Sandy Johnson

The border re-opened today and is fully functional!

I received a couple of phone calls regarding this post so I thought I would come here and hopefully clear up any questions. Dr. Kelly has contracted with Bravo Development Group, LLC (a California Company), DBA: aLighterMe.com to assist him. We handle all of Dr. Kelly’s sales, marketing and advertising. We are what I guess you would say the Patient Coordinating Management Company for his practice. All of Dr. Kelly’s patients are now processed through aLighterMe. It is my understanding that Trish’s new website will soon be operational and Christi Bearden has a website called Successfully Slimmer. All of these coordinators now work through aLighterMe which will handle each client’s paperwork, payment, transportation, hotel and other administration and logistics. So no matter if you go directly to aLighterMe or to Trish or Christi, you will receive the same superior service. Ricardo now handles all transportation and Dr. Romero is our new aftercare specialist! He helps patients with any questions or any help they may need with their diet and eating habits post-surgery. All of these changes will allow Dr. Kelly to do what he does best. Dr. Kelly will concentrate on performing surgeries and giving each and all of his patients the very best care possible and a superior surgery experience. This will also allow Dr. Kelly to be more available to his patients. We are all very excited about the changes and we all believe this will allow a smoother flow and assure that each patient gets the very best care. This is what Dr. Kelly feels is paramount in his practice. I hope this clears things up. Sincerely, Sandy Johnston

I’ve received some calls regarding this issue. Hopefully this should clear up the confusion. Trish is Dr. Kelly’s patient advocate and takes care of all the patients when they arrive. I am a patient coordinator. Along with advertising and marketing of websites, I am also Dr. Kelly’s coordinator that answers his company phone. So if you call his office from his website, you’ll get me. Everyone is be cared for by Trish once they have arrived, so you don’t need to worry about going to Trish directly to book your surgery as you will always end up with her. As a matter of fact, you may find that Trish is so busy taking care of the patients that are in Tijuana, she may be very hard to reach. This also takes time away from the patients that are there having surgery. Trish used to be Dr. Kelly’s only coordinator and I’m sure that’s what has caused the confusion. But Dr. Kelly’s practice has grown. It has been said that some have expected Trish to know when their upcoming surgery is and/or if they have changed their date. Trish does not have that information in advance. She usually doesn’t know when a patient is coming until a couple of days before they arrive. So please don’t expect her to have your information or assume that she should have it weeks in advance, because she won’t. I and the women in Dr. Kelly’ office handle his calendar. As previously stated, Trish is very busy with patients and taking care of things in Tijuana. I hope this clears things up. Please call me with questions and I will be happy to help.

Yes! Dr. Kelly is wonderful! It's nice to hear that you had such a good experience! Surgery is scary and not fun! I'm so happy to hear that you were made confortable. Congratulations on having surgery! Dr. Kelly's team including Trish and Ricardo are great too! Keep us posted on your weight loss and congratulations!

I wasn't sure where to post this and hope this is the right place. I'm pretty upset right now. After having WLS and losing 154 lbs I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and now diabetes! My doctor always harped on me about my weight and blamed my weight for just about everything. Lose weight and this or that will get better. So now I asked her why after having WLS and losing such a large amount of weight, I get high blood pressure and diabetes! Her answer to me was, "We don't have a surgery to keep you from getting old!". Gee, thanks a lot! I do have both high blood pressure and diabetes in my family so I guess it doesn't come as such a big surprise. I guess that it could have been much worse had I not lost the weight. Maybe I would have been diagnosed sooner and/or it could have been much worse. I guess I better do better with exercising and really watch my diet closely. I'm just a little upset by it! I was hoping I would avoid these issues! Anybody else have this happen?

