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  1. #1
    Gastric Sleeve Member OldSleever's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    05/15/2013
    Surgeon
    Almanza
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Last Activity
    04-19-2017 09:58 AM
    Posts
    6
    Said "Thanks" 3 Times
    Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 0 Times

    Question Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    I had gastric sleeve surgery with Dr. Almanza several years ago (with a wonderful experience by the way) and was looking into different options for either a resleeve or plastic surgery to help lose the last few stubborn pounds. I started visiting this forum and talking with WeightLossAgents again and just saw all the recent posts/attacks from patients who had complications, were abandoned, no follow-up, etc. I have to say, this was a complete surprise to me as my experience was nothing short of perfect (with some minor complaints about the night nurse crew and me neglecting to bring my Gas-X strips). There has also never been a time where I call WeightLossAgents and nobody answers. And I bother them A LOT! I don't believe they would ever ignore anybody's phone calls.

    But aside from all of that, one of the coordinators sent me these links for two articles showing that one of the competing coordinators, Melissa Bracker (who was actually around when I scheduled my original surgery!) is trying to extort Dr. Almanza for $30,000! And that she's wanted in Mexcio now for criminal charges! That's insane! It mentions some of these patients by name as well. I've seen tons of posts attacking Dr. Almanza, but not a single one about these articles?!?!

    It mentions both Melissa and even one of the patients, Kaycha Baez, calling Dr. Almanza directly and threatening to go to the news stations with their stories if he didn't pay them $30,000! I'm using Google Translate, as these original articles are in Spanish, so I'm really hoping something was just lost in translation. I would hate to see a patient involved in something like that. In all the other posts I've read recently, they boast that they just want to help future patients, but if that was the case, why would you promise to keep a story like that quiet just for money? You wouldn't be helping anyone.

    I hope all the previous posters that were so active in attacking Dr. Almanza will be able to provide some type of feedback, as I truly believe there is always 3 sides to every story. But I'll leave the links here and let everyone else decide for themselves. I still plan on returning for my resleeve or maybe some plastic surgery with WLA and I'm sure I will receive the same treatment that I've been used to over the past years.

    PS
    This forum won't allow me to post links, so I attached a text file to this post with the links listed there. Or just Google "Extorsionan a médico de Tijuana"
    Attached Files


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  3. #2
    Gastric Sleeve Member azladyrider's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Sue Ashe
    Surgery date
    06/28/2012
    Surgeon
    Dr Almanza
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Apache Junction, AZ
    Posts
    998
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    Was Thanked 326 Times in 229 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 7 Times
    Blog Entries
    6

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    The bashing of a doctor by the competition is nothing new. Melisa was also around when I had mine done and she was great to me.



  4. #3
    Gastric Sleeve Member OldSleever's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    05/15/2013
    Surgeon
    Almanza
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Last Activity
    04-19-2017 09:58 AM
    Posts
    6
    Said "Thanks" 3 Times
    Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 0 Times

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    It's not the bashing of another doctor that's surprising. It's the blackmailing/extorting that's the issue. To preach that you want to help other patients avoid a similar experience, but then promise not to speak if paid? It takes away any credibility that person had and confuses other patients. It just shows where the real values lie. Every patient should speak freely about their experiences and never hold back.


  5. #4
    Gastric Sleeve Member LadyLitteRock's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    08/17/2015
    Surgeon
    Dr. Almanza
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Last Activity
    07-22-2016 07:46 AM
    Location
    Florida
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    97
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    Blog Entries
    10

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    Hi, I was sleeved by Dr. Almanza on 8/17/15 great experience from start to finish with WLA, Hotel, Hospital/Out-patient-facility, nurses on site at the hotel, nurses in the hospital too. I came across that article too. That's a real shame, if you ask me. I was so close on r/s my surgery because of what I was hearing and finding since July. Yet, prior in all my months of research didn't find any negative and only found high reviews and remarks. But I decided to go with my research and go with the doctor and coordinators I felt more comfortable with.
    The other doctor I was going to switch too, I didn't like their coordinators, nor their attitudes, they seemed to be very rushed and in a hurry to book me, and the doctor had a lot less experience than Dr. Almanza, and they do only 1 leak check and then the next day I fly home. I did not like that at all.
    I did hear and have spoken to the girl Kacha via this forum, she is active, but I didn't know she too was involved with demanding a 30k payout. I thought it was just the previous employee Melissa and her daughter. I couldn't open the text file, here is the
    hyperlink -but I see according to the paper, she called as well. Odd, y would she be asking for money for Melissa, unless Melissa had someone pretend she was Kacha and demand payment to Melissa. I would think that Kacha, would ask for money for herself, not Melissa. And Based on that paper, there are 3 patients listed only, not 10. SMH. This whole mess is nuts.
    This link I hope it works, but is the Spanish newspaper from Mexico
    http://www.uniradioinforma.com/notic...lo-en-paz.html



    HW 231
    Pre-Op Weight 226
    SW 8/17/15 215 down 11lbs
    9/17/15 191 down another 24 lbs.

