Dr. Ponce de Leon / Dr. Sergio Verboonen

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

Has anyone got any information on these doctors?

Experience with VSG with them or otherwise.

Please send me personal message if you want or post to board.

Thank you

I do know about the 2003 Medical Fraud charges for verboonen

Edited March 29, 2009 by hakunamatata_ca
addition

[MacMadame 81]

I didn't think verboonen did the VSG? I thought he was a band-only doctor?

Neither of them is very experienced with it though. Leon just started doing them. And, if verboonen is doing them now, he's just started too.

You really want someone who has done a couple hundred of them (or at least a couple hundred bypass) because of the chance of leaks.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Has anyone got any information on these doctors?

Experience with VSG with them or otherwise.

Please send me personal message if you want or post to board.

Thank you

I do know about the 2003 Medical Fraud charges for verboonen

I don't know a lot about Ponce de leon but I do know about Verboonan. I can't say I would go to him for a sleeve. Maybe a band but not a sleeve. There was a lady about a year ago that contacted me and she was a revision from band to sleeve. She wasn't really happy with him for her band but I'm not sure that was his fault, the band is hard, period. Slips are not really the fault of the doctor 4 years down the road. One of her concerns is that when she went to him for her band the day she was discharged the nurse came in to clean her room as they had a patient waiting for that room. She didn't change the sheets, she just made up the bed for the next patient as this lady packed her suitcase.

She ended up going back to him because he was giving her a $$ break on the revision since she already had surgery by him once. She didn't feel right about it and was concerned but felt she had no choice. Take a chance with Dr. V. or not have surgery at all.

She ended up with leaks all the way around the staple line. Not a single leak from a single place but leaks all the way around her staple line. She had to be transported to a Tijuana hospital where she spent the next three weeks. I never understood the reasoning behind this but as an emergency repair they had to do MGB. Then she came home and that is when she called me and she told me what happened. She couldn't talk long because she was too weak. She was later admitted to a hospital in the states for more problems because of the MGB and I talked to her then. She was supposed to call me when she got home. When she didn't I called her. The phone was disconnected, her email account was closed and I had no way to follow up with her.

Honestly, I have no idea if she is alive, if she moved... not a clue.

Sleeves are nothing to mess with. If you don't go to someone uber experienced you pay the price in the end. The only people I personally, would go to is Aceves, Rumbaut, or Zapata. They have a lot of experience in staple lines, they have excellent reputations, their patients aren't complaining like some that they can eat large quantities of solid Protein at 3 weeks post op, they don't have a gazillion leaks, they work out of hospitals instead of clinics, they are in safe locations, they have good stats, etc.

If your sleeve is made too large you are talking a revision surgery. If there is enough stomach to work with they can shave off a bit more but risks increase for leaks and bleeding, etc. THAT is expensive. Ask the people here who are revisions. Revision surgery is more than the original surgery. Usually they have to revise to bypass or DS if you want to lose weight and your sleeve is too large.

I don't want malabsorption and if for any reason I would have had a botched sleeve I think I would have just left well enough alone. I don't want RNY or DS. But, I didn't worry about it because I went to a good surgeon.

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

Do you remember her name?

When was this WAS...

Thanks

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Do you remember her name?

When was this WAS...

Thanks

Yes, I do remember her name. It was about a year ago.

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

I don't know a lot about Ponce de leon but I do know about Verboonan. I can't say I would go to him for a sleeve. Maybe a band but not a sleeve. There was a lady about a year ago that contacted me and she was a revision from band to sleeve. She wasn't really happy with him for her band but I'm not sure that was his fault, the band is hard, period. Slips are not really the fault of the doctor 4 years down the road. One of her concerns is that when she went to him for her band the day she was discharged the nurse came in to clean her room as they had a patient waiting for that room. She didn't change the sheets, she just made up the bed for the next patient as this lady packed her suitcase.

She ended up going back to him because he was giving her a $$ break on the revision since she already had surgery by him once. She didn't feel right about it and was concerned but felt she had no choice. Take a chance with Dr. V. or not have surgery at all.

She ended up with leaks all the way around the staple line. Not a single leak from a single place but leaks all the way around her staple line. She had to be transported to a Tijuana hospital where she spent the next three weeks. I never understood the reasoning behind this but as an emergency repair they had to do MGB. Then she came home and that is when she called me and she told me what happened. She couldn't talk long because she was too weak. She was later admitted to a hospital in the states for more problems because of the MGB and I talked to her then. She was supposed to call me when she got home. When she didn't I called her. The phone was disconnected, her email account was closed and I had no way to follow up with her.

Honestly, I have no idea if she is alive, if she moved... not a clue.

Sleeves are nothing to mess with. If you don't go to someone uber experienced you pay the price in the end. The only people I personally, would go to is Aceves, Rumbaut, or Zapata. They have a lot of experience in staple lines, they have excellent reputations, their patients aren't complaining like some that they can eat large quantities of solid Protein at 3 weeks post op, they don't have a gazillion leaks, they work out of hospitals instead of clinics, they are in safe locations, they have good stats, etc.

