Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

My Gastric Sleeve surgery was performed by Dr. Alvarez, and his team on July 31, 2009, in Piedras Negras, Mexico. At first, I was leary of leaving the United States to seek an operation in a foreign land. But, from the time they picked me up in San Antonio, drove me to Eagle Pass, Tx., checked me into the hotel, and took me across the border into Piedras Negras, to meet Dr. Alvarez, everything was so organized, and the itenerary followed to the minute, I was immediately put at ease. Meeting Dr. Alvarez was a real pleasure. He went over my paperwork, asked me my goals, and answered every question I had. He explained the entire procedure, and told me what to expect post-surgery. His office was modern, clean, hi-tech, and comfortable. I was then turned over to his staff who checked me into the hospital next door. The room was well air-conditioned, modern, had cable tv, internet, and bathroom, much like a hotel room. I had a chest X-Ray, some blood drawn, and then met with the anesthesiolist. The anesthesiologist gave me a shot and the next thing I knew I was being awakened by Dr. Alvarez, who told me the surgery went great. There was never any pain, just some discomfort from the gas in my stomach. The nurses at the hospital were exceptionally nice and attentive to every need. They checked blood pressure, blood sugar, temperature, several times each day. Dr. Alvarez saw me several times and checked for the sounds my new stomach made, and continued to answer any questions I had. I had never been in a hospital before, so I didn't like the IV much, but they took it out on the morning of day two. The first night post-surgery was tough getting much sleep, but the second night I slept very well, and the next morning I met with Dr. Alvarez again, had a leak test and given some medicine in case of gas, pain, and antibiotics. I was then discharged by 8:30 AM and was on my way back across the border, and then to San Antonio, and was checked in to the hotel by 11:30 AM. I took a bus to the San Antonio Riverwalk, and done some souvenir shopping. The entire experience and the way I was treated is something I will always remember. I am sure I could not have found better treatment in the U.S. It is now six weeks later, I have lost 30 lbs., and have been able to stop my Type II Diabetes medication as my blood sugar has normalized. Amazing experience. Dr. Alvarez and his staff are the best in the business for this type surgery and I give them a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Dr. Alavarez is a top notch professional. When I first got to Mexico for the surgery I was a little leary that I may have made a bad decision, but when I met Dr. Alvarez all of my fears melted away, you can tell that this is a man who is so passionate about helping folks to regain a happy active life. rnrnI wish all Dr's showed the compassion and bedside manner that Dr. Alvarez showed. I would recomend him to anyone who asked my opinion.

Dr Alvarez has given my back my life! rn rnHe is the most caring doctor I have ever met. Everyone who works for Dr A has been so wonderful and supportive! The kindness shown to me while I was in Mexico as well as before and after, has left me with such a good feeling about my decision to change my life with the VSG. rnrnDr Alvarez was easy to talk to, very informative and open about the procedure and the risks involved. I never once felt uncomfortable or afraid. I travelled on my own to have this proceedure done and I was never afraid for my safety! My husband was kept informed about my progress and he was very appreciative to Dr A for his kindness and patience when he was asking his millions of questions about me. He felt very reasured! rnrnAll of the pre-op and post-op information I received also helped to make my journey a breeze! I knew exactly what I needed to do and when I needed to do it, it made the early weeks so easy to handle. rnrnIf there was anything that I would have changed,it would be that the evening/night nurses did not speak much english. I did find it a bit challenging to express my needs to them without the help of a companion. The hospital was clean and quite, not something I'm used to here in Calgary (our hospitals have been under renos for so long I can't remember when they started). rnrnBased on my experience, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dr Alvarez to anyone looking to have WLS!

