gibson_girl

Here are two surgeons with the prestigious FACS which is a US designation. You can not get this without rigorous investigation into your surgical outcomes. http://web2.facs.org...GTS=70304750667 http://web2.facs.org...GTS=18700144761 You can also check with the American College of Bariatrics. I know Dr Kelly is a member and I'm sure someone who knows more about Dr Aceves can chime in. Look for professionals with prestigious credentials. They have rigorously done their homework for you. And don't forget to pray, read reviews, and go with your gut (no pun intended lol).

As well as yours! I'm actually excited for everyone who has a great surgeon. Like I said (and likely will say often) I loved Dr Kelly very much, but if everyone went to the same surgeon it would be too hard to schedule. Viva la difference!

I would have gladly went with Dr Aceves. He sounds wonderful. I'm very glad I went with who I did, but don't feel he is the end all of gastric sleeves. Just one of the few top notch!

Thank you! Well what do you know, I was also operated on in a center of excellence lol! Just not officially, but those requirements are far from difficult unless its a stand alone surgical center.

I don't think I hero worship either. Don't get me wrong, I have a GREAT respect for Dr Kelly and his staff. I was treated excellent with great care, both professional and personal. That being said, I'm more passionate because I'm a midwife. Delivering babies is a lot of responsibility and there is always a chance of something going wrong fast that isn't caused by something you did. I've had hemorrhages, shoulder dystocias and other life threatening complications. Thankfully I'm still new and had a more experienced midwife with me but I handled it well and all was well. A local midwife that has delivered over 5,000 babies and is extremely well respected and has been teaching other midwives for years lost a baby a few months back. This obviously tore her apart. Other midwives and their support staff are much more supportive than Mexican bariatric surgery staff and coordinators lemme tell you. I so far have a 0% long term complication rate and a 0% death rate. It's because I've only been doing this for 2 1/2 years. The likelihood of me having a severe complication or death regardless of doing everything right when I get to 5-7k babies is really high. I truly feel for all these surgeons, especially the one(s) drug through the mud for operating on THE most at risk population (obese, morbidly obese). That's where my strong feelings in my posts come from. He isn't my hero. I'm a Christian person and believe God works through the hands of surgeons. I believe I was led to Dr Kelly, but I was there 4 days and met him a few times per day. I appreciate him and all his wife did very much, but it's not enough to be my hero just a talented person I'm very glad came into my life.

Shan, I'm worried about leaks too. I guess it's all part of the package. The Good Lord has brought me this far and it's just a wait and see thing. I'm going to quit reading the complications forum unless I need it, but I do have a question. Those of you that had a leak, did you vomit the first day or 2 post op? Pure curiosity.

I imagine he's probably a great surgeon just less experienced. It's proven that the number of complications go down significantly the more experience a surgeon has. He's done about a few thousand which certainly isn't a newbie, but he's not in the league of Dr Kelly or Aceves.

That's pretty cool! Thanks.

I'm not suggesting it because my passport was both expired and lost, but I got across the border with my enhanced DL and birth certificate. They asked me rather sternly why I didn't have my passport, where I was born etc. If you are in a pinch don't worry unless maybe you are of Hispanic descent or have an accent.

That's awesome Iniysa. Makes more sense to me.

This thread is absolutely NOT about any particular surgeon. I see many patients saying that so and so Dr operates at multiple hospitals (3-6) like it is a badge of accomplishment. Here in the states the top surgeons operate at one, maybe two hospitals. To me jumping around to 5 different hospitals shows instability. Why wouldn't you just pick one since you are comfortable with your surgical team, or maybe two if you want to give clients an option? This question has been driving me nuts. Please no mention of specific surgeons.

You are tired of me? No, actually Dr Kelly's wife doesn't speak the best English. I'm a midwife working in the states. So if the girl across the hall told me about her experience I shouldn't say anything? She was afraid before her surgery and I think that is unfair. Tired of me eh? Well I'm healing up so i'll be walking and likely posting a lot. Now that i kmow such a rude person is tired of my posts maybe I'll post more. Are you ALM's wife? That question makes about the same amount of sense. Here's who i am, a 35 with a 49 BMI who just had surgery. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/77426-hola-from-tj-3-days-post-op-with-dr-kelly-pics/ I've said about 10 times I would have been happy with Drs Kelly, Aceves or anyone else with 5,000 surgeries + under their belt. I have yet to say ANYTHING negative about another surgeon. Thanks for the tip, I'm looking forward to posting more. I took the whole month of May off and my son just had an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy today and he's sleeping a lot. Time on my hands and I'll dedicate them to you!