Thanks for the replies. I do have about 20 - 30 more lbs I would like to lose. I was at my goal but got to goal in a bad way. I lost my last 30 lbs by vomiting constantly. I needed a surgery on my esophagus to remove excess scar tissue from the band that was on my esophagus. My first surgeon placed my band ON my esophagus and after almost 9 years, I'm still paying for that! It was discovered when my band was removed and my revision was done. Any who, I couldn't keep anything down. Since my surgery to fix my esophagus, I've been able to eat and I've gained about 20 lbs. The surgeon that did my esophagus surgery told me that I was very malnourished and that I would probably gain weight after the surgery and would hopefully lose it later. Well, I'm still fighting with that! I'm sure you're right in that I am better off than if I had all that extra weight and I need to look at the bright side. I am already on 2 medications for the high blood pressure, but not yet on anything for the diabetes. My doc is having me watch my blood sugars. I'm sure the next time I see her she will put me on something because my sugars have been running higher. I'm just bummed out about it! I'm on meds for thyroid, high blood pressure and now diabetes? I will rattle when I walk!!

It was reported that there was a death of a Tijuana doctor after a surgery. There was no death of a Tijuana doctor. There was no surgery performed on a Tijuana doctor so it's impossible that there was such a death. Thus it has been confirmed NOT to have happened. People have tried to confirm that it happened, but have been unable to because IT DIDN?T HAPPEN. These same people have been on the same witch hunt for quite some time. They are being dealt with legally. We are in the process of pursuing legal remedies to stop these people from posting their libelous statements.

Believe what you want. But you know nothing about me and you have no right to judge me. Do you know anything about my own weight loss surgery journey and my 2 surgeries? I really don't need to do damage control. The truth be told I would estimate that no more than 5% of my business comes from forums. So if this was all about money I wouldn?t be spending this much energy on forums posting. It is relevant because the tone here is that Dr. Almanza is the only surgeon with complications. Expected and acceptable? I don't think I said that. What I said is that it?s unfortunate that it happens. There are ways and means to REDUCE the rate of leaks, not to keep them from happening. Infrequent...YES. Non-existent... ABSOLUTLY NOT! Shall I say there is no chance of ever having a complication? The fact is that complications are a part of doing surgery. Most patients will not have them, however a small amount will. I don't know of any way to be clearer. If it you want to believe that Dr. Almanza is the only surgeon to ever have a leak, there is nothing I can say to change your mind. It's unfortunate that Donna's sister's misfortune has been turned into such a debate. This poor woman had a serious complication of which all bariatric patients risk when having surgery. Read the literature published by the ASMBS. When something like this happens, there is a lot of anger and it's natural to want to place the blame on someone. I will still pray for her and wish her well. I wish and hope no one would ever have a leak after surgery, but that is only a fairy tale. If it makes you feel better to call me names or makes someone feel better to say that this would never happen with their surgeon, then so be it. People are scared to have surgery. It?s not fun and most people do understand the risk. It makes it easier if they can say that they are safe from complications because they are NOT going to Dr. Almanza. I understand that. I?m think I?m through posting. If anyone would like to ask me anything that I can help with, please call or email me. I wish all of you the best of health and happiness!

Even though Donna is not a client of mine, I know she is absolutely a real person and I believe her about her sister. I?m very sorry this happened to her and my prayers go to out to her and her family for a speedy recovery. The ONLY issue I have with her post is stating that ?there have been many, 20 I heard? complications since December?. That number is not anywhere near accurate! I know she is very upset about her sister. I would be too. But this is just not true. Also, it is not MY job to do damage control and NO ONE controls me! I also don?t ?distance myself or cover up anything?. I have said before, I have NO problem whatsoever with anyone posting their personal experiences. I do have a problem when information is disseminated that is not true. Clearly the complication Stoongal?s sister had is true. Unfortunately a leak is a complication that can happen. When it does, it?s usually very bad! Why do you think it?s in all the literature that it is a possible complication? Because it IS a possible complication! It sounds like what Stoongal is describing IS a leak. Everyone, including all of you that are post op on this board, was told and probably signed something informing you about the possible complications. However, when it happens all of you are surprised, want to know why and practically want the surgeon?s head on a platter! I know some will say, ?But there are so many leaks posted that came from this facility?. Where? This is one. Where are the others? I would challenge ANYONE that really wants to get a feel for complication statistics to call several, or more, bariatric surgeons in the U.S. Ask them about complication rates. You don?t have to ask them about their complication rate in particular, but ask them about it in general. They will tell you that if you have this surgery, you risk having a complication. Then ask them if they will give you percentages of the chance that each patient having a surgery will have a complication. Ask them what is the percentage chance of a leak? It?s very apparent that some here are delighted that this happened and was posted. It somehow makes you feel vindicated. Some of you somehow feel that if you choose a different surgeon, there will be no possibility that you may have a leak, infection or anything else. This is false! Spending another $4000 will NOT guarantee that this won?t happen! What I don?t want to do is minimize Stoongal?s or her sister?s pain. It?s not her fault. But to assume it?s the fault of the doctor is misrepresentative. Did the current treating physician say it was the surgeon?s fault? Did another bariatric surgeon say it was Dr. Almanza?s fault? I think they will say that she was one of the unfortunate ones that had this complication.

