Hi Everyone,

I hadn't planned on checking in for a while, then I learned of a rumor floating around about Dr. Lopez in Tijuana. I know some of you have commented that in the past the aftercare service was not up to your standards and that some of you have had problems with healing, acid reflux, even rejection.

The ones who have had to endure these problems are good people I'm sure. Sometimes in the stress of living through it, venting is a healthy part of the recovery process. I want to encourage those who are venting to keep commentary honest and accurate.

Since I have been a patient with Dr. Lopez, there have been staff changes surgery center changes and policy changes, all of which were set into motion to correct the very concerns of those who've had experiences not up to their standards/expectations.

My thought is that if Dr. Lopez responded to these concerns by being pro-active and made necessary changes, does that not show he is concerned? Does that not show he cares about his reputation? Does that not show he cares about his patients? Change is often made to improve the outcomes of things. Is change some sort of admission of wrong doing? Or, Does change arise form a need to improve outcomes? you decide.

From this site, I have yet to hear from anyone who has "visited" his office since June 04. I have been there 4 times since and all of the new systems are firmly in place and working well. I have had a chance to actually speak with--in person, to other patients men and women, who feel the office has provided fine service in a caring environment. Some of these people had their bands inserted 3 years ago.

As far as rumors are concerned, they are merely unverified comments, usually hearsay. You owe it to yourself to see the best, and receive care from the best doctors your money can buy.

Sincerely,

Margret

I have read all of this and WOW. My prayers are with all of you that have had problems. They are something that NO ONE signed up for.

I would like to know where Margret's response to all of this is????

To me if Dr Lopez is so wonderful and worried about his rep, he would be on here contacting each one of these ladies and resolving thier problems and NOT charging them for it.

Good luck to all of you!!!

There are laws against email harrassment, aren't there?

Vicky: I did contact the head honcho at the hospital where I was banded by Lopez. I received an email and phone call from him and the doctor that followed my case after I left. They both assured me that Lopez was still a doctor in good standing in their facility but that they were unaware of the lack of follow up care. They said they would follow up with him regarding that issue. Maybe this is why he has "straightened" up his act with new patients. If in fact he really has. Who knows???

Yes there are laws against email harrassment Leatha. LOL!!! Might have to look into that if it starts again.

I couldn't believe when I started getting emails from Margaret's Margret's however you spell her name husband. I responded to an email from her and it turned out to be from her husband. That is misrepresnentation isn't it??? Something like what Lopez is doing HUH??

OK I am done till the next round of posts.

Love you all and love all the support here. I just want one phone call from Lopez that is all. Just one. Is that too much to ask???

What a load of crap your post is "margaret". It is clear to me you are an employee of this Lopez or him ---himself trying to save his sorry practice. The problems these women are having are without a doubt real and significant and clearly not being dealt with by the surgeon.... He shames the other Mexican doctors who are reputable. They ought to get together and call him and tell him to get with the program because over all ---if someone is new and considering Mexico they would run the other way after hearing about Lopez and his lack of reponsibility for his patients .. of course ..after they are back in the US and after paying him our good old American money!!! The only recourse thses women have are to post their own personal experiences so that others do not get put through what they are going through. I think you all should find out the name of his insurance carrier and consult a lawyer who deals with this kind of thing and all of you go after him and sue!!!! Pain Suffering and that poor Delarla with a gaping hole in her side!!!!!!! So I dare you to answer back "Margaret" ..... :angry

Go Lisa, go Lisa, don't you give up girl and don't delete anything.

We are all here reading and know what is right and what is wrong.

Hi Everyone,

Penni, Delarla, and Athykay,. I simply have not had the issues with aftercare like you've documented. I'm going to offer some suggestions in a moment but first,

Penni, I have been posting here since late may or early June. You actually e-mailed me, during an exchange with De larla and I asked you in a nice funny sort of way to leave me alone. Thank you for that. Secondly, I came to this site to get advise before having the surgery by Dr. Lopez, I can't recall any serious negative info being posted. I asked dozens of questions, in a survey format to get real answers and nothing came back as a serious red flag. Sorry, I just can't recall.

When I did my own research on esophagitis ( erosion) , which is subsequently a common side effect after band placement. I learned that many people require a prescription for Nexium. There are several reasons one gets esophagitis, again one of the more common reasons is simply adjusting to and making the necessary dietary changes. Leatha has mentioned this on several occasions. She even gave me good advise which I try to adhere to everyday. Thank you for that. Based on leathas comments I actually went in to see Dr.Lopez and had some of the fill removed and am taking Nexium daily. Guess what, I have a mild case of esophagitis. (Are you happy, la Madam? I say that because you actually appear to have contempt for me. I think Penny, De larla and Athykay have a right to feel the way they do.) It has only to do with me not adjusting to the necessary dietary changes people like Dr. Lopez, Leatha, and countless others told me would occur if I didn't adhere the strict regimen of the post band diet. It takes practice. Believe me I'm practicing!!

