Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

Dear OH Friends, rnrnThank you so much for your well wishes and prayers. I am so happy and pleased with everything and I feel such a sense of excitement and hope for my future. It is as if I could literally burst. I went to Mexico and Dr. Alvarez was my surgeon. He was everything I hoped for and then some. I had my VSG on Monday August 6 and by Wednesday the 8th; I was able to get off all of my oral insulin and my diabetic insulin pump. I can hardly believe it. What a gift! I am looking forward to getting off all of my high blood pressure, high cholesterol meds and CPAP with oxygen as well. rnrnThere is a place in heaven for Dr. Alvarez. I just cannot say enough good things about him and his whole south of the border team. The entire trip and surgery went smooth as butter. We flew first class and his hotel accommodations were wonderful...everything that I needed. His staffers are very attentive, warm, gracious and kind. rn rnThe only minor hiccup with the surgery was due to my own stupidity and the fact that I panicked and had several last minute \"food funerals\" in the week that led up to my surgery. I do not recommend this because both Dr. Alvarez and I paid the price. My liver was evidently the size of a Cadillac. Dr. Alvarez made it very clear that the size of my liver will shrink over time due to the health benefits of this surgery but from what I understand, it was THE BIGGEST liver he has ever seen. In fact, it was so frickin big that he had to put a drain in near my liver for 24 hours but it worked very well and came out just fine without any pain – I am just a little sore in the abs. I have no bruising and all discomfort immediately after surgery dissipated quickly. rn rnOne of the many reasons I selected Dr. Alvarez as my surgeon in addition to his experience, surgical skill, reputation and training was his professional philosophy of being very gentile to the body on which he is operating. I truly believe that 9 out of 10 surgeons would have gotten one look at my \"mui grande\" liver and converted me immediately to an \"open\" instead of laparoscopic procedure. I am sure that at the very least I would be a lot sorer. He must make every move so gingerly. I just cannot say enough good things about him but neither could any of his previous patients, which is another reason why I chose him. rnrnDr. Alvarez came to see me several times each day. He would be there at my bedside early in the morning and late at night. I have been hospitalized in the US numerous times and have never experienced the kind of thoughtful, consistent and loving care that I received south of border with Dr. Alvarez. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my gallbladder looked perfectly healthy to him and he felt no need to remove it. The weird pains I have been feeling over the past year were probably from a swollen liver and had nothing to do with my gallbladder. rn rnHonestly, the surgery just went perfectly. I feel fantastic and am glad that the surgery is finally behind me. I do not seem to have any of the minor problems that can come after a VSG. I am not having any trouble getting my liquids or protein in. I am not tired, I have no indigestion, heartburn, or discomfort at all. I have not needed any acid blockers and I really do not need the pain meds that he gave me anymore but I am going to take them until they are gone. I even got up early yesterday, threw on my sneakers and took a walk to the lake in my subdivision. I have lived here for almost five years and have never done that. Dr. Alvarez even called me personally yesterday to check on me, wish me well and remind me that I can call or email him anytime. He is a gem! I will thank God for guiding Dr. Alvarez into bariatric medicine for the rest of my new, longer, happier and healthier life. rn rnI am not going to weigh myself for a while. I really want to focus on how I feel instead of what I weigh. I have changed my life and want to change my head too while I change the body. I will keep you all posted though. rn rnAgain, my dear OH friends thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I really appreciate it. I will be in touch. rn rnWarm regards, rnAnna BananarnSt. Louis, MO

Dr. Alvarez is a wonderful surgeon and person. He and his team are very warm, personable, and accommodating. The whole trip was very fast and everything was taken care of. Everyone said how much they liked Dr. A, but you don't really know how great he is until you meet him :) Besides being a very warm and friendly person he is very skilled at what he does, and my recovery time was very quick. I was walking outside the day after surgery, and never had any pain. I would recommend him to anyone considering the VSG.

I have chosen Dr. Alvarez as my surgeon in Mexico for two reasons. The first obvious reason is that is alot cheaper than in the U.S. being approx $7,000. The second reason is that I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Dr. Alvarez. I spoke with him briefly and he seemed humble, compassionate, and patient. I can tell I have made the right decision and I can not wait to post on my blog my entire Mexico experience with Dr. Alvarez and his very wonderful staff.