BJean, I'm very happy to answer all your questions. Up until this point, I've tried to guess exactly what it is that everyone wanted to know. It seemed to be a question of infection rates, etc. But now that you have asked specific questions, this greatly helps! To be clear about what the "half way house" is. It is a place where patients go after release from the hospital. This is instead of going to a hotel. Many doctors will have patients arrive the day before surgery, stay at a hotel, then check in to the hospital the next day and depending on which surgery they have, patients will stay in the hospital up to 3 days, and then go to a hotel to spend a little extra time, see the doctor again, and perhaps have some testing done before going home. We provide the same, except instead of using a hotel for the "extra days of recovery", patients are sent to the recovery house. All attendants do wear gloves at both of the facilities and there are boxes of gloves on the walls in all the rooms. There is air conditioning and fans at the facilities. The weather in Tijuana is mild and sometimes they don?t always turn on the air conditioning. They do ask patients if they are comfortable. Sometimes it can be difficult when some people feel hot and others feel cold. That's the reason for the fans. This way those that are hot can use fans without freezing the others out! The recovery house is stocked with food. They mostly shop at Costco. They provide bottled water as well. Patients are offered liquids such as broth, jello and juice. There is food for the companions of the patients to eat as well. Most staff speak at least some English. All staff understand words such as pain, help, etc. They also understand the phrase, "Speak English" and they know to get someone that is fluent in English. There is ALWAYS someone available that speaks English that a staff member can reach in the event of a language barrier. One of the pluses of this Center is that it is owned by the same people that run it. This means that they have control over who works there. When a doctor uses an independent hospital, they have no control over much of the staff so they cannot guarantee that there will always be someone that speaks English. That's not to say that some of them don't have them, but they are not required to have English speaking staff. The staff is medically trained. There are nurses, medical assistants and doctors at the facilities. All labor is very reasonable in Mexico. That's one of the reasons prices are lower there. There is no need to hire untrained people. Trained people can be hired for very reasonable wages. The OR is completely cleaned after each procedure. They have a specific staff just for that. All the medical supplies are clean and much of the supplies are disposable, just like in the U.S. The same standards of sterilization used in the U.S. is also used at the facilities. Other supplies such as staples, bands and other equipment designed for use in bariatric surgeries is of the same quality as in the U.S. and are from U.S manufacturers. All such materials are purchased from the Mexican distributors of the company's manufactures. That is the law in Mexico. For example, you must purchase Allergan bands from the Mexican Allergan distributor. ALL facilities and surgeons MUST do this. It is the same product, however the price is a bit lower in Mexico than in the States. The same Band that sells for $3000 in the U.S. sells for $1800 in Mexico. There are certain things that are done to help keep costs lower than most. One is that the hospital is owned by the surgeon and administrator so instead of paying a hospital fee of up to $4000 or more per surgery, the surgeon just pays the over head. The other main cost saver is that Bands, Staples and other materials are purchased in very large quantities, which saves a lot in costs. For instance when they purchase staples they purchase at least $300,000 or more in product at a time. In doing so, the cost per item is MUCH less. Bands are also purchased in large quantities, so that $1800 band can be as much as $500 or more less when purchasing hundreds of them instead of just a dozen. I cannot speak to how most doctors set their profits. I'm sure it's like anything else. Some charge more for their services, some less. Jerusalem does perform a higher volume which allows them to charge a little bit less in per patient profit. There are other small things that save extra money, such as owning their own shuttle vehicles. A Mexican airport shuttle costs about $130 per person to make a run to and from the San Diego Airport. I have no problem answering any questions anyone may have. In fact I welcome the opportunity to do so. It's much better than all the assumption and guessing that I see. It's also much easier for me because I have been trying to figure out exactly what questions, people want addressed. I thank you for your questions! Additionally if anyone would like to call me to engage in a back and forth discussion or more questions, I welcome that as well.

