Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

I had my VSG on 2/14/2012 and Dr. Alvarez was amazing. The journey to get my sleeve was a journey I will never forget. I flew from upstate N.Y into Texas. Dr.A driver(Rosey) picked me up and brought me to the Eagle Pass hotel. The next morning Rosy picked us up at hotel and took us over the border to Dr. A office. Many people worry about going over the border but it was completely safe. After I had blood work and an x-ray before you knew it, it was surgery time. Six hours after surgery I was up walking the halls. I did end up with a hematoma in the largest incision due to having such a big stomach and Dr.A taking out the old part of my stomach. (This was due to my weight I was 364 at the time of surgery.) Dr. A and his assistant were in and out to check on me at least 6 times a day. I had to e-mail Dr. Alvarez a couple times with question since I have returned home and he answers me with in 2 minutes. He is an excellent Doctor and will recommend him to everyone. By the way I'm 6 weeks post op and down 60 pounds!!! I thankful everyday that I did my research and choose Dr.Alvarez.

I like many have thought of weight loss surgery for many years, struggled with my weight, I dieted, excercised and have spent lots of money on many different programs.

I finally decided to research surgery and decided on VSG, talked to many people who had the surgery and found several that had used Dr. Alverez.

Contacted the office and received a return call, where all the questions I had were answered, additional information was sent via e-mail, I read the doctors book viewed the web site and read the testiomonials.

I called the office set up a date and off I went with a friend who also was going to have the surgery. Upon arrival our hotel was clean, the staff made sure that we had everything we needed, let us know what time we would be picked up to go to Mexico and we had a phone number for Dr. Alverez if we needed anything.

In the morning the van arrived and what a wonderful lady she was, assured us we were in good hands, that we would be safe in Mexico and that anything we needed we would be taken care of.

We met a former patient of the doctors while there and she explained to us that her care and treatment had been better than she ever expected! Once we arrived we met Dr. Alverez and his staff, we were told what was going to happen, taken to our room which was wonderful, simple and comfortable.

I was taken to surgery, once I was done the doctor came out and spoke to my friends, I was taken back to my room and made comfortable.

The staff was fabulous I could not have asked for more, the doctor came in many times to check on myself and my friend, the nurses were there within moments if we called. The one on one care and attention was so wonderful, like nothing you would expect!

I am 4 weeks out and have progressed as expected, I feel so much better and know I made the best choice in having the procedure done and in choosing a doctor who really cares, who makes sure your his number 1 priority and the follow up care continues with e-mails, a phone number that gets you right to Dr. Alverez, I know this was one of my best decisions ever, it starts with a phone call, one with no pressure, make the call it could be the most important one you'll ever make, I know for me it was.

I was like any other person struggling with weight loss. I had tried every diet and weight loss regime you could imagine. I had gotten to the point where my self esteem and confidnece was null and void. Two close friends of mine had decided to fly to Mexico to get WLS with Dr. Alvarez. I was pregnant at the time and thought they were nuts! Mexico!! THEN.....they came back and couldn't say enough positive things about their experience. I listened with open ears and watched as they experienced a change in both their physical and emotional esteems.

Then two years later, I had gotten to the point where I knew I had to change my life or I was going to lose it. I started researching Dr. Alvarez and had in depth conversations with my two friends, it all seem scarry. I didn't know who Dr. Alvarez was and where I was going...I just kept hearing the word Mexico.

I did get on that plane and went to Mexico. From the very first minute I had even contacted Dr. Alvarez's staff I was at ease. The staff was professional, caring and empathetic to all of my nerves and fears. I remember breaking down in the waiting room the morning of my surgery and atypical of any doctor I had experienced in the states, Dr. Alvarez assured me in the best bed side manner I have ever experienced, that all would be okay. I felt at ease. After the surgery the nurses and all the hospital staff involved were so diligent and nurturing. I experienced little if no pain at all.

I am now two months post surgery. I was amazed at how quickly I bounced back into my routine life. I have experienced no side effects.

I was that person you are, fearful, nervous. All I an say is believe in the journey. The hardest part of the experience is just getting over the logistical element. You will be in the beset hands possible and will never regret for one minute the decision you made to change your life!

I couldn't have had a better experience than with Dr. Alvarez and his staff. The trip was easy and very safe. The Hospital was clean and the nurses very caring. Dr. Alvarez in my opinion is just the best surgeon out there. I read about how some people have terrible trouble with the surgeon, and how costly it is to them, and problems with insurance, and because of Dr. Alvarez I haven't had to deal with any of those things. I am so thankful that he has made the sleeve easy and affordable.

Although my BMI was marginal for bariatric surgery, I had pre-existing conditions which convinced me I would benefit from the procedure and have a better quality of life without the excess weight.

Dr. Alvarez and his staff were exceptionally responsive to my requests for information and his book answered most of my questions.

The surgery was seamless. From the time I arrived in San Antonio, an English speaking staff member was either with me or available until I flew out. My single occupancy room was equipped with all the amenities including TV ; internet and a phone to call home when I wanted to advise family about my progress.

