I am writing this to inform people to STAY AWAY FROM DR. DE LA GARZA. I must first say that I am not a disgruntled or angry person; I just want the truth to be known about this Dr. I contacted Dr De La Garza. for the Lap band procedure because I was told that he was experienced and knowledgeable. My wife and I flew to Monterrey Mexico, she had reservations about me doing the procedure but I was determined to get it done. I paid $10,000.00 US for the procedure. After the procedure I learned dolor (pain) and aqua (water) that was all. While recovering in the hotel suite, I became extremely dizzy and could not eat; my abdomen was distended and swollen. All I wanted to do was sleep. Via phone the doctor continued to tell me that it was just the after affects of the surgery. My wife insisted that he come to the hotel. When he came, he became very nervous and pensive. He suggested that I needed a blood transfusion and for me to return to the U.S. for the transfusion because he couldn’t guarantee blood supplies in Monterrey. He simply wanted us to leave the country. My wife astutely put us on a plane for the U.S. I don’t remember any parts of the flight from Monterrey to Texas to Detroit because I was blacking out. Upon arrival I was met by my sister who is an RN and she immediately took me to Providence hospital in Southfield MI. Upon arrival in the ER the doctors examined me and immediately coded me for emergency surgery. They opened me up and removed the Lap band. I had almost 3 pints of blood in my abdomen and was told that I would have died in 2 hours. Dr De La Garza had punctured my colon and lacerated my liver!! I chose the Lap Band procedure because it was non-invasive and had quick recovery times. I was stunned. After 3 months of recuperation my wife contacted Dr. De La Garza to let him know what happened and to see if we could get our money back. The kind doctor was too busy to speak with us now and blew us off. He simply stopped taking our calls. It gets worse. We contacted an attorney in Mexico and tried to find out what recourse we had with this doctor. He wanted a $500.00 retainer and we sent it. After he got our money he told us we had no recourse. He would try to work something out with the doctor but there are no boards that we can appeal to and no jurisdiction because we are from the U.S. We tried to contact the attorney back and he stopped taking our calls. We then contacted the lead partner of the firm and he pressured the attorney. He sent us back $450.00.

I tell this story because I want other to be careful and check these Mexican doctors out. Ask questions, questions and more questions. If they get offended, leave. This is your life! They prey on those that are overweight because they know you are desperate. I think that if I had only found the right Dr. I would probably be at my goal weight, but because I made a poor choice, I am right back where I started and have lost $10,450.00 dollars.

I and my wife are willing to speak with anyone about our experience. I can be reached at 313-331-8423.

Thanks

Dwayne Breeden

ok, they say that his records were found. Still I am going to have it done by this Dr. on Friday, I guess it just made me that much more certian that I am ready for this.. the contact people in Mexico so far have been wonderful and I have spoken to dozens and dozens of happy people. Please keep me in your prayers!!!!

We will pray! Please post as soon as you return and have a great trip!!! Good for you!

i agree.. this is a good post with both sides making their case. also the rebuttle does not even dispute the fact that his colon was punctured and his liver lasserated. Isnt that the main point? not the price or the date, what silly minor details in such a tradgity. Whoever wrote that rebuttle origanaly missed the point compleatly.

In Dwaynes letter, it sounded like he was recovering at the hotel but in the rebutal letter it sounds like he was in the hospital and they wanted to keep him there longer. Odd. Also I totally agree with Bandit, they completely missed the point regarding the damage to the patient. I don't care when this event happened or how much he paid either. He certainly didn't pay to have his organs punctured. Surgical accidents do happen but those incidences sound hideously negligent. Teresa

I don't understand why people feel "attacked" when others are just posting their own experience or advice.

Thank you Kathy, your the best, I will contact when I get home..

P.S. I am bringing my heating pad just in case!!! Lol!!

Tara

Well I did it.. Things went very well!!! I would sent my mother to Dr Del La Garza anytime he was A wonderful Dr. The staff there was the best too!!!

Welcome to bandland!