I'm at a loss. I don't know what else to say. I have NEVER posted that ALL reports of complications are hearsay. What I did say is that MANY are! If you re-read my post you will see that. I also have NEVER accused ANYONE that posted about THEIR OWN experience as being disingenuous or fraudulent. What I did say was that those posting that have had NO FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE is only stating an OPINION! NOT FACT! This is NOT the same as having an EXPERIENCE. Thus it does not have the same merit. Regarding basic complication rates of bariatric surgery in general, that's easy to find all over the internet. I quickly found the following on the ASMBS site. I will again say that ALL surgeons, not just bariatric surgeons have some complications. ALL surgeries carry risks. I think everyone understands that. This particular surgeon has an acceptable complication rate. Here is an example of Dr. Almanza's complication rate: Mortality 0% Other complications broken down into "Major" and "Minor" and for the sake of space and time are noted in as overall "Major and Minor" and looked at in a 30 day period. Major: 1.5% Minor: 3.5% A basis example of a major complication would be a leak, a blood clot, a cardiac arrest, etc. An example of a minor complication would be an incision site infection, dehydration, diarrhea, etc. Here is the section of the report from the ASMBS regarding complication rates studies of bariatric surgeries covering the past 20 years. ASMBS - Rationale for Surgery As you can see from this study, Dr. Almanza's complication rate is well below the average as reported by the ASMBS of the overall "Major" complication rate of 3.4% and overall "Minor" complication rate of 9.5%. These numbers pertain to the first 30 days after surgery when the risk of complication is highest. There is a lot more literature to read out there and complication rates have come down over the years. I don't know what other "proof" you want and what else I can post. I guess if ALL THE OTHER SURGEONS out there don't have any complications as stated in the studies shown by the ASMBS, and EVERY patient is delighted then they are SUPER SURGEONS and probably not even human. Where do I sign up?

Michelle Walsh is NOT a patient that I have worked with. She is however someone that posted an entire thread on OH with my first and last name and then proceeded to call me every name in the book! I'm not the only one that has had the honor. She has done it to many other people. Just thought I would clear that up. I also want to say that I too want everyone with first hand experience to feel free to post THEIR experience. However, far too many have posted information that they do not know as true, is hearsay, unverified and simply just opinion. If someone is posting their opinion, they should just say so. Instead they get mad when someone points out that their "experience" is not actual experience, but opinion instead. Just as when someone makes a statement such as, "Dr. X does 10 surgeries every day". They will make such a statement even though they have never been there but may have talked to someone that was there having a surgery. Does Dr. X really do 10 surgeries a day? Or did Dr. X have an extra busy schedule that particular day with maybe a couple of unexpected surgeries? Who knows? So in reality, that person only knows how many surgeries were done THAT DAY in which her friend that was there told her about. Make sense? I would also hope that if I am the coordinator for a particular client and they have a question or concern, they would call me and ask for help so that I can notify the doctor. I want to help in any way that I can!

Maybe "most" doctors don't do over 100 surgeries a month. This Center DOES do between 110 and 120 per month. They do up to 4 Sleeves or Bypass per day and more if they are Bands. Times 2 surgeons. There are 20 surgery days in the month. 4 X 20 = 80 times 2 surgeons, so that means they can comfortably do 160 surgeries each month. But they actually do an average of 115. If "a lot" of doctors do 3 surgeries a day times 20 surgery days per surgeon, that's 60 per month (I just did the math..LOL!) I don't believe for one minute that they have NO complications. If that what you're saying? No complications...ever? Additionally, when I stated a per month complication rate, that was just doing an average. Of course this will vary from month to month. Some months, no complications, some months, more complications. It's called SURGERY! Again, maybe there are not as many because they don't do as many. Are you saying that NO OTHER CLINIC has complications because you "haven't heard of another place"? I still stand by my statement that the number of complications is acceptable and in line with all the other GOOD doctors.

