Very, Very Disappointed in Jerusalem Clinic

[Charity]

Last year, I had my VSG at Jerusalem Hospital in TJ, MX with Dr. Almanza. Because I had such a great experience, I opted to return for my MMO last week.

I guess I should've known there would be issues when the coordinator was impossible to reach. In fact, to date, I have YET to speak to Melissa. I spoke with her assistant, Heather, who proceeded to get very snippy with me, and berate me for booking through WeightLossAgents.com because neither she nor Melissa would call back. UGH.

So, I got to the JetBlue terminal the morning of surgery at 8:00. I called Heather to check in. At 9, I still hadn't seen anyone, nor had I heard from her. I called her at 9:15, and she said, "Oh, I guess I should start making calls." She then had me meet them at baggage claim rather than the JetBlue Terminal. Well...ok.

We make the drive to the clinic, where I am treated like a sleeve patient. I didn't speak with anyone about my cosmetic surgery, the surgeon, etc. When I finally let it be known that I wasn't there for the sleeve, they were all about getting a testimonial from me. I gladly gave one, as I had a great experience last year. Well...after that, I sat and waited. And waited. And waited. And finally, at 5:00 pm, after all the sleeves had come and gone and returned, I asked a nurse, "Any word when I'm going to have surgery? I have been waiting all day!" To which he responded, "Oh, not until 10 or 11 tonight. The surgeon just started another surgery at a different hospital."

WHAT?!?!

So, I got PISSED and went to find Dr. Juan Betancourt, who called Dr. Yanez. I told him that I would NOT have a 5-7 hour surgery with a surgeon who had been in surgery all day and all night. It's not safe. So at 7, Dr. Betancourt said Dr. Yanez was on his way, so we went down to the pre-op area. They gave me something in my IV to "relax my muscles"...which really made me fall asleep until 11, when the surgeon came in. When Dr. Yanez came in, he said I should've lost a LOT more weight, and that I would have to come back for more surgery because he could only do so much. My MMO turned into just a pannulectomy, implants/lift, and the lipo to my hips that I BEGGED for.

Post-op, I am pleased. I do have a flat stomach, and my breasts look great. I wanted more lipo to my hips and flanks, but maybe the difference will be when the swelling is gone. There are a LOT of lttle nicks on my stomach from the scalpel that shouldn't be there. Overall, the job was better than average, but not what I expected.

I then went to a different little clinic to spent two nights. The night nurse was HORRIBLE. My IV went bad (I'm a nurse, I know what a bad IV looks like), and rather than fixing it, he kept putting medicine through it. In the morning, he stripped the line, and I literally screamed and started sobbing. What did he do? HE LEFT. The day nurse came in, took one look at me, and said, "Are you having pain?" And I told her just my IV. She took a look at it and pulled it immediately. She started a new one, and I didn't have an issue at all.

Pain wasn't and hasn't been bad. I've been dealing okay with that. I was starving the entire time I was there - the second night at the clinic, my roommate and I ordered sandwiches and it took over three hours to get them!

The next morning, I was supposed to go to the hotel. I got dressed and realized that my jacket was missing. The staff wanted me to go to the hotel anyway. I also hadn't gotten my paperwork for my implants, or my home medications and instructions. Instead, I had gotten the paperwork for the sleeve. When I told the coordinator I wasn't leaving without my things, he just laughed. I then demanded to talk to Dr. Betancourt. When he called me, I told him what happened, start to finish. He proceeded to tell me that he didnt see what the problem was, and that this surgery was diffrent from the last I had. I told him that it was still the same clinic and doctors, and he said, "Well, the circumstances are different. I'll reimburse you for the jacket because it was stolen, and you can go back to San Diego." When I told him I'd have to try to find a hotel in SD, he got pissed and said, "Well, I thought you were leaving." I told him it is the holiday, and it may be difficult, and he basically blew me off and said that the driver would be there at 12 to take me back, and he would ask that I don't refer them anymore.

Dr. Juan Betancourt then brought me $100 for my jacket, and a letter in Spanish that he told me I needed to sign. When I asked what it said, he stated, "It has to be in Spanish. It says we're reimbursing you for the coat and you're leaving against medical advice." At that point, I didn't even care. In retrospect, I shouldn't have signed, but I was ready to leave.

The driver came, and I went back to the La Quinta to spend the next two nights on my own dollar.

Would I recommend JC for cosmetics? NO!!! A resounding NO. Post-op, Dr. Yanez didn't even remember me, he didn't remember what surgery I had, nor what day I had it. Hopefully, I'll be as happy with the final results as I am now. I wish I had taken the leap of faith and booked with another physician. When and if I go back for any more work, I'll take others opinions over what I know. Jerusalem Clinic may be excellent at VSGS, but they are sacrificing care for money, and that's pathetic.

