Doctor warning

[lovelyme 21]

This news story ran in BC, Canada earlier this week. A lady came back to Canada after VGS surgery in Mexico, with a leak and a sliced spleen. The story does not specifically name the surgeon she had, but they show the receipt she got from the clinic she used, which was "Bariaticenter" in Tijuana. You can figure out who the surgeon was from there.

http://globalnews.ca/video/1569692/mexico-surgery-warning

The lady sounds a bit nutsy, but even so, she didn't pay for this.

I am still going to Mexico next week for my VGS surgery, but not to this clinic. This video is a bit of fear mongering I think, but obviously, this lady had a very bad experience.

Research, research, research!

Edited September 19, 2014 by lovelyme

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I hate that stories like this reflect badly on ALL Mexican surgeons. The headline doesn't call out a specific surgeon, it says "Mexico Surgery Warning" as if the "mistake" this patient made was traveling to Mexico for her surgery and not her choice of surgeon. It's stories like this that make friends and family members freak out when they find out we're going/have gone to Mexico for surgery. There are complications and malpractice all over the US too, but if for instance, a Wisconsin surgeon has a complication or a death, the news media doesn't warn everyone against going to Wisconsin for surgery.

Hundreds of us on these boards have had very successful, complication-free surgeries in Mexico. But you don't hear about those in the news. You hear about cases like this that are framed in such a way that they reflect badly on all Mexican surgeons, no matter what their level of expertise and success.

[lisaworth 4]

The link isn't working for me. Who was the surgeon?

[JamieLogical 8,727]

The link isn't working for me. Who was the surgeon?

Edit: I found the website that they show in the video. Here is a link:

http://www.weightlossagents.com/

In the footer it lists Dr. Almanza and Dr. Martin Yanez. Looks like Almanza is the Bariatric surgeon and Yanez is a plastic surgeon.

Edited September 19, 2014 by JamieLogical

[lisaworth 4]

I'm having Gastric Bypass in TJ Mexico next month but different doc thru mexicobariatriccenter

[motherof5 364]

I googled the TJ Bariatric Center from the receipt and found http://www.tijuanabariatrics.com/.

It has Dr. Fernando Garcia and Dr. David Vazquez at that center. But I am sure they had many successful cases. I totally agree with Jamie. I have read that a lot folks on here had surgeries done in Mexico and are very happy with it. One just have to do their research.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I googled the TJ Bariatric Center from the receipt and found http://www.tijuanabariatrics.com/.

It has Dr. Fernando Garcia and Dr. David Vazquez at that center. But I am sure they had many successful cases. I totally agree with Jamie. I have read that a lot folks on here had surgeries done in Mexico and are very happy with it. One just have to do their research.

My google-fo returned the same thing initially, but there are no results specifically listing "TJ Bariatric Center" as listed on the receipt in the video. I did, however, find the website that they also show in the video and that is the site for Dr. Almanza. A google search for "Dr. Almanza Bariatric Center" also doesn't return anything concrete. So I don't want to say that it's definitively Dr. Almanza either, since I can't find anything tying his name to that receipt. I'd hate to drag good surgeons' names through the mud based on the poor reporting in this video. So please don't jump to any conclusions that it's Dr. Garcia, Dr. Vazquez, or Dr. Almanza.

Edit: I found a couple of written articles about this story and none mention the surgeon. They all list "TJ Bariatric Center" or "TJ Bariatric Center" neither of which turn up ANY specific Google results. So it really is impossible to say who the surgeon was based on the info in these news stories. Please please please don't jump to any conclusions about the surgeons based on the little info we have. As far as I am concerned, it is shoddy reporting on the part of these news agencies not to name the surgeon.

Edited September 19, 2014 by JamieLogical

[slvrsax 301]

Folks who elect to have surgery in the US have bad experiences too, they just don't make the news. Just sayin'

[motherof5 364]

By no means am I trying to drag their names through the mud. I know that comment was general, smile or maybe not. I just stated that as my first result. What you stated is true. But I do recall before I had my surgery that my surgeon stated there could be complications. My surgeon made it clear that it could be leaks,blood clots, pneumonia, etc. and that he was experienced in that. I signed the paper acknowledging that.

[motherof5 364]

Folks who elect to have surgery in the US have bad experiences too, they just don't make the news. Just sayin'

That is true.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

That's a WEIRD news story. Seriously.

She's really milking it for the camera. (Says my gut.)

Plus, she's not very heavy, even in her pre-op pictures.

Plus, she as blonde as a beach bunny in those Mexican vacation pix, and now her long hair is grey through and through. How much time has elapsed between surgery and the on-camera interview?

IMHO, there's more to this story.

[lovelyme 21]

I think the surgeon was Dr. Almanza Reyes. The reason I think so is because they display her receipt briefly, and the clinic name (Bariatriclinic) and the address for that clinic is the same as Dr. Almanza.

As I said, I myself am going for VGS surgery in Mexico next week. I thought I should post this story only because I think that people should have all the information, including the bad, about their surgeon. If this surgeon were to deny ever having had complications like this for example, then that ought to raise red flags for them.

[Cerika111 5]

I had my surgery with Dr. Almanza and have had very good results. I did research and I have followed up with my doctor at home. I did not have to wait 6 months, go through months of testing (they did blood test and EKG), or pay a ton out of pocket. So glad I did mine there. All surgeons have complications at one time if they practice long enough - no matter where they practice. Just sayin'.

[Newbie999 3]

Hi there- I'm from BC and heard about this story as well. I'm scheduled with Dr. Garcia in a few days and started to do some research and I can say with almost certainty that it is not Dr. Garcia. I googled TJ Bariatric center and the first thing that pops up is Dr Garcia's website. I've watched the news story on our local station and saw the phone number that was on the receipt. After a quick google search I came across the exact website for TJ Bariatric Center and the first doctor listed is Dr. Mario Almanza. He is also the bariatric surgeon that is listed on the same website the women booked from. Here is the link to the website

http://www.tjbariatricenter.com.mx/

So anyone booked with Dr. Garcia should feel at ease.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Newbie999

[LadyPullings 94]

I read her story on fb and it was Dr. Garcia!!