I don't need to put up a post to ask people of any particular surgeon to post about their complications. I KNOW they have all had them. This is major surgery performed on obese people. Some very high risk! Any surgeon having done this type of surgery long enough has had complications. Did it ever occur to you that a Center that does more surgeries would just by statistics, have more complications? The center where Dr. Almanza is performs more surgeries than anyone else in all of Mexico. Do you really believe that even your surgeon has never had drama attached to him? I remember about a year or so ago on the OH boards when a patient died. The patient?s cousin posted about it. Midwestern/wasabubblebutt/Michelle claimed that the patient died because they ate a big mac after surgery! It was somehow the patient's fault. Yes, that post was removed. Why? I don't know. Could it be from spending a lot of advertising money? I don't know and I don't claim to know. I just know it happened. Michelle also claimed that the person was high risk. True? Maybe..I don't know. But the point is, it was a serious complication and it was posted then removed. If I admit the doctor has some complications, I'm accused of "making excuses or attempting damage control". If I were to say he doesn't have any complications, I would be accused of lying. And I would be lying. However, I will say that the amount of complications Dr. Almanza has is well within an acceptable range and well within the SAME range as all the other good doctors. You might ask yourself if you see a higher number, because he does a higher number of surgeries. I've explained this before, but here we go again. If a doc does 10 surgeries a month and has a 1 in 10 complication rate, that means he will have 1 patient complication per month. If another doc does 100 surgeries a month and has the same complication rate, he will have 10 patients with complications per month. (This is just an example; I'm NOT quoting actual percentages nor breaking down small as opposed to serious complications). You will also notice that MANY posts of unfavorable statements have come from people that have NEVER been to or even met Dr. Almanza. Many things have been re-posted many times to make it appear that there are ?so many? of them. If it?s hearsay on an internet chat board, it holds no merit! Of course everyone should do their own research, however they should speak to people that have FIRST HAND experience and not hearsay! Too much of this "information" posted on these boards is hearsay! In the end, do what's right for you!

Legal action IS being taken! Some believe that they are untouchable because this is the internet. While the internet does provide some anonymity, our attorney will obtain their whereabouts and will do everything within the law to move forward and he WILL put a stop to this. Some people that have already been notified and have quieted down as they now realize they cannot just post any untrue thing they want without repercussions. All the perpetrators will be identified and the proper legal action will be taken. It's very sad that some surgeons compete for business by using former patients to bash the reputation of other surgeons. If anyone has any questions related to the aforementioned legal action, please email our attorney David Zarka at dzarka@stonegraves.com

The statement you made was completely unsubstantiated! If someone told you this, you have been misinformed! Please explain where you heard this and why you believe it to be true. Regarding your statement of "edited posts", I was not saying the posts were edited individually. What I am saying is that Michelle took certain posts and portions of posts and put them in PM's that she sends to potential patients in order to make them look a certain way. And yes, I am saying that she sends referrals to Dr. Aceves. I do have to laugh when you say, "ALL patients of Dr. Aceves are happy and NOBODY has one bad thing to say about him". Come on now, NO ONE that provides services makes 100% of his clients happy! Even Dr. Aceves has had complications. He is a surgeon and ALL surgeons have had complications from time to time. Even serious ones! To believe otherwise is naive!

I'm very sorry. What I meant was that the person that sent her the PM (Michelle/Midwestern/wasabubblebutt) obviously did so in an attempt to sway her in another direction. She cut and pasted posts, which I'm sure many were taken out of context to make Dr. Almanza and Dr. Betancourt look bad. I was in no way saying that the poster of this post did anything wrong or was trying to make anyone look bad. In fact SHE was made to feel bad and scared about going for surgery! That does make me VERY mad! I hate when people are terrorized when it's so hard to make the decision to have surgery and to leave the country for surgery! It takes a lot of guts and bravery! We're all scared, me included when I had mine! Then to have stupid people come in and try to scare you out of going? That really frosts my cupcakes! I'm sorry if I came across in another way. That was not my intention.