[zmdh39]

Wow, that is just crazy! I cannot believe that they would treat their patients that way. I am so sorry for your bad experience, but thank you for posting this so that others may have the information

[Gayle]

What a horror!! Are you home yet? Take good care of you!!
Thank you for the information, by the way. We are all interested in having some plastic surgery and need to know this kind of thing.
Hugs to you, Sweetheart!

[swissmiss]

what a horror story! Hope you are doing okay, and I hope anyone thinking of using that clinic thinks twice!

[Dee Leshuz]

Good that they're closing their PS services down and good that you're home. There was another woman who had trouble there. I hope the remaining patients are okay.

[ACE]

That is terrible I am so sorry you had such a horrible experience. I hope you recover well and you can just look back on this as a stumbling block rather than such a terrible experience. I hope you have a good holiday and Congrats on getting the overhaul I cant wait till i can have mine!

[synthetyc]

I can totally relate, I had a great sleeve experience but the MMO was HORRIBLE experience.... I miss the recovery house!!! Feel free to PM me or email elizabethdewar@gmail.com I am still recovering from the MMO my breasts are uneven...

[cowgirljane]

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad time.

I am in about 20# of goal but I was under the impression that it is way to early to get a TT or mommy makeover. I am thinking of doing it a year from now, get stable at a goal weight. Why did they have you come in for it if it was too early? Were you given different info? I am going in for a consult in january, so i will know more then, but just curious.

[Hopefloatsup]

I am sorry for your experience. Thank you for sharing. I was having second thoughts about going back there for my MMO. When I was there for my sleeve there were a couple of women there for MMO. Their surgery didn't start until late in the day. One of them was there to have her breast implants fixed because one of them had not dropped and then she was getting lipo. She had heart problems from being under too long and had to be transferred to San Diago by ambulance during the middle of the night. She was lucky she had family there. I definitely will be going else where for my MMO. I hope your results are what you wanted when all the swelling is gone......Hugs Judy

[Sunflower]

Wow! So sorry that you had such a bad experience. I now a lot of people have had good experiences at Jerusalem, but the overwhelming majority of bad reports are also from that hospital. This was a huge determining factor for my choosing Dr. Kelly when I got sleeved. The Betancourts have a reputation for being that way when patients complain. I'm glad you're OK and I hope that you are happy with the final results when everything is healed up!

[silver]

I am so sorry to hear this, how horrible to feel so alone and misunderstood. I read your post just shaking my head. You deserved to be treated with respect. I had a good enough experience at that clinic for my sleeve. There was confusion when I asked a few questions and I did feel like I was being processed, you know...In and out. I do think there bottom line is money, and getting as many people sleeved as possible in one day. I also know that people have bad experiences in their own hometown hospitals. Maybe luck of the draw I guess....Blessings, and I wish you speedy healing

[niamh]

Sounds like absolute shit customer service from start to finish. Glad you have got out of there okay. Sounds like they should stick to what they know they do well, and leave the PS to people who want to specialist in it.

[Msvetrn]

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad time.

I am in about 20# of goal but I was under the impression that it is way to early to get a TT or mommy makeover. I am thinking of doing it a year from now, get stable at a goal weight. Why did they have you come in for it if it was too early? Were you given different info? I am going in for a consult in january, so i will know more then, but just curious.

Because they don't care if you are at your goal weight or not or if you are appropriate for the surgeries you are asking for...the coordinators are NOT medically trained and are strictly working to recruit patients and make money. They do not send any pictures to the plastic surgeons even if you send them pictures. The surgeons do not even know what is on the agenda until they get there at 8pm, 10pm, or midnight. Its insane. THAT is why the Plastic Surgeons do not stay there. Starting a Mommy Makeover at 11pm...that is CRAZINESS!!!!!!! They are unsafe and unethical. Dr. ALMANZA is great at what he does but the rest of them...just crazy.

[Msvetrn]

P.S. You all should consider my PS, Dr Niebles. He does ONE surgery per day and starts his surgeries between 8 and 10am. He knows ahead of time what he will be performing because pictures are sent to him for his assessment and recommendation and then he and I AND the patient agree on the procedure to be done. But, before that even happens, I assess the patient pictures to determine if what a patient wants and expects is realistic and SAFE. Just sayin'...

[tmclenn]

P.S. You all should consider my PS, Dr Niebles. He does ONE surgery per day and starts his surgeries between 8 and 10am. He knows ahead of time what he will be performing because pictures are sent to him for his assessment and recommendation and then he and I AND the patient agree on the procedure to be done. But, before that even happens, I assess the patient pictures to determine if what a patient wants and expects is realistic and SAFE. Just sayin'...

Thanks Christy, you will be hearing from me in a year and a half!!