arealsweety

He is also my primary Physician. And I have the added extra bonus of living just across the border in San Diego. Not only am I VERY pleased with my weight loss progress, it was the best decision I have ever made for my health also. I'm not quite at 100# yet, but will be there by the end of this month. Then I will just have another 60# to go. Would I do it all over again? HECK YES!

I am assuming you meant "bad" instead of "bas". No matter what doctor you chose you will get someone who has had a bad experience with him/her. No one is perfect.

If you are driving or walking across the border you do NOT need a passport until Jan. 2008. I know because I drive across 2 or 3 times a week. I even asked the border patrol officer and he assured me that not until Jan. 2008 would I need a passport to drive or walk across the border. I LOVE discovering different things in Tijuana. I have found both Costcos, a Sam's Club and a Walmart so far. :clap2:

OF COURSE! I am happy to say the he banded me in Nov. 2005 and I am 95# down. I have had great success and was treated with care the whole time I was in Tijuana. Some people are hesitant to go to Mexico because they are not familiar with it and we tend to fear what is not known to us. Since I drive across the border several times a week, it is TOTALLY familiar to me. Now, I would NEVER tell my relatives because they tend to hold on to old stereotypes about Mexico in general. Back to your question. He gives you your choice of bands. I chose an INAMED band because I wanted something a US doctor would be able to fill since the INAMED band is FDA approved. He and the other doctors he works with have excellent bedside manner. They take time to talk to you about the surgery, what will happen afterwards and then will keep in communication with you to answer any questions you may have along the way. You can tell that he is genuinely concerned. That is hard to find in a human being let alone a doctor. He new clinic is state of the art and sparkling clean! He will send a driver (Victor) to pick you up at the airport and take you back afterward. Norma is the receptionist and she is such a sweetheart. Dr. Romero will help you adjust your eating habits to your new friend, the band. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

His surgical skills are excellent and he is/has been doing all of my follow ups since I live just across the border in San Diego. I have lost 95# and have had absolutely no problems with him. When I hit a reeeeeeaaaaalllllyyy long plateau, we talked about it and he got me losing again. If I need a fill or have a question I just call or email and his staff responds right away. I'm working on my last 80# and I KNOW I will make it thanks to Dr. Huacuz! Arealsweety Dr. Huacuz Tijuana, Mexico 11-03-05 Down 95#

I vote yes!:clap2:

You too??? I was banded on November 3, 2005 and have also lost 80 pounds! What a small world!

I too saw the band, signed and have my Patient ID card. I have had fills with NO problem. I only have good things to say about Dr. Huacuz.

Again, I'm sorry you and your wife had a bad experience. Tell me of any American doctor who has not had something happen to his patient. Not everyone is perfect and not every operation is perfect. I know that my band is Inamed. I can't speak to any other. If someone gets a Swiss band how could they get filled by an American doctor? They aren't even FDA approved.

Dr. Huacuz has done over 1800 bands. VERY experienced. Sweety

You know what I find suspect about your posts? In one thread you say you had a horrible time, but in another you say your wife had a horrible time, then you throw a drug overdose in for good measure. Make up your mind and keep your story straight. It looks like whatever happened to you (if it even did haoppen) has thrown you into such a snit that you are answering threads that were posted to over a year ago. Mind you I am not saying that you should not post your experiences, but what do you have against Mexico or Mexican doctors with experience or patients who are happy with their doctors (even if you don't like them) or a surgery that can be had at an affordable price? Where have you seen these "nightmares" documented? Where do you get your statistics? Why do you say that American is always best? It's not, you know. I have lived out of the country and there are just some things we don't do as well as the rest of the world. No, I didn't live in Mexico. I lived in Europe. By the way, I don't get free anything from my doctor. What are you getting for what you are doing? Arealsweety

I had a great experience with Dr. Huacuz. He is neither bargain basement nor cheap. I didn't feel like my life was at risk at any time and he did a great job. I would gladly send any of my loved ones to him. Arealsweety

I'm sorry your wife had a hard time, but Dr. Huacuz has been my doctor for over a year and he was not at the Molding Clinic that whole time. My surgery was performed in a nice little hospital. I was and have always been well taken care of and have done marvelously with the band. He has his own brand new surgical center and I will be popping across the border to see it this weekend. He and his staff are great and I would not trade them for anything. Arealsweety

