Thinking about Dr. Lopez-Corvala in TJ Mexico?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I too did my homework. I found out about dr. verboonen and his Obesity Goodbye clinic. He uses his whole family. I found several patients that were pissed off by the way they were treated after banding!!

I know of Dr. Corvala also. He is a good surgeon but thats as far as his care goes. I actually over heard him while riding in the same elevator with him at the Bandsters bash. He said " These damn patients. All I want to do is surgery I am sick of their (patients) constant questions"!

One of the first to do band placement in Northern Mexico works in a very low end hospital in TJ.

I like the surgeons that are Fellows of The American College of Surgeons. (FACS). This is a designation of membership in a organization that supercedes local requirements and standards. The one that I know of is Dr. Mascareno in TJ. I went and met him on a surprise visit and found him very professional and not interested in becoming the next Mega Surgeon. JMHO:smile:

I don't know, I have to say that anyone that goes to the effort of putting a doc's web site address in their sig is suspect to me. However, I trust very few people here as I agree with you, more and more patient coordinators are posting, posing as patients, not telling anyone they work for doctors, it's getting wayyy out of hand here.

Dr.s of GETBANDEDNOW.COM 380-175

Success is part the surgeon

part your education

part your dr.s support team if any..

I don't even KNOW my doctor's website address, I have to look it up if someone asks for it. I am not sure why anyone would advertise a web address while claiming to go to TJ weekly to meet with these doctors if they did not work for the doctors. So, who DO you work for? Just the one in your sig link? Or more?

We've caught coordinators before with more IDs than they have a change of underwear. We we catch them they just abandon their IDs and come up with a whole bunch more.

F.A.C.S.: For the most part I agree with you but that does not promise a skilled surgeon. One of the worst surgeons in Mexico has FACS behind his name (for now). And JFTR, Mascareno is not the only FACS surgeon in TJ. If you are going to push a doc on your sig link at least be honest about other surgeons in TJ that are also FACS.

And speaking of your surgeons....

Basic Package P/U and Return to AirportYes 3 nights in 4-Star HotelYes Pre-Op TestsYes Post-Op Surgery MedsYes Free Fills for LifeYes Total Complete Fee$8,500.00

Notice free fills for life, right? Check this out, same web site different page:

The adjustments are free to our patients. The Clinic charges us 200.00 U.S. dollars for the use of the Flouroscopy equipment.

Non Patients fee is 275.00 US Dollars only. Reciepts will be available.

Now, if they were working out of an actual hospital I can see the HOSPITAL charging for fluoro, but they are using their OWN equipment, THEY are charging $200 and claiming the act of poking you with a needle is free.

Also, they claim throughout the site that they use a hospital, it's not a hospital. It's a clinic. They claim it's a private hospital. Hooey, it's a privately owned clinic.

What can I expect from the facilities at Hospital Lityen

The Dr.s of Getbandednow provide first class facilities and top of the line medical equipment and this is what you can expect from Hospital Lityen. This hospital has all private rooms, each equipped with a private bathroom, a pull out bed for a family member or companion, and cable TV with remote control. English-speaking doctors are on call 24 hours a day.

Here they claim it is a clinic:

You are taken to the clinic and before starting the protocol, you sign the surgery authorization form, by this time all questions are cleared and you have authorized the procedure. For better understanding, the surgical consent forms are in plain English and easy to understand. You are encouraged to read the form thoroughly prior to signing.

They claim to have done 2000 bands. So where are their patients? Anyone with 2000 bands has plenty of patients posting, not these guys.

Check this out:

We will pick you up and return you to the San Diego airport for an 80.00 fee.

$80 for a ride from the airport to the clinic? Most docs do this for free. So a fill is $280. That's more expensive than many places in the US. I can get a fill from my NP here in Phoenix for $100. Yeah, she's crappy and I wouldn't go there but she's still $100.00.

One of the biggest issues I see is that they do not advertise Inamed. They offer the Midband, J&J, and BioE. Never heard of BioE, I'll have to look it up. I'm not even sure what Mid Band is. Most US patients have Inamed because that was the only US FDA band approved in the US until last fall when J&J became FDA approved. If you get a mid band or Bio E, how would you get fills? Most in the US won't touch a non FDA approved band, and I don't blame them.

