Guillermo Alvarez Bariatric Surgeon MD

Dr. A was great. He is very professional and personable, my husband and I felt very comfortable with him. It is obvious from the process that Dr. A does many proceedures per week and that experience translates into a great experience for the patient. The hospital is different than what you would see here in the US but was very clean and the nurses (although they didn't speak English) were very professional in their demeanor. Dr. A's assistant/translator was helpful with everything. Susan the patient coordinator is/was helpful throughout the process. Everything was exactly as seen on his website and stated in his communications! I had a great experience and would recommend his to everyone.

I was very impressed that he was very professional, caring and spoke perfect english. His continued support and response to any questions I have by email are usually within hours and sometimes immediate. The staff from the moment of booking through Susan to meeting Rosy (again, perfect english)who transported me Mexico to my nurse Cristina made me feel relaxed and confident in my upcoming procedure. Dr. Alvarez made sure that my wife understood the surgery and what to expect. As soon as surgery was over, he came out and told her directly that everything had went excellent. There was nothing that I did not like about the Dr. and his staff. The morning I left I was given medications to take with me and instruction on how to take them. I was given an information package on diet and exercise and what to expect during my post op diet and the next couple months. It is important that you read and follow them. As with any surgery there is risk of complications but Dr. Alvarez was confident from the beginning and told me \"you are going to do great\". Overall I rate him a 10 out of 10 and do not hesitate to recommend him to anyone I talk to about my VSG. Being confident as a Dr. is important as is bedside manner. Dr. Alvarez is exceptional at both. The only setback for us is that we do not speak spanish and at night I asked for a sleeping pill and was given a needle for pain instead. In the mornings my wife would walk to OXO which is like our 7/11 to get coffee. One morning it was quite dark and the guard unlocked the door to let her out. She was surprised to see he was still standing on the sidewalk waiting to let her back in and re-lock the door 15 minutes later. Everyone was friendly and helpful.rnrnDarrell Dyck, Elkford BCrnJanuary 31, 2010 - 12 weeks post op - rndown 69 lb and very happy.

Dr. Alvarez was just as he has been described here on OH over and over again. I was a bit afraid of going to Mexico to have surgery, but found that my fears were unfounded. Everything is taken care of for you. Nothing is left to chance. You are told exactly what to do every step of the way and you can always call Susan with any questions. Dr's Alvarez and Rosario were lovely in every way. The person who impressed me most was the anesthesiologist. I am an R.N., and he acted just like the doc's here in the states. He breezed into my room, acting all important and concerned and busy, fixed me up and then went on his way. I felt like I was rounding with the docs back home, and in my mind I just knew that these guys are the real deal, and they know what they are doing. rnDr Rosario went over the discharge instructions (done by the nurse in the states,the docs are too busy)and answered all questions. Both Dr's Alvarez and Rosario followed us out the door, loaded our luggage, put us in the van, and said,\"Make sure you call or e-mail when you get home so we know you're OK.\" Now, what doc in the States would do that?rnIf you're on the fence about surgery, hop off. I don't know about any other surgeons, but I can recommend Dr.Alvarez without reservation.

Dr. Alvarez is a really great guy. Personally, he set me at ease right away. He treats you like a person, not a number like some do in the states. His staff was efficient, and kind. There was a translator during the day, so no problems there. It would help if someone on night shift spoke english, but we were able to communicate enough to get by. I can't say enough about his surgical competence. I think the main reason I had NO problems post op was his skill. He has done MANY of these operations, and that translates into a very smooth postop experience. His bedside manner is wonderful. There is no real structured aftercare, I would advise getting your PCP on board before you go for surgery. All in all.. a great experience!!

I love Dr.A!!! I can't believe how scared I was the morning I woke up. Up until that point I really wasn't. When I walked into his office, talked to Dr A, everything bad/scared feeling was gone. He was so nice, he answered everything my husband and I could throw out at him. Next Jessica came in, she took my picutre. From that minute on, I knew she was going to take care of me. She was there to get me walking. Asking if I need anything.....and helping my husband find a snacks and food next door! I truly felt a part of Dr. A's big family. He checked on me and explained things to me every step of the way. I honsetly think anyone who wants to take this journey needs to look up Dr.A! Please feel free to ask me anything, I would love to help someone out! I would rate Dr A 10/10!!!rnAnd I would give Susan a 10/10...she is there day or night to help answer all your questions!

