Jose Rodriguez, M.D. Bariatrics Bariatric Center

Dr Rodriguez was phenomenal!!! The first time I saw him, he came in, I was lying on the hospital bed, and he came in, patted my stomach, and said, 'we're going to fix that'. I immediately liked him. He did an excellent job, no side affects, no complaints from me. I only saw him the one time, but did see Dr. Villareal, every day, post-op. He was also phenomenal! Very patient, explained everything, and made sure everything went smoothly.

He gave me the list of what do do and when to do it, since I would not be going back to Juarez, Mexico, for aftercare, but I felt supremely ready to go back to my regular doctor, with x-rays in hand, to continue on.

The language barrier came up a few times, but they give you a list of common equests, ice water, towels, etc, and my sister and I both had Spanish in high school, so were able to make it through.

They had me up and walking within 10 minutes and me waking out of anesthesia, and I continued to do that until I checked out, 4 days later. The nurses were all very helpful and friendly, and helped out with all of my stupid little requests.

The only negative was, by the end of our stay, I think they were starting to ignore us, because I was doing so well. It just started to take a little bit longer to get ice. But, then, again, that made me go down to the cafeteria and get my own, so maybe not a total bad thing.

I have nothing bad to say about Dr Rod's team and the hospital. Everything was excellent! I had a mini gastric bypass on 01/11/10. I havent had any complications. Dr Calderon responds promptly to any questions I have. I dont understand why people complain about the nurses speaking only spanish.......we expect mexicans to speak english over here right? You have to understand that you ARE in mexico. So learn a few phrases before you go. Overall, I would rate this surgeon as a 10.

I had my first impression of my surgeon on the phone. He was very nice and answered all my questions about my surgery. Dr. Rodriguez is a little bit shy in person but very nice.I didn't see him much. I was more in contact with Dr.Calderon. I met him in person just before my surgery. He is surrounded by a very competent and professional team, especially Dr. Calderon who is very helpful and knowledgable. I stayed at Star Medica Hospital from saturday to thursday morning and the aftercare was excellent, provided by the hospital staff and Dr.Calderon and Dr.Elmo.I would have liked a stronger pain medication than toradol right after my surgery. I was informed very well about the surgery and provided recommendations for my future diet and suggested vitamins.I am VERY satisfied of my experience,it was well organized and professional from the start till the end. I would recommend Dr.Rodriguez and his team in heartbeat and know what I'm talking about because I'm an RN, I work in the operating room and I'm also specialized in Bariatric surgeries. He also uses the same products for his surgeries as what they use in the Medical Center I work at in the US.I am almost 5 month post-op from my laparoscopic gastric bypass, I had no complications and I have already lost 74lbs. Dr.Calderon gave me an e-mail to contact them and I did. They responded promptly so I'm very happy to have chosen Dr.Rodriguez for my surgery.

Not sure why they changed the picture, but the gentleman reflected in the picture above is not Dr. Jose Rodriguez located in Juarez, MX.

Anyhow, the surgery itself went well but I would not do it again. The nursing staff literally do not speak english, I had one nurse, I believe her name was Diane, she spoke very good english as she went to school in Texas. When one nurse couldn't understand my needs or questions, they would bring in another which would chalk up very quickly that their english was also very minimal. As you might imagine, it became very frustrating for me when asking simple questions about which medicine this is and why it's being used, etc. I also found it very uncomfortable that none of the staff use gloves when doing IV's, etc...I had one nurse where my blood literally splattered on her bare hand and I couldn't believe that as a protection for themselves they don't have a process to utilize gloves. Fears only begin to soar when the nurse staff go from one room to the next and are doing IV's, taking blood, etc and there is no washing hands in the room, etc. Overall, if I had to do it over again I'd seriously consider staying local to a US hospital. The cost of this surgery as a self-pay is really the only pro I can acknowledge. Looking back, I believe if I spoke fluent Spanish my impressions might be drastically different. This is my personal experience and others might experience something different.

My expierence in Mexico was good. Dr Rodriguez and staff were very compassionate and caring. Dr Elmo and Dr Calderon (who are a part of the team) came and saw me everyday. I felt like they really cared for my well being. The hospital (Star Medica) was very clean. The staff was very attentive to my needs. I would recomend these physcians and hospital to friends and family.

Dr. Rodriguez was awesome. His Staff was great. The facility was cleaner and nicer than some I have seen in the states. I would Rate him and his team at a 10. Great Bedside manner

My first impression of Dr. Rod was that he was a very friendly but busy man. He bops in and right back out before you know it but he has a wonderful staff and always has someone to answer your questions. The language barriers were the biggest issue for me in MX. And it seems many of my questions have come after my surgery but there is always a coordinator or someone who is able to answer them.

What was your first impression of him/her?rnGreat!rn rnHow did your impression change over time? rnNone!rnrnHow would you describe his/her office staff? rnThey were great 10++++rnrnWhat did you like least about him/her?rnperfect! rnrnWhat should future patients know about him/her? rnHe is a great doctor no question asked!rnrnHow much does he/she emphasize aftercare? rn10+rnrnDoes he/she have a structured aftercare program?rnyesrn rnHow did he/she address the risks of surgery?rnyesrn rnHow would you rate him/her overall? rn100++++++rnrnWhich is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or are both great?rn both greatrn

I was banded by Dr. Rodriguez in Cuidad Acuna on October 7, 2003. I have returned to him for all of my aftercare as well. I have had only the most wonderful of experiences with Dr. Rodriguez and only wish he were closer to my home. He is a wonderful professional who will take good care of you. I have no regrets having Dr. Rodriguez as my surgeon and would recommend him to others who are thinking about going to Mexico for surgery.

Excellent care for a fraction of the US cost. MD had an excellent bedside manner and his staff kept myself and my spouse well informed. We received better treatment than one might find in a US hospital. The nurse pt ratio in Mexico is 1:2. I originally had planned to use Dr. Cottingham in Birmingham for my lap band with insurance coverage but after problems with his nurse and the insurance submittal I wasn't approved after wasting 7 months of my life with the MD supervised diet, so I decided to go to Mexico and self pay. Dr. Cottingham refunded my consult fee and will be doing my follow up care and fills at a fraction of the cost, so it all worked out in the end.