Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

Dr. Alvarez and his whole team are simply AMAZING! A friend of mine referred me to him and right from the jump when I sent in for more info, Susan his coordinator was on top of it and gave me every bit of information I needed to get started and in what order I needed to do things. She was able to answer all my questions, big or small. Not once did I ever feel nervous because his team makes you feel so comfortable. Between his books, website, YouTube Channel and Facebook support groups, everything I needed and wanted to know was just a click away! I have struggled with weight loss and gain my whole life. I have been on just about every diet and fad known to man. I chose to do surgery as a last resort and I am currently 5 weeks post of and it's been the BEST DECISION YET!! I had surgery on a Thursday and was back to work (office job) by that following Monday.
My husband was my travel companion and he's a hard man to impress and even he was VERY impressed with the team and the hospital staff. The language barrier was basically non-existent bc Dr. A has translators around the clock and a lot of the nurses in the hospital understand enough English to get you or your companion what you need.
The hospital itself is great! Best hospital I have ever been in, a good area to be in (less than a mile from the Texas border)...it's practically Texas still!! There's a pharmacy (kind of like Walgreens) next to the hospital with a plaza of shopping and cafes for you and your companions. There was never a time we felt unsafe while on the economy.
I have had such success 5 weeks in (loss of 30lbs) that one of my good friends has already scheduled herself and has asked me to be her travel companion at the end of July!
For the best procedure, best doctor, best team/staff, best hospital, best price and overall best experience to change your life forever...choose Dr. Alvarez. I promise, you won't regret it!

I don't normally write reviews, but I saw fit to do so based upon my experience of being a patient of Dr. Guillermo Alvarez.

When I first decided to do this surgery (VSG), I had no idea I would end up having the procedure done in Mexico. I conducted a lot of research, and decided on Dr. Alvarez. This is absolutely the best decision I have ever made!!

From the time of my arrival in Texas, everything was very well organized! Rosie, our driver/tour guide, was the best!!! Dr. Alvarez and his staff of Doctors, nurses and medical staff were amazing!

My mind was put at ease the moment I arrived at the hospital in Mexico. There are no language barriers, every step of the process was simple, no where near complicated!

The procedure was not painful, and before I knew it, I was back in my room recovering!! There was no PAIN at all, which made me question Dr. Alvarez about him performing the surgery. (LOL)

I was a little nauseous, but that was for one night. The medication the staff provide helps a lot! A whole lot. I never had to request medication because they were on it like clockwork! Like there was some type of telepathic communication. They knew what I needed and were always on time. There's no way in hell I would have gotten this type of medical care in thw U.S.! I would have to keep calling for nurses, dr's, etc, trust me, I know because I've been there!!

The staff is really friendly and all of them are extremely patient!

Its only been 1 month and I'm down 31lbs!! Trust Dr. ALVAREZ. My family was very apprehensive about me going, and that's so normal. But once they read other reviews and did their own research, they were put at ease.

I had absolutely NO problems in Mexico at all!! My guest ate the food and is still raving about it to this day!

It is Very safe to visit!!!! Very safe!!

In reference to my scars, they are healing PERFECTLY!! 2 of them are almost non-existent.

Dr. Alvarez and his staff are the best! The hospital is very clean!!

The only problem I had was the fact of nervousness while drinking fluids during post-op. I felt like I was drinking too much and the sleeve was not working, but, once I started consuming food, boy did I feel the restrictions and I love it.


If you're considering Dr. Alvarez, I promise you, you will be extremely satisfied with the entire process, the professionalism, the care and attention he and his staff provide!!!