I had my surgery on August 15, 2009. After being turned down by my insurance, I started my own research, which included Mexico. After months of research, I decided on Dr Alvarez because:rnrn1.Dr Alvarez states on his website that he specializes in only 2 procedures, vertical sleeves and lap-bands. I had the vertical sleeve!rnrn2.From his website, I saw his wealth of experience as a surgeon and his patients powerful testimonies coupled with many before and after pictures.rn rn3. Susan, his patient coordinator and former patient was so efficient in answering all questions in a timely, professional fashion. What was so great, everything she communicated with me was what I experienced and was 100% CORRECT!rnrn4. When I was picked up from my hotel, the professionalism that Rosy shared among the other patient, myself, and my family members was phenominal.rnrnMy first impression of Dr. Alvarez and his staff was positive. When I first met Dr Alvarez's and Dr. Rosales I was impressed because they were so down to earth. Their bedside manner was also commendable. My impression of them did not change. it remains the same. Please note, Dr. Alvarez's father is also a surgeon, therefore I knew he had the mindset, the support, the educational guidance in order to have the wealth of experience and successful practice. He is only 33! As a professional, he's skilled, he's smart, he's talented, he's speaks fluent English, without an accent, and he's also extremely handsome!! REMEMBER, A SURGEON SHOULD BE YOUNG, AND A PHYSICIAN OLDER. (smile)rnThe care in the hospital was excellent, and there after care was explained and taught throughly. I was taught and told how and what to take on a day by day, weekly basis and even what to do in months to come. I was told what to eat, how to eat, take vitamins, nutritional supplements, even how to order food in the future. I was told what risks and consequences are involved in not following the basic eating rules. Overall, I would rate Dr. ALVAREZ AND HIS STAFF 10 !!!!

I was very impressed with Dr. Alvarez when I first meet him. Of course, I was VERY nervous but the staff at his office make everything seem like a walk in a park. Dr. Alvarez has alot of knowledge about bariatric surgeries. I had the lapband surgery 2 weeks ago and the staff including Dr. Alvarez checks on you weekly. There are staff that will answer questions anytime when you have concerns or just need someone to talk to. I would rate Dr. Alvarez as the best DOCTOR in the world. I'm not one for pain and let me tell you I didn't even know I had my surgery until my mom said, \"you've already had the surgery\" and I was like what I didn't feel a thing. If you need bariatric surgery Dr. Alvarez is the way to go with his knowledge and of course his good looks don't hurt at all. He's 100% a great doctor to but your trust into. I feel like I have known him for years. Thanks Dr. Alvarez for making me feel a part of your bariatric family.rnSincerely, rnTammy D. (Houston, TX)

I did a lot of extensive research before I decided on Dr. Alvarez as my VSG surgeon. I could not find anything negative about him from any of his patients on all the WLS boards, just high praises as a surgeon, and how he is really nice and always checking on you after surgery. It started out with a phone call to Susan George the Patient Coordinator to find out all about the surgery and the details. She made me feel at ease about the surgery, and the whole process of getting down to Piedras Negras. My husband was skeptical and was leary about having surgery down in Mexico but Susan put our minds at ease. The time I called Susan and went into surgery was 2 weeks. They had a date open for surgery and I took the earliest date. I went on a clear liquid fast for 1 wk, my husband and I flew into San Antonio, the hotel shuttle came to pick us up at the airport took us over to the hotel, and that is when we met Rosy our driver waiting for us out front of the hotel to drive us down to Eagle Pass, Texas. It was a 2 hour comfortable drive down to the border. We stayed at a hotel that night then Rosy came to pick us up early in the morning to go across the border and meet Dr. Alverez. Just what we expected he was warm and easy to talk to and answered all our questions about the surgery and the risks involved. That is when we met Christina Dr. A's nurse and Dr.Rosales who helps in with the surgery. They were all so nice and spoke perfect English! Christina then took me over to the hospital to get a chest x-ray and lab work. It seems like just within a hour or so I was getting as they say "happy juice" and was on my way to surgery. When I came back to the room my husband was waiting for me (by the way we had the suite of all suites 2 beds 1 for my husband, a big bathroom beautifully tiled, computer to e-mail home, and a phone in the hallway to call home free),next thing I knew I was awake and I was asking my husband did I have surgery yet? He said yes. I felt no pain. What I had surgery already I said. My husband said Yes! Then before I knew it I was walking and doing 3 laps up and down the hallway. The next day I had my leak test and got to see the liquid go down into my stomach and my stomach was so small! Yeah! ( they do 3 leak test before you leave the hospital which put my mind to ease). Then I went back to my suite for more rest and relaxing. Christina the nurse, Dr. Alvarez, Dr. Gabriel and the nursing staff where checking on me on the time. What a secure feeling. I did not have hardly any pain because the pain was managed very well. Before we left the hospital Dr. A came to my room to go over all the Post-op information with me and my husband, and gave us a nice folder that included surgery report of exactly what he did in surgery for my doctor at home, and my pain meds if needed what to take and when. Then we were met by Rosy again, and she drove us up to San Antonio, and we stayed the night there before our flight the next day. I felt so good that my husband and I went to the Alamo and went to the riverwalk in San Antonio. Since I have been home I have had Susan and Dr. A check on me to see how I am doing. It is with 100% confidence that I would recommend Dr. Alvarez and his staff to anyone looking to have the lap band or VSG surgeries. Thank you again for making my husband feel at ease and making him feel comfortable through the whole process.

