Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

I decided on Dr. Alvarez on reputation and the frequent and prompt responses from both Dr. Alvarez and his staff. You can tell his passion for his work it isn't just about the money is about helping others. At least that's the feeling I got from him everytime we've spoken. He also follows up after your surgery. .. Not something every surgeon outside the US does. My surgery experience was good. I think my only big complaint was the hospital temperature I asked for the air conditioner to be turned on and was refused instead they turned the heat of but I still ended up with a heat rash. The surgery and staff were good otherwise and I have lost 77 lbs in 7.5 weeks now! I'd definitely do it again and highly recommend Dr. Alvarez.

Let me start by saying Dr. Alvarez and his team are amazing! It was just 1 month ago (3-6-14) I had surgery and I have lost 30 lbs and 8 1/2 inches! The care I received was better than what we receive here in the US. When was the last time you were hospitalized and nurses routinely came into check on you without you calling for them? The last time you were hospitalized that a Doctor came in 2-3 times a day to check on you? The last time, if ever, you called/emailed your Doctor and they responded within 1 hour? Most of us can say that this NEVER happens in the United States!
Yes, I was nervous about going to Mexico because of the unknown and all the things you hear, but I AM SURE GLAD I DID! Dr. Alvarez and his team are extremely thorough and it shows they have done this many times because everything was perfect and organized from the pre-paper work, communication, transportation, the anesthesiologist, the surgery, the nurses, pain control and questions about follow up care. Anytime I have a question I just email Susan or Dr. Alvarez and my question is answered very quickly. Never had a problem with communication, cleanliness or safety. My husband came with me and slept on the pull-out. He went out several times a day to get coffee, lunch and dinner and always felt safe in his environment. If you are over weight and have battled for years with yo-yo dieting this is a great option. I tried everything, I am very active, but I never could loose the weight. I might loose 5 lbs. here and there on a diet but then I would gain 10+ when I started eating again. I am VERY satisfied and HAVE NOT had any problems with my surgery, my recovery or my incisions. Everything is healing nicely and I am learning a new way to eat. Currently I walk a mile a day and I look forward to my future and the changes I will go thru!
The cost of the surgery was extremely reasonable and a fraction of what it would have cost here in the US. Also, didn't have to jump through all of the hoops we have to here in the US. It was So simple! Some may ask what about follow up care...I am 1 month out and haven't had any need for follow up care. If I am unsure of something that is going on, I simply send an email and my questions/concerns are addressed or explained as to what is going on internally.
Thank you Dr. Alvarez for the opportunity to be happy with myself, healthy & the ability to control my weight!

Dr. Alvarez and his staff were beyond what I could have imagined! They excelled my expectations in every category: organization, skill, professionalism, and compassion. I know for a fact that his performance surpasses VSG options in the US. My mother had VSG at a Center for Excellence facility in the US, and while satisfactory in results, the attentiveness and support pre- and post-op does not come close. Not to mention, that her surgery left her in such pain and unable to work for about a month whereas my VSG pain lasted about 7-10 days and I was able to go back to work 5 days after surgery. I cannot stop raving about my experience and my progress using his very detailed guide and videos. And, I know that I can still depend on Dr. Alvarez or Susan to answer any questions that I may have in the future.

Great Experience! I am now almost 3 months post op and my positive opinion about Dr. Alvarez and his team has not diminished. I can ditto the other positive reviews on this website almost verbatim. Dr Alvarez, the other doctors and the staff are top notch and amazingly personable and professional. I traveled to Mexico alone, yet never felt alone. It may sound hokey, but I was made to feel like I was a part of their extended family. Starting with Susan who does your initial intake (and is amazingly available to answer questions) to Rosie who transports you to and from the staging hotel to the Doc himself and his hospital staff. Nothing is left to chance. Most importantly, Dr. Alvarez is the most experienced and best doctor for the sleeve procedure that I could find… anywhere! The aftercare experience was perfect for me, as I do not like a lot of hand holding. I received weekly emails from the Doc detailing what I could expect and should be doing. That was in addition to all of the materials provided when I checked out. Honestly, if I had a question (and I did) it was answered immediately. However, if you are someone who wants or needs one on one follow on appointments with doctors, nutritionists, etc. this may not be the plan for you. It was the perfect program for me!