Don'thold hack? Okay! Sorry, but this may turn into a book. Get comfy. I was banded by Dr. Huacuz on 11/3/05. Yes it has almost been a year. I have lost 80# so far and am working on the second 80#. At the time my surgery was in a small hospital not too far from the Camino Real hotel. It was as clean as or cleaner than any American hospital I have ever been in. Now the good Doctor has his own clinic. When I was in Tijuana last month, the staff wanted me to come and see their progress. I was blown away at how nice it was. According to Norma, the secretary, they have already opened it. I will probably drive down and take a look see this weekend. By the way I live in San Diego, CA - just 25 minutes from the border. Anyway, Victor will probably pick you up at the airport and will transport you to where ever you are supposed to be in Tijuana. He speaks great English even though he denies it. Once I got to Tijuana I was taken to the hospital and was signed in. The nurses introduced themselves and started my IV. From the time the IV was started I was not allowe to eat or drink. I had an EKG by Dr. Gallegos, the cardiologist. My blood was drawn and sent to the lab. Dr. Romero the nutritionist came in and introduced himself and told me what to expect and what to do for a diet for the weeks after surgery. That was cool, even though it was in the paperwork sent to me, he took the time to go over it again. Louise Mattos, the psychiatrist, came in and had a chat to make sure I was mentally prepared for life with the band. Dr. Huacuz came in and explained the surgery and answered all the questions I had. He claims his English is not that great but I understood every word he had to say. Then the anesthesiologist, Dr. Nidome, came in and briefed me on the anesthesia and what to expect afterwards. I really like the staff because they treated me like a person not like a bed number. The Mexican doctors DO have a great bedside manner. It's not just this group of doctors either. I have a Mexican general practitioner. He diagnosed my high blood pressure long before my American doctor did. I was so ready for the surgery I almost ran to the operating room. I think I was one of the few who was not nervous. It is normal to be nervous before surgery. They said I had to ride on the gurney, so I was a good patient and did as I was told. I had my surgery around 6 pm and was back in the room in less than 45 minutes with my INAMED band. I tell you, they are GOOD! They made my support person (my best friend) feel like a queen and made sure she was comfortable. A little after surgery I was allowed to have ice chips. The night nurses didn't speak English but they took good care of me anyway. LOL! Dr. Huacuz told me that in his clinic everyone will speak English - even the janitor. LOL! Some people report left shoulder pain for a few days but I didn't have any. My stomach was distended but I walked as much as I could and it went down after a few days. This is perfectly normal. The next morning Dr. Huacuz came to the room and was there for my first banded "meal". That was the absolute BEST Jello, tea and apple juice I have ever tasted in my life. That is when he gave me my antibiotics and instructions on when to take them. He came back around noon and took me to the facility where they do fluoroscopies. That is a real time xray. It's pretty cool. You stand in front portion of the machine and are given barium to drink. You can watch it go down your throat and past your new friend, the band. You may have some restriction just from the fact you have a band. I did. Dr. Huacuz told me that my stomach had a huge layer of fat and the band compressed it so that it felt like there was already Fluid in the band. I didn't need a fill for almost 3 months. Normal people get a fill around 6 weeks. I was then taken to the Camino Real Hotel where my support person and I stayed one night. The hotel is defintely a 5 star hotel! Dr. Huacuz left me with juices and Water when he took us to the hotel around 1 pm. Dr. Huacuz came back that night to make sure everything was okay. He said I could drink tea if I wanted to but I'm not a fan of hot liquids. If you feel like walking around (a lot of people do), there is a Mexican grocery store across the street called Calimax. A little farther down the street is a mall. I would say that I have never run into a store in Tijuana that would NOT accept dollars so you don't have to get pesos if you don't want to. To do a rough calculation just divide their prices by 10 and you have a rough approximation of what it will be in US dollars. The next morning, Victor picked us up and took us back across the border. Just so you are prepared, the lines at the border can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic, so go to the bathroom before leaving the hotel. Some other ladies were there from out of town and needed to go to the airport, so Victor took them first. Dr. Huacuz and Dr. Romero gave me their direct dial cell phone numbers and told me to call them if I had any questions or problems. What American doctor would do that?? They have excellent bedside manner. I can't say enough about how well I was treated. When I got home Norma kept in contact by email and by phone to make sure things were going smoothly. When I had questions, I called the doctors and they were able to answer them. I had them do my after care since I am so close. My suggestion, before you even go to Tijuana make sure you have arranged for after care and have found a fill doctor in the US. As I have said, Dr. Huacuz is just a few minutes away from me so he did my after care and my fills. I have steadily lost weight and have not run into a problem yet. If you follow what Dr. Romero tells you, you WILL lose weight. I am at a plateau right now but I know if I increase my exercise, I can break it. I started out in a size 34 and am now in 24s. My goal is a size 16. That is perfect for me because I am 5'10" want to keep some of my curves. If there is a "con" I would say that my breasts are deflating!! Shoot, they were the only part of my body that I liked! There are so many things I can do now that I could not do. Breathing. Shopping. Reach my feet. Within 2 months after the surgery I was taken off my high blood pressure meds. My blood pressure is now perfectly normal. Did I say SHOPPING??? I have had to get rid of everything larger than a size 26. Believe me that was a LOT of clothes! How was my experience overall? GREAT! Would I do it again? YES! Would I use Dr. Huacuz? OH HECK YES!! If you have any questions please feel free to email me at arealsweety@yahoo.com :clap2:

Don't you believe that his patients (I am one) who are thrilled with the service he provides would be happy to pass that along to all who ask? We were asked and we are telling about our experiences with the good doctor. I remember searching for a good doctor and was found a large amount of information from which I made my own informed decision. It's not like patients of OTHER doctors don't do the same when they are asked about their doctors. We all sing the praises of our surgeons if we are thrilled with them. So what's your problem? It seems that you are unhappy that we are happy with Dr. Huacuz.

