So, I am back yet again, I've been gone for a while. A little history about myself, I'm a nurse (yeah, I know), and I had lap band done in 2009 with removal in 2015, gastric sleeve in Sept 2015. I lost about 40 lbs with the band and gained it all back after 2 babies- no big issues with the band other than vomiting from stuck food. I decided to have the sleeve done last year and have only lost 50 lbs. My highest weight was 309 (pre-sleeve) and I currently weigh 259, my lowest was around 253, so I have started to gain some of my weight back. The sleeve was great, but just not for me. I was told by my MD to do the bypass after the lapband, but I was just too scared. So, after doing a little research on mini gastric bypass, I am thinking of having this surgery. My only setback is that I have to go to Mexico to have it....Yikes! I have researched different surgeons- Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Garcia, and dr. Ponce de leon. What are your experiences with this type of revision? What MD would you recommend? What are the conditions of the hotels that you stay in? How is the staff? English speaking? I do have a cardiac history of heart failure from previous pregnancy. So, I need someone who will give me the extra TLC that I need.

So, I am back yet again, I've been gone for a while. A little history about myself, I'm a nurse (yeah, I know), and I had lap band done in 2009 with removal in 2015, gastric sleeve in Sept 2015. I lost about 40 lbs with the band and gained it all back after 2 babies- no big issues with the band other than vomiting from stuck food. I decided to have the sleeve done last year and have only lost 50 lbs. My highest weight was 309 (pre-sleeve) and I currently weigh 259, my lowest was around 253, so I have started to gain some of my weight back. The sleeve was great, but just not for me. I was told by my MD to do the bypass after the lapband, but I was just too scared. So, after doing a little research on mini gastric bypass, I am thinking of having this surgery. My only setback is that I have to go to Mexico to have it....Yikes! I have researched different surgeons- Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Garcia, and dr. Ponce de leon. What are your experiences with this type of revision? What MD would you recommend? What are the conditions of the hotels that you stay in? How is the staff? English speaking? I do have a cardiac history of heart failure from previous pregnancy. So, I need someone who will give me the extra TLC that I need.

Dr. Illan was great.

Wow! I am so sorry you had to go through all that, but thank you so much for the advice. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

I had a very good experience with BariactricPal MX. Dr. Illan was my surgeon.

I had a very good experience with BariactricPal MX. Dr. Illan was my surgeon.

Yes all my nurses had a basic command of English. I never had a issue with any of them. Who was your valet? I am really sorry you had a bad experience. I do wish we had a nutritionist with a degree.

So there is a new wing and an old wing? Do you get to choose where you will be staying? As far as a nutritionist, you could always use one where you are. So is there someone (from the staff-English speaking) with you at all times? If not, looks like I will be using google translate....lol

So there is a new wing and an old wing? Do you get to choose where you will be staying? As far as a nutritionist, you could always use one where you are. So is there someone (from the staff-English speaking) with you at all times? If not, looks like I will be using google translate....lol

You valet is usually sitting close to the nurses desk. They speak pretty good English. The do check on you frequently. I had prepared for no English speaking nurses by figuring out pain and nauseated in Spanish. When I pushed the call button the longest time I would say was 2 minutes. Much better responses than my care in the US. I guess you could send Bill a request for the main wing (the higher number rooms). It depends on the number of patients. There are other surgeons patients having surgery in the hospital. I made friends with a lady with Dr. Z, not with BP group

Ok thanks for the advice. I will let Bill know.

@@FloraBama Girl

Luis was my valet, and he was phenomenal. I could not have asked for a better valet. He's awesome. However, he had 4 patients total, so he couldn't be with me or in the old wing every second of the day.

Fernando was the night valet and was less than satisfactory. I saw him twice when he and Luis were changing shifts. The only other time Fernando came was when the nurses and I had tried unsuccessfully communicating for nearly an hour. By the time he showed up, it was too late. The doctor had already given me narcotics. If he had been there at any other point before then, he could have told the nurses what I needed (which was not a narcotic).

@@FloraBama Girl

Unfortunately, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist (even in the US). There are no education or training requirements for someone to call herself a nutritionist.

This morning, I had an appointment with a Registered Dietician who works exclusively with Bariatric patients. I brought her the post-op diet packet that I was given. She was not impressed and told me to throw it away. We went over a more comprehensive and specific post-op diet. I feel more informed and confident now.

@@FloraBama Girl

Unfortunately, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist (even in the US). There are no education or training requirements for someone to call herself a nutritionist.

This morning, I had an appointment with a Registered Dietician who works exclusively with Bariatric patients. I brought her the post-op diet packet that I was given. She was not impressed and told me to throw it away. We went over a more comprehensive and specific post-op diet. I feel more informed and confident now.

What day was your surgery?

@@FloraBama Girl

August 5th. About a week after you.

I'm not sure why you think it would have been better going with Baja instead of Bariatric Pal. You would still be in the same hospital, and unfortunately if they do not have room in the newer wing, some patients end up in the other wing. I don't think it's up to Bariatric Pal or Baja Bariatrics to decide. I was fortunate to be in the newer wing and did not have trouble communicating with my nurses. I had a great experience with Bariatric Pal Team MX, but I can understand why not being able to communicate with your nurses would change things.

Nothing felt underhanded to me, and I'm not sure why it matters if the nutritionist also handles some of the transportation. The office manager helps with it as well.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience, but I don't think that Bariatric Pal is to blame. Dr. Illan is not the only bariatric surgeon who works there, and if they don't have enough room in the newer wing, some of the patients will inevitably end up elsewhere. Just like the hospital handles the OR schedule, I think they are also the ones to decide where the patients end up.


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It was just announced all surgeries will be done at Oasis of Hope Hospital. There will be a

Bariatric Wing with 24/7 Bilingual nurses and doctors. A brand new operating room and recovery

was added. It sounds like they are making sure everyone has a good hospital experience.

I loved Luis, Juanito, and Dr. Flores too.

I'm not sure what to say about most of the issues that you had, because my experience was not the same as yours. I live in Southern CA so I drove down and met my driver at the cell phone lot while she was waiting for another patient to land.

I stayed at the recovery condos and not at the hotel, but I was never charged for any transportation at any point, but I did tip my drivers/valets.

I also did not have the post-op diet talk right away. She went over it with me in the car on the way back to San Diego, but I was fine with that because I was given the packet with the guidelines the day I got to the recovery condos.

As far as my registration and post count, yes I made an account to reply to this post. I generally tend to lurk on forums and I have been reading posts here for the past few months but never signed up. I joined the Bariatric Pal Facebook groups and prefer to post there instead. I used my real picture (same as my FB profile), and not a random avatar or meme, so I'm not sure why you'd jump to that conclusion other than paranoia.

I'm truly sorry that you were unhappy with your experiences with BP. I felt very well cared for while I was there. My only complaint was that I barely saw Dr. Illan at all.

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I'm not sure what to say about most of the issues that you had, because my experience was not the same as yours. I live in Southern CA so I drove down and met my driver at the cell phone lot while she was waiting for another patient to land.

I stayed at the recovery condos and not at the hotel, but I was never charged for any transportation at any point, but I did tip my drivers/valets.

I also did not have the post-op diet talk right away. She went over it with me in the car on the way back to San Diego, but I was fine with that because I was given the packet with the guidelines the day I got to the recovery condos.

As far as my registration and post count, yes I made an account to reply to this post. I generally tend to lurk on forums and I have been reading posts here for the past few months but never signed up. I joined the Bariatric Pal Facebook groups and prefer to post there instead. I used my real picture (same as my FB profile), and not a random avatar or meme, so I'm not sure why you'd jump to that conclusion other than paranoia.

I'm truly sorry that you were unhappy with your experiences with BP. I felt very well cared for while I was there. My only complaint was that I barely saw Dr. Illan at all.

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I saw Dr Illan prior to surgery and never again. I have since emailed him 2ith questions and have had no response.

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