My husband and I had the VSG procedure on ll/2/09. Dr. Guillermo Alvarez was our surgeon and was assisted by Dr. Perez of Piedras Negras, Mexico. Both very outstanding and professional. Dr Alvarez had performed over 1000 VSG's and was open with all stats posted, which as a nurse I found very impressive during the research phase of our journey. Our trip to Mexico was not stressful as we were very comfortable with our decision. All of our impressions were substantiated by the easy flow of our pre-surgical arrangements, followed by our actual procedures. Every member of the team was excellent and attentive to ensure all needs were met. Dr. Alvarez along with being extremely surgically competent is also very personable in his approach to patients. The delivery of information about the procedure, risks of surgery, and aftercare guidelines are thuroughly covered. We would recomendrnthis surgeon to anyone pursuing the sleeve option. rnAlthough the hospital is older, we were impressed with the equipment in the OR as well as in Dr. Alvarez's office. Everything was very clean... Overall the care we received was great. I have lost 45 lbs. and my husband has lost 60 lbs. We feel better than we have felt in years.

Dr. Alvarez and his entire staff were very kind and extremely knowledgeable. Each one took time to explain exactly what was going on every step of the way. There was no guessing involved, each one spoke very good English so there was no question at any time as to how I was doing. Both Dr. Alvarez and every person on his staff was checking in with me to make sure I was feeling alright and was comfortable. Susan answered all my emails and phone calls-no matter how mundane. Rosie was super sweet. The day of my surgery I was so nervous and because of my weight Dr. Alvarez said there was no guarantee but he would do his best...instead of my surgery being one hour-it was four. But he said he knew it was going to save my life, so he went through with it. I am eternally grateful that he did! Nearly 3 months later I've lost 62 lbs and am adjusting really well. I would absolutely recommend his office-10 times over.

I have wanted to have weight loss surgery for years. I had checked out several surgeons online and had a few people that I knew who had surgery done here in Atlanta. My HMO does not cover obesity surgery or anything else. So I knew I would be self-pay. I checked out surgery in Mexico and found it was so much cheaper than in the US. Even then, I knew I couldn't afford it. But this year, I refinanced my mortgage to a much lower rate and took out enough equity to have the surgery. It was a big decision and one that I needed to do for myself. rnI chose Dr Alvarez because there were so many of his patients that absolutely loved him. Now that I have had the surgery(4 days out), I must agree with them. He is fantastic. He is very caring, he is very personable and he treats everyone with great respect. He is obviously a very intelligent person but he doesn't talk to you like US doctors who must have classes on how to talk down to their patients. He talks to you like an equal and I really appreciated that. rnHe has the whole process down to an art. The instructions that Susan sends you have every detail for you to follow. If you do have any questions, she answers them right away. Rosie is the greatest. She kept us entertained on the ride from San Antonio to Eagle Pass. And Jessica made sure that we had everything we needed in the hospital. The nurses made sure that the pain and nausea medications were given on time and I never had pain, just a little discomfort.rnAll in all, it was a great experience and I don't regret the decision to do it at all. Thank you Dr. Alvarez, Dr. Gabriel, Rosie, Jessica, Susan and all the nurses for the best experience and for helping me to change my life for the better.

As with all reviews they are a personal observation of the individual going through the process or experiencing the event firsthand. I began my education of weight loss surgery approximately for 2 years before electing a procedure that achieved my personal goals. At the same time I also began to follow recommendations of changes in lifestyle to achieve a positive outcome of any weight loss surgery. I then started my search for a surgeon. I spoke with many in the US and a few in Mexico. I chose Dr. Guillermo Alvarez of Endobariatrics in Piedras Negras Mexico. Dr. Alvarez from the beginning took so much time to answer each and every one of my questions with timely responses via email. He would explain indepth the different procedures, and answered every one of my questions in a personal and friendly manner. I have to admit I had some apprehension to shopping for a surgeon via the internet and then electing a surgical procedure outside the US and also scheduling this procedure via the internet. However, Dr. Alvarez was available each step of the way or question I had even up to the day I arrived at Endobariatrics for my surgery. Upon meeting Dr. Alvarez and his surgical team it was like you were part of the team (which is true) and they were all extremely caring, understanding and compassionate. The surgical facility was state-of-the-art, the hospital is older but very clean and orderly, and the private rooms for Dr. Alvarez's patients are very comfortable. I chose a Vertical Gastric Sleeve (VGS) procedure. Every patient is different; however, I experience no pain and was up walking around a few hours after surgery. Dr. Alvarez and his assistant surgeon checked on me several times throughout the day each day of my hospital stay. There was post-op testing to check for leaks and etc. Dr. Alvarez met with me upon discharge and we reviewed aftercare, and lifestyle changes, nutritional guidance, all provided in written form to take with me. Dr. Alvarez is a highly skilled bariatric surgeon, his focus is on bariatric procedures and I found him to be a superior surgeon and unbelievable bedside manner. Also I have access to the patient coordinator back in the US who called me the day of discharge to start the follow-up. rnrnI am 1 1/2 months post-op as of 12/20 and I have to say this has been the best decision I have ever made. I would come back to Dr. Alvarez and Mexico again for my surgery and I would recommend Dr. Alvarez to anyone considering weight loss surgery and I would recommend you consider the Vertical Gastric Sleeve. I like it because there is no intestinal re-route, no daily medications for the rest of my life, and it easily works with my life and travel schedules. Oh yea...I have lost 28lbs so far and looking Great! Dr. Alvarez...thank you my friend!

