"Dr. Aceves and his staff presented me first class service for a reasonable price. I initially started my journey towards weight loss surgery uninsured and unable to afford self-pay prices in the states. I also was reluctant to leave the country, especially to Mexico of all places, or so I thought. After scouring the blogs at Obesityhelp and reading several stories of individuals who had obtained surgery through Dr. Aceves, I decided to do my research and determine if he was the surgeon for me. After speaking with over 40 of his patients via YouTube, email, phone, IM, and this site, I was convinced.
I contacted Dr. Aceves office to obtain information about pricing and the gastric sleeve. Nina Eguia was my contact from 12/10 until my surgery date on 2/4/11. Nina was very kind, informative, and very helpful. She was able to get me scheduled on the date that worked for me and even helped me obtain flight information into San Diego. She even worked with me when I needed to change the date to turn in my deposit.
The drive to Mexico was great, the driver (who also had VSG) was wonderful and made all of us feel comfortable. When we arrived at the hospital, my mother was surprised at how modern and clean it was. We were greeted by the nurse who immediately took our bloodwork. Then we met Dr. Aceves who gave us his pre-op talk about the surgery, what to expect during, after, and post-op instructions. Dr. Aceves was humorous, kind, very intelligent, and above all human. He made me feel comfortable and relieved to know I was in good hands.
Afterwards we stayed at the Crowne Plaza hotel, which was also a first class experience. The next day was my surgery date. Interestingly enough, my biggest fear about the surgery was getting an IV. I have always had problems with locating a vein, so the insertion of an IV has always been a painful experience for me. However the anesthesiologist told me a few jokes, gave me a sedative, and all I remember after that is waking up in the recovery room.
After my surgery, Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos visited me at least 3-4 times each day. The nurses during all of the shifts were very accommodating and kind, although I spoke very little Spanish. I had no problem communicating with any of the nurses for pain, medication, or other issues. Dr. Aceves spoke to my mom and made her a believer as well.
Overall, my experience would be 10 stars if that rating was available. From the moment I stepped off the plane until my return 4 days later, I had a great experience. My surgery went off without a hitch and I was provided with a tool to do what I could never do alone. I am now two months out from surgery and down 40 lbs.
Dr. Aceves office still contacts me regularly to ensure that I am progressing. Thanks Dr. Aceves, Nina, Dr. Campos and all of the staff for giving me a new lease on life!
T"
