Anybody hear of Dr Sariñana in Mexico?

[DSRIGGS]

A lady in the DS group on facebook (Dr K's group) said she is going there. I Have never heard of this guy but it says he is in Mexicali. I don't see him on the site for the http://www.mexicalibariatric.com/doctors/meet-our-surgeons/

 

[Clematis]

No clue who he is. But he's NOT at Mexicali Bariatric Center with Dr. Esquerra

Sarinana website: http://mexicaliobesitysolutions.com/index_en.php Says they do DS but with whom did he proctor?

 

[DSRIGGS]

Exactly. I may go back later and talk to her but right now I don't feel like fighting that battle. You know how hard it is to convince someone that there is a better choice.

 

[southernlady]

Many prefer to be a dire warning.

 

[Clematis]

Are you sure she's a real patient and not a shill for him? There are 3 (I think) hospitals in Mexicali doing medical tourism bariatric surgeries. Of course the only one we have vetted is Mexicali Bariatric Center out of Alameter Hospital.

Either way, you have enough on your plate with your own splitting guts issues to wrangle that now.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Hmmmm...seven reviews at the Otherplace, six of them for band and sleeve...one of those from someone named Guridi...his mother's maiden name...and the one DS review was from someone who was having a bit of a tough time post-op and then stopped posting.

So, uhm, no thanks.

 

[Will2014]

I think it's all about setting up the conversation before hsving it. If you gently explained to her that you cared about her, and wanted to talk to her about something but feared offending her, most people would respond favorably to that. I agree, it's always a risk trying to talk to someone about their medical decisions. But I consider this sites vets, yourself included, to be honorary ambassadors of truth to the masses who desperately need it. I think we are very fair people here and we want good doctors to be vetted and will gladly promote their practices here. But unvetted and therefore risky docs should be discouraged IMO. Too much crap going on out there, and Mexico has even more lax policies protecting consumers than America does. I say until we hear otherwise it's Esquerra's practice or nothing in Mexico. IMO.

 

[DSRIGGS]

I think it's all about setting up the conversation before hsving it. If you gently explained to her that you cared about her, and wanted to talk to her about something but feared offending her, most people would respond favorably to that. I agree, it's always a risk trying to talk to someone about their medical decisions. But I consider this sites vets, yourself included, to be honorary ambassadors of truth to the masses who desperately need it. I think we are very fair people here and we want good doctors to be vetted and will gladly promote their practices here. But unvetted and therefore risky docs should be discouraged IMO. Too much crap going on out there, and Mexico has even more lax policies protecting consumers than America does. I say until we hear otherwise it's Esquerra's practice or nothing in Mexico. IMO.

Yeah I talked to her and she said thanks but who knows. She says he has been around for a while.

The kicker is that this is a RnY to DS revision! I told her that this type of revision is as complex as it can get and that it takes the best in the world, Dr K, 10-11 hours sometimes because of the mess that can be found....and that it is crucial to have a surgeon who has done many of these revisions. All you can do is offer the advice..and of course she went through a medical tourism site and surgery is like July 11 so I doubt she changes here mind.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

That is majorly scary. You tried, Scott, that's all you can do.

 

[Clematis]

Revision from a band to DS is far different than revision from RNY to DS. Esquerra does the easy-peasy VSG to DS revision, the sometimes-challenging lapband to DS revision, but he does NOT do the risky RNY to DS revision. That is such a complex surgery that there are less than a handful of surgeons anywhere who are competent to perform this.

I think the broad designation "Revision" needs to be changed to several, more specific terms.

 

[Larra]

I doubt that either the patient or the people at the medical tourism company have the foggiest notion of how complex and high risk RNY to DS revision is. As I understand it, these companies have specific doctors they refer to all the time - that's how everyone makes their share of the money. They don't scour the country looking for the very best surgeon, and they are unlikely to turn away a potential paying customer just because it's a revision. There is no telling what operation this person will end up with, at best we can hope she'll survive. My guess, @DSRIGGS is that this is yet another desperate person who either has no insurance or her insurance doesn't cover revisions and she sees this as her only alternative to the misery of her current life.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Revision from a band to DS is far different than revision from RNY to DS. Esquerra does the easy-peasy VSG to DS revision, the sometimes-challenging lapband to DS revision, but he does NOT do the risky RNY to DS revision. That is such a complex surgery that there are less than a handful of surgeons anywhere who are competent to perform this.

I think the broad designation "Revision" needs to be changed to several, more specific terms.

I agree. On the Dr K FB group I always speak in terms of the revision. There are so many people there who talk of revisions in the same breath. As you said, the second stage of the DS (VSG to full DS) is nothing like the uber complex RnY to DS procedure.

 

[DSRIGGS]

I doubt that either the patient or the people at the medical tourism company have the foggiest notion of how complex and high risk RNY to DS revision is. As I understand it, these companies have specific doctors they refer to all the time - that's how everyone makes their share of the money. They don't scour the country looking for the very best surgeon, and they are unlikely to turn away a potential paying customer just because it's a revision. There is no telling what operation this person will end up with, at best we can hope she'll survive. My guess, @DSRIGGS is that this is yet another desperate person who either has no insurance or her insurance doesn't cover revisions and she sees this as her only alternative to the misery of her current life.

No doubt Larra. I explained the complexity and the fact that only a handful are qualified to do this complex surgery ....and asked her to contact Dr K, but who knows. My hunch is that she is desperate and has convinced herself that this is the way to go. Dr K is expensive for his services but as we know, more than well worth it. Unfortunately I have a feeling that she thinks she can't afford him and caught up in the "I get my surgery in less than a month excitement" and won't turn back.

 

[Munchkin]

Scary and sad. But all you can do is tell her. Desperate people do desperate things.

 

[JackieOnLine]

gah, this is sad.