Hi, My name is Kim and I am a 58 yr old NICU RN from Colorado. I had my VSG done on April 21st with Dr. Alvarez and as of today (7 weeks) I have lost 41 lbs. and I feel GREAT!! My primary MD has taken me off my blood pressure, cholesterol and half of my diabetes medications already. I had lab work this week and it is all wonderfull and my MD is very pleased! Lipids, A1c and cholesterol all down!! I chose Dr. Alvarez and his staff after quite a bit of research and personally witnessing 6 of my professional peers successfully complete their sleeve surgery with Dr. Alvarez over the past 3 years. I can not say enough about how wonderful the entire experience was. Dr. Alvarez and his staff are amazing! The entire staff is with you from the minute you contact them. Dr Alvarez even sent me a personal video to talk to me about my history and to let me get to know him. I too was worried about the whole "going to Mexico" thing. Going across the border was no problem at all (in either direction) and once you are there they take care of you and your companions every need! Both my husband and I felt very comfortable. The nurses were on top of everything, they even made sure my husband got food he liked, every day! Dr Alvarez was there to check on me 3-4 times a day! It was an amazing experience that started my amazing life transformation! The support from Dr Alvarez and his staff never stops. They contact me every week with more information and support for every step of this journey. They are amazing!! Thank you Dr. Alvarez and staff for my new lease on life!!!!
Love you all, Kim

My Wife Maria and I had VSG surgery with Dr. Alvarez 4/29/16. We had a great experience with Dr. Alvarez he is
great surgeon and really good at what he does. The hospital staff is top notch as well. I have already lost 35 lbs and my
wife Maria has lost 22 lbs and feel great! My wife and I would strongly recommend Dr. Alvarez.

I was sleeved by Dr. Alvarez on May 7, 2016, and I am so pleased with my decision to do so. I value thorough reviews (I read every single one here before choosing him), so if you just want the punchline: I would 100% absolutely endorse Dr. Alvarez for anyone considering a VSG. I would also tell you if you're on the fence about the surgery: DO IT.

About me:

I am a 33 year old female, and when I signed up for the surgery I was a low BMI patient. I fluctuated between 165 and 175 for years. I traveled alone from Seattle.

Why I chose Dr. Alvarez:

1. The reviews are consistently high, to the degree that I found it concerning that I wasn't seeing any negatives. I know now that they are hard to find because the experience really is 5 star.

2. Price point is high for Mexico, low for America. I didn't want to go on price alone, AND.

3. I feel philosophically aligned with people who share their knowledge and passion with the world. Dr. A is very good at what he does, but I particularly value his contribution to our community as a whole. It takes time and effort outside of a surgical practice to provide quality information, educate, and inform people of what this life changing decision is all about. I made my decision to get this surgery based on the information he has shared with the world (I still use Ask Dr. A on youtube first when I have questions about my experience and there has been little left unanswered), so I felt that my money was best spent honoring that commitment, passion, and the education I received through the resources he's created. I have never felt more informed going into something as I did about this.

The Surgery Nuts & Bolts:

- Reviews are consistent with my experience: Susan, the coordinator, is fantastic. Communication leading up to the surgery had amazing turn around time. Questions before the surgery were addressed immediately, and logistics were a well oiled machine.
Getting from point A to point B was also a breeze relative to Seattle to San Antonio to Eagle Pass to Mexico and back. They know what they're doing.

- Traveling alone is seriously fine. Seriously. It's fine. They take care of you, my stuff was secure, and I felt safe.

- Hospital is older but very clean. I also felt well cared for during the prep portion- the blood draw was literally the first time in my life that it only took one stick to get the draw because he was patient.

- Dr. A is a BIG personality, warm, welcoming and friendly, but BIG. Honestly his energy was a lot for me after surgery; I felt drained and kept getting you're doing great! with huge smiles, when I felt like BLERG. The unsung hero of my experience was the wonderful Dr. Rosales- he was gentle, warm, quiet, and kindly laughed at my drugged up jokes. Everyone was excellent, but it was a nice experience to have a mix of personalities throughout, as I felt like I was getting different types of care from each person- the cheerleader for the encouragement, the calm reassuring it's ok, I'll hold your hand while we figure this out this nausea thing etc.

