Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

My first impression of Dr. Alvarez was how friendly and compassionate he is! He has such a dashing smile and a joking and open attitude. He really knows how to put you at ease by answering even the silliest of questions prior and after surgery. I honestly went to Mexico with some fear for my safety, but that all subsided once Rosie took us to the hospital. The hospital was older, but very clean and the nurses were extremely attentive, more so than any I have ever seen in the US! I am a diabetic and they were in my room at all hours checking my insulin levels and other vitals. I was never in pain, not even for a minute. I never had to ask for the pain meds because the nurses were constantly checking to make sure I was okay. The nurses were awesome! Dr. A's assistant Jessica was fantastic. She was very helpful and really made my experience comfortable and she even took my husband out to get meals. I was not in the fancier surgical suites but in a regular hospital room. That would be my only complaint...that my surgery buddy and I did not get to stay in the nicer rooms. But despite that, I had a great surgery and recovery experience. I am barely 2 months out and am down 44 pounds. I could not be happier with the surgery and recommend that if you are self-pay to go to Alvarez. I only wish he did plastic surgery as well so I could come back in a year or so. Loved my experience and love Dr. A!

Hi all. I had a VSG on 9/20/2010 with Dr. Alvarez in Mexico. My experience was excellent. Dr. Alvarez is the best. His assistant Dr. Gabe is equally excellent. The trip into and out of Mexico was easy. The surgery itself was very easy. I had no pain or problems. I was up and walking within a few hours of surgery. Dr. Alvarez checked on me frequently and was very personable. The hospital itself was older and small, but the nursing staff was attentive and friendly. Dr. Alvarez provides a translator/helper if you need anything. The room was very nice. I am now over a month out from surgery. I have not had a single problem, I feel great, and the weight is coming off. I am glad I chose Dr. Alvarez as my surgeon. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

My first dealing with Dr. Alvarez was through his staff. They answered any question I had really promptly and didn't hesitate to give me further information and websites to help me research this surgery further. Because I live in Canada, and I was flying to Mexico to have my surgery, I was a little anxious, to say the least... His staff booked all of our hotels - we needed to stay an extra night due to the way the long flight. They also made all of the arrangements for getting us where we needed to be - on time. When I met Dr. Alvarez I was immediately put at ease by his fantastic "bedside manner" and easy way of relating to me as a person, not just a patient. I spent more time in Dr. Alvarez's office talking about the surgery and having all of my questions answered than I have spent in any doctor's office. Ever. Dr. Alvarez came to see me everyday when I was recovering in hospital, and twice in the first day. When I started getting an anesthesia-induced migraine, about 12 hours after the surgery, the anesthesiologist came to see me personally and checked on me twice in a 12 hour period to make sure I was feeling better. I had 2 c-sections in Canadian hospitals and I felt like I was cared for (and I mean that in the real sense of the word) better after my surgery in Mexico. The only issue I had was the language barrier, but the list of spanish phrases definitely helped me muddle my way through, and the nurses tried their best to understand if my translator was not there. I did ask the nurses and the lab techs to put on gloves when they were dealing with my blood and IV's, something which I suspect they normally don't do?? Not sure why they don't, but I felt more comfortable that way. Overall, this surgery has changed my life for the better. I would say that without this surgery I would be up at least another 10 lbs in the last 10 weeks, rather than down 45 lbs. They say only YOU can make yourself happy, and I gotta say with the help of Dr. Alvarez I am making myself very happy.

I knew I wanted WLS more than anything but, being from Canada/British Columbia, I also knew that I did not have many options to choose from for surgeons to do my WLS. I had recently become a member of the VSG Forum because I had researched the sleeve and could only find positives with it compared to other WLS. I had made a post expressing my frustration at not finding an affordable dr. and that's when another canadian messaged me asking if I had considered going to mexico to have the surgery done. I was petrified at the thought!! mexico?! how could I do it-it's a 3rd world country! I then started asking more and more questions and talking to more and more canadians that had gone to mexico for surgery. I also researched Dr. Alvarez extensively and could not find ANYTHING negative about him at all. My next step was to call his office and the rest is history!!!!! EVERYTHING was set up by Dr. A's nurse/assistant and she made it such a breeze! Flying into texas and then being taken to the hotel (near the mexcian border) was very easy-I truly did not have to worry about anything-I just had to show up for the times they told me!! My first impression of Dr. A was that he is very competent and assured as a doctor (plus he has kind eyes!!) I knew the day of surgery that he was going to take care of me and try his absolute best to make sure that no complications arose (and none did!). He was very direct in the information he provided and his aftercare program was very detailed and explained to me many times! This is a Doctor who does not want us to have any complications!! I was also very grateful to his assistants that stayed with me in the hospital (just to make sure I was ok). Overall I would give Dr. Alvarez a 10/10 and I would recommend him to a family member of mine in a heartbeat!!!! I would also like to say that any time I have emailed Dr. A since the surgery he has always emailed me back within a couple of hours! Thanks Dr. Alvarez!!

My first impression of Dr. Alvarez was just as everyone said he would be. He was kind and compassionate. The work he does is amazing. His staff was very professional, from start to finish. Jessica was fabulous and Dr. A checks on his patients personally, several times daily. Future patients should know that they should not turn away the thought of surgery because of crossing the border. We had a wonderful experience and I would do it all over again. Before we left the hospital, we had a sit down session to go over all aspects of aftercare, ask questions, and then Dr. Alvarez personally carried our luggage out and loaded it for us. Wow! I would rate Dr. Alvarez 5 stars out of 5 stars!! Dr. Alvarez definitely has a fabulous bedside manner and exquisite surgical competence.