OMG! Looks like "MidwesternGirl - Wasabubblebutt - aka Michelle Walsh" has been very busy, cutting and pasting and going back through several years of posts! Pretty much proof to me that she works hard for her referrals! Too bad that she gets them all by trashing the reputations of other doctors. She has spent a lot of time editing to make things look the way she wants them. She has included some and excluded other information to slant things her way. I wonder, does she send these PM's/emails out to everyone looking for a surgeon? Of course she does!

This is what I'm talking about! Are you saying the staples are made of an inferior product? Based on???? Anyone can make any statement they want with no basis. I could say Dr. Aceves does surgery without washing his hands first. Would you believe me based on me simply making such a statement? Or would you want to know how I know? Just like I would want to know why you are making such a statement about the staples...and "Buyer beware". Based on...???

Sorry about my reaction to your post. This is a perfect example of not being able to read someone's tone in their statements. I guess I need to get a thicker skin. It's just very frustrating when I see people posting things that can be read as factual information when it's not. I do understand now that you were talking about a hypothetical place and speaking with sarcasm. It's crazy the stuff people post. Saying someone is not a nurse that cares for patients. I guess if they asked the person if she was a nurse and the person said no or refused to answer, that would be suspect. I wonder what they are basing their statement on that someone is or is not a nurse. Also someone stated that there is no way that an emergency can be promptly dealt with at this center in Tijuana. Of course there is an emergency plan in place. It has been used in a couple of instances on patients that were very high risk and needed emergency treatment. Both patients survived and did well too! Instead of asking very valid questions like "What is your emergency plan in place? Can I be transported to the U.S. in the event of a complication so my insurance will pay?" People would rather assume there is nothing! I don't understand why that is. I would be happy to answer any questions anyone may have. Just ask!

You see, this is where I have a problem. Not from someone who directly posted about their own experience, good or bad, but someone that makes clearly untrue and reckless statements such as these... Please tell me about ONE single death from this surgeon. Do you know of ONE? You are making a statement as if there is, so please explain. You are trying to give the reader the impression that Dr. Almanza has had deaths. Is that your intention? If so, you are wrong! Please explain how you came to these statistics. Where did you get them? Are you claiming these are the accurate statistics for Dr. Almanza? If you are making this claim, you are wrong.

I just thought I would point out that on this board in the large thread there are 2 posters reporting infections. I wanted to point out how to show how much something can be blown out of proportion when the above poster mentions "reading about all the complications"! All those pages and posts and only 2 people reporting their actual experience. Sure makes it look like a lot more...doesn't it? When considering the number of surgeries done at by that doctor at that facility, that is to be expected from time to time. It's unfortunate how some use this scare tactic to encourage others to "go with their doc" for the referral fee. And before anyone accuses me of calling anyone a fake, I'm not talking about the posters; I'm talking about those posing as happy patients and all the PM's going on behind the scenes! I wish you a safe and successful surgery no matter who your surgeon is!!!

It is discussed ONLY by the same people discussing it here! Look carefully. It may appear that there are postings by "many" people. Actually there are many postings by the same people! I know your surgeon. He has a very good reputation, but he, like all the rest of the bariatric surgeons, have had complications too!

