My Experience w/ Mi Doctor and Dra. Louisiana Valenzuela

[lonestarstategal 10]

Thanks so much for your post! I am going to MI Doctor in 3 weeks. Although I have a different surgeon, your post with details of your experience really means so much. I will do the same after my surgery. Everyone's stories and support helps immensely!!!.

[Olivia23 68]

Wow that's a little scary. That is what worries me about some of the nurses not speaking English. Of course in my opinion it should not have mattered. That nurse that changed your iv should have known what to do without you trying to tell her!

[mbrinmn 105]

Thank you for sharing your entire experience. I am headed to this same hospital next Tuesday, my surgery is Wednesday. My surgeon is Dr. Jaqueline Osuna. The program I am going through, called Specialized Bariatrics, actually has me booked into the Marriot the day before my surgery. The morning of, I then check into the hospital and stay for that night after surgery as well as the next night. To save money, they offered my travel companion (my sister) a sofa bed so she can sleep in my hospital room with me. Then we are sent back to the Marriot for 2 more nights. Instead flying home after those 2 night, I booked the hotel myself for two additional nights, just because I felt nervous about flying so soon after surgery. It's only another two full days, but it made me feel better. I am glad to know that, upon reflection, you would do it again if you had the choice.

I'd be interested to know how much you have lost to date.

Thank you.

Best Regards,
Marybeth

I am new and have not posted before. I had my sleeve done in Tijuana at Mi Doctor Hospital on January 26 of this year. I wanted to share my experience as honestly as possible and hope anyone who criticizes my comments will do so gently as not everyone has the same expectation or experience.

I started doing my research months ago to have my sleeve. I had a friend who used Dr. Almanza and had an excellent experience with him. However, when I saw pictures and saw it was a surgery center and not a hospital, I was not interested. I also ruled out several other doctors over time based on various reasons.

I chose Mi Doctor and Dr. Valenzuela based on communications with the patient coordinator, Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center. I chose them because they worked out of a hospital with an intensive care unit, and because they were the group I contacted that took my medical history seriously.

I have some special medical needs. I had surgery for a broken ankle several years ago and ended up with a life threatening pulmonary embolism as a result of a dvt from my leg being immobilized. I spent 10 days in ICU and ended up with a horrible case of panic disorder after the fact and I had been on blood thinners ever since. When I discussed the surgery with my own doctor, he actually coordinated with Dr. Valenzuela directly. I had heard nothing bad about the team of Valenzuela and Cabrera and looked forward to my surgery with optimism, especially since Christy answered every question thoroughly and built up my confidence in them.

I was supposed to fly into Tijuana Friday morning and have my surgery Friday afternoon. My son and I were picked up at the airport as scheduled, and really enjoyed Victor, our driver's easy going nature. We arrived at the hospital and so far so good. There was construction going on all around the place and there was no parking, but no harm no foul so far. We sat in the waiting room for a short time and then Victor escorted us to a room one floor I believe above the surgery floor and the floor we were to stay on. He said it was the room I would stay in until MY room was ready. In the meantime, our Mexico coordinator came to introduce himself. It was the only time I would see him that day. Dr. Valenzuela came in and introduced herself, she is such a beautiful woman. She is sweet and gentle, but has only a cursory mastering of the English language. She explained that though my surgery was scheduled originally for that day, they were going to put it off until the next morning. NOT what I had arranged, but what was I going to say? I was a captive audience.

I wasn't overly impressed by the hospital. For a brief moment, I started to panic and almost changed my mind. But then I realized I was NOT in the US and just because the equipment they used didn't look like what I was used to, didn't mean it wouldn't work. I held my breath and waited for things to improve. They did. A nurse came to take my blood and for the first time in 10 years, someone got my blood on the first stick. After the blood draw, I was visited by the internist who said he felt there was no reason for me to wait for surgery, especially since my flight was less than 2 hours long. Then, the anesthesiologist came and he too said we should wait. While I trust the doctors, I was a little irritated, but I obviously didn't have a choice.

I was taken to my real room. Again, not overly impressed. In fact, I started feeling panic again and wanted to run. My room was depressing as hell. The only window was very small and was over a crawl space between buildings. It was raining and there was a drip the entire time that sounded oddly like a heart monitor. The bathroom was clean, but the light was so dim I could hardly see what I was doing in it. At one point I got bored and went for a walk. I was horrified to find that their "intensive care unit" was nothing more than a room with two beds in it. Here comes the panic again!

I found the nurses to be very friendly, although it was difficult to communicate with them because most of them did not speak English. However, I was in their country and do NOT count that as a negative whatsoever. In fact there were several I really liked.

The next morning, I was given an IV, again, they got it on the first poke and I was LOVING that! The anesthesiologist came in and spoke with me again and then after I donned those gorgeous and uber sexy compression stockings, I went into the surgery room. I have to admit, I was impressed with that room, especially when the anesthesiologist put me to sleep so easily while listening to the Eagles "Hotel California." I think I spoke with Dr. Valenzuela, but I never got to meet Dr, Cabrera.