Dr Alvarez was WONDERFUL!rn. rnI am an ex-surgical ICU nurse in the USA (nursing supervisor now)rn and I tell you,rnsurgeons are normally not a desirable grouprnon average, they are more of a ego filled people you do not want to be around. On top of that they, like our American PCPs, American surgeons are limited by the corporation that owns them or their group, or what the insurance is willing to pay them, on the amount of timernthey spend with you or the amount of care your insurance will pay them on you.rn.rnThis is not so with Mexican docs and for sure not so with Dr Alvarez!rnrnTheir time is their own. They can spendrnas much time as they want with you, it gives you the feelingrnof how it use to be, docs holding your hand and talking withrnyou for as long as you need, to you not a disease or a surgery, butrnyou as a person. WONDERFUL!!!rnrnAnd Dr. Alvarez was at the top of the line in attentive, compassionate, and professional care!rnI bragged about his excellent bedside manner and caring service he gave me and my friend for months after I got home!! He is hard to beat!rn.rnOther than the flight (I paid $145 plus tax Southwest Airlines), rnevery thing was covered including the hotel before and after.rnFirst thing we arrived into San Antonio andrnchecked into our hotel room provided, did I say room?rnrnIt was a Suite, a small nice apartment all to myself!rnrnWonderful, immediately things were beyondrnmy expectations, very good business practice.rn.rnThat eve we meet our coordinator Penny, whornwas by our sides thru it all, she even sat outside ourrnrooms at the hospital making sure all of our needs were meet, all the way to takingrnus to the airport Monday! She also shipped our luggage UPS for us so that we didn’t have to carry it home on the plane!!!! What a wonder that turned out to be! rn.rnThe next morning, was surgery day, Penny drove us in a van across the border about less than a mile to the hospital and Dr Alvarez’s office. rnYes, his hospital is just within one mile of the US border, thatrngave me great comfort!!!! I can't tell you how much it calmed me!!rnrnAnd have I mentioned yet that there is TWO Bariatric surgeons doingrnyour surgery, not one and an assistant, but TWO, Dr Alvarez and Dr Rodriguez,rnboth very very good surgeons. rnrnDr Alvarez himself was trained in Francernto do the sleeve and assisted in 50 sleeves before returning home!!!!rnDr Alvarez has alot of passion as a surgeon, a trued craftsmen, you know how some surgeons can be rough with your insides and others are gentle! Gentle means less pain and trauma, that's Dr Alvarez, a gentle craftsmen, his father is a surgeon too andrnhe and Dr Alvarez even do surgeries together!! He is very passionaternabout being a bariatric surgeon, quite a pleasant warm person to talk rnto, that is the kind of soul I want working on me!rnI did not require narcotics postop, none of the 3 of us did!!! I had onlyrna cramping feeling for about 2 days than that was all of the pain meds I took,rnI was ready to return to work in 5 days. I read of others that need narcoticsrnand weeks of recovery, not so with Dr Alvarez his surgery is a craft and he is very good at it. rnrnAnyway, We each talked with him personally,rnwhat a charmer!!!! He was so attentive and cared about our needs, and I had some special ones with my bad back and disinfectant allergies!! He loved the logistics of the whole thing, I really enjoyed his personality thru the whole couple of days.rn.rnAs we all finished our private Q&A with him, Penny and Dr Alvarez handed us each our own private cell phone with free longrndistance!!! WOW!! We could call home when ever we wanted and as often as we wanted!! cool. (next month they are installing wirelessrninternet in the hospital!!!)rn.rnNext, order was set on who is first, welllll, young go first and me the oldest went last, but since I had done so much prep work (liquid diet, balloons, by the way he that the balloons were a GREAT idea! ) they said I was great and took only 44 minutes!!rnMy stomach skin was loose from 30 days of liquid nutrient preop dieting and that made my intestines flat and empty, lungs in good shape from the exercising, YeeHaw!!.rnHe did not require the preop diet, but being a nurse, I knew it was best.rnrnAnd get this! rnMy biggest worry was leakage, Dr Alvarez and Dr Jose Rodriguez have a 0% leakage, I will repeat, rnthese guysrnare such 'surgical craftsmen'rnat what they do that they have 0% leakage,rnYES! 0% leakage!!!!rnI haven't talked to not one USA doc that can say that!!!rnrnThis is why he says he does so well, rnthey put 3 rows of staples and double hand stitch the seam, staples are very expensive, infact half the cost of the entire surgery! But, they care enough to make sure your surgery is done the best it can be. No one I checked with in the states did that!rnrnIt pays to have doctors that have done many many of these sleevesrnrnI can’t over state that!rnrnCame out of surgery and slept……haharn.rnI stopped my pain meds after the 2nd postop day, never even needed narcotics.rnrnI did Gas X thin strips every 8 hours from the point we could have ice chips on.rnrnWe got out of the hospital after two days,rnI have 4 holes straight across about 2 inches above my belly buttonrnand one in the middle under my breast bone (for the camera).rnI had no belly drain I might add, he said he stopped doing that as rnit was proven to be unneeded..rnOn my 4th day after surgery, I felt pretty good, not very tired, no pain, I felt like I could use a couple cups of coffee and that’s it.rn. rnI highly recommend Dr Alvarez and Dr Rodriguez, besides excellent prices, I feel like I was under excellent very detailed and caring care!rnrnDr A visited us at least 4 times a day, so very friendly. rnrnYou can go straight to Dr Alvarez's website at http://www.mache.com.mx/doc/index.htmrnrnrnThis was a Great experience!rnrnAnd now I have my Banana!!!!rnrn rnMarcellarnrn

