Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

Dr Alvarez and his whole team are everything and more that everyone says he is. Kindness radiates from his smile. There is kindness in the simplest touch. His team is professional, compassionate and very kind.rnDr A. is through in explaining the procedure, the before care, the after care, the diet to follow. I can't imagine there is a better surgeon out there who cares as much for his patients as Dr A does.rnDr A bedside manner was second to none, as was his competence with the knife.

I had spent months trying to get approved for lapband surgery. Within that time I began to have serious doubts about whether lapband was my best choice. Then someone mentioned vertical gastric sleeve. I did research and through my research I learned about Dr. Alvarez. So I called and spoke to Susan his Coordinator. She was very helpful and nice and she put up with my nerves. And let me tell you I was nervous. I scheduled my surgery for September 18, 2007. I eargerly and nervously looked forward to my date. Could this really be the tool that would change my life forever? rnrnMy experience was a 10+. We met Dr Alvarez the morning of our surgery. I remembered being so nervous. But when I met Dr Alvarez he answered my questions and concerns and he calmed me down. He is an excellent surgeron. The care in the hospital was great. Dr. Alvarez was wonderful. Checking on me several times each day while at the hospital. Even checking on me before surgery. I can honestly say that I had no pain. Just a bit of discomfort. But no real pain. rnrnAs we were getting checked out of the hospital Dr. Alvarez gave us each a big hug wishing us sucess with our new tool. He sent instructions and medications for us to take with us. And he gives you a surgical report to take to your Doctor here in the states that describes exactly what he did in the surgery. And I can call or email Dr. Alvarez or Susan his Coordinator and they get back to you right away with any questions I may have.rnrnIt has been 1 month since my surgery. I am down 19 pounds. I have not been hungry. I LOVE MY SLEEVE.rnrnSo if you are thinking of having Vertical Gastric Sleeve and you are considering Dr. Alvarez, I would recommend that you do not hesitate. He and his staff are the best you could ask for. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself!!!!!

I have been searching for a weight loss surgery that suited my needs for years. I discovered the VSG in July, 2007 and then started researching surgeons. I knew with my lower BMI that I would not qualify for insurance coverage so immediately started looking at the self pay route. After reading others reviews of Dr. Alvarez and my own research I chose him as my surgeon. I could not have made a better decision. I had my surgery on October 16. When I met with Dr. Alvarez the morning of my surgery I was amazed at the warmth, genuine caring and knowledge that he shows. He seems to truly love and care about what he does. His support staff is wonderful, Rosie, the person who will transport you to and from the airport is a gem, she's so nice and easy and fun to talk with during a stressful and somewhat unsettled time. Priscilla is a new addition to the staff and she was fantastic. She speaks excellent english and is a great go between for you and the nursing staff. She also takes excellent care of our support people by giving them ideas of where to eat, etc. Last but by no means least is Susan, she is the Coordinator for your surgery with Dr. A. She is an excellent source of information before, during and after your surgery time. I could not have been more pleased with all of his staff. They are all genuine and caring individuals. The hospital is older, it appears to be going under some renovation at present, but it could not have been cleaner, and the nurses are fantastic. You could not go wrong with Dr. Alvarez as your physician. Oh and just as a last comment I am also a RN so I was very aware of what should be happening etc. and everything was fantastic.

I chose to have weight loss surgery in Mexico after losing the battle with my insurance co. And knowing I would have to self pay, the price was more affordable. The more I read about Dr. Alvarez the more impressed I became. I decided he was the surgeon I wanted. That was the best decision I could have made. Dr. Alvarez has a wonderful bedside manner, a great sense of humor (you know what they say about laughter!!) and is a true gentleman. He even carried my Mom's luggage from his clinic to the hospital!! AND AN AWESOME SURGEON!! It couldn't be more obvious that he knows and loves what he's doing! My stay at the hospital was great. The nurses were very compassionate and like clockwork with meds. I rarely had to ask for anything! The entire experience was very pleasant!!

I had my vertical sleeve surgery on the 26 of September and I am 9 days post op. I am doing well although my incisions still a little sore. I have lost ten pounds and have 130 to go. Dr. Alvarez and his staff took very good care of me. I felt safe. Just like everyone has said, Dr. Alvarez most definitely is a charmer, plus he has a great bedside manner. His nurse team is exceptional. They came in to check on me and give me my meds consistenly every two hours. If I needed anything inbetweem theri visits to my room they were there for me within a couple of minutes. Dr. Alvarez gave me a complete and thorough explanation of my aftercare and how to take my meds., etc. Future patients should know that he is an excellent doctor, very knowledgeble and probably one of the best at what he does. I have to say I am happy with the whole experience. I can't wait to throw away my fat clothes and I am so looking forward to my new life!

Dr. A. is a \"10\"!!rnHe is highly skilled.rnHe shows that he really cares for his patients.rnI got a sleeve and he checked on me frequently, EVERY DAY.rn

All positive!!! See my July 2007 post on my profile to see the details.

My first impression of Dr. Alvarez was \"Oh my, he is HOT\". LOL I hope he is as good a surgeon as he is good looking! Seriously, Dr. Alvarez has a wonderful gift of being able to calm you down and talk to you in a way that makes you feel he is your best friend. He explains the proceedure and answers all your questions in a non-hurried manner. I was surprised at how many times he checked in after surgery, even on Sunday. I am very happy with my experience with Dr. Alvarez and reccommend him to all.

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.