- Note this, too- the surgical teams check on you A LOT. I felt well monitored.

- My one point that would have changed my experience to 100% excellent: I could take or leave the daytime nursing staff. This was my experience, and it doesn't seem consistent with others, so take it or leave it:

I found them to be kind of rude and dismissive over some small concerns. The doctors quickly addressed my issues when I dealt directly with them. Nothing they did warranted anything less than my full endorsement, but there a few instances that were frustrating, especially being alone.

Examples: night nurses were way more responsive when buzzing for help, they dropped one of my pills out of the pill pack onto the floor but didn't replace it, I had a billing question (I booked with very tight turn around and wound up paying $500.00 more than the other 2 women on my day, which still doesn't make sense to me since I filled a slot last minute but whatever, it was the price I was quoted and expected to pay), and when I asked the intake person about the difference during processing her reaction felt hostile and abrasive. I simply wanted clarification and context; when I asked Dr. A it was a simple hey, we had a promo during this time frame, price went up. Ok. We had a 2 second calm conversation. It's a bummer, but let's move on and talk cutting me open now.

- Night nurses were great, but, caveat, I speak enough clunky Spanish to get what I needed without a lot of back and forth.

- I didn't do a lot of walking after and didn't really have gas pains, I just slept a ton and felt fairly fine. Nausea was my biggest issue, and the doctors had that well managed.

The After:

- I feel great. I was back to work after 4 days, I was taking in all my protein and water early on, and I was playing soccer 11 days post op (with clearance after providing context that I was walking 1.5 hours per day with the dog and meeting all of my intake requirements, incisions looked good etc.)

- All follow up questions have been answered with the same rapid turn around as before.

- At 21 days post op I am down to 152.0 from a surgery weight of 173.something - slightly more than 21 pounds down.

- I have always drank protein shakes so the liquid diet wasn't too rough for me, and everything I have consumed so far has settled just fine as I have been making my way through the stages.

- Honestly, I feel more excited and optimistic about my life than I have in years. I am so grateful to have had such a positive experience, and I am so grateful to Dr. A for what he has given me, but, really, for what he has given all of us. I love being able to share my journey with outside people by providing them with the resources and accurate information he has created and shared. I love the knowledge I have to guide me in making better choices. I love knowing what to expect to be set up to be successful for life, so this story can actually have a happy ending for (hopefully) the rest of my life. It's a magical feeling to feel back on the right track in life, and so much of that magic can be credited with this experience with this fantastic team.

I'm only 5 weeks out but I have lost 30 pounds and feel so much better!

Getting the gastric sleeve from Dr. Guillermo Alvarez is one of the best decisions I have made. The process was seamless and easy from beginning to end. The knowledge of Susan as I was getting registered and scheduled, to Dr. Alvarez' information regarding all parts of the surgery, to the surgical team and hospital in Piedra Negras---everything was simple, straight-forward, and exactly what I expected. Not only did the procedure go smoothly, I had the care of amazing doctors who repeatedly checked on me and nurses who not only wanted to make sure that my health was ok, they truly cared about me as a person. I didn't feel like I was in a sterile hospital (though, it was a clean, well taken care of facility), I felt like I was with a family who cares about me. And, the great part? They still care about me. I get emails and videos to help me along my journey. Plus, I know I can email and get answers anytime I need them. If you are considering this surgery, do yourself a favor and make sure to go to Dr. Alvarez--him and his team are the absolute best! A+

Had the best experience with Dr. A. Can't imagine a better experience even in the US.

I had my sleeve on 4/4/16. I am doing great! Dr. Alvarez and his staff are amazing! I do not regret having this procedure done, or traveling to Mexico. Everyone was professional, knowledgeable, and completely focused on the patients. The entire staff has the entire process down to a science and you will be in great hands.

I love my sleeve! Had a no problems with traveling to Mexico for surgery. Would highly recommend Dr. Alvarez and his team!!