Juan Antonio Lopez Corvala

"I could write pages and pages of travelogue, but for brevity's sake, here's the Pros and Cons: PROS: --------- 1. Dr. Corvala himself, as well as his medical team are competent, attentive, and good-natured. Dr. Corvala is a no-nonsense type of guy who's very passionate and confident in what he does. You will always see him with a small entourage of training physicians who are probably the next generation of bariatric specialists. 2. The Hospital: Clean, quiet, enormous. The private rooms are comfortable and modern, and the bathroom is stunningly elegant and comfortable. This facility could give most modern US hospitals a run for their money. The WiFi is not blazing fast, but respectable, hassle-free and reliable, which is more than I can say about the hotel's internet. 3. The support team: Esmeralda is always buzzing around the hospital, checking on people and wanting to make everything go smoothly. When I requested an extra wheeled table so my father could use his laptop, as well as an extra daybed mattress, they were provided to us immediately. Dr. Corvala's medical team are in your room literally every day and speak English very well. 4. The neighborhood: Tijuana's Zona Rio is a pleasant, though bustling center of business and city life. Just don't drive down there and you'll be fine. It's Americanized enough not to be intimidating, though Mexican enough to give you a little taste of the country's culture. Never did I feel unsafe or unwelcome. Every single person I met was kind and courteous, both inside the hospital and out. 5. The procedure: I should probably say, as someone who is about three months post-op, that I am satisfied with my surgery. I have had no complications or difficulties adjusting to my gastric sleeve and I would highly recommend Dr. Corvala to someone I cared about. 5. The Hotel (Camino Real): The hotel was great. They had a flatscreen I could hook my laptop to, their staff was courteous and prompt, and the rooms were clean and spacious. My only gripe is below. CONS: --------- 1. The Language Barrier: This one comes up in reviews constantly, though I didn't realize how much Spanish I had already picked up throughout my life. I brought along a cheat sheet for communicating with the nurses, but Esmeralda beat me to it! She already had one and I used hers instead. And believe me, you'll want to know "Tengo Dolor," especially when you're whimpering the phrase in the recovery room. This wasn't a major issue, but there are a lot of nursing staff and orderlies who don't understand a word of English. Thankfully, they make up for it by being extra nice. 2. The Shopping: Be aware, especially if you're having a major procedure like a bypass or a sleeve, that you'll be responsible for feeding and medicating yourself while you're in the Hotel after you get out of the hospital. This can be tricky, since you have to track down the supplies to dress your surgical wounds, the medication prescribed to you by your doctor (which you can also get at the hospital) as well as foods that you can eat post-op (Hint, Mexicans love drinkable yogurt. And thankfully, they love them enough to make sugar-free versions). You will have to hike to the Calimax or Gushers, but it is a fun walk and it isn't far. Still, being cut loose like that in a foreign country can be frustrating for some, and terrifying for others. 3. Dr. Corvala uses JP Drains after his major procedures. Some doctors don't, and while he does it to make sure you're not getting infected, the device can be a major obstacle to persona hygiene while still in the hospital. It was the only thing that really kept this experience from being what I might call "easy." 4. Transportation to and from the hospital and the hotel is provided by the hotel, who can get a little testy if you're back and forth too many times. Tipping your driver always goes a long way. 40 pesos can make you a good friend after he's been waiting on you to get done having your incisions examined. 5. The Hotel WiFi: Camino Real has one of the most asinine and frustrating internet gateways I have ever used. They have a password they give you that expires every 24 hours and doesn't work on multiple devices. With my father and our two laptops and two smartphones, this hotel is definitely not techie-friendly. So that pretty much sums it up. Dr. Corvala is a competent surgeon in my opinion. While I did not opt for the far more experimental Plication procedure he's been promoting lately, he seemed completely at ease with performing the sleeve gastrectomy and I'm having very good results with it so far, having lost over 60lbs in the three months since the surgery. While time will tell how I ultimately feel, so far Dr. C has my vote. "
About Me
26.2
BMI
VSG
Surgery
06/18/2011
Surgery Date
Apr 28, 2011
Member Since

Friends 11

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