Dr. Guillermo or his associate met with me before surgery and before discharge to answer all questions and made themselves available by email when I returned home. I absolutely believe I received better medical care and individual attention than I would have received in a U.S. medical facility and at a lower cost.

I am eight weeks post surgery and have lost 38 pounds without exercise or special diet. As a 64 year old lawyer, I do not expect to change my lifestyle or become an athlete; but do expect to contimue losing until I have lost 70-80% of my excess weight.

I can unqualifiedly recommend Dr. Alvarez for the VGS procedure. While he is a consummate professional, he is also genuinely concerned with the well being of his patients and the success of their surgery.

Robert Beauvais
Lincoln, NM

I like so many otheres on this blog have had issues with my weight since I was a child. I have researched for a long time to find a solution that was right for me. When I found Dr. Alvarez and his sight I was so intriqued by all of his experience. No matter where else I researched I was always drawn back to Dr. Alvarez.
Sooo.... With all of this being said, I was probably the biggest pain in the butt for Susan (Dr. Alvarez's scheduler), as I had so many questions and reservations just because of the media and what you here. Susan was very patient and answered all of my quesions in a timely manner. All of her support made my decision easier, as I was very cautious and did not make a quick decision. When I finally made up my mind I gave Susan a couple of dates that would work for me and she was able to get me in on those times. All went very smoothly with scheduling.
I flew from South Dakota to San Antonio, Texas where I spent the first night in a very nice hotel that Dr Alvarez uses close to the airport. Rosie, Dr. Alvarez's driver picked us up the next morning. Rosie is such a wonderful person who answers all of your questions as she was driving us to Eagle Pass. She will put all of your fears at ease and is such a caring person. Again we spent the night in a hotel in Eagle Pass and Rosie came the next morning at 7am to pick up myself and 2 other patients and our families to take us over the boarder to Mexico. All of my family and friends had reservations about me going to Mexico, but it is very simple and you will have nothing to worry about if you choose Dr. Alverez. Going over the boarder is very easy and you will have nothing to fear. You are delivered directly to the hospital where you are met by the Doctors and Jessica who is Dr. Alvarezs liaison between the patients and the the other staff at the Hospital. The hospital is very clean and the staff is all very caring with nice accomidations for you and your family.
Now on to Dr. Alvarez. I would highly, highly recommend Dr. A. and his team. When I arrived at his office he takes each patient one by one into his office to answer any and all questions you or your family member may have before sugery. He speaks english as well as I do and is so open and caring about you as a person. He and his partner have great bedide manners and are very caring and come to see you at least 6 times a day while you are in their care. That is something you will never see in the USA. Dr. Alvarez has always been a phone call away even after I came home. I have e-mailed him a few times and he answers very quickly and is always concerned with your progress. I am thankful for the new lease on life that he has given me even if I am early out from my surgery. 3/3/12. Dr. Alvarez did a wonderful job and did his part now it is my turn to do my part.
If I had to do it agian I would definitely choose Dr. Alvarez and his team. :)

I had researched the various forms of bariatric surgery for over 2 years before deciding this was the right step for me. I could control every other aspect of my life besides my weight, and that always made me feel like a failure. I kept returning to Dr. Alvarez's website, and the Endobariatric facebook page. Reading the testimonials on Facebook, the message boards, and the YouTube videos really sealed the deal for me. The help-line on the website also answered the many questions I had. They were not pushy - just supportive and let me know that it had to be the right decision for me.

Going to Mexico was not a scary ordeal at all. It is less than a mile over the border, and someone from Dr. Alvarez's staff (usually Rosie) is with you at all times. I chose to go alone, although I had multiple offers from family and friends to go with me. I wanted to be able to rest and heal after the surgery without feeling like I had to keep someone company. The procedure is laparoscopic, so it is a much quicker recovery time.

Everything is explained in detail, and the entire trip was flawless. Dr. Alvarez has nurses on his staff that are at the hospital with you that speak English. I am a registered nurse, and while the hospital is small, it is very clean, and the staff very professional. No scrubs for the nursing staff - they wear the white uniforms, and they look sharp! Everyone is kind and helpful. Dr. Alvarez is also very personable and you will feel very comfortable asking any questions that you may have.

My recovery has been on track. You have to do your part in this - it is not a cure all. I was on a liquid diet for a week prior, and 3 weeks after. You just have to keep your eye on the goal. I had surgery on a Saturday, and returned to work on Wednesday without any problems. I exercise at least 90 minutes a day. I feel wonderful. I have a ways to go yet, but my only regret is that I didn't have this done sooner instead of waiting until I am 45! It has helped with the confidence to work at getting the weight off, and keeping it off.

