NON-Surgeon Reviews

@Will2014, I mean it the other way around: A surgeon who has done a number of virgin DS procedures is not necessarily automatically a good choice for a revision procedure.

In your case, where you are going to MX, I think you would be infinitely better served to go to a MX surgeon who is a known entity with lots of real world experience in the procedure you really want. There are two: Ungson and Aceves. If you can't drop another grand or two for that level of experience right now, I strongly recommend that you wait and save it up and do it right.

A few years ago, a bunch of us vets watched a woman named Larissa Hersom (she has gone public with her entire story under that name) go through this same rigamarole. She just HAD to have her DS RIGHT NOW, and she just COULD NOT bring herself to spend the ....oh, maybe $1500 extra to go to Ungson. So she went to a guy whose name evades me, because he became stuck in my memory as "the butcher of Tijuana."

She nearly died umpteen times over. She was stone broke. She had family members trying to raise funds online. It was horrible, and she had alienated so many people online by being such a jerk in so many places, it was tough to get any sympathy or support anywhere. I certainly didn't feel particularly sorry for her.

Bottom line is that a surgeon took mercy on her and saved her life, eventually. I believe she's living all right now, but hell, she lost a LOT of her guts....I want to say her entire stomach and who knows what else....And she knows she's a walking example of a dire warning on the subject of surgeon choice.

I would like to see nobody else EVER experience what she did, or worse.

I am concerned that you are justifying your surgeon choice in a way that is not necessary in order to get a truly excellent surgeon at an equally good price.

ETA: I hope it was clear that my virgin-vs-revision comment was not about you, yes? But I think you asked good, pertinent questions here.
 
Elizabeth N. said:
A few years ago, a bunch of us vets watched a woman named Larissa Hersom (she has gone public with her entire story under that name) go through this same rigamarole. She just HAD to have her DS RIGHT NOW, and she just COULD NOT bring herself to spend the ....oh, maybe $1500 extra to go to Ungson. So she went to a guy whose name evades me, because he became stuck in my memory as "the butcher of Tijuana."
Click to expand...
Can't get OH to load but this name pops up in relation to Larissa: Daniel Huacuz

I do remember Dr. Provost in Denton, TX was the one willing to fix her.
 
@Will2014 , my take on the surgeons who prefer to do the DS in two stages are that they are money hungry vultures. Yeah, I have very strong feelings about this topic. I do NOT believe in doing the DS in two stages. Not even in the case of extensive adhesions. My reason is this: If a surgeon is skilled enough to do the Duodenal Switch, he (or she) is also skilled enough to handle extensive adhesions. Bump the next patient to another day and do the current surgery correctly the first time. That's what an ethical, professional surgeon does. They do not just do the simplest, fastest surgery and close. Because in the end, the patient expects the DS, not the sleeve. It's a huge disappointment, crushing in it's enormity, to wake up with not the full DS.

If you have a suspicion your chosen surgeon might pull this chicken-shit move on you, that's your primitive brain TRYING to protect you from something you already know is going to happen. We should spend more time listening to that little voice in our heads instead of reasoning our way around it. It's always been right, in my experience. My surgeon tried to pull exactly that on me in pre-op, while some incompetent person fumbled my IV three times before hitting the vein. I got the full DS, but only because I royally pissed off my surgeon. My husband backed me up, too. @Will2014 , you will learn during your DS journey that we have to be one or two steps ahead of our doctors in everything. Because if we aren't, WE are the ones to suffer. From not getting the full DS, to vitamin deficiencies, to dangerous dietary instructions, to downright deadly lab result interpretations (read up on the Calcium, vitamin D, and parathyroid link), we have to be thinking WAY ahead, always questioning. That's why we come here, to this forum, and bounce things off each other YEARS post-op. Because we still, after all these years, run into bad information from surgeons who really should know better by now.

I remember Larissa and her insistence on "doctor" Huacuz, the Butcher of Tijuana. She couldn't find anyone state-side willing to touch her. That is very common with complications from Mexican surgery. Because nobody wants to open up a can of worms (pun intended). The nature of working on such a patient is that is most often is pro-bono work, the surgeon is never going to get paid. Would YOU work under those conditions? I don't know many people who would volunteer to clean up such a mess. And with the current state of malpractice law, if you come back from Mexico NOW with complications, God Bless You. Because nobody will touch you now. THEN, you'll certainly spend any amount of money to travel to THE best surgeon, because your life truly will depend on it.
 
When dr. K did my revision it took him over 3 hours just to get my adhesions cleaned out to even start the surgery he was supposed to. Then because the RNy quack gave me a miniscule pouch he had to do all sewing and closing on me by hand. So surgery was supposed to be 2-3 hours ended up 7 hrs.

Do you understand I would have went off had I woke up with a sleeve or just adhesions cleaned up? Why have to take the chance of not getting a full d's and heal twice. If you don't use a vetted surgeon you could wake up with whatever the Dr feels like giving you that day. Will you be satisfied with that?
 
There used to be a surgeon named Kim out of Orlando/Celebration FL. His profile used to say he did the DS, but back when I contacted him (think 10 or so years ago), he said he did not. My assumption is that he learned it as a bariatric fellow, but never did it once he finished his fellowship. He may have started doing them again. (But I have no idea if this is the same guy.)
 