My name is Joey Shields, I am a 56 year old grandmother.I am from Grande Prairie, Alberta,Canada. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis for 10 years & been in a wheelchair for over 3 years. I had my Gastric sleeve operation on July 29,2010. Boy, all my family thought I had really lost it when I decided to go to all the way to Mexico for an operation! I had spent months researching different options for weight loss & I found people that had been to Dr Alvarez. So I took the plunge & traveled to San Antonio Texas & then to Piedras Negras, Mexico. Susan organized everything so well that we just followed her directions! Of course I was frightened, but after meeting Dr Alvarez & his staff. I felt that I was in very good hands. They treated me & my husband so kindly & caring. It has been 2&1/2 months & I have lost 42 lbs! But the greatest thing is I am 2 sizes smaller in my clothes & every one tells me I am a different person.I trust Dr. Alvarez so much I would send my children to him. Our hospital staff here could learn a lot from the staff in Peidras Negras. They have even kept in touch with me after the surgery. The only complaint is...why hadn't I do this 10 years ago!?!If you need more convincing e mail [email protected]. If you decide to have the "Sleeve"operation it will be the best decision you have ever made!

My sister and I both had VGS on June 1st of this year. We have both lost just over 50 pounds in four months. My 60 year old mother who is a very brittle diabetic had VGS 4 weeks ago. She has already lost 17 pounds and has had no insulin injections since the day of surgery. We feel this is a miracle!

I have lived in New Mexico all of my life. Unfortunately, as New Mexicans we understand firsthand the fear associated with the border especially at Juarez. I want to assure you that Piedra Negras is nothing like Juarez. I have visited Piedras Negras on two occasions, once as a patient and once as the companion of the patient. We were never in any type of danger while in Mexico and there were no issues crossing the border. It is a clean and nice city. The people are very accommodating. It is helpful if you speak some Spanish, but it is not necessary. The hospital building is older, but in very good repair. The care of the physicians and staff is second to none. You will be visited multiple times a day by either Dr Alvarez himself or his assistance surgeon. I honestly cannot brag enough about Dr Alvarez's bed side manner. This past week we had a post op question about my mother. I emailed Dr Alvarez and received a response within 4 minutes. Dr Alvarez assistants, Christine or Jessica, are extremely attentive to any questions or needs that you may have while at the hospital. Rosy will escort you to and from Mexico. She is very accommodating and will be happy to reassure you that you are safe. Susan is a life line during this process. She is always readily available to answer questions and address any concerns you may have before or after surgery.

There are at least two very good restaurants close to the hospital for your companion to eat at. There is also a convenience store close by. I encourage you to bring small bills ($1.00 and $5.00) on the trip to make exchanging currency easier while in Mexico. There is a telephone available for you to make calls to the US without charge. The internet wireless access is very good and makes it convenient to communicate with family back home.

The surgery itself was not difficult. We were in surgery less than 30 minutes each. The staff is very good at managing any pain issues associated with the surgery. You will also receive a care package upon dismissal from the hospital that contains all medications for the 10 days post op. If you follow the diet schedule for the four weeks post op, you should not experience any issues. My mother, sister and I do not regret our decision to have VGS. We would not hesitate to recommend Dr Alvarez to anyone. The benefits of this surgical procedure far outweigh any temporal inconvenience of diet modifications.

I had my surgery in Mexico on 8/5/10 with Dr. Alvarez. The experience was a good one from start to finish. Dr. A is very genuine, caring, and friendly. He checked on me numerous times in the hospital. After I was home I emailed him several times with questions or concerns and he was very prompt in emailing me back an answer. I had my surgery on Thursday, released from hospital on Saturday, rode 8 hours home on Saturday, and was back at work (desk job) on Monday. The first month was the hardest, but after that it gets better every day. It has been two months, I am down 32 pounds, and feel great!

The hospital was a older facility, but it was clean, and the staff was very attentive. During the day you have a personal nurse that speaks english and takes very good care of you.

I would do it all again and recommend it to any of my friends or family members.

Dr. Alvarez performed my vertical sleeve surgery November 9th of last year. He left a metal clip with a suture in my stomach causing infections and a hole in my stomach. I was hospitalized for these conditions for 2 months. The hole has now opened back up and may never heal without removing what is left of my stomach. I've now been back in the hospital for another 4 and a half weeks due to this condition. I will now have to be on a liquid diet for the next 3 months and fed the rest of my calories through my veins while the hole heals hopefully more thoroughly than last time. Do not hace your surgery with Dr. Alvarez.

He is wonderful.
Everything you want in a surgeon; Kind, compassionate, patient with your questions, and truly interested in your success. His experience with my type of surgery is what tipped the scale, for me.
As a US citizen, I recommend everyone who is considering obesity surgery to seriously look at Dr. Alvarez.
They take care of everything for you; it is all included in the cost. My insurance would not pay for it, so the expense was 100% mine. Once I booked my plane flight, they took the reins and I didn't have to worry about anything. I was picked up at the airport and they took care of me from that point until I was returned to the airport 5 days later.

They are thorough and compassionate. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose Dr. Alvarez and his team in a heartbeat.

This web site wants me to say something negative. One of the hospital's nurses was rude to me once. The rest of them were professional and nice.
Good luck!