Kelly

Dr. Alvarez Guillermo and his team have done a fantastic job. My time spent in the hospital went smoothly. I have not encountered any problems with my surgery. Dr. A and his associate checked up and visited me everyday,tracking my progress with VSG. Dr. A is an excellent doctor. I would highly recommend Dr. A and his medical team for their quality service =)

I'm 4 weeks out from my VSG by Dr. Alvarez and couldn't be more pleased. The entire experience was just as promised.rnrnAs a physician myself, I'm very picky about who I let care for me. I thoroughly researched all my options before choosing my physician. Dr. Alvarez immediately inspired my confidence. He speaks english with almost no accent, and took his time to answer my and my wife's questions.rnrnThe facility is extremely clean, and the service was excellent. My hospital room even had a computer, and a phone outside to make free calls to the US. The nurses were all very nice and checked on me frequently.rnrnSurgery went off as planned, and the discomfort after surgery was promptly relieved with pain meds. The next day, I was already walking around the hospital and the minimal discomfort I experienced was relieved without even using narcotics.rnrnDr. Alvarez checked on me quite frequently, and took his time to make sure I was comfortable and all questions answered. I had very clear instructions on aftercare, including wound care, diet, meds etc.rnrnI spent 2 nights in the hospital after surgery, one night in a hotel, and was on my way back home. The hardest part was the first week. Clear liquids only is difficult. I got very tired of gatorade! I never thought chicken/beef broth could taste so good.rnrnSince then I've lost 22lbs. The weird thing is food that I used to love (pizza, burgers) don't appeal at all now. Dr. Alvarez says it is because my ghrelin levels have gone down. I am so glad I don't have to fight those irresistible urges anymore.rnrnIf you are considering VSG, I don't think you could do better than Dr. Alvarez and his team.

Dr. Alvarez is the BEST doctor I have ever had! I had the sleeve done 3 days ago in Mexico. I feel FANTASTIC!! Dr. Alvarez and his team were so knowledgeable and caring. First of all, Rosy took care of all of the transportation and hotel accommodations - coordinated by Susan. Once we arrived in Mexico, we met Christina (private nurse), Dr. Alvarez, and Dr. Rosales. Dr. Alvarez discussed risks with surgery, but I felt confident in him and his team. A few tests were done at the hospital and the anesthesiologist came in. He was GREAT! I had very little nausea after the procedure. My husband and I stayed 2 days in a suite at the hospital - very comfortable. There was constant care for my needs. I like that Dr. Alvarez conducts 3 leak tests - only 1 when I was awake. Then, before being discharged, Dr. Rosales explained the aftercare in great detail; the program is extremely structured. Before leaving, Dr. Alvarez came by with Christina to say goodbye and Rosy took us back to SanAntonio. Both his bedside manner and surgical skills are top notch. Susan even called us at the hotel to make sure all was well. I've emailed Dr. Alvarez and he responded within minutes. If you choose to have a sleeve, I would definitely recommend Dr. Alvarez to you.

Dr. Alvarez is an amazing surgeon and I would recommend him to anyone! He and his staff are the best. I was a little worried about getting the surgery done (especially so far away from home). I have had several previous abdominal surgeries with the last one being a piece of mesh covering my abdomen from hip bone to hip bone and then from pelvis to right above my belly button. Dr. Alvarez used a technique he learned in France where he did the surgery without having to disturb any of the mesh! I think that is amazing. It has been two months since the surgery and I have lost 39 pounds. I have not had one problem and have felt great. You will not be disappointed if you go with Dr. A.