Here in the UK, few surgeons, if any, now days do the full DS in one go.

In my case, that was ok with me because I was so large the sleeve itself was a difficult procedure. I realise not everyone does well in two stages, but I have done ok, I think lol.

The NHS is a funny little thing. The do the sleeve first, hoping you won't need the DS...and it works out to be true some of the time. However, if in the states, and one has a bmi below 80, I'd say do it all at once. My bmi was around 95 at the time of my sleeve and was still well over 60 when I got my DS.
 
Ok guys a HUGE change of plans for me, and a thanks to you all! I had an appointment with a Dr. in Mexico who had done "many revisions to DS", and many sleeves, and so I believed he was super experienced. WOWSA!! I spoke with him at length and was shocked to find that he'd actually never done a virgin DS, and his philosophy re: the DS was overly conservative to the point he wanted to make my common channel 190cm's! He said "that way you'll still lose some weight, but without all those malabsorption problems and risk of diarrhea." Huh?! That would gut the very strength of the procedure, and for a guy needing/wanting to lose 200+lbs I NEED MALABSORPTION! A nice gentleman but NOT the surgeon for me. Anyhoo, just wanted to say I appreciate the veterans posting here helping us newer folks in need. You could go on with your lives and stop posting here, but you've taken the time to "pay it forward" to those in need and keep providing others with much needed knowledge. I've no doubt blessings, good karma, whatever you wanna call it will come back to you one day for your efforts. This soon to be DS'd patient appreciates it!
 
Will2014 said:
Ok guys a HUGE change of plans for me, and a thanks to you all! I had an appointment with a Dr. in Mexico who had done "many revisions to DS", and many sleeves, and so I believed he was super experienced. WOWSA!! I spoke with him at length and was shocked to find that he'd actually never done a virgin DS, and his philosophy re: the DS was overly conservative to the point he wanted to make my common channel 190cm's! He said "that way you'll still lose some weight, but without all those malabsorption problems and risk of diarrhea." Huh?! That would gut the very strength of the procedure, and for a guy needing/wanting to lose 200+lbs I NEED MALABSORPTION! A nice gentleman but NOT the surgeon for me. Anyhoo, just wanted to say I appreciate the veterans posting here helping us newer folks in need. You could go on with your lives and stop posting here, but you've taken the time to "pay it forward" to those in need and keep providing others with much needed knowledge. I've no doubt blessings, good karma, whatever you wanna call it will come back to you one day for your efforts. This soon to be DS'd patient appreciates it!
Click to expand...
I am SO glad you learned how to ask these questions BEFORE you got butchered.

Lesson: NEVER, EVER believe the stuff posted on the MX WLS tourism sites. There are TWO known DS surgeons in MX, no more, no less: Ungson and now also Aceves.

Trying to save a grand or two by going to someone else is an excellent way to get screwed or get dead.
 
I am so glad you changed your mind. I had one of the best surgeons and my body shut down but he knew exactly what to do. Because he has so much experience and practice makes perfect or darn there. Its so worth it. :D
 
Hiya Elizabeth. The guy I'm no longer using was Dr. Jose Rodriguez out of Juarez, Mexico. Not only was he sketchy in describing the procedure he planned to do, but he also implied STRONGLY because my BMI was over 50 he might need to do the sleeve only. Nope-I wasn't falling for that one. He's probably fine for sleeves and seemed like a good guy, but I want a stud well versed in my procedure. The new guy will be Dr. Acevez in Mexicali, Mexico. He was listed in Newsweek as one of 15 top Bariatric surgeons in the world. His reviews are impeccable and he also requires 6 days in hospital vs. 3 for other guy. I feel MUCH better now that I'll be in better hands. Thanks Charris and I couldn't agree more. Experience and competence can be life savers of it all hits the proverbial fan on the table.
 
Yup @Will2014 , if you are referring to Dr. Aceves (I think that's the correct spelling), he's a known entity. Is he the guy who proctored the DS with Dr. Ungson? If that's the guy you're looking at, you're now in good hands. If it's not him, you need to change surgeons again.
 
ProteinSnob said:
You are still not hearing my concerns.

1. Dr. Kim does not have enough experience doing the DS, in my opinion. Less experience = more complications
2. I don't need your sympathy. What I need you to understand is that complications can happen to anyone, and they are more likely with an inexperienced surgeon.
3. How many Ds surgeries has Dr. Kim actually DONE? Wasn't he one of the docs who observed Stewart a few times and then announced he was now doing DS surgeries? There are a few surgeons like this in DFW. I don't remember if Dr. Kim is one of them. You need to find out.
4. What I do know is that Dr. Kim has been known as a lap band surgeon, NOT a DS surgeon. His face is plastered all over Dallas advertising himself, along with Barker.
5. In my opinion, Dr. Ayoola did things the right way and assisted Dr. Stewart for over a year with the DS, plus helped handle all of the complications. If you really feel comfortable being a guinea pig, be my guest.
Click to expand...

FYI Dr Kim is not only known to do lap band surgeries, he has done many sleeves and bypasses.
 

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