I would like to make yet another attempt to clear up the incorrect information that has been posted on this and the lap band talk board. There have been many outlandish statements made with absolutely not an ounce of truth nor documentation to show any possibility that these accusations could be possible. Statements were made the Dr. Andres Betancourt was arrested and/or convicted of insurance fraud. He was NOT. This is completely untrue. Below is the article showing the event that was mentioned and the doctors that were involved. There is no mention of Dr. Betancourt in this link. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030410-9999_1m10fraud.html Statements were made that Dr. Betancourt had is license revoked. This is completely untrue. Here is a copy of his current, valid license. I have heard that there is another doctor with the name Betancourt that resides and was licensed in California that had his licensed revoked. Dr. Betancourt of Emmanuel Medical was NEVER licensed in California. He is only licensed in Mexico. At best, this is a case of mistaken identity. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/attachments/f11/17218d1247096452-mylapbandsurgery-com-betancourt-medical-center-emmanuel-certification.jpg There have been claims that Dr. Almanza doesn?t use the Allergan band. Here is his Allergan certification. Statements were made that the hospital (Emmanuel Medical Center) is unlicensed. This is untrue. Here is a copy of that license. Some have speculated the reason for the name change of the facility from Betancourt Medical to Emmanuel Medical Center. Again, someone?s opinion based on nothing! By the way, you can also find this and all of these, Dr. Almanza?s and other credentials on the website of www.MexicoWeightLossSurgery.com. The documents can be viewed by anyone at any time. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/attachments/f11/17219d1247096812-mylapbandsurgery-com-betancourt-medical-center-betancourt-license.pdf Emmanuel medical center has never had a case of MERSA either. All staff on duty is licensed and available. Patients are not left to ?recover? alone in a hotel room. Just like all the other doctors, patients are released to finish their recovery after spending the proper time in the hospital (up to 12 hours for lap band, 2 ? 3 days for sleeve gastrectomy and 3 days for bypass). Unlike some other surgeons, Dr. Almanza has an emergency plan in place for any emergency that may arise. A statement was made that a patient fell off the operating table during surgery. That is impossible as patients are strapped down during surgery. Even if the table were to be turned upside down, a person couldn?t fall off! Statements were made that Dr. Almanza has had many deaths and complications. Who, where, when? Dr. Almanza and Emmanuel Medical Center have not had any deaths. Yes, there have been an acceptable number of complications. All surgery comes with risk. It was stated that ?there have been many deaths and complications?, then it was stated ?They claim no complications?. Which is it? I guess we are damned if we do and damned if we don?t. Do you know how many complications and deaths other surgeons have had? You would be surprised at who and how many! The people making these statements have been asked time and again to post documentation or proof of their claims. They NEVER have, because it doesn?t exist. It has also been claimed that certain persons were ?Asked by Alex? (the owner of this board) to post information to let people know how to choose surgeons and/or educate them in some way. Alex has claimed to me that he has NEVER asked anyone to post anything. There has been much reference to ?Many horror stories?. Where are they? Where are the patients that actually had it happen? All we see here are references to, ?I heard, someone said, I talked to someone that had a complication, someone told me?, etc. For someone that has been in this business for about 14 years, you would think there would be lots of documentation if this were true. Every time a post operative patient of Dr. Almanza posts on this board about the positive experience they had, they are accused of being a ?paid poster? they are made fun of and usually, eventually banned from this board. You have tried to justify this by claiming that someone admitted to being a paid poster for Dr. Almanza. Who? Why has this person not made an admission herself on this board? Because this also is untrue! I realize that there is much competition in this business and that others are losing money because our business is able to offer high quality care and safety at a very affordable price. It?s a shame that the only way others have found to compete is to try to discredit our business. It has been said that it is impossible to offer such low prices without cutting corners. The peso has gone down (a lot!), the economy is struggling, causing reduced profits, together with the fact that this company owns its own facility and is a medical supply company which buys in very large quantities at a lesser price and in fact supplies other facilities. All this allows us to offer very competitive pricing. What is truly sad is that many people need weight loss surgery, struggle to afford it and are suffering. Unfortunately, they have people like some on this board try to scare them by making untrue accusations based on nothing, all in an attempt to sway people to pay more to another doctor where, I believe, they are receiving a referral fee. I base this statement on MY educated opinion that no one would spend as much time, as some here are doing, making it their mission to discredit some doctors and promote others unless they were getting something out of it. Who has that kind of time? I have made numerous attempts and offers to speak with people that have made these wild statements to find out why they are doing this, and have offered to provide the proof that the statements are untrue. No one has agreed to talk to me. I can only conclude that they have another agenda. I will no longer sit back and allow this untrue, libelous information be posted unchallenged. If you?re going to post something as fact, also post documentation to substantiate your claim or state it as what it is?an opinion with no fact basis! If anyone reading this would like to ask me any questions, you are welcome to contact me at any time toll free at 800-935-6710, direct at 916-647-9501 or you can email me at Sandy@aLighterMe.com Sandy Johnston MexicoWeightLossSurgery.com 800-935-6710