I highly recommend Dr. Alvarez and his team.

i have been overweight most of my life. REcently i had reached my peak of 60 lbs of overweight which made me feel very unconfortable and unhealthy. A friend told me about her experience on having a Bariatric Surgery and how it has changed her life. She reccomended her DR. in Monterrey, which is closer to my hometown , however as I called to his office, and spoke with the people there, I didnt feel confident enough and the post surgery drainage was something I didnt have time to deal with. I kept on researching for the best doctor available, and someone who could offer me a different procedure, due to the small time available. Finally,all my research took me to Dr.Guillermo Alvarez, which through his website,his staff, and all the tools he offered, made me feel comfortable enough to choose him as my surgeon. I had to travel to Piedras Negras, which despite being in Mexico, it was an unknown site to me. Since meeting Dr. Alvarez, everything was much better than expected. He went beyond my expectations in explaining to detail all my concerns, and the tecnique to avoid a drainage for a week, as other doctors had suggested. The surgery went well, the medical and support staff are very well prepared, and the pain was minimal after surgery. 2 days in the hospital mainly, to be observed and recovery.Then, my flight home.
So far, I am 1 month after my surgery, and I feel healthy. I am a working mother and sometimes, i do feel my energy levels going down. I am having my vitamins, and proteins, however, every adjustment takes time.
Among all, I am feeling healthier, and with much more to look forward to.

Maria
Tampico, Mexico.

I had the gastric sleeve with Dr.Alvarez January 26,2012. My entire experience has been like a dream. I was a little nervous about going to Mexico and having surgery there but all my fears were put aside when I arrived and saw Dr.Alvarez. The second I
saw Dr.Alvarez I knew I was in good hands and didnt have to think twice about having surgery. The reason I chose Dr.Alvarez were all the good reviews I have heard about him, the youtube videos, and I have followed him on twitter and facebook months before surgery. I just felt comfortable with him and loved his personality. He's a very friendly doctor and is fluent in English. Dr. Alvarez has also done 3000+ sleeves compared to the doctors I have seen in the U.S. which is somewhere between 0-200 sleeves. I have a friend that is going in April of this year and my sister is going the end of this year. I email Dr.Alvarez and Susan the coordinator til today about any questions I have. I have lost 35 pounds in just a little over a month and couldn't have done it without Dr.Alvarez and his team!!! If anyone has any questions about Dr.Alvarez feel free to send me a personal message. : )

After researching the sleeve and seeing all of the youtube videos of Dr. Alvarez, including the video of an actual sleeve surgery, I was very impressed. I had already been seeing a local surgeon who was head of bariatrics at our major hospital. I called to find out how many sleeves he'd performed and his nurse said 100. One hundred? THAT'S IT? Dr. Alvarez has done thousands! I don't care if my surgeon was a US Dr, I wanted someone with the most experience doing my surgery! It's only through experience that the art of surgery is perfected and I wasn't going to take chances on an inexperienced sleeve surgeon.

I found the online chat through the endobariatrics website and whomever I was chatting with put me in touch with Susan and we started emailing the following day. I found out all the details (like they do ALL the driving and all we had to do was fly to San Antonio and they handle the rest!) and started asking my questions. I quickly felt confident that I wanted Dr Alvarez to be my surgeon so we got our passports expedited and booked our flights. That was the most work I had to do because the rest just flowed like clockwork. The shuttle from the airport to the hotel was perfect and Rosy was waiting for us at the hotel when we got there. The drive down was uneventful and the border crossing the following morning was no big deal at all. A couple minutes after crossing the border we were at the hospital and meeting Dr A and his staff. He is kind, attentive, and answered any questions my husband or myself had.

We were given a nice room and Jessica (she's a sweetheart!) took me to get labs and xray done and after meeting with the anesthesiologist, it was off to surgery. I didn't really even have any fear because I'd done my homework on Dr A and felt so confident that all would be fine and it was.

I woke up from surgery and felt nauseated and threw up a few times. I was given medication and felt better. I never had another complication (not that nausea is a complication but I'm sure you know what I mean). Jessica took care of making sure my husband had meals and was doing well. She checked on me often and took care of anything we needed. The non-English speaking nurses were also sweet but we didn't really deal with them much because Dr. A has his own staff.

I must admit that before making my decision of using Dr A I was concerned about having surgery across the border. Once I learned all of his qualifications and read prior reviews about him I really didn't worry about it any more. He has so many good reviews that I was worried he was too good to be true but he really is just that good and here I am adding to those five star reviews!

My PCP does all my aftercare labs and follow ups so I don't have any trouble with that. I do miss the fact that I can't go to a local surgeons aftercare support group but the OH site can be used for support in place of that. And an aftercare support group isn't worth the $9,000 MORE I would have paid to use my local surgeon.

I would definitely recommend Dr. Alvarez for your sleeve surgery and I may even be going back with other family members in the near future. The hospital was clean and safe, his staff is kind and caring, and Dr A was wonderful! It was SO EASY to set up and plan my surgery with Susan and I don't regret a second of it! I'm only a month out and I've lost 25 lbs and two clothing sizes. I feel happy and content with the smaller portions of food because I'm not hungry and I get full on small amounts. I don't feel deprived at all!

On a sidenote, my incisions are amazing! I have seen some that are big, ugly and look like they'll be eyesores for a long time but mine are the tiniest little slits that healed so beautifully that one of them isn't even noticeable and I'm not even finished healing! Bonus!

Seriously, look up all his videos, watch the surgical procedure. You'll be confident and not worry about leaks when you see how he over~sews the staple line (this was very important to me). Go with Dr. A and don't look back!