Many of you on here know me well, I have been a part of these message boards for years. I love our members and I want only the best for them. Therefore, I can not in good conscience keep this to myself any longer.

Dr. Illan is a wonderful surgeon. In fact, when I used to coordinate, for a while I actually referred patients to him. His coordinator, Omar, has a very, very faithful following. So much so, I fully expect and am prepared for the "verbal beating" I am going to get for going public with what I know. But, if I prevent just one woman from experiencing what I am about to share with you, then it will all be worth it.

As I said, Omar is very well loved among the patients, especially the ladies. He goes out of his way to ensure everyone has a great experience while there. He provides for the patient's every need, transports them around town, runs errands for them, sits by their bedside and so much more. He is very charming and charismatic. There will be many, many members who will respond to this thread stating just that. In fact, when the first patient, one that I had referred to them, approached me about what happened to her, I did her a horrible disservice by not really believing what she told me, because Omar did such a good job of convincing me otherwise. But now, after six woman, some of whom I referred to Dr. Illan, some not, have contacted me regarding what happened to them, I know now that first patient was telling me the truth, she did not misinterpret anything and I must speak out.

So, what is it that I am speaking off? I am talking about taking advantage of woman who have traveled to a foreign country by themselves, most likely have low self-esteem due to their weight issues, they are scared and they are lonely. Then, along comes Omar. He is by their side throughout their stay. He is, as I said before, charming and charismatic. They very quickly find themselves falling victim to him, and he takes advantage of them in several different ways. He either is sexually suggestive to them, sexually inappropriate, or convinces these woman he truly cares for/loves them and begins a romantic relationship with them. Because of how vulnerable they are, they believe he really does care about them, and they allow themselves to be wooed by him and have a romantic and/or sexual relationship with him. Then, shortly after, he basically dumps them. He quits responding to their calls, texts, etc. He leaves these woman feeling broken and foolish for falling for him. They feel like they have done something wrong, when in fact, they are merely the victim of a heartless man taking extreme advantage of his position and their vulnerability. Understand, I am not saying this happens with every patient, but it does happen and it shows an extreme lack of professionalism and moral character.

I have attempted to contact Dr. Illan to speak with him personally about this. Unfortunately, Omar makes that nearly impossible. All calls, emails, etc. are intercepted by him. And, here is the saddest part of all, Dr. Illan already knows what is going on. So, I am doubtful my talking to him would make a difference. Dr. Illan knows Omar has a strong fan base, and therefore, brings him a great deal of business. So, he turns a blind eye to what is happening. Which, is why I have no guilt in publicly coming out and sharing what I know. I will be honest, my goal here is to have Omar removed from his position as coordinator with Baja Bariatrics and Dr. Illan, and to see that he does not work in this field or any other field where he can take advantage of woman again. And, if Dr. Illan goes down as a result, well, shame on him for allowing it to happen in the first place.

Just to clarify ... It is not the doctor that engaged in a supposed relationship, but the patient coordinator. A patient coordinator does not take an oath like a physician or therapist and thus would not lose a license for getting in a relationship with a patient. If this coordinator did develop a relationship with these ladies and it ended, there is no harm done, it was consentual from what I have read.

I am not being obtuse. This, from Ivana, is exactly what I have been getting at, so thanks Ivana! Omar has no power over anyone and can have consensual sex with whoever he wants and it needs to remain private. This thread is threatening the doctors rep, not that of Omar.

Your coordinator should uphold the ethical guidelines for the whole team--surgeon, company, hospital etc.

I have to disagree Irish & Ivana, coordinators do have significant power over your situation, and therefore should keep work & personal life separate. You are relying on them to pass info to your Dr perhaps, get meds, help with follow up, translate and get you back across the border safely! All in a foreign country as well--you need to know you have a professional to rely on. Bad blood could cause significant stress & problems, with no quick fix of getting them replaced in a hurry.

I am not denying anything. I am simply saying 3 of these woman were fully aware of what was happening and were o.k. with it, until they got dumped! They were not taken advantage of in ANY way.

Do you want me to break out the fucking crayons and draw you pictures?

So, my posts busting susan for posting as bill were taken down - including the screen shot?

What ETHICAL moderating. What bull!

I personally deleted your post. You didn't bust Susan for anything. You're trying to build a case against her that's baseless. Bill is Susan's fiance....not really sure why you're harping on this issue? Why are you and others trying so hard to discredit her ?

Seems crystal clear to me that we have an individual (Omar) that's been sexually preying on Dr. Illan's patients.

End of story.

I am not denying anything. I am simply saying 3 of these woman were fully aware of what was happening and were o.k. with it, until they got dumped! They were not taken advantage of in ANY way. Do you want me to break out the f**king crayons and draw you pictures?

Have you ever been taken advantage of and trusted someone only to realize later you were used and preyed upon due to your emotional state at that time? It does happen.

Omar is a man, he has needs like any other man. However, a true professional would recognize where and when it is appropriate to seek to have those needs satisfied. Regardless of how woman may or may not react to him, he always insisted to me that he never had and never would consider entering into anything other than a professional relationship with Dr. Illan's patients. But, clearly by the woman who have not been afraid to come forward despite the bullying of his supporters, he has not spoken the truth to me. He lied to me.

