Excellent Results, Good Aftercare, Great Price - Mexico

Thanks,

I am not interested in Dr. Velasco at all. This review is in reference to Dr. Guerrerosantos clinic.

Your posts on Colleen's review sound like you are promoting this Dr. Velasco and possibly working as a patient coordinator that arranges surgery and gets a fee from the doctor?

I am a medical librarian and have done my homework. I am not interested in Dr. Velasco.

I like Guadelajara and Monterrey for post followup, great shopping and safety. If I ever need