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Alvarez in Piedras Negras. He was a wonderful and caring surgeon. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone thinking about WLS. Everything was taken care of; I had nothing to worry about. The hospital staff was very thorough and friendly. Even though I do not speak Spanish, I was able to communicate enough to get what I needed. I wish the nursing staff at the hospitals I had been in before was as attentive. So far, I have been feeling almost 100% percent. I'm still getting used to the fact of not being hungry. My husband was eating last night and I had no desire to eat at all. That's a plus for me.

July 15rnrnI am one month out from my gastric sleeve surgery by Dr.Alvarez in Mexico, and I've already lost 30 pounds. My experience there was very positive except for the significant discomforts that first night after surgery, and it was only discomfort, not pain. Dr. Alvarez and his staff filled me with confidence from the moment I met them. Everyone there was very professional and courteous and went out of their way to help me. My recovery was unremarkable and I was back at work three days after surgery. So far I am absolutely positive about this surgery and recommend it highly, especially over the lap band and more radical procedures. I can and do eat almost everything I ate before, but at a greatly reduced rate, and as compared to the lap band, I'll never need a fill or worry about getting a too large piece of food stuck.

I have not met Dr. Alvarez yet but I have only heard lots and lots of positive things about him. Susan, my coordinator, has been so quick in giving me info (even on a Saturday!) and helpful! I also like the fact that my surgeon can speak Spanish with my husband so that he will be more comfortable with the whole process.rnrn2 days post-op:rnDr. Alvarez is the most kind, patient, gentle doctor I've ever had. I asked him if he would start doing plastics so that I could go to him and continue with a great experience! He is truly an amazing doctor and I would recommend him over anyone!

I highly recommend Dr. Guillermo Alvarez. I had my VSG with him on June 9th and the entire experience was flawless. From being picked up at the airport to getting questions answered, my blood-work done, prepping in the OR to recovery both in MX and once at home, the entire staff is responsive, caring, professional and at ease. Their confidence made me confident in my decision. rnrnDr Alvarez takes all the time you need to prepare you once you are at his office. He answered all my questions and calmed my husbands nerves. He was also in to see me several times a day when I was recovering. His energy is so positive.rnrnIf I had to have elective surgery in the future and Dr. Alvarez was an option, would I go back? Absolutely. I would also recommend him to family and friends. rnrnHe and his staff care about their patients for life. I never hesitate to contact Dr. Alvarez or his staff with a question or concern. I know that he is still my doctor, even if he is in another country!rn