Before I knew it, I was awake again and being taken to my room. It hurt, I won't say it didn't, but it wasn't unbearable or anything like that. What was unbearable was the nausea, but it was short lived. I slept most of the day, in and out and did see my coordinator Daniel once while I was still kinda funky. He asked me for $20 for medication he said wasn't covered in my fee???? I didn't remember hearing anything about that, but okay, I guess so.

By late afternoon, I was up and walking the halls. Oddly enough, I never really paid attention to others who were there. I couldn't tell you who other patients were, though my son could. Dr. Valenzuela came in that night to check my drain. It was full of a nice red liquid, she said it was that red because I was on injectable blood thinner at the time. She said she would see me the next day and that I would be discharged to the hotel. I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to the hotel or not, but the next day would tell. During the night, my IV stopped twice. I called a nurse who came in and took it apart. There was a nice big blood clot in it, and she put it back together, flushed it and then it started again. The next time it stopped, I tried to tell her to remove the blood clot before reconnecting the tubing to the IV, but it was futile, she couldn't understand.

The next morning after endless rounds in the hallways during the night, Daniel came in with the medication I paid for. He said I was being discharged and that he would be back later to get me and take us to the hotel after he picked up a new patient at the airport. Dra. Valenzuela came in and checked my drain again and said the Fluid in it was normal now. She said she was letting me go. I had only been there one night post op and wasn't sure I wanted to go. I asked if I should stay one more night in the hospital and she said no. So that was that. It was on to the hotel. She did not remove my drain, she said she would come to the hotel to take it out the next morning.

We went to the Marriott. My son was thrilled, he had never stayed anywhere as nice before and it was his birthday. He went out and went shopping while I settled in and tried to rest. I was really apprehensive about the next day. It was the day we were to fly home. I had not checked to see what MBC's shuttle schedule was and the latest we could be picked up and taken to the hotel was 11:00 am for a 4:00 pm flight. Christy had not told me there was certain times they would take us back and forth and Daniel said there was no other time we could go. That meant a 4 hour wait in the airport terminal.

I read somewhere on here after I was there that my support person could eat in the restaurant at a discount by just presenting the room key. I also saw where the patient was given free Water, popsicles and Jello. There was no Water or any other beverage in the room, and nobody bothered to tell me that I could have popsicles, etc. I did however get free wi-fi. While I settled with Jello, I was tormented by my son devouring a gorgeous chocolate cake for his birthday Daniel was kind enough to get for me to give him, along with the cheesiest cheese pizza I have ever seen. I took only Tylenol and in spite of the fact I had just had surgery and was on the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, I couldn't sleep. It was a looong night for sure.

Next morning, Dr. V came and took out my drain, which did not hurt even for a moment. I told her I felt weird about going home so quickly and she said I could stay another night if I wanted. I had already paid for two nights, but I really needed to get home, so I said no and at 11:00 as promised, Victor showed up to get us. We stopped at another hotel and picked up another woman and her daughter who were in the hospital the same time I was, though we never spoke until the ride. SHe had some complications with her surgery. She said her drain had migrated down into her pelvis and that she had debilitating nausea after her surgery. I told her my only complaint was my surgery was postponed. She told me that a man who had surgery and was released to the hotel had been back at the hospital the night before I got there and had almost died. In fact his condition was so grave he was transferred to a US hospital. Christy told me the same thing but added that the man had survived, but had not taken his insulin and that was where the problem started. She also offered this as a reason my surgery was postponed, because Dr. Cabrera had been up all night with the man at the hospital he was transferred to.

We got through customs in no time flat and were at the airport. I upgraded to first class for my son and I for almost nothing because we arrived so early for our flight. A rare and most welcome treat. One could get spoiled flying like that! It was very comfortable. After what seemed like the longest day, we were finally in the air and on the way home. I stayed home one more day and then went back to work. I felt good albeit a little sore.

I ran into complications a week later when my arm that held the IV inexplicably started to swell. It was hot to the touch and red. Heat, redness and swelling means only two things, infection or blood clot. Well for me it just HAD to be blood clot. In my arm! Who gets a DVT in their arm for chrissakes? I do. So, I was hospitalized for three days for that. I don't know that it was connected to my surgery, but I couldn't help but think about that nasty looking blood clot in my IV tubing that got flushed back into my arm.

Ironically, my surgery was perfect. No complications with wounds or anything else. I ate normal food while in the hospital though it was soft. Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, things like that. The hospitalist that was taking care of me said that it appeared the doctor in Mexico had done an excellent job, and in spite of the "little things" that irritated me, I am down 30 lbs in my first post op month and feel great.

I have been asked if I would do it over again, The answer is yes I would with Dr. Valenzuela though I would be smarter planning my travel and I would try to be more open minded about the differences between US and Mexico equipment. If it were not for Mexico being available, I would not have been able to have the surgery as my insurance did not cover it. All in all, I would recommend Mexico Bariatric Center. The doctors are just now building their reputation and the kudos they have accumulated online are well deserved.

[OCSlim 63]

Thank you for your detailed and candid review of your experience at Mi Doctor and Dr. Valenzuela. I'll be going to that hospital in December and having the single incision sleeve Gastrectomy with Alejandro Lopez. It's nice to hear the Marriott is so lovely. My support person will appreciate that!