Hi there my name is Michael Hollifield and I had my sleeve done on October 5th, I took awhile to post a review cause I wanted it to be 100% honest and know a little down the road and see how I feel and how it went. So I been looking into weight loss for like 3 years now, I work as a chef and tend to put on weight during peak season. So in May I changed my mind from the band to the sleeve. I was gonna go wtih a different doctor cause they were cheaper but after reading all the good revies I took some time and talked to Susan a million times I was waiting for her to tell to stop calling lol. Anyways I spent all summer saving up and I flew from alaska down to texas, this whole time I was arguing with myself cause its alot of money and i worked all summer saving up and I was stressed I was supposed to be on a liquid diet two weeks before and the night before surgery I could stop myself I even thought about running and giving up on life. Once morning came and I talked with a guy who was having surgery with me I decided to jump in the van, I tend to think to much or am a little Bi-polar smetimes. So on the way down my emotions were really getting to me. Once we crossed the border my fears got worse and worse, I got to the hospital felt a little at ease the more I taked with the Dr. then we went to three rooms there was three of us, The room wasnt bad but the bed was horrible painfull unconfy and it just seemed like it was my room I was alone and that tiny room got to me a little bit, now if your reading and thinking I am just complaining I am stating my expieriance through my eyes and am telling it how I see it, keep reading it will be my truth, so anyways I let the other two go first and sat in anticipation waiting, my time came and I went in I was the first to wake up before anyone I was confused wondering if I had surgery and was in a little pain, I couldnt sit there I was in pain I eventually made my way out of my room confused, I founf the other two passed out and was confused why I was up. I went back to my room thirsty and I couldnt touch anything anyway. I felt a big wet spot in my bed and felt embaressed thought I had peed in the bed. I asked the nurses and tried to explain I was in alot of pain and why I was up. Well after a couple dr.A, came in and come to find out my iv with meds in my hand was out the whole time might have played a role in the pain I believe, they ended up give me some pills my body didnt like that I think I had a allergic reaction cause they didnt help and even at hotel later the next day it made me sick, I spent the day in pain in this bed and just was lousing my mind regretting the whole thing, I left resenting everything and mad at myself, I ended up staying in the hotel for almost a week just laying in bed confused in pain and wishing I could roll over and die, it is a big change from my usual self loving life. I took the train home and kinda just felt weird the whole ride didnt move much and sat there... now about 2 weeks after being home is when things started to change, its been two months since surgery and I am down 60 pounds I feel like I have a new life dont eat like i used to and I am back working as a chef and not even eating or have a desire to eat.. I have never appreciate a human beign as I appreciate Dr. A, He changed me my life everything, girls look at me , talk to me, more dates, I can sit in my airplane seat with room it makes me cry thinking about it. I cant tell you how much I wish I could give to him, I would give my life, I was at 340 on surgery day and now am 285. I dont care if I lost one more pound ever. There is only one downside lol, I am lactose intollerent now which kinda sucks, I have no desire for soda like i used to, but I did find a milk allternative which is good. I just want to give you guys the real truth now the whole pain ordeal with me could of been one of the 1 in 100 kinda things I just was unlucky. I hope I can help with this and you can feel my pain and feel the good that has come with the struggle. It isnt easy at all and sometimes I even over eat and it hurts when it comes back out and its embarising if ur around peaople.. I get asked if I go out whats wrong with the food and I am more than happy to tell them it is wonderful But I am full.. There is so much I can say to tell you why you should do this. I just hope you make the right decision. Susan and Dr.A are just amazing people and I wish them the best in life. I have talked a little long if you want to see my new before and after photos this is my myspace.

myspace.com/mikey2287

Happy Holidays all and god bless.