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.

All ive been told is that bariatric surgeons should have one or more of the following...

FRACS, FASMBD, FICS, SAGES, FACS after their name. Dr Illan has MD which in NZ means he is only a medical doctor. Basic surgeries only.

All ive been told is that bariatric surgeons should have one or more of the following... FRACS, FASMBD, FICS, SAGES, FACS after their name. Dr Illan has MD which in NZ means he is only a medical doctor. Basic surgeries only.

Good information. I may be incredibly stupid, but I never even gave this a thought. Checked my dr who did my sleeve here in the US. He has FACS in his title. Phew! Still debating surgery for my daughter who has to self pay. Is anyone aware if there are any surgeons in Mexico that have these credentials you list above?

All ive been told is that bariatric surgeons should have one or more of the following...

 

 

FRACS, FASMBD, FICS, SAGES, FACS after their name. Dr Illan has MD which in NZ means he is only a medical doctor. Basic surgeries only.

 

Can you tell me where you recieved this information from? My surgeon Dr. Kim with Kaiser is board certified and has MD after his name.

Edited July 22, 201412 yr by Kissifur

I will not give names. I have talked with another surgeon who has FACS next to his name.

I will not give names. I have talked with another surgeon who has FACS next to his name.

Oh okay I thought it was based on fact. I checked and every surgeon listed with Kaiser WLA had MD after their name. Maybe its different in other places or locations. I guess that is a good selling point for surgeons if you have to solicit patients.

FACS Fellow, American College of Surgeons

FRACS Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

FASMBD. Couldn't find this

FICS Fellow of the International College of Surgeons

SAGES Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (Los Angeles, CA)

Some doctors won't list all their associations. You may need to ask.

FACS Fellow, American College of Surgeons

 

FRACS Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

 

FASMBD. Couldn't find this

 

FICS Fellow of the International College of Surgeons

 

SAGES Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (Los Angeles, CA)

 

Some doctors won't list all their associations. You may need to ask.

I was able to look up those sites as well. I just found the statement that a doctor with MD could only preform "basic surgeries" a tad misleading since none of the organizations listed was a governing body.

I will not give names. I have talked with another surgeon who has FACS next to his name.

Having those letters would of been more helpful.

Having those letters would of been more helpful.

Helpful for what?

Um for international people who are seeking a surgeon. But obviously not. I will only now send people to mexico if they really need surgery.

He is a member of places but not of international ones.

All ive been told is that bariatric surgeons should have one or more of the following...

FRACS, FASMBD, FICS, SAGES, FACS after their name. Dr Illan has MD which in NZ means he is only a medical doctor. Basic surgeries only.

FACS Fellow, American College of Surgeons

FRACS Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

FASMBD. Couldn't find this

FICS Fellow of the International College of Surgeons

SAGES Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (Los Angeles, CA)

Some doctors won't list all their associations. You may need to ask.

I know that these organizations' names sound impressive.

But they are not certifying or licensing organizations. Instead, they are professional associations -- which doctors may elect to join or not. Yes, they sound lovely -- and I'm sure they do add value. However, having these letters after your name mostly means you enjoy socializing with other doctors, that you may have (little p) political aspirations within your profession, and that you and your spouse would like to take a tax-deductible vacation annually at wherever these organizations hold their annual convention.

Again, I'm not dis'ing the organizations. But doctors join them voluntarily. They are not mandatory in any way. Nor are they required by any medical licensing organization. They are professional / social organizations.

These organizations are similar to the American Bar Association (for lawyers), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (for CPAs), and the American Institute of Architects (for architects).

Edited July 23, 201412 yr by VSGAnn2014

I won't take offense, but I am a CPA and that is NOT an organization. Having obtained the CPA certification requires a very stringent testing process to prove competency in taxes, auditing and accounting methods, to include governmental, GAP, IFRS and other such accounting standards, and does not simply mean joining an association. On the other hand, AICPA is an association and if you are a certified public account you can belong to the association. I do belong to that association. I do indicate CPA after my name on my letterhead. Ha, I do not add AICPA after my name. Although I do include my associations in my resume under the section of organizations and associations. Very big difference for sure. If I were to seek out an accountant for high level competency, I would certainly look for one that had achieved the CPA certification. Not to say that any accountant may be able to perform the same duties, but chances are likely that a CPA has more knowledge, experience, and training.

Now that you say those letters behind a doctors name mean nothing other then associations that they belong to, as you just incorrectly stated was the case with CPA, I will call my surgeon and ask him what FACS means and what he did to get that distinction. I will get back to you with his response.

I've been a critical care nurse for 18 years. MD means they went to medical school but it doesn't mean anything else. It doesn't mean they are Board Certified. Board Certification is a gold standard for physicians/surgeons.