O.k. so before you blow your tops at me, Every time I've had questions, needed to make an appointment to see Dr. Lopez I got that appontment. On 2 occasions he saw me within 48 hours of making the request. I've sent e-mails to obesity control clinic or to the nutrititionist and have received a response in anywhere from 48 hours to 1 week

I send e-mails for non urgent questions and call the office directly 01152-664-634-3870

I believe that if any of you who are having problems would take the day off and drive down to Dr. Lopez office he'd see you and help you. he and his staff have been there for me. I believe you have to take the time to drive down there and be seen in person,

you'll get results. I feel that I have touched on many sensitive feelings so I'm going to help Dr. Lopez patients by making this offer. E-mail me stating that you want to make an appointment to see him and I will call his office myself and schedule one for you

I will call his office and schedule an appointment for you and then I will e-mail back the time and day for you to go in. I will do this only for Dr. Lopez patients.

Now I want to say again I DO NOT WORK FOR DR. LOPEZ OR AM I A RECRUITER. I DO NOT GET PAID TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES, WHICH ARE BY THE WAY DOCUMENTED WITH 100% ACCURACY. I HAVE NEVER MET DR. LOPEZ BEFORE JUNE 04. I AM NOT PERSONAL FRIEND. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A DISCOUNT FOR SERVICES OR HAVE BEEN GIVEN FREE FILLS. I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO DR. LOPEZ PATIENT FILES.

So, Why do I defend myself with such vigor? because everytime I share my experiences on this board, I am attacked, taken out of context, and accused of being part of some underhanded plot. I will continue to defend my experiences and post them here, just as Penni, De Larla and athykay do. By the way, are there any other Dr. Lopez patients out there? Don't forget, I'll help you get that appointment so you can get your chance to have the kind of care you deserve.

One last note, Don't e-mail asking me to call his office just to ask when he's going to call you. I won't do it. If you think your problem is serious enough, you have to see him in person. If you only want copies of medical records, It's still faster to get them in person. I suggest mailing a self addressed stamped envelope to his office. Then, e-mail or call the office letting them know that it was mailed. ( remember a letter from Tijuana to a major city might take 2-3 weeks and vis-versa) If you had your surgery at a hospital or center, send them a postage paid envelope requesting your records. E-mail/call the office and let them know too.

lf I can I'll help you, remember I am just a patient just like you are.

Love, Margret

Hi Everyone,

I sent an e-mail to the obesity control clinic. Hopefully they'll figure out who you are and get in touch with you. I think if we work together things will improve.

Love,

Margret

When I did my own research on esophagitis ( erosion) , which is subsequently a common side effect after band placement.

Erosion is NOT the same as esophagitis and is not a common side effect.

Margret, you are so full of crap. Esophagitis is SO not the same as erosion. Those are two entirely different issues. And Erosion is NOT a common problem with being banded. If you were told that then I would question the source. Erosion stats are 1% to 3% which would itself be a definition of NOT A COMMON PROBLEM. I am happy that you are treating your Esophagitis with Nexium. At least you got instructions from Lopez; I never did and learned what I did on my own.

You sent me an email Margret but only after your husband and I had been exchanging emails and he was fighting your battles.

Margret your so called OFFER to make appointments so we can GO SEE him in his office is not what we are wanting. I want a phone call from Lopez himself asking me how I am doing. Can you arrange that? The phone numbers you provide are the same ones I had back when I was trying to get him to respond to my calls regarding the emergent issue of my grapefruit size redness around my port area. I sent pics, emails, phone calls, and left several messages on his cell phone numbers with Nora and his assistant at the time. I am still waiting ot hear back from him.

All your offers to set up appts for us is so bogus. Who says we have the time or the money to go? Why should we rely on a third party to talk to our doctor? Why can't we just call his office and talk to his assistant or at least get a phone call back when we leave a message? Is that so hard? The follow up surgeon I have now (who was proctored by Lopez by the way) returns my phone calls and emails within 24 hours. This surgeon called me after I had surgery to see how I was doing? The surgery was to repair my port where Lopez' technique caused me problems. This was this surgeon's words not mine. I would not get you to make me an appointment at all. We should be able to make our own. I still say you are working for him otherwise why make the offer. HMMM???

You are attacked on this board because you continually belittle our horrible experiences by suggesting we are spreading rumors, and that suggests we are not telling the whole truth. If you came on this board and just talked about how much weight you are losing or what issues you are having to face or posted a pic of yourself before and where you are now, you would not be attacked as you say. This board is all about information and support. You come on here and start the whole LOPEZ drama everytime you post. If you would just post your experiences post surgery and how you are progressing or not progressing you would see much more support and compassion. If you come on here and attack us with your accusations of spreading rumors then you get what you dish out.