They also do not appear to do the tricky stuff. They don't do sleeves, bypass, revision, none of it. Only easy banding. Why? Are they not capable of tricky stuff? That's a big question in my mind.

The big stuff... clinic and not hospital but they claim it is a hospital. No use of Inamed, that is a concern, are they only using cheap bands? They don't do anything tricky, just easy stuff. That makes me question skill. I question if their stats are inflated since they hardly have anyone posting! It makes no sense.

I haven't even talked to them yet. This is just what I got from the website. I actually called them and left a message twice trying to help someone research them. When they found out why I was calling and who I am (BubbleButt the one pushing research on the boards) they declined to return my call. Funny thing is, until that point I had heard positive things about them. The person that was asking me for info was totally gung-ho for Gutierrez, he sounded great. He appeared very honest on the phone to her, he was kind, professional, the works.

Of course, then he told her that while they have done some supposed 2000 bands they have few people posting because they don't want the advertising. Hello? Who posts here to advertise other than patient coordinators? Why WOULDN'T a doctor want his patients posting and exchanging info on life as a banded person? They don't have many people posting because they don't have many patients.

I would love to verify the claim of 2000 bands but I can't because when they found out I wanted to do some research on them, they declined to return my phone calls. I've been trying to find out how many of each brand band they have placed so I can call the band manufacturers and verify they have actually purchased this many bands but... they don't want to talk to me.

BTW, are you Mario from their office?

[MacMadame 81]

I'm not even sure what Mid Band is.

It's a French band. It's popular in Europe. The first one was designed in 1999, but they are already on the second generation.

As far as I have been able to tell, Inamed, J&J and MID are the 3 big band manufacturers out of the 7-8 that exist when you look at bands world-wide. But this band isn't FDA approved in the US and it doesn't even appear to be in clinical trials here -- at least as far as I can tell.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

It's a French band. It's popular in Europe. The first one was designed in 1999, but they are already on the second generation.

As far as I have been able to tell, Inamed, J&J and MID are the 3 big band manufacturers out of the 7-8 that exist when you look at bands world-wide. But this band isn't FDA approved in the US and it doesn't even appear to be in clinical trials here -- at least as far as I can tell.

Whoops, sorry! I meant Bio E band. I never heard of that one.

[MacMadame 81]

I wasn't sure but I think it might be this one:

Cousin Biotech...

They call it the BioRing but their web site is so horrible it's hard to tell what anything is and if they have an "E" version.

[medtour 0]

Video on this link should help dispel questions about quality of lap band hospitals in Tijuana, Mexico where Dr. Lopez Corvala performs the surgery.

Video - Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, Mexico

[Nurseygirl 29]

Hello,

I have read everyone's reply about Dr. Corvala (bad and Good). When I decided that I would have my lap band in Mexico, I set out to research doctors as I would hear in California. I actually called Allegan and verified that he is indeed a proctor for them, I have a friend who called the Mexican Board of Medicine and found out that he has a valid medical license. I beleive that Dr. Corvala is definetely experience and skilled enough to perform this surgery for myself. I think educating myself about the surgery itself, the possible complications and researching doctors who practice in Mexico (which is quite challenging) helped me get to where I am in deciding to have Dr. Corvala perform my surgery on 04/23/08.

For those who gave negative feedback about Dr. Corvala. I would like to know what complications you had. Having this information is helpful for me and others who really want to make the right decisions for their healthcare. I would like to know what complications you had because it will help me determine 1. Was it really "surgeon error" or was it just a complication that occurred? 2. Is the complication manageable if it happens to me? and 3. Does these complications make me not want to have the surgery? I am not trying to get in your business but it think you really could shed some light on the negative feedback for many who read this. I for one am a surgical nurse, and I need to know more objective information before I can make a decision.

All docs have their good qualities and bad (like all people) and not every surgery will go 100% ok, however, the personality of surgeons especially, is that they are perfectionist (most don't believe they are capable of making a mistake) so they think immediately that it is the patient must have done something.

Resi

[legallyblonde2 0]

But have you really read all about Dr Lopez? Have you searched all threads regarding him? What would you need to hear to change your mind? Many people have outlined in great detail the problems we endured due to Dr Lopez. When a person reports that they almost DIED due to his incompetence.....I wonder what more you would need to hear? I believe your mind is made up and you will only listen to what you want to hear. I say this as someone who did exactly the same thing. They tried to warn me and I didn't listen.

