Tell me your story I can't pick a MX surgeon!!

[Maurdan 2]

Dr. Rumbaut here. Would do it again in a heartbeat with him and his team.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

From what I've read so far I think wasabubblebutt is trying to throw dirt at doctor Gonzalez with some ulterior motive and unfortunately for her has not found any, to me, she is the one that seems to be grasping at straws.

Honestly, I stopped reading at this point. You are getting silly.

I wrote ONE comment, Dr. G advertises that his erosion stats are 3-4%. That is a concern to me. Period, that's all I have written and you go into this long diatribe about how evil I am.

Honestly, enough. If you don't like your doc's erosion stats take it up with him.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

WASA please go to your corner and lick your wounds, B A pick on someone your own size (wow, your good!!!!).

Interesting how all these newbies come out of the woodwork at such a convenient time.

Funny how that works.

[anonemouse 1]

I find it very interesting that the posts by B A looser and mylap-band are almost identical in appearance. It's pretty darn unusual to have two people with such similar posting styles, attacking the same person in the same thread. Methinks there's something fishy afoot.

Originally Posted by mylap-band

Doctor G's statistics are among the best I have seen anywhere. And no I don't work for him, never have so when you instruct me to go work for another doctor you are mistaken, I have never worked for any doctor, bariatric or otherwise. I do contrary to you, have other occupations besides posting on this forum (or trying to sell doctor Aceves , more that 3000 posts...please..) and also contrary to you, I will not tell YOU whom to work for or not. Gabe clearly mentioned he got COMBINED statistics for complications. And I got the same numbers he did, less than 3% COMBINED, not average. Do you know the difference between combined and average? Two totally different terms. Please do some research, it may be too much to ask, but if you are going to continue on this anti-Gonzalez crusade at least get some more information other than one manufacturers data, it may be hard to pry you away from this forum for a few hours, but try it, you may learn something, as hard as it may seem to you there are OTHER sources of information besides LBT.This forum is great, contains a lot of useful information, but its NOT the only resource. Did you know there are other surgeons and hospitals out there doing studies and publishing their findings besides one manufacturer. Again, naive, simplistic and ill informed. Bubblebutt true to form.

So you were "asked by a friend to ask for information", or did you pose as someone else in an effort to discredit doctor Gonzalez? Why did this "friend" not inquire him or herself? You are very clearly on an anti-mexican surgeon crusade. All surgeons track records speak for themselves, so AGAIN, any one out there, at least one with complications with doctor Gonzalez, please post and tell us your story.

I've been reading this thread and I feel I should post. I had surgery with doctor Gonzalez not long ago and up until now all the information I have received from them has been the same as Gabe's and mylap's, impressive. hi Gabe,(had surgery same day). When I had my consultation and the next morning before surgery I met other patients who were there for fills and consults (they were laughing and apparently knew each other, most looked really good, slim and nice!! I'll get there soon!!). I asked because I got kind of curious and not one referred any complications. I have emailed other patients and they have emailed and called regarding other lap band stuff and no one has told me of knowing anyone with complications, maybe just the normal stuff that comes when you eat the wrong food or you eat too fast. From what I've read so far I think wasabubblebutt is trying to throw dirt at doctor Gonzalez with some ulterior motive and unfortunately for her has not found any, to me, she is the one that seems to be grasping at straws. I don't know who mylap is but I know that in my entire experience with doctor Gonzalez or his staff I have never met her, so I don't think she works for him, I read somewhere she is a preschool teacher. I would like to know the answers to some of the questions she asked wasabubble though because wasabubble just brushed them off. Such as why is she trying so hard to find dirt on doctor G, especially when there is not one single negative post on him on this or ANY OTHER FORUM, NOT ONE..? (WOW doesn't that just blow you away!!!) Why did she go through someone else to get information from doctor Gonzalez office, saying she used a friend, don't you think thats kind of sneaky? Sneaky and Freaky..... Why does she speak with such authority on the subject quoting only one source, a manufacturer no less, while clearly stating she has no other sources? Why does she not answer if she knows the difference between average and combined numbers, I think that is very important. And from what I've read she does strongly criticize all mexican surgeons other than Rumbaud or Aceves. Mexican surgeons have been doing lap band surgeries for more than 10 years, so I doubt that there are only two good surgeons in Mexico. And with US surgeons just coming out of the learning curve you know there are tons of complications out there with US surgeons, and that is undisputable that is why it is called a learning curve. Most Mexican surgeons came out of that curve many years ago. Why does she never play sherlock holmes with any US surgeons?...hmm...

