A patient died after surgery with Dr. Elias Ortiz at A Lighter Me!

[SuninVirgo 29]

A patient died after surgery with Dr. Elias Ortiz at A-Lighter-me. They won't tell me what happened except to say it was a couple hours after surgery. The woman went with a friend...

On 4/25/2015 at 2:08 PM, Skinnyninny said:

I'm going through A Lighter Me and Mi Doctors Hospital. Everyone seems very nice and they have good reviews. My surgery is next Saturday.

[Alex Brecher 10,173]

A patient died after surgery with Dr. Elias Ortiz at A Lighter me. They won't tell me what happened except to say it was a couple hours after surgery. The woman went with a friend...

I'm going through A Lighter Me and Mi Doctors Hospital. Everyone seems very nice and they have good reviews. My surgery is next Saturday.

Where are you receiving this info from, please? We try really hard to make sure info like this isn't posted, unless it's 10000% accurate.

Please provide us with more info and details. If anyone has further info, don't hesitate to chime in.

[SuninVirgo 29]

Sorry, I should have provided proof: Go to Realself, search 'Dr.Ortiz Death'. Within that search you will read comments regarding a woman who went with a friend to get Bariatric surgery from Dr. Elias Ortiz. Her friend died. I continued my research and have been communicating with Sonya at "Lighter Me". She confirmed the death but refused to speak about it. I am more than happy to forward you my email. This email exchange was yesterday. Aziza

[Tony Patz 4]

Thats very sad. anyone know about CER Hospital with dr garcia?

[Cassyintx 10]

I just had surgery with Dr Garcia on Saturday. Everyone in our group and the group the day before us is doing well. CER Hospital is very nice. Nurses was very attentive esp the day shift nurses. Dr Garcia is very soft spoken and will answer any question. I think it was about 5 different doctors that saw me before surgery. I will post more at later date. HTH

[Proud2BMe 1,011]

People seem to forget that death is always a risk with surgery. Patients who have comorbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, lung problems, etc., are at a greater risk than those who do not have such issues. The risk of death is small for a relatively healthy person. However, every patient needs to be aware of the risks before going into this.

[Gretta Zarabi 8]

I've been reading these forums for the last few weeks and haven't had the courage to register. I was planning on possibly using ALighterMe and Dr. Elias Ortiz. I just heard some disturbing news and felt that I had no choice but to sign up and share my story and info. From what I've heard this is their SECOND death! Death is always a risk with weight loss surgery, but I'd rather stack the cards in my favor. There's no way I'm going to use them now. My life comes before everything else.

[SuninVirgo 29]

Honestly, I don't know what to do. I had looked at A. Ortiz from the beginning, then researched
others. What I do like about some medical groups is that they help you, especially if you're alone. I still haven't made up my mind.

Edited April 29, 2015 by David Lopez

[SuninVirgo 29]

CONFIRMED TWO DEATH UNDER Dr. Ortiz AT A LIGTER ME.'

I EMAILED THE COORDINATOR SONYA TODAY ABOUT THE SECOND DEATH AS MENTIONED BY @@Gretta Zarabi.

She confirmed but refused to alleviate my concerns about going through their company.
I will not go to this doctor or through the company.

Of course, people die under surgery but not at this rate. I am especially disturbed about the secrecy. It's extremely bad public relations and makes Dr. Ortiz look very suspicious, unfortunately. in this case, it's better to explain what happened than to hide because most of us will come to a bad conclusion. I am very sad for the patients' family.

[ShellMilliner 233]

I don't know the rules in Mexico but for sure in the states a doctor can not discuss details of any other patient with another person, especially without a signed release. This includes cause of death those details your would need to obtain from the patient's family.

[Tony Patz 4]

prayer to the family

[eortega177 58]

OMG! This is a very sad situation ????

[Proud2BMe 1,011]

@@SuninVirgo

You don't know what the health of the person is going into surgery. Not every death is from negligence. In fact most surgery-related deaths are natural, part of the risk of having surgery. Simply being obese puts you at a greater risk for dying during surgery. Did you know that? The higher your BMI the greater your risk of death. If you are diabetic or have high blood pressure then your risks for death during or shortly after surgery are even higher. Then again, even healthy people sometimes die in surgery. I've heard of a case of a healthy 20 year old guy who had a heart attack when given anesthesia and died. So this belief that surgery should be 100% safe is simply not correct. Whichever doctor you chose will let you know that there is a risk of death. No doctor can promise you that you will not die or will not experience any complications. There are things you can do to lessen your risk of death. If you are diabetic or have high blood pressure, get it under control before having surgery. Follow the pre-op diet and lose as much weight as possible before surgery. If you plan your surgery for a month or longer into the future don't wait until two weeks before your surgery to start your diet. Start your diet right then and there. The lower your weight at surgery the higher your chance of surviving.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Proud2BMe

[SimplySharon 30]

I'm literally thinking of changing my mind...this has scared me to be honest....

[Proud2BMe 1,011]

@@SimplySharon

The point is that you should have already been made aware that you might die during surgery. If anyone is going into this without understanding that there is risk for surgery then please realize that you have not researched this enough. No surgery is 100% safe. However, you need to do some soul searching to find out if the risk is worth it or not. Many people who chicken out of having the surgery will go on to die of an obesity-related illness. For example, I knew a woman in the early 2000s who canceled her gastric bypass within days of doing it. She lived for 2 more years and died of a heart attack brought on by the fact that she was morbidly obese, weighing over 400 lbs. So don't think that you are safe by canceling your surgery. You just need to be aware that there is a risk of death and a risk for complications. If you feel the benefits outweigh the risk then go ahead and do it. The majority of people do fine with gastric sleeve. This board is filled with people who have had the surgery and are pleased with the results. Speak to your doctor if you have any more concerns.