- Name: Mark Williams
- Age: 30
- Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
- Surgery date: April 5th, 2018
- Testimonial date: May 9th, 2018
- Surgeon: Dr. Mario Almanza
I started researching this surgery years ago. I wanted to do this for years. My insurance would not cover the procedure. I talked to a girl from my very small town who went to Dr. Almanza and had the VSG who had amazing success. I decided to look into it further. Online, you'll find mostly negative articles about Dr. Almanza by some news stations and on some forums. I live by the philosophy that people don't write reviews for things they're happy with, only disgruntled people. I decided that when my Type 2 diabetes was progressing into kidney issues enough was enough. I booked the surgery and started the diet.
Once I arrived in San Diego we waited about an hour for our transportation to Tijuana. Crossing the border was quick and easy. We went directly to the hospital. Tijuana is run down compared to San Diego, however the Grand View Hospital is brand new and gated in from the surrounding neighborhood. The floors appear to be marble and everything is pristine. There was always a nurse or janitor making sure things were clean. While waiting to fill out paperwork the floor was swept and the counters were cleaned right in front of us.
The Hotel Hacienda Del Rio is very nice and in a pretty nice part of town. There is a lot to see in walking distance and a lot of culture. However, do NOT think that you can use a Discover card. No one in Mexico takes Discover, we found this out the hard way.
Day of surgery went smooth. Surgery was quick and everything was explained. They don't speak perfect English but it's enough to get around with them. The pain was very minimal, however I did get sick but never vomited, so beware of that. You want to make sure to get up and walk ASAP to help relieve discomfort from gas they use during surgery.
When I started the liquid diet I weighed 380lbs. Day of surgery I was 370lbs. Just over one month post op and I am 331lbs. I have lost a bunch of weight, my clothes don't fit me and I couldn't be happier with my experience in Tijuana with WeightLossAgents.com