. I have read plenty of wasabubble's posts and it is true that she just burps out information (LOL....UPB, you may have just invented the UPB. mylap that was goood!) about basically all mexican surgeons except those two, and does it with no backup or because she "heard someone". With her sneaky behavior and mexican doctor bashing except for rumbaut and aceves, I'm inclined to think she either works for a US doctor, or is somehow involved ($) with the two Mexican docs. She even goes as far as to say that most mexican cities are basically a battleground asking all to stay away from this and that city. I had my surgery in Tijuana and to me it is as nice as any US city. Wasabubblebutt, in my view and from reading many of her posts has a hidden agenda. Gabe I hope you keep losing weight, keep in touch. Mylap I think you should drop this, because I think there is no end to wasabubble's rants. Wasabubble, I think your paranoia has taken you just a little too far. You need help, serious help (maybe she's got lapbandtalkitis). Try going out every now and then, get some air, do some exercise it may do you good, or do you have a deadline to meet for post #4000? There are good doctors and there are bad doctors all over the world and from my experience, and what I have read and researched I think doctor Gonzalez is among the best, and I am not alone. I second your calling mylap, Any one of doctor G's patients out there with complications, please step up! Hello....anyone.......helloooo, c'mon, don't be shy!!! HMMM not one, just as I thought, o well.....open and shut case. Bye Bye.

And dude, I think you can give up now, since someone posted the email that they received, confirming WABB's statistics. Obviously, she wasn't wrong. "Less than 4%" generally means, "between 3% and 4%." Otherwise, they would have said, "less than 3%" or, "less than 2%."

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Lauren....

There is more. Funny how two new supporters jumped in and signed up on the same day, 7/16/07. That would be klvn1675 and B A Looser.

Me thinks a patient coordinator was needing help recruiting new patients so she created some new IDs to help. They have the same opinions, slam anyone that doesn't trip over themselves in praise of Dr. G, similar writing styles, similar opinions, post in the same threads, and both signed up on the same day.

Amazing how all that is coincidental. Heh....

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/klvn1675/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/b-a-looser/

[short c 1]

Ok folks,

I think Bubblebutt has some good points, as do the rest of you. There is a phenomenon in marketing that is known as post purchase rationalization, which describes buyer behaviour after having invested a great deal of time, money and or emotion in a purchase decision. Its why, when you ask someone how they like the new car they just bought, they will invariably always say they 'love it.' Does that mean then that all the posts we read here, where people have had good experiences with one doc or another are invalid as sources of information. NO. Those who have posted that each of us needs to do our own research, figure out what's the most important to us and make a decision that feels good for us, as thinking and feeling beings, are right. This is not a popularity contest, or club. We all know, if we're honest with ourselves that this is a highly competitive market! It is big business and no matter how good a surgeon is, technically, the communication of that expertise is bound to be difficult. If we as patients seek to reduce our 'risk' to our health and longevity, I believe we cannot get stuck in the stats. It is a well known maxim in the business world that figures can lie. Let's get past the numbers and really look at what matters- the quality of overall care which plays a huge role in final outcomes - probably much bigger than who has done the most surgeries, has the lowest complications rates etc. Remember that complication rates can be easily 'adjusted 'by docs who simply only take low risk patients. I have an autoimmune disorder- I am probably at a higher risk of having an erosion - I don't really know, but I imagine there are some of us walking around with risk factors we don't even know about ( I found out after my lap-band surgery!) Should docs refuse to take us on because we'll afect their stats?

BUt here's the thing that I think is really useful- when one reads on the forum that someone has had a problem with their doc and they do post it, it means that they've had to swallow their pride, and say, oops, perhaps I chose poorly. Perhaps the criteria I used weren't the ones I should have focussed so heavily on. I made a mistake and I am willing to admit that so others might be smarter than I was. (I did that in other posts - I focussed on the numbers. I became a number.)

I am not pro any particular doc, but I am now unimpressed with docs who rest on their laurels or their 'numbers' and consider that "follow-up is not cost effective."

I've written on these boards positively about a doc that wasn't mine because I got follow up from his team, even though I , at the last minute, opted for their competitor. There is a philosophy of patient care there that I admire.

so lets take it back to what this is really about - let's have a discussion about what factors one really should consider seriously when one is choosinga lap-band surgeon and his/her practice. I didn't get into this for the short term. I expect to have this lap band for the next 10-15 years of my life - possibly to replace it with a new one then... I wonder - are there any Mx patients reading these boards who were banded 3 or 4 or 10 years ago? What, in retrospect are the important things to consider?