Hello, my name is Eddie W. I live in New York City. I recently had gastric sleeve surgery in Piedras Negras, Mexico. My surgeon was Dr. Guillermo Alvarez.

I did many, many hours of research before deciding on the surgery with Dr. Alvarez. From my first contact with his intake coordinator, Susan, I was guided along every step of the way. Everything was thoroughly explained to me, and every question I had was answered promptly. I flew to San Antonio where I was met by Dr. Alvarez' very nice driver, Rosy. She drove me to Eagle Pass, TX where I stayed the night. I was then picked up early the next morning and driven 5 minutes across the Mexican border to their hospital in Piedras Negras. The hospital is immaculately clean and everyone I came in contact was completely professional and courteous and obviously knew their job well. Although I do speak some Spanish, there was never a language barrier. If someone wasn't bi-lingual, there was an interpreter by their side. The room I was given was a spacious private room with a private bathroom. I joked that I felt like it was the "Beyonce suite at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan." The room came with a desktop computer, an iPad, flat screen cable television and a couch. Even the hospital bed was extremely comfortable. And across from my room was a what I jokingly called my "Media Entertainment Center." It was a lounge with a comfy leather couch, flat screen cable TV, two desktop computers, more iPads and another private bathroom. These accommodations would have cost a small fortune in the U.S.

I made the trip alone and never regretted it. But if a patient prefers to travel with a companion, they have plenty of room to sleep and entertain themselves. And the entire staff goes out of their way to make sure the patient and their traveling companion are both as comfortable as possible at all times.

As for Dr. Alvarez....where do I begin? What an incredible surgeon and a wonderful human being he is. You would think that after years of performing the gastric sleeve on so many patients that he would be jaded and it would all seem so routine and boring. But not Dr. Alvarez. You can tell he has a real passion for his work, and he makes you feel as if you are his most important patient ever.

My surgery turned out to be more complicated than anticipated. When Dr. Alvarez began operating, he discovered I had a large hiatal hernia. He repaired the hernia as well as doing the gastric sleeve. And he did this without any extra charge! That truly shocked me. I can only imagine what a U.S. surgery bill would have turned into when they discovered I needed an additional procedure done. After surgery Dr. Alvarez and his team explained to me completely about the hiatal hernia and the work that had been done. I was already satisfied with their services, but now I was BEYOND satisfied!

One final thing I'd like to add that won't apply to everyone who reads this, but it was an important consideration for me. I am a gay man and a Democrat from New York City. Honestly, I had my reservations about flying into Texas. A state I never in my life had any intention on visiting. But these concerns were all for nothing. I actually barely felt as if I was ever actually IN Texas! And although I would love to vacation in Mexico someday, I had also never been there. But I didn't feel as if I had even been to Mexico either. The hospital is literally 5 minutes across the Eagle Pass, TX border and there was a never a reason for concern as to safety or any other issue I had imagined might happen. I was treated with complete professionalism and respect by everyone, including, of course, Dr. Alvarez and his ENTIRE staff. So if a "gay Yankee from New York City" can safely make this trip, believe me, anyone can!

Hello, my name is Mario Garza I live in Houston, Texas and I am a Physician. I researched many bariatric surgeons because I wanted to have a sleeve gastrectomy done. I found Dr. Guillermo Alvarez to be the most qualified, the trip to Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras was very easy and safe. Dr. Alvarez's staff is there for you from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart anything you need you will have, it was a very safe and pleasant experience I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of have weight loss surgery

Having surgery in Mexico was so much less complicated than U.S. Great doctor and assistants.

