There are quite a number of folks on here who have a problem with the numbers of surgeries Dr. Almanza does in a day. Personally, I chose him precisely because of the number he does in a day. In fact, the number of surgeries he's done overall was reassuring to me. I wanted someone who had been there and done that. I wanted a surgeon who had seen quite possibly everything bad that could happen during the procedure and had dealt with it.
Dr. Almanza did 11 surgeries the day he did mine. Mine was the third. I came out ok. The first one of the day that he did turned out ok and the 11th one of the day turned out ok too. The surgical procedure itself is highly mechanized and does not require the usual physical stamina that other surgeries do. Hence, the ability to do more in a day than some might think is prudent. Having said that, everyone who has actually had this procedure is entitled to an opinion and I do not believe this forum exists to suppress informed opinions.
I think it's important for you, and all others considering going to Mexico for the procedure, to know that medicine and surgeries in Mexico are not the same as they are here. The personalized attention that we Americans are used to in our healthcare does not exist in a lot of the industry in Mexico. I saw Dr. Almanza the morning of the surgery and once right after I awoke from the procedure. I never saw or talked to him again after that. They woke me up from the surgery, tapped me on my cheek to wake me up, unstrapped me from the gurney, and then said, "Ok big boy...time get up and WALK to the recovery room." That's right. I walked literally 5 minutes after waking up. That's how important walking post op is. You would never see that happen here in the states.
I can't speak for his new facility because I had my procedure done at the clinic. The clinic was in a strip center, next door to an Office Depot, Pittsburgh Paint store, and lingerie shop. Cleanest place I think I've ever been in my life. The recovery room was literally 20 feet from the O.R. so it's not like I had to walk across the clinic. But, I did have to walk. I also stayed in a hotel for my recovery which was a hugely successful decision on my part. Made the recovery so much easier.
I'll be 5 years post op in August. I've had zero complications other that some hair loss and saggy skin. I can live with both of those. I also have been at goal weight for almost four years. So, Dr. A is my hero and I don't think it's an under statement to say he saved my life.
No one on here should try to convince you to use one surgeon over another as well as try to discourage you.
Your choice of surgeon is yours alone to make. I would encourage you to do your due diligence and make an informed choice. There are thousands and thousands of posts on here concerning the leading Mexican bariatric surgeons. Use the search function and type in their name. You'll get to see a very nice cross section of good and bad reviews for each one. Reach out via pm to some of the old vets on here and ask them questions. Don't ask advice concerning whether or not your choice of surgeon is a good or bad one. Like I said, a good vet will answer questions but won't try to talk you into using their surgeon just so they can feel good about the decision they made. Believe me, they already feel good about the decision or they wouldn't be willing to discuss it with you.
In the end, I think Dr. Almanza is a hugely successful WLS surgeon with a very good track record. But, I also get that some are put off by the number of surgeries he does in a day. Like I said, each of us is entitled to their opinion. So, hurry up and have the procedure so you can have one too!!! lol
Good luck to you.
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