I can't rewrite my experience over nad over. Its too long and painful. Just search him a little harder.

Best of luck.

[skinnyplease 0]

But have you really read all about Dr Lopez? Have you searched all threads regarding him? What would you need to hear to change your mind? Many people have outlined in great detail the problems we endured due to Dr Lopez. When a person reports that they almost DIED due to his incompetence.....I wonder what more you would need to hear? I believe your mind is made up and you will only listen to what you want to hear. I say this as someone who did exactly the same thing. They tried to warn me and I didn't listen.

I can't rewrite my experience over nad over. Its too long and painful. Just search him a little harder.

Best of luck.

He is also associated with BeLiteWeight. I would never suggest going to anyone associated with them! That is another big reason to be worried.

[Nurseygirl 29]

Hello Legallyblonde2,

I should have said that I read all of the threads (good and bad). I have read the 3 pages (when I do a name search). If there are more please direct me because I am new to this website. I totally understand what you are saying when you say "I almost died" what else does the person need to hear.

When a person reports that they almost died, I am wondering what the conditions were. What happened? Its a statement with no other facts to support it is what it means to me. The threads that I have read, reports that they were not happy with Dr. Corvala's bed side manner, They have also stated simular things that you have said. I have not read any details of anyone's bad experience, maybe I can go back and read all of your threads, I don't know. I need to make sure I read all threads related to Dr. Covala, I think I have done that but I don't know.

I understand and respect that you do not want to explain your obvious terrible experience because you have in the past and you do not want to rehash what happened to you.

I am simply saying that when people are reading these threads (including myself) the details of what people say are what help people the most. For example, the reason why people may go through the surgery with Dr. Corvala is because all the positive feed back is detailed, they are praising the service, the success of their surgery and their weight loss journey. These things are more noticable and desirable than a few statements, that Dr. Corvala almost killed me or I almost died without any other explanation. Actually its a little irresponsible if you are trying to bring awareness to a group of people. Its like your saying "I had this bad experience that almost cost me my life but I don't feel like telling you about it". What are people like myself who are new to this website and are eager to have this surgery to do with that.

I'm not trying to be nosy but If you said something like, I almost died because Dr. Corvala did not do my sutures correctly, therefore I got terrible infection or he did not do any pre-op tests (that happened to a friend with another Mexican doctor) or I suffered from a hemotoma because Dr. Corvala nicked my gastric vein. Those things carry a lot more weight. I sorry, but I did not read details like this in anyone's bad experiences. People stated general statements similar to yours.

Let me know if there are more threads than the 3 pages that I have read about Dr. Corvala.

And I am truly sorry for your bad experience.

Resi

[mmzppz 0]

Anyone Out There Do Not Ever Use Dr. Francisco Gonzalez He Is In Tijuana Mexico, His Office Is Next To The Grand Hotel Tower. He Did My Surgery And I Was Almost Dead, I Know Few Other People That Did Die And A Few More That Went Through Hell, He Is Lying And Never Calls When You Are In Trouble, Now I Am Looking For An Attorney Who Will Take This Case Any Recomendetions Please Advise, But Please Do Not Ever Use Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Long2BFree 12]

I do know that my doctor has performed several corrective surgeries for patients who initially had their bands placed in Mexico. I'm sure there are good doctors but I'm sure there are some bad ones. I just hope people get educated before having surgery and not just go solely based on recommendations.

Now, as far as people who work for some of these doctors posting on the forum, my thought is that they should be required to clearly disclose this information with each post in a signature block or some place in the post.

[legallyblonde2 0]

just go to all my posts and read what I have said over and over. It is all there. I think you just search my user name? You can read my progress from happy to almost dead. All details are in there. 5 years worth.

Best of luck

[88KEYZ 0]

What was the cost for Dr. Corvala at Hospital Angeles? I have read he is very good.

[legallyblonde2 0]

The cost? Just your health and $9,000.00.

You can not be serious.:biggrin:

[Nurseygirl 29]

The cost is $8000.00 for my scheduled lap band on 04/23/08.