I've said it elsewhere. This is not brain surgery and it is a relatively simple procedure. Sure it can be botched, but most of the Mx docs have enough experiene to do this thing in their sleep. That's what puts into into the 'commodity' category and as consumers, we need to look at the other supporting stuff that comes with the surgeon whose skills we are purchasing.....

that's enough for now....

[hungryforchange 0]

Thanks for your informative posts Bubblebutt. I appreciate them.

[peaches9 3]

Oh my, what a dance!

If a US citizen who has to selfpay, why not consider Canada?

Toronto there are TWO good clinics to choose from...

Fly to Buffalo N.Y and drive across to Toronto.. short trip.

COST in Cdn. $ 16-17,000 more than Mexico, but way less than in the US.

just my 2cents

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Oh my, what a dance!

If a US citizen who has to selfpay, why not consider Canada?

Toronto there are TWO good clinics to choose from...

Fly to Buffalo N.Y and drive across to Toronto.. short trip.

COST in Cdn. $ 16-17,000 more than Mexico, but way less than in the US.

just my 2cents

No, $16K - 17K is about the going rate in the US. Some are cheaper, some are more expensive. That's about the average.

Mexico is half that price.

[FurEllie 0]

Oh my, what a dance!

If a US citizen who has to selfpay, why not consider Canada?

Toronto there are TWO good clinics to choose from...

Fly to Buffalo N.Y and drive across to Toronto.. short trip.

COST in Cdn. $ 16-17,000 more than Mexico, but way less than in the US.

just my 2cents

I could be wrong (I often am ) but I believe doctors in Mexico have been doing the lapband procedure longer than those in Canada. Do you have some info on that? Money isn't the issue for me, personally, it's finding the best doctor with the most experience and best reputation.

[selisejohnson 0]

does anyone know anything about Dr. Alvarez, I have my appointment/ surgery scheduled for Nov. I havent read any post about him so far. His pt. coodinator seems very nice. Anyone know any infor on this doc?

[Passive Viewer 0]

LAUREND :

I don't know if "B A looser and mylap-band" are the same people or not. I can tell you that BubbleButt is a blowhard on another forum too. Quoting erroneous stats and spouting ridiculous claims. And as far as accusing people of being a patient cordinator or not, ask BubbleButt who has been in Dr. Aceves operating room with him, who often takes patients to the hospital, and who many times accompanies people to surgery for Dr. Aceves? She will volunteer this service in a heart beat on Dr. Aceves board so, if anyone can claim "patient cordinator" or "marketing rep", I would say it was her.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

LAUREND :

I don't know if "B A looser and mylap-band" are the same people or not. I can tell you that BubbleButt is a blowhard on another forum too. Quoting erroneous stats and spouting ridiculous claims. And as far as accusing people of being a patient cordinator or not, ask BubbleButt who has been in Dr. Aceves operating room with him, who often takes patients to the hospital, and who many times accompanies people to surgery for Dr. Aceves? She will volunteer this service in a heart beat on Dr. Aceves board so, if anyone can claim "patient cordinator" or "marketing rep", I would say it was her.

Heh... gotta love all these new IDs showing up all of the sudden. How very convenient. Don't you get confused with all your IDs?

Yep, I've been in OR during surgery with Dr. Aceves patients. My friend's surgery mostly. I've discussed this openly on the boards here at LBT, actually we've discussed it quite a bit. So if you think you are telling any big secrets, sorry. I've brought it up previously and discussed it in detail. Like it or not, I just don't have anything to hide. There have been a few people that wanted an American nurse in OR while having surgery in Mexico. Now, considering my license is in the US and not Mexico, perhaps you'd care to tell us what an unlicensed nurse can *do* in a Mexican hospital? BTW, care to tell me if I am paid well for doing nothing in OR? I was just wondering. I mean, you seem to know more about my life than I do so I thought you could fill me in on the details.

When it comes to stats I typically tell where the stats come from. Actually, I pride myself on reading a gazillion journal articles and studies. I read them daily. So yep, I do keep up with stats. Perhaps your problem is that your boss has horrific erosion stats and you have a harder time selling your doc because of that. Those stats came from your boss and even then you stomped those feeties demanding my stats were wrong and they came from your boss! Others posted emails from your MD office where they flat out explain erosion stats are less than 4% (while global stats are 1.3%).