I have first hand knowledge of him. Dr. Huacuz was my surgeon and I have been VERY pleased with his service!! I was banded on 11/3/05 by Dr. Huacuz. He and Dr. Romero have been doing my follow ups. That is because I live in San Diego and can drive to Tijuana for any appointments and for fills. His bedside manner is great, he explains everything and if you have ANY questions he answers them for you. I have been so happy with him that I have referred several friends. Would I use him again??? YES!!!! In fact when I finish losing the rest of this weight, I will be going back to him for my reconstructive surgery. Arealsweety

Yes, Dr. Huacuz was my surgeon and is doing my follow up. I am VERY happy with the service provided. The hotel was 5 star and have every amenity you would expect from a 5 star hotel. I was banded 11/3/05 so the price has probably changed by now. Would I do it again? YES! Would I use Dr. Huacuz? YES!! Arealsweety

Dianna, Do you live in Canada? Have you looked for any nearby fill doctors? It is very important that you arrange your after care before your surgery. I chose AGB because 1st, it is adjustable; 2nd, I didn't want a malabsorptive surgery; 3rd, I didn't want any internal organs cut; 4th, I never have to worry about going back and trying something else to lose and keep the weight off. I have have very few fills but so far the ones I have had are working. Everyone is different (your mileage may vary). Where did you hear about ports twisting? I have heard of rare cases where tubing twisted but not ports. My BMI was 57.5 and I decided to have the band and boy am I GLAD! I'm down 80#. I went from a size 34 to some 22s in 9 months. I just have 80 more pounds to go. The Vertical sleep gastrectomy is supposed to be very effective as a FIRST STAGE procedure for high BMI patients (BMI over 55). According to what I have been reading LIMITED results appear promising as a single stage procedure for low BMI patients (BMI 35-45). Also the procedure does involve stomach stapling so you may have leaks and other complications related to that. I'm just happy to have the band. Yeah, it's a foreign object, but I'm not creeped out by it or anything. It's like having a pacemaker for my stomach. The only way I would have my band removed is if it was medically necessary or at my autopsy, preferably the latter. This little bit of plastic and titanium is my friend. I am rediscovering LIFE, day by day! I can reach my feet. I can tie my shoes with the bow on top. I can walk into Macy's and such and buy clothes. I can sit in a booth in a reastaurant. My feet are back down to medium width. I can walk from the bedroom to the living room without coughing up a lung. I no longer sweat like I work in a sauna. I am no longer on high blood pressure meds. I now know how much I lied to myself pre-band when I said that I didn't eat that much. I no longer think about food all the time. I can actually walk the mall, shop till I drop and have taken up salsa dancing. Good luck on what ever decision you make. If I could do it over again, I wouldnt' change a thing! Lynette Dr. Huacuz 11/3/05

I don't know how I could have missed this thread for so long. I started out with a BMI of 57.5 on November 3, 2005 when I was banded. I have lost 80 pounds and as far as I am concerned I have 80 more to lose. That should put me at my goal size of a 16. That should be just fine for my 5'10" frame. My doctor wants me to lose a total of 220#. I have asked him to stay out of his drug cabinet. LOL! Sweety

Again you would need to contact him through his website.

To know for sure, please contact him through his website http://www.huacuz.com.

I don't know how I posted twice.

spnfly2, I will be there on the 20th also in support of my friends. It will be nice to connect a face with the typed responses. I look forward to meeting you. I am VERY happy with the care provided by Dr. Huacuz and his staff. I was banded on 11/3/05 and have lost 75# so far. I have had one fill (last month). Sweety

spnfly2, I will be there on the 20th also in support of my friends. It will be nice to connect a face with the typed responses. I look forward to meeting you. I am VERY happy with the care provided by Dr. Huacuz and his staff. I was banded on 11/3/05 and have lost 75# so far. I have had one fill (last month). Sweety

INAMED is the only band presently FDA approved in the United States. Please take that into account before proceeding. Sure the surgeons will allow you to choose, but if you intend to get your fills in the US, find out if your proposed fill doctor will fill you with an non-FDA approved band. Arealsweety