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  7. #5
    Gastric Sleeve Member OldSleever's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    05/15/2013
    Surgeon
    Almanza
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Last Activity
    04-19-2017 09:58 AM
    Posts
    6
    Said "Thanks" 3 Times
    Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 0 Times

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    Thanks for the help posting the link LadyLittleRock. Guess I've still got to submit a few more posts before I get that ability! The only thing I could imagine, aside from pretending to be a patient, would be Melissa contacting the patients and offering to help financially if they go after the doctor as well. Maybe a cut of the $30k? And I understand that would be a really tough spot for a patient with bills to be in. My heart goes out to any patient that has complications after surgery and I know how tempting an offer like that would be. (Can't say I'd be able to turn it down myself) But once it gets out, it makes it difficult to separate the mess. It really blurs the message of trying to help future patients vs. trying to help yourself.


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  10. #6
    Gastric Sleeve Member LadyLitteRock's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    08/17/2015
    Surgeon
    Dr. Almanza
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Last Activity
    07-22-2016 07:46 AM
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    97
    Said "Thanks" 131 Times
    Was Thanked 50 Times in 36 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 43 Times
    Blog Entries
    10

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    Quote Originally Posted by OldSleever View Post
    Thanks for the help posting the link LadyLittleRock. Guess I've still got to submit a few more posts before I get that ability! The only thing I could imagine, aside from pretending to be a patient, would be Melissa contacting the patients and offering to help financially if they go after the doctor as well. Maybe a cut of the $30k? And I understand that would be a really tough spot for a patient with bills to be in. My heart goes out to any patient that has complications after surgery and I know how tempting an offer like that would be. (Can't say I'd be able to turn it down myself) But once it gets out, it makes it difficult to separate the mess. It really blurs the message of trying to help future patients vs. trying to help yourself.
    I agree. Based from what Kache had said and has posted on here, she did have a lot of complications and still is, from what I understood. I truly feel bad for her issues that arose right after surgery. Instead of having a wonderful journey and experience, she had a poor turnout, still lost a lot of weight, but of course, with lots of headaches and trauma. Of course, I don't know what her history and her possible complication rate was before she went into surgery. Depending on peoples history, current health status and BMI are all factors. It is very sad, if this Melissa chick is using her for her own benefit and/or faked the call, for people to think it was her. I hope she sees this post and responds. If I was Kache, myself and wanted some type of payout from the doctor, I wouldn't team up with that person. I would have contacted the doc. personally, sent bills, sent medical records showing what has happened, information of what the other doctors in the U.S. are saying, if it was something he did negligently, you know, and if it was something he did wrong, then maybe something could be done. Of course if it was just a complication that arose, even here in the U.S. if there is no Tort broken, no payout. Not saying it would have given her a payout, but I am sure, with evidence, it could have been a possible outlook rather than being connected with a con artist and blackmailer. Which then puts her in a poor position, to get nothing.



    HW 231
    Pre-Op Weight 226
    SW 8/17/15 215 down 11lbs
    9/17/15 191 down another 24 lbs.

  11. #7
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    05/21/2015
    Surgeon
    Juan Corvala
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Last Activity
    11-30-2015 10:17 PM
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    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    Don't know much about a competing doc and extortion but I have seen a fair share of infections, leaks and other complications from Dr Almanza. These complications have been reported on multiple websites as well as the media. Surgery is serious stuff and where one has the surgery is soo important to minimize the risks which do occur with all surgeons.


  12. #8
    Gastric Sleeve Member OldSleever's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    05/15/2013
    Surgeon
    Almanza
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Last Activity
    04-19-2017 09:58 AM
    Posts
    6
    Said "Thanks" 3 Times
    Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 0 Times

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    When a surgeon has done as many procedures as Dr. Almanza has, of course there are going to be a larger amount of posts regarding infections, complications, etc. How many reports have you seen? I've seen a handful, but for a doctor that's performed over 12,000 procedures, even at a 1% complication rate that would be 120 cases. I haven't seen nearly that many. And those media reports lost a lot of its credibility with me after reading that last article.


  13. #9
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    05/21/2015
    Surgeon
    Juan Corvala
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Last Activity
    11-30-2015 10:17 PM
    Posts
    241
    Said "Thanks" 23 Times
    Was Thanked 83 Times in 66 Posts
    Said "Welcome to Gastric Sleeve" 1 Times

    Default Re: Competing Doctor and Previous Patients Attempting to Extort Dr. Almanza?

    Hey we all make choices based on what we feel comfortable with. IMHO, Dr A was the first TJ surgeon I ruled out when I started the research process. Obviously many choose him and do fine.
    If one did a thorough review of him, you would find plenty of red flags IMHO.
    I did want an experience and medical practices that parallel the protocols performed in the U.S.
    I did spend 50% more in TJ for what I felt was best for me.


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