I am researching Dr. Rumbaut (sp?) in Monterray, Mexico.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with him? Has anyone heard anything about his aftercare and ability to contact him with questions etc... after the surgery?

I had surgery with Dr. Rumbaut. I had an alltogether positive experience with him. From my research, he has the most experience placing bands within my traveling preference. The hospital where he practices is one of the best I've ever seen. I got excellent care after surgery, Dr. Diaz, his assistant, came to the hotel at 1:00 am to bring me medication when I was nauseaus and sat with me until he was sure I was better, I think that's extraordinary. I've never had an American doctor do that! They wouldn't even bother to return a call in the states.

I must admit that I was scared to go to Mexico, but I was very impressed with everything I experienced.

I've only had one occasion to contact him since I've returned. It wasn't actually a band issue. I had a question regarding the chest x-ray I had for pre-op, I asked him to look at something that my doctor here at home was making an issue over. They got back with me right away and answered my questions.

I originally began to look to Mexico for cost reasons, because I had to self pay, but I found him to be an exceptionally caring and skilled surgeon. I'm starting to sound like an ad for him, but I can't think of anything negative to say. Ther are others on this board who have been to him, I'd like to hear their stories too.

Roberto Rumbaut Diaz of Monterrey, MX, was my surgeon as well. Dr. Rumbaut is from a Cuban family, attended junior high in Ohio (so hs English is better than mine) and then he completed his education in Mexico, as his family relocated there after his junior high school years.

He is one of the very few doctors (I think there were five or six) who participated in the pre-FDA testing. That is, before the FDA allowed the trials to be conducted here, they had to look at results from elsewhere. They looked at Rumbaut's results. And, he is one of even fewer band surgeons who is also a band patient.

He often does about five band placements per day, two days per week. when I got mine almost two years ago, he had placed over 1400. Now it's over 2000. (some doctors will say, "WE'VE PLACED X-bands...", and then they add up all the bands placed by all the doctors in the practice. Rumbaut counts the ones HE has done. The hospital is a teaching hospital; you'll have a private room with a bed or sofa for a family member and a private shower. There are about four or five patients per nurse, post-op. Patients stay at the Hampton Inn, next door to a McDonald's an Applebee's and a shopping center. Applebee's provides limited room service at the hotel. Patients are taken from appointment to appointment by the hospital's van or by taxi, included in the room rate.

He get about a billion emails a day, so he is NOT the fastest at answering them. But he gives you HIS cell phone, not an assistant's. And he has even answered a call from me while he was on a stage in Chicago getting ready to give a lecture. (I asked if I should call back later, he said, "No, it's not my turn to talk yet.") If you call his office, he returns calls promptly.

Feel free to ask more specific questions if you have them.

BTW, he is a proctor for US doctors. That's what he was doing on the stage in Chicago and his band surgeon was Franco Favretti in Italy.

Sue

It IS a long way to Monterrey every time you need to see your surgeon.