Let me begin by saying that after doing a wealth of research, I chose for my surgeon, Dr. Guillermo Alvarez in Piedras Negras, Mexico. Not only has he done more VSGs than any surgeon I researched in the United States (over 276), out of all of those surgeries, he has a zero leakage rate. rnrnAt nine days post op I am feeling 100% back to normal; I am happy and energetic, all this due to the excellent surgical skills of my new hero, Dr. Alvarez. rnrnFrom Dr. Alvarez's coordinator, Lydia, answering all of my questions post-op (and believe me, I kept that wonderful woman busy), to lovely Rosie meeting us at San Antonio airport, my pre-op experience was smooth going, without any bumps. These two women are warm and friendly and make sure you are comfortable. Lydia with her prompt answers via email and phone, and Rosie with her chatty nature making the ride to San Antonio seem like minutes.rnrnThe hotel where we stayed in San Antonio was lovely. Immaculate, with a complimentary breakfast in the a.m. (which I couldn't have, LOL), a pool to have a relaxing swim, all of the accouterments you would expect at a nice hotel.rnrnThe morning of surgery, Rosie picked us up at the hotel and drove us a few short miles over the border to Mexico. We met Dr. Alvarez in his lovely office and had our pre-op meeting with him. I was weighed, and then we walked right to the hospital which was in an adjoining building. rnrnThe hospital is not a new structure, so be prepared for that, but a cleaner establishment you would be hard pressed to find anywhere in the U.S.A. There is continual cleaning going on and the walls and floors are sparkling. rnrnDr. Alvarez got us settled in our rooms, the nurse came and took blood, and I took a nap since my surgery wasn't scheduled for a few hours. rnrnWhen it was my turn, the nurses rolled me down the hall to the surgery suite, I passed through the famous window and then was prepped. I felt not at all nervous, but if I had, Dr. A. told me I could have a little something to take the edge off. In what seemed like an instant, the nurses were waking me up in recovery, and I was wheeled back to my room.rnrnI began walking within hours of my surgery and I felt really good! The nurses were like clockwork, taking my blood pressure, and giving me meds via my IV. Dr. Alvarez came and checked on me, and all in all I felt so well taken care of! The nurses always seemed to have a smile for me, and I really didn't have any problem communicating with them with my handy \"cheat sheet\" of phrases and words that Lydia emailed me.rnrnFor the next two days, I recovered in the hospital, and the second day after surgery Rosie came and picked us up to take us to San Antonio. What another lovely hotel we had!! I felt so great, that I could hardly believe that I had had surgery two days before! I had no problem boarding the shuttle to the airport the next morning, and was quite comfortable on my flight home. rnrnOnce home, I felt as if I could resume work immediately, but I followed doctor's orders and took it easy for a couple of weeks. I have to let you know, though, I fudged, and did go back to work just one week post-op. I felt that great! rnrnI cannot say enough about the wonderful care I received from everyone, but I especially want to sing the praises of my wonderful bariatric surgeon, Dr. Alvarez. He is a true master of his craft, and I am living proof of that mastery. I was so glad I did my homework and that I found whom I now believe to be the leading bariatric surgeon in the Western Hemisphere. I have the tiniest incisions, am losing weight like crazy, and here I am at nine days post-op feeling like I could do a full gym work-out. Of course, I will follow the doctor's instructions and wait for thirty days before I do that! (LOL) rnrnrnrn rnrnrnrn

My Whole Mexico experience went beyond my expectations!rnLet me start of by saying everything is so well coordinated from Rosie picking us up at the Airport to the Hotel Stays And the operation,rnto the day we leave.rnDr Alvarez is such a Amazing surgeon and wonderful person , its incredible how he makes you feel at ease once to get to talk to him in his office. My Mom and I felt so confident in him.He comes and visits you alot ater surgery. You can be confident in what he says is exactly how it is going to be, for example, I had a bit of a sore throat after surgery and he said he was going to give me some anti inflammatory meds for that and in 48 hours it will be back to normal and sure enough that’s exactly how it went.rnHe does all the possible to make you and your guest feel comfy . I have never met a Dr Quite like him.rnYes, The hospital is a older hospital with old style ways but very clean, and the nurses take very good care of you.rnand when we where there, they were constructing 4 new suites just for his patients I am pretty sure they are going to be great!rnI am so very happy I chose Dr Alvarez to perform my V.S.G. rn