I'm trying to figure out how all this would go down. You are bandaged, oozy, farty, belchy, tired, pukey, and dehydrated. Sexy times.

Ha! That was my exact thought. I cannot imagine even thinking romantically after I have just had surgery and feel like crap. And honestly, if you've seen pics of Omar he does not exactly elude sexuality. More he looks like a very kind and gentle person. But with that said I would not be able to defend either points of thought. I have not met him.

Well, those compression thigh-highs are pretty enticing. And the drains really add a certain je ne sais quoi.

I don't think that is the end of story alex. Not by a long shot. I think there is more to the side - another side - that you nor susan have inquired about.

I was not 'building a case' to 'discredit' susan. If you read back in all of my posts, I have been very reasonable and asking legit questions and certainly not saying it is not true. However, when someone clearly posts under a fake name to support her arguments and then forgets to log out and posts something she meant to post under her real name.....well that IS a matter of credibility and ethical behavior too isn't it?

I also have an issue with someone trying to 'bring down' a widely regarded excellent surgeon based on her speculation of his knowledge and/or motives without having ever spoken to said surgeon.

I'm (not) sorry, but I am not taking your or susan's word on this matter 'just because you say so'. I need to see real evidence that this is more than a consensual romance gone sour.

I think I am a more interested party in this matter than most since I am getting surgery there in 3.5 weeks. I, of all people, have the right to question the claims and ask for more information and evidence.

Edited July 30, 201412 yr by Travelmego

I don't think that is the end of story alex. Not by a long shot. I think there is more to the side - another side - that you nor susan have inquired about. I was not 'building a case' to 'discredit' susan. If you read back in all of my posts, I have been very reasonable and asking legit questions and certainly not saying it is not true. However, when someone clearly posts under a fake name to support her arguments and then forgets to log out and posts something she meant to post under her real name.....well that IS a matter of credibility and ethical behavior too isn't it? I also have an issue with someone trying to 'bring down' a widely regarded excellent surgeon based on her speculation of his knowledge and/or motives without having ever spoken to said surgeon. I'm (not) sorry, but I am not taking your's or susan's word on this matter 'just because you say so'. I need to see real evidence that this is more than a consensual romance gone sour. I think I am a more interested party in this matter than most since I am getting surgery there in 3.5 weeks. I, of all people, have the right to question the claims and ask for more information and evidence.

Okay, I have been reasonable, but I have officially lost my patience with you and the other fangirls. I do not have to continue to explain myself or justify myself to you. I have explained that my fiancé and I use the same iPad. He could not remember his old login so he created a new one to post his thoughts. I came back and posted, not realizing I was no longer signed in. Quit making a big deal of that, you are grasping at straws and it is growing old and tiresome very quickly.

Next, two of the people did come forward and post in this thread. And, what happened, they were ridiculed and bullied by you and the fangirls. They are evidence! As one of your friends said, do I need to take out my paper and crayons and draw a picture for you? Why in the hell would anyone else want to come forward and post in this thread only to be beaten down by by a bunch of internet bullies intent on making victims feel like they are at fault, when they are not!

You have already made up your mind. And yes, I guardamntee you will have a wonderful experience with Dr. Illan and Omar. Of course you will, if he is intelligent enough to know exactly what woman are vulnerable enough to prey upon for his own personal satisfaction, then one can only assume he is also intelligent enough to realize he better be on his best behavior now that he has been publicly called out.

Your coordinator should uphold the ethical guidelines for the whole team--surgeon, company, hospital etc. I have to disagree Irish & Ivana, coordinators do have significant power over your situation, and therefore should keep work & personal life separate. You are relying on them to pass info to your Dr perhaps, get meds, help with follow up, translate and get you back across the border safely! All in a foreign country as well--you need to know you have a professional to rely on. Bad blood could cause significant stress & problems, with no quick fix of getting them replaced in a hurry.

Exactly!!

I wasn't going to post but I gotta agree here! Yes I know 3 of these females myself. The sad truth is we personally tried to prevent one that we considered a friend from getting hurt before it happen but she wouldn't listen! She just knew this was "true love" it got to the point where she thought I was a hater lmao!! So we stopped speaking! Now everything we warned her about happen and now these women are playing the victim? Please they knew about eachother, hated eachother and now they are all buddy buddy trying to bring Omar down cause they are hurt and embarrassed! Yes Omar made mistakes and I talked to him many times and tried to make him see his ways but these ladies are adults. He would stop contacting them and yet they would threaten and black mail him so he would keep talking to them. It got to the point where I even stop talking to Omar cause I seen what was going to happen before it did! But I refuse to allow people to think these ladies are the victim here! He played them and he was wrong as hell but he is a man.. But they have to take some blame in this

I am not denying anything. I am simply saying 3 of these woman were fully aware of what was happening and were o.k. with it, until they got dumped! They were not taken advantage of in ANY way.