I am so sorry that you had this experience Dwayne. Dr. de la Garza was my first choice as a surgeon because he was very highly recommended by a friend of mine (she had her surgery with him four years ago) and was very happy with him. I did a lot of research on him and found him competent, but the dates that I had available to go get my surgery he was out of town, so I had to find another surgeon. I am not defending him, what he did to you is horrible and he should take responsibility. He would have come out better out of this if he would have apologized and recognized that this happened to you, I think we would have understood if he would have said these are some risks associated with the surgery and that he was sorry this happened but that that he would do anything in his power to make things right. He first of all should have refunded all your money to you and have made every effort to help you get the help you needed. Doctors sometimes forget they are human and make mistakes, but they should learn to recognize their mistakes and fix them. I hope you are now well.

I only paid $7500 for the surgery in Mexico. Mexico was my only option since it cost $23,000 here, which I did not have. I just ran into a local LapBand surgeon who told me the cost has come down to $12,000 here in Vegas. Even so, I would not have qualified for a $12,000 loan, so Mexico is the only option for a lot of people. I have dual insurance, and neither of my insurance companies would pay.

Dwane, your story horrifies me. Once again, I think it's important for eveyone to make sure they have the procedure done in a facility that has an ICU. Some of the best surgeons in Mexico operate in facilities that don't have an Intensive Care Unit. Not that it helped you in this situation, but your experience is a sad awakening that proves that there's potential for anything and everything to go wrong, even with this procedure.

PLEASE contact INAMED and report this abusive, negligent behavior. I've had many conversations with Inamed, and they refuse to take responsibility for anything their surgeons do, but I think it's time they take a look at what's going on. I think there should be stricter standards for surgeons placing the Band.

Are you healing well? How are you feeling?

Tarafeena, glad everything worked out for you. Congrats!!!

Thank you, I am so excited I have already lost 8 lbs.. what a plus!!! Duwane if you are still out there why have you not faxed the paper work to Anna proving this damage was done??? I think it would help your case. I think it is real important to do as your Dr. says and maybe you should of stayed so that he could have helped you... There is no contact by you to him, I know that if this happened to me I would have gone down there and taken care of this matter.. Again, there is risk with surgery but if you have problems you need to let your Dr. know so he can help... Heck look at how many pt.'s die with the gastric bypass 1 in 50 that's done in the USA... Anyway, Anna who spoke to your wife is waiting for those papers, if you send them you can have a case to get your money back... I still think Dr. Del La Garza and his staff rocks!!!

This is weird, but when I first replied to this post, the rebuttal letter wasn't showing so I didn't see both sides to the story. I'm a little miffed that this post came 4 years after the fact, but I'm also miffed that the rebuttal letter didn't mention the complications.

I'm not going to change anything I said, but one very important issue that rings out in my head is that many places are now offering LapBand surgery on an outpatient basis where the patient goes home the same day. I totally disagree with this practice and think everyone should be required to stay at least one night in the hospital.

Too many things can go wrong. This is major surgery in my opinion.

I'm scheduled to have my surgery on April 1st in Monterrey Mexico. I'm excited but terrified. My surgery will be performed by Dr. Rodolfo Sanchez. Do you know if Dr. Delagarza is associated with Dr. Sanchez in any way?

Well, I am all for free speech but I am also thinking this post is causing some newbies to have wide spread panic about ANY doctor in Mexico or Monterrey. My second point is that LBT does not want anyone discussing prices nor advocating any doctors, although they do come up in conversation, and as I understand talk about doctors should be done in a private forum. Third point is that although he has made his point, he is now "hushed" by the new evidence. Therefore, based on the information given, I think the post should be removed. Just my 2 cents.

EDIT: OOPS, I wanted to clarify that I don't think that the thread should be "removed" but I DO think it should be "locked". I apologize to anyone if you thought I was suggesting deletion of the thread. And Dwayne, I am very sorry for all the pain and trouble you have encountered with your band. I hope you have better things to come in the future!