If your sleeve is made too large you are talking a revision surgery. If there is enough stomach to work with they can shave off a bit more but risks increase for leaks and bleeding, etc. THAT is expensive. Ask the people here who are revisions. Revision surgery is more than the original surgery. Usually they have to revise to bypass or DS if you want to lose weight and your sleeve is too large.

I don't want malabsorption and if for any reason I would have had a botched sleeve I think I would have just left well enough alone. I don't want RNY or DS. But, I didn't worry about it because I went to a good surgeon.

Ok so I'm sure this will go over like a lead balloon with you but I want to set the record straight. I have been doing research on info from the boards for awhile now and have spoke to 10 VSG patients of Dr.V recently as well as the person you are referring to. She says a few things to quote her;

Yes, I did have some serious complications with the VSG surgery.....it was an unfortunate situation but you need to know that Dr. V and Dr. Ponce took extraordinary care of me while I was having these complications and did not charge me a dime post surgery.

They fixed me and I have maintained my normal body weight for 1.5 years....

In January I went back to Tijuana from *** just to see Dr. V, Dr. Ponce and all of the staff. I have deep feelings for these Dr.s and their staff. I received incredible care during my stay at their hospital......His staff and the nurses at the hospital where he operates were were wonderful....the care that I received was like nothing that would EVER happen in the US.........they were so wonderful that I went back a year later just to spend time with them.... They cared for me, met my EVERY need until I was strong enough to go back to **. They took care of every minute detail of my recovery and my trip home......they followed up with me weekly or more often for a year....They never abandoned me.....They had an interpreter stay with me 24/7.

I have asthma and when I was having problems with breathing they brought in the most incredible Respiratory therapist to treat me. I received respiratory treatment that I did not know existed and I worked in health care for 20 years.... They brought in specialists who were incredible and worked as a team to make sure they didn't miss anything........My challenge to you would be to find medical care like that in the US.

I spoke to only one person about my surgery and the complications. And that was a year and a half ago......I did not post anything about my experience on the boards. NOTHING...........So it disturbs me that this person whom I have never met and had limited conversation with would distort and bash my Dr's and their staff...... Given she had zero details. This is a situation that I have no control over. I can't fix her damage. But I can tell you that Dr. V and Dr. Ponce are dedicated to their patients and stay with them during this journey.

I did not respond back to this person because she seemed to be a person that exaggerates.

Yes she did try to contact by e-mail and phone but I did not respond because I didn't want to deal with her drama...... I also know that she promotes this Dr. In Mexico...

That she is saying these terrible things horrifies me....I am alive and well.

You will be in good hands with Dr. V and Dr. Ponce.

I truly hope you do not delete this post or me.

Just thought you'd like to know she is alive and well as you said you didn't know.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Ok so I'm sure this will go over like a lead balloon with you but I want to set the record straight. I have been doing research on info from the boards for awhile now and have spoke to 10 VSG patients of Dr.V recently as well as the person you are referring to. She says a few things to quote her;

Yes, I did have some serious complications with the VSG surgery.....it was an unfortunate situation but you need to know that Dr. V and Dr. Ponce took extraordinary care of me while I was having these complications and did not charge me a dime post surgery.

They fixed me and I have maintained my normal body weight for 1.5 years....

In January I went back to Tijuana from *** just to see Dr. V, Dr. Ponce and all of the staff. I have deep feelings for these Dr.s and their staff. I received incredible care during my stay at their hospital......His staff and the nurses at the hospital where he operates were were wonderful....the care that I received was like nothing that would EVER happen in the US.........they were so wonderful that I went back a year later just to spend time with them.... They cared for me, met my EVERY need until I was strong enough to go back to **. They took care of every minute detail of my recovery and my trip home......they followed up with me weekly or more often for a year....They never abandoned me.....They had an interpreter stay with me 24/7.

I have asthma and when I was having problems with breathing they brought in the most incredible Respiratory therapist to treat me. I received respiratory treatment that I did not know existed and I worked in health care for 20 years.... They brought in specialists who were incredible and worked as a team to make sure they didn't miss anything........My challenge to you would be to find medical care like that in the US.

I spoke to only one person about my surgery and the complications. And that was a year and a half ago......I did not post anything about my experience on the boards. NOTHING...........So it disturbs me that this person whom I have never met and had limited conversation with would distort and bash my Dr's and their staff...... Given she had zero details. This is a situation that I have no control over. I can't fix her damage. But I can tell you that Dr. V and Dr. Ponce are dedicated to their patients and stay with them during this journey.

I did not respond back to this person because she seemed to be a person that exaggerates.

Yes she did try to contact by e-mail and phone but I did not respond because I didn't want to deal with her drama...... I also know that she promotes this Dr. In Mexico...

That she is saying these terrible things horrifies me....I am alive and well.

You will be in good hands with Dr. V and Dr. Ponce.

I truly hope you do not delete this post or me.

Just thought you'd like to know she is alive and well as you said you didn't know.

How odd, when she first got home from TJ and before she was admitted to a US hospital she was saying very different things. MUCH different. We were both calling one another. Now the story changes.