Do you want me to break out the f**king crayons and draw you pictures?

If you can't find true love during a 3-day surgical trip in a Tijuana Hospital, then where the hell can you find true love?

After reading all this drama, my concern is not for those of you arguing tooth and nail about who is right and who is wrong. My concern is that somewhere out there we have members who are suffering, embarrassed, feeling taken advantage of, yet feel that they can't speak of it here for fear of being judged. Ultimately we are all here for the same reason, to reclaim our lives and our health, and for support while we do this. This should be a place to come for support, knowing that we've all screwed up at some point, and we should be able to voice our fears, frustrations, etc. Bariatric surgery is HARD emotionally. We may be grown adults but many of us are at a time of turmoil when we do have surgery. We're up, we're down, I personally was freaking nuts for about 6 weeks post op. I could have easily been taken advantage of at that point. Your surgeon's office isn't a place you should have to be on guard. It, like here, should be a safe zone. For anyone in a physician's office to have such a relationship with a patient, willing or otherwise, is inappropriate. I cannot fathom trying to recover post-op from a life hanging surgery and then having to deal with this type of emotional turmoil as well.

Ultimately, though I think it could have been presented in a better manner, as a consumer, I would want to know if there are any concerns with my surgeon or his office pre-op. Even if I chose to stay with the surgeon, knowing ahead of time that Omar could possibly be a bit too friendly could keep me from possibly being 'influenced' at a vulnerable time.

For those of you that used this surgeon and had no problems, congratulations on your smooth journey. For those of you that used this surgeon and feel taken advantage of, I am really sorry you had to go through this. As a medical professional, if someone in my office exhibited such behavior, I don't care how good they are at what they do, they'd be gone.

Can't we all just get along????

I don't think that is the end of story alex. Not by a long shot. I think there is more to the side - another side - that you nor susan have inquired about.

I was not 'building a case' to 'discredit' susan. If you read back in all of my posts, I have been very reasonable and asking legit questions and certainly not saying it is not true. However, when someone clearly posts under a fake name to support her arguments and then forgets to log out and posts something she meant to post under her real name.....well that IS a matter of credibility and ethical behavior too isn't it?

I also have an issue with someone trying to 'bring down' a widely regarded excellent surgeon based on her speculation of his knowledge and/or motives without having ever spoken to said surgeon.

I'm (not) sorry, but I am not taking your's or susan's word on this matter 'just because you say so'. I need to see real evidence that this is more than a consensual romance gone sour.

I think I am a more interested party in this matter than most since I am getting surgery there in 3.5 weeks. I, of all people, have the right to question the claims and ask for more information and evidence.

And injured parties have come forward to talk of their experience yet instead of asking them questions, you continue to badger the OP. That's so bizarre to me. If I was a speculating woman, I'd say you are *so* ready to have this surgery that you really wouldn't care to change surgeons even if someone sent you videotape AND THAT'S OK!

If you want to proceed with Illan, by all means, do! Good luck, be safe, I wish you the best. I'm sure after all this NO ONE in the practice will be the slightest bit inappropriate which is the ultimate goal in my opinion.

You clearly have a bone to pick with Susan and seemingly now with Alex. You make up your mind and do what's best for you. Personally, I'd be grateful if someone brought something like this to my attention, even if I chose not to want to believe it. At least I would have that option.

Edited July 15, 201412 yr by LipstickLady

I wasn't going to post but I gotta agree here! Yes I know 3 of these females myself. The sad truth is we personally tried to prevent one that we considered a friend from getting hurt before it happen but she wouldn't listen! She just knew this was "true love" it got to the point where she thought I was a hater lmao!! So we stopped speaking! Now everything we warned her about happen and now these women are playing the victim? Please they knew about eachother, hated eachother and now they are all buddy buddy trying to bring Omar down cause they are hurt and embarrassed! Yes Omar made mistakes and I talked to him many times and tried to make him see his ways but these ladies are adults. He would stop contacting them and yet they would threaten and black mail him so he would keep talking to them. It got to the point where I even stop talking to Omar cause I seen what was going to happen before it did! But I refuse to allow people to think these ladies are the victim here! He played them and he was wrong as hell but he is a man.. But they have to take some blame in this

Oh, my apologies, you are right, he was wrong, but he is a man so that excuses it. Seriously, are you reading what you just posted? There is no excuse, man, woman or otherwise. Have you ever gone to your doctor's office and had one of the staff make explicit comments to you about his genitals? Would that be excused because, well, he is a man? Because, that is what one of these woman had happen to her. And, he continued even after she specifically told him it made her uncomfortable and she also did not appreciate the advances he was making towards her. She did not tell Dr. Illan because she was alone in a foreign county by herself. She was afraid her care would be compromised if she spoke out, so she kept it to herself.

They are victims, they do not have to take the blame. Like I said before, that is like saying a rape victim is partially to blame because of the way she was dressed. They were vulnerable, obese, low self-esteem, alone and far away from home. They were going through major surgery and most likely in a very emotional state. Omar feeds on that and takes advantage of it. He is wrong and anyone who defends him should be ashamed of themselves.