I was first made aware of Dr Alvarez by a friend who had used him as her surgeon. I met him the morning of my surgery, he was warm and welcoming. He made me feel at ease and answered all my questions thoroughly. Both he and all of his staff were very professional and very welcoming. I can't emphasize enough what a great experience I had. He made sure I had all the information I needed for my aftercare. He also maintained communication with me after I returned home to be sure my recovery remained on track. I have had surgery before, but can honestly say this was one of the best surgical experiences I have ever had. I would recommend Dr Alvarez to anyone looking for either a lap band revision or a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I had both at the same time and was very pleased with my experience.

I was a little apprehensive about going to Mexico for surgery. As soon as I met Dr Alvarez, he put my fears to rest. He was so pleasant and understanding and answered any questions I had. The surgery went well, and while I had slight discomfort, I didn't actually have alot of pain. The staff was very helpful and took my companion out to eat and shop both nights. The nurses came regularly and checked on you.

It has been 4 weeks since my surgery and I am down 29 pounds. While it isn't easy to eat in such a restrictive manner for the first 4 weeks, the reward is more than worth it. It is one of the best choices I've made. I only wish I'd done it sooner.

I was very nervous about any kind of surgery, partly because of a terrible experience in a local hospital, part of a major hospital network, where my youngest son had surgery just a few months ago. He was in one hospital 43 days straight, mostly due to problems with the surgery including a MRSA infection in his blood that got on his heart valves. On more than one occasion we thought we had lost him. Though the hospital was brand new and beautiful on the outside, what went on inside was not very pretty...and for us, was traumatic.

Despite my fear of surgery... and problems with 'modern' hospitals, I knew I had to change my direction, or I was going to end up where I was headed... continued high blood pressure, respiratory problems, looming diabetes, heart problems, knee problems, etc. I did not want to follow in the footsteps of my parents whose final years were pretty miserable health wise, primarily due to obesity and all the complications that go with it.
After much soul searching and research, I decided that the best choice for me was the VSG... also I knew 4 people who had this surgery previously, with tremendous long term success. Three of them had gone to Dr. Alvarez in Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Because of all the news reports over the last couple of years, I was very skeptical about going to Mexico for surgery. Could it possibly be safe? But my research, the experiences of those I knew... and a couple I came to know via this forum..., finally led me to choose Dr. Alvarez as the best choice regardless of where I had to go.

How do I describe my experience? From the first contact I received a level of communication and personal attention, that was totally different from what I've experience in dealing with doctors and surgeons here. When I asked probing and pointed questions, Dr. Alvarez and Susan Geoge, his patient coordinator, were responsive, open, and frank. They were never defensive, evasive or offended by my questions. (As my primary care physician told me, "If the surgeon, or his staff, doesn't want to tell you his numbers (i.e., # of surgeries, complication rates, etc.) there's a reason." Both Dr. Alvarez and Susan were very accessible, both by phone and by email.... Dr. Alvarez even has a weekly internet radio broadcast (ObesityChat) where he takes questions and provides answers, guidance, and encouragement to anyone struggling with obesity. He responds to email, tweets, and to members of his facebook group Endobariatric.com

Everything about our trip to San Antonio, and on to Piedras Negras, was well-scripted and smoothly executed. The small town of Eagle Pass, TX on one side of the border was like any small, rural town, and Piedras Negras, was much the same, though larger and more of a commercial center. Other than at the border crossing itself, we never saw any armed soldiers, or indications of tightened security, etc..
The private hospital, though not shiny and new... was spotless, well-equipped, well staffed...even peaceful. The doctors were attentive ... and accessible, dropping by multiple times each day. Jessica and Anali, both nurses, were assigned both to translate for us (as many of the hospital staff nurses did not speak English) and to make sure we had everything we (and our companions) needed. They walked us up and down the halls after the surgery... and took our traveling companions out to eat and even did a little shopping. It was such a contrast to our previous hospital experiences!
The procedure itself went without a hitch. (I was even provided the video recording of it).
It's been a month and I feel better than I can remember.

I can't recommend Dr. Alvarez and his staff highly enough. It was definitely the right decision for me.