ensure and whey powder. Me on the other hand, I have been eating regular food since I was in the hospital and have tolerated everything great.

The hardest part is being able to know when to put the fork down. The brain says I am still hungry even though the stomache doesn't necessarily want anything. I haven't been able to tell when I am full and often have that one bite too many and feel gross afterward. Learning curves....gotta love em!

[emme 27]

Yes.. Thank you thank you for the details.. So glad everything turned out great~ I will be at MI in 6 weeks YIP!

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

A big THANK YOU for your review. I'm getting sleeved with Cabrera/Valenzuela in exactly two weeks. Since I'm unable to meet with the doctors before traveling to Tijuana, It is soooo important to be able to read as many reviews as possible before going.

Your account has me feeling really good about my choice of doctors. I'm glad to see that the doctors transferred the man with diabetic complications to a US hospital when things got serious and also that Doctor Cabrera went up with him. I'm sorry that it interfered with your surgery though. They should have been more forthcoming with what was going on with the delay of your surgery... but with the language barrier, I can see this being a problem. I hope this patient is doing ok now!

Also the $20.00 for medication, that would have seemed a bit strange to me too if I wasn't prepared for it! Christy told me about that a few weeks ago. She said that it was something that I should be prepared for. She hadn't told me about it before and she said that it's something she just learned about that Garcia/Cabrera prescribe but not to every needs it so it's not built into the fee.

I'm happy to hear that your actual surgery went so well, though the blood clot is DEFINITELY a cause for concern.... AND of course, CONGRATULATIONS on losing 30 pounds already. That's awesome!

[Rohler1520 119]

What was the medicine for?

[janarae 93]

The medicine is omeprazol, you can get it in the states and had I realized what it was I would have and just brought it with me.

Revision 1/31/13 by Dr Cabrera and Venezuela in MX

[Rohler1520 119]

The medicine is omeprazol' date=' you can get it in the states and had I realized what it was I would have and just brought it with me.

Revision 1/31/13 by Dr Cabrera and Venezuela in MX[/quote']

Oh ok well I take that now so I will bring it with me.Thanks u just saved me 20 bucks.

[Jiggly Puff 53]

Thank you so much for this fantastically candid review of the Mi Doctor and the two surgeons I've signed up for. Everything you said was very much needed to hear. The good, the not-so-bad and the sometimes scary. You really put my mind at ease and I feel so much better now that I have a really good idea of what to expect. What really got me was the part about that poor guy who had to be transferred to another hospital and how the doctor was with him the whole time. I'm so relieved that your story had a happy ending. Thanks again for sharing, congrats on your weight loss and good luck to you!!!