Dr Kelly Florence/Oasis of Hope 5 star Lucerna 2 days hospital/2 days hotel (wouldn't have wanted longer in either, ready to get out of hospital then ready to get home). I booked directly through the Dr. I had personal care by Dr Kelly and his wife, and nutritionist Alina and Lora his scheduler (she was a patient of his too, I must have sent her 1,000 texts the month before). info@wlsclinic.com Here's a thread with pics. I haven't wrote my entire story yet. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/77426-hola-from-tj-3-days-post-op-with-dr-kelly-pics/ Oh, and I paid $5500 which includes an upgraded leak test and better hotel than the agency.

I've also worked in the medical field for 15 years and have worked for many fabulous surgeons. Sometimes they work in different hospitals if they are a rare specialist or work in hospitals owned by the same health system or are very far apart (we have some specialists who come from Childrens in Pgh to Wheeling because Wheeling doesn't have enough patients to sustain that type of full time surgeon)..... but normally they have an office near the one hospital they work at, especially if the hospitals are 15 minutes apart.

My BMI was 49.9 lol and I spent 2 days in the hospital and 2 days touring the area around the Lucerna and that was plenty. Unless your surgeon has a reason anymore than 2 days in any hospital would just be too much for me. I spent 2 days for my csection and that is a MUCH worse operation (times a zillion lol).

Good luck when you do schedule!!!!!

How many surgeries? Curiosity...

Yes, no kidding since many ALM potential clients were told terrible things about Dr Kelly by their coordinators as recent as a week ago. I had the pleasure of meeting a Dr Kelly Mexico Bariatrics patient on my FB who was terrorized the night before by one of your clients who was told terrible things by one of your employees. This lady is not on the boards but we are FB friends now so I'll see if I can get her to come on to tell her story. Great PR, as an owner I'm glad you are taking steps to correct the situation. Maybe just tell your employees to stop slamming other Drs (Kelly or otherwise). The thread suspiciously got renewed. Obviously not by you.

Many surgeons claim this stuff. Featured on Oprah? Now that is funny. That's why I don't believe their near 0% complication rate and 0% death rate either. Statistics tell the truth. And yes, do your homework! Like you said its not saying they are bad surgeons, but the sleeve biz in Mexico is cut throat with the advertising and coordinators. One of the reasons I chose someone who is busy through word of mouth, not by making astronomical claims. US magazines don't feature Mexican Drs for free

And CONGRATULATIONS on 2 years!!!!!

It's a beautiful park close to the San Diego airport. If you have a way there I'd highly suggest seeing it. It's a beautiful experience. It was a wonderful surprise from Cecy, Dr Kelly's wife.

Implants over the muscle look and feel much more real in my experience. If you were sagging and not getting a breast lift of course you'd want under the muscle. Does Dr S do surgery in FL?

I'll be 1 week post op tomorrow. My first 5 days post op were spent in TJ and I'm just getting back to my precious 30lb 2 1/2 baby girl I've been instructed not to lift anything over 25lbs for 6 weeks. Since she refuses to get into the car herself this pretty much keeps me from going anywhere without help (which I have 75% of the time). What activity/lifting restrictions were given to you by your surgeon? Has anyone developed a leak they suspected was caused by lifting heavy objects? Any tips on surviving 6 weeks with a busy toddler you can't pick up?

I've had friends who had tummy tucks done in Pittsburgh (about an hour away) and Dr Mueller is waaaay better.

A tummy tuck that gets your love handles and pulls your outer thighs up. I haven't seen anything cheaper in MX. I'm sure as you add things on it would be cheaper because you don't need to pay the hospital or anesthesia again. A tummy tuck is one heck of a surgery to recover from, just helping out my east coasters. He's in pretty big demand and it takes about a month to get a consult and then 6-8 weeks to schedule the surgery. The surgery is in a large metro hospital with 5 towers (they do open heart, ect). Like a typical American surgeon your chances of getting him my phone or email are zilch, but he is a super funny down to earth guy.