I am so thankful that you are not having any HUGELY horrendous complications that requires you to be in touch with a surgeon or doctor in an emergent situation. I think your experience might be something similar to ours who have dealt with Lopez on that level.

Enough said.

Contempt is an understatement...

Lisa & Penni must of been sick the day you posted your survey or questionaire here on the boards in June..because I highly doubt if the'dy seen a post asking about Lopez they would of missied it (both of them). Maybe I will check the archives and look for that post

Esophagitis is inflammation, irritation, and swelling of the esophagus, the tube that leads from the back of the mouth to the stomach.

Erosion is when the band erodes into the wall of your stomach, the stomach tissue actually grows around the band and the band ends up on the inside of your stomach rather than on the outside where it is originally placed.

And she asks us to be accurate with our facts?? LOL

Just thought I would share this post from erodedbandsterswith all of you..I just got it in my email this afternoon..Im sure all of you will find it interesting as I did

Message: 1

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 15:10:04 -0000

From: "lizzie4524" <reets4524@msn.com>

Subject: erosion

I was banded on May 14, 2003 by Dr. Lopez. Just went down for a fill

from Dr. Kuri yesterday and he said he thinks my band has eroded. He

suggested an endoscopy and possibly have my band removed. What did

you guys pay to have your band removed? I'm panicking at this point

and wonder how soon I should have this done. Is this an urgent

thing? Any help would be greatly appreciated before I go crazy with

fear. Thanks.--Rita

Another Lopez erosion..imagine that! Do you think this woman is lying?

Here is another Lopez erosion...thiswoman posted this on this site

Due to erosion having my band removed Dec. 7th

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you all for responding to my original thread. I have my date for having my band removed. I am going on Dec. 7th. I am a little nervous because it is the first one that this doctor has had to remove. I am so worried about how I am going to be successful with my weight loss after it is gone. I am especially angry to see that there have been at least 7 people who have had to have theirs removed that had their original surgery done by Dr. Lopez. I have contacted Inamed, and they asked a lot of questions, and they want me to send them my and after it has been removed. I also notified Dr. Lopez's office, and I got back one email saying that it needed to be confirmed by an endo, I emailed them back and told them I had one done, and it was definitely eroded. Not that anything can be done about it, since he is a Mexico doctor. My doctor here said it ma well have been the way the band was placed. However somone mentioned that Dr. Lopez has trained others and they are not having any problems. So what if it is a problem with the band itself. Will Inamed do anything about it???? I imagine if I send them my band they'll look it over and say there was no problem with it. The guy on the phone that called me from Inamed, said the ones that they have seen that have been sent in after removal, have only shown signs of the destruction of being removed,and some discoloration due to stomach acids. I think what it all boils to is that I am out of luck. I paid all that money to not get to my weight goal. I will have to go back to trying it on my own. Obviously I was soooo successful at that the first time around. Well wish me luck. Keep me in your prayers. thanks, chrissy

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#2 Today, 02:51 PM

Margaret PLEASE before you come here and defend Dr. Lopez think of all of these women that have had problems..they are very sad and upset, there are many of them and the last thing they want to hear is you defending Lopez..put yourself in their shoes for just one minute..there is something obviously wrong here if all of these women have had erosion or port infections ..this is why we allget so angry with you..These are real life women who have paid lots of money for their bands and now all of them are going to lose them..This is not a coincidence here anymore Margaret...these are not rumors. For you to come here and imply that it is all rumors and heresay is an insult to all of these women who Im sure right now are truly heartbroken about losing their bands...have some comapssion Margaret..so far you are one of the lucky ones but these other women arent!

You know what it is obvious to me that Margret does not care in the least bit about any of us that are having these problems with Lopez. If she did she would not be so flippant and accuse anyone of spreading rumors.

I just discovered this forum and my insides are shaking already. I was banded on May 14, 2003 by Dr. Lopez and received great care until one fill in which Carmen doubled my fill and I have had difficulties ever since that time. I decided to have another MD do my fills. Yesterday, Dr. Kuri said my barium was going outside the band and that it was eroded. I wasn't sure what that meant so I posted on one of the boards. Someone told me about this forum. Let me get this straight. Dr. Lopez has had SEVEN patients with eroded bands. Could this possibly be true? I'm obviously nervous about this whole thing. If anyone could tell me what it is like to have a band removed, PLEASE e-mail me and tell me your experience. (reets4524@msn.com) Also, someone said Dr. Lopez changed his staff. Are Nora and Carmen still with him?