Just fyi for those searching, Dr. Ariel Ortiz was NEVER featured in Newsweek magazine as a top surgeon in America for 2011. It's all over his site and he did a Youtube video about it and it's not true.

He was feartured as a top surgeon in Newsweek Showcase, an advertising site that has nothing to do with Newsweek Magazine. Basically you can pay to use them and then claim you were in "Newsweek." Ugghh!

And he wasn't "featured" on Oprah. The show was on drastic steps parents are taking to help their teens lose weight. One of his patients - a 13-year old - was on Oprah to discuss having a lapband done in Mexico. US doctors won't touch a child that young. He was in the audience. How the freak is that being featured?

I'm not saying the man isn't a good surgeon. He has good and bad reviews, mostly good I think, so it is what it is but he's not into full disclosure and I don't respect that.

PS If you love him, that is awesome. Doesn't change the fact that he stretches the truth till it freaking sings.

This is what I find most disturbing. When I began researching going to the sleeve two years ago, having been a previous Ortiz patient, I went back onto the OCC Forum to learn about how patients felt.

They have a "girl" (because no woman would act as hostile as this girl does) named "Lindsey" from Canada who was lapbanded by Dr Ortiz.

She was on EVERY sleeve commentary on Ortiz's site...lecturing newly sleeved people, yelling at newly sleeved (and wannabe sleeved people) and overall being a huge pain in the rear end.

When a few people complained to the moderators that she was OUT OF LINE as she did not have a gastric sleeve...we were all told to shove off.

I just checked two months ago and "Lindsey" is STILL being a rude, pain in the rear end to the gastric sleeve people.

That did it for me. I won't promote Ortiz if he cannot even put a muzzle on someone who has no business shoving her nose in gastric sleeving business.

(she has a LAPBAND and is the 1% who has been successful with it)

I'm not promoting anybody - nor am I tearing anyone down. If someone is on this forum to do research they should know I have had positive results as a Dr. Ortiz patient.

And I determined in my pre-surgery research that Newsweek Showcase was not Newsweek Magazine. Dangerous to assume what others do/don't know. This forum is all about sharing informaton.

Obviously not all are not fans of Dr. Ortiz. To each their own. However, the bottom line for anyone looking at surgery in Mexico should spend a lot of time verifying everything and doing their own research. This is a serious surgery and deserves more due dilligence than simply believing marketing information.

well, I sure hope they wise up and put a muzzle on dear old Lindsey. (I am sure you know who/what I am talking about @Hoosiergirl)

She does NOTHING for potential Sleeve patients but scares them off.

I never spent much time on the OCC Forum as it is so much less "active" than this site.

But bring it on Lindsey!

Sheesh.. I miss all the good stuff.

I was just trying to help people do their research by sharing what I found out. I didn't know so I figured other people might not know. That is all.

Lisa - I just went on the OCC Forum and read some of Lindsey's posts....WOW....I totally get it....

I'm actually glad you posted this. I've already decided on another surgeon but I did look into him when I first started deciding to go into the Mexico route and I was impressed by the Newsweek thing...I honestly assumed it was the magazine. So I'm sure a lot of other people assume the same thing...good looking out!

Lisa - I just went on the OCC Forum and read some of Lindsey's posts....WOW....I totally get it....

She is the reason three of us decided to not go back to him.

She is cancerous to his site and the moderators continue to let her wreck havoc.

very sad.

I am glad you know where I am coming from now.

I can only speak from my personal experience with Dr Ortiz at OCC and it was wonderful. I had the sleeve done on April 15th and feel terrific. I am down roughly 15 lbs and couldn't feel better. I did alot of research and OCC was the only place I felt comfortable with for my surgery. I'm not putting down other Drs so please don't jump me, lol. It's all a personal decision for each of us. I too grew tired of the OCC forum and do not go there any longer. I have seen posts that were later deleted and I disagree with that. Some people are spending their life savings to go to Mexico and get the surgery, I think they deserve to know everything that they possibly can about the service they will be receiving. So good luck to all.

He was not my doctor but I actually saw the show where Oprah went to OCC and met with Dr Ortiz with the teen about lap band years ago... He was indeed in the show and it was about him and how safe it was for a teen to do lap band performed by Dr Ortiz.... The episode was about Cassie going to Mexico an they showed all around OCC with Dr Ortiz then she had it done

He was not my doctor but I actually saw the show where Oprah went to OCC and met with Dr Ortiz with the teen about lap band years ago... He was indeed in the show and it was about him and how safe it was for a teen to do lap band performed by Dr Ortiz.... The episode was about Cassie going to Mexico an they showed all around OCC with Dr Ortiz then she had it done

Yes... I watched the show as well and he was definitely PART of the show and not just in the audience. It was roughly 7 years ago when I first started researching WLS... Over the years I had researched other Dr's and due to my health insurance exclusions I knew that Mexico was my only option financially... I made the decision in March 2012 to have my sleeve surgery and on April 16th my life changed! I have nothing but positive things to say about my entire experience.. As other posters have mentioned.. YOU have to do your due diligence when reasearching surgeons.. I researched off and on for YEARS and I always came back to Dr. Ortiz... One of his coordinators had a revision surgery the same day as me. She took her band out and opted for the sleeve. We have become great friends and Dr. Ortiz actually flew me out to film a youtube video for him. I jumped at the chance because this man and the entire staff at OCC are top notch and they helped change my life!! If I can help others change their lives by my testimony why wouldn't I?? I am featured on his site in his video section and I was only 4 months out from my surgery. I am just a small town girl that has had an incredible surgery experience and I want to let the world know!!! I have nothing to hide.. I live in Hagerstown, MD and given the opportunity again.. I would jump at the chance to promote Dr. Ortiz!!

I've been researching my Surgeon options and am probably going to go with Dr. Ortiz. I knew the Newsweek thing was an advertisement and I also know the Center of Excellence thing is a joke. I'm in the veterinary field and its the same thing as someone only going with an AAHA accredited vet hospital.... Piles of paperwork, notebooks full of formal protocols, and doing everything "right" on the day of your official accreditation visit does not make you or your staff "the best". But like barbbdoll, my research kept coming back to him. As for his forum, I would be more disturbed if his moderators did remove Lindsay's posts. I feel That would be biased censorship on their part.

For the Ortiz non-fans out there, I would love to hear any personal complaints and complications you've had. I'm pretty leary of general bashing statements and statistics with no proof from non-patients.

Hmmm ... when checking references about anything, the wise person discards the most vehement critics and the over-the-moon cheerleaders. It's the people in the middle -- the number of them, the results, their results, the consistency of their satisfaction over time -- that really tell the tale.

Professional services marketing -- doctors, lawyers, accountants, realtors, financial advisors, bankers, etc. -- is like any other marketing. The best story is told. That's the nature of marketing.

Social media like this board help us parse the truth we need to make ourselves comfortable.

Bottom line: Discard the extremes, ask the tough questions you might at first blush think are "rude," then trust your gut.

Best wishes to all here.

i too am going to OCC. i just feel confortable with the whole team and i like that many on this board have had great recent sleeves with OCC,

good luck with whomever you find and are comfortable with in the end we all want the same thing, a good experience that will forever change our lives for the better.

happy hunting