I don't "often" take patients to the hospital. Several of my friends have been banded and considering I'm 3.5 hours away from Mexicali and they are my friends... yes, sometimes I go with them. I've gone with them probably 3-4 times. I've been in OR 2-3 times. We do go to Mexicali for fills as a group, there are about 15 or so banded people in Phoenix that met on Dr. A boards and sit down Passive Viewer... this will probably be more of a shock than you'll be able to deal with but (gasp) we go to lunch monthly too! We go for fills together and lunch! OMG, is your heart still beating? Can you stand it?

No, I don't volunteer going to Mexicali in a "heartbeat" on the Dr. Aceves board. Two of us volunteered to go with a person last night that is very frightened, that's the first in months, the last time is when I went with a friend from Kansas and that was in June. Considering I post on that board daily and this is the first time in several months that isn't exactly "volunteering in a heartbeat."

BTW, I believe you do indeed know that B A Looser and mylap-band, and several others are the same person. I think you are also the same person as the above.

You know, I have a whole heck of a lot of faults but dishonesty isn't one of them. I am opinionated, vocal, and lots of other things, but dishonesty and multiple IDs aren't faults of mine.

They are your faults though, aren't they?

It seems to me if you had anything truthful or substantial to say, you could have written it under your primary ID vs. all these various personalities. Each time mylap-band gets her knickers in a twist and nobody comes running to support your stance, you suddenly have brand new IDs.

Just think, in time you'll have enough IDs to make it look like your boss has as many patients as he claims.

[Passive Viewer 0]

I don't know who the other people are and frankly - my boss??? I was banded in the states, which is how I know for a fact that the lies you spout about American doctors are ridiculous. I am not sure what you are talking about or who you are referring to, but MY doctor doesn't need "shills" on these forums. He's a U.S. well respected bariatric surgeon for many years and as a matter of fact - he knows Dr. Aceves!

I know who you are on Dr. Aceves forum and I know who you are here. I also know there are no pictures of you on either place and nothing brings you back to reality like the fact that you are everywhere Dr. Aceves needs advertising. Dr. Aceves has a Patient Referral PAID plan with his people - DENY IT and I'll show the literature contradicting that. All I was saying is that he is NOT the god you make him out to be, he has errors on his record and frankly I've said it before and I'll say it again - If you pay him, he will perform the surgery REGARDLESS!!!

Ask the 12 year old child, the woman who had only 30 pounds to lose before she was at medically perfect weight, etc... These are patients no self respecting American doctor would touch and with very good reason. Not because they couldn't handle the surgery (and only the great and powerful Aceves can), but because they are surgeries that NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I don't know who the other people are and frankly "my boss???" - I was banded in the states, which is how I know for a fact that the lies you spout about American doctors are ridiculous. I am not sure what you are talking about or who you are referring to, but MY doctor doesn't need "shills" on these forums. He's a U.S. well respected bariatric surgeon for many years and as a matter of fact - he knows Dr. Aceves!

I know who you are on Dr. Aceves forum and I know who you are here. I also know there are no pictures of you on either place and nothing brings you back to reality like the fact that you are everywhere Dr. Aceves needs advertising. Dr. Aceves has a Patient Referal PAID plan with his people - DENY IT and I'll show the literature contadicting that. All I was saying is that he is NOT the god you make him out to be, he has errors on his record and frankly I've said it before and I'll say it again - If you pay him, he will perform the surgery REGARDLESS!!!

Ask the 12 year old child, the woman who had only 30 pounds to lose before she was at medically perfect weight, etc... These are patiemts no self respecting American doctor would touch and with very good reason. Not because they couldn't handle the surgery (and only the great an powerful Aceves can), but because they are surgeries that NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED!

You have already proven yourself completely and totally dishonest. You tell half truths and twisted stories.

I have stated before and I will do so again, I am not a staff member of Dr. Aceves, I am not paid by him or patients in any way, shape, or form. I am very active in the fat community, deal with it.

If you had anything constructive and honest to say you would have little need to come up with a variety of IDs to slam and bash those that dare to disagree with you.

If you had any supporters, you wouldn't NEED to come up with IDs to support your stance, they would already be there.

You are a liar, pure and simple. If Dr. Aceves was so bad you could depend on the facts but instead you are forced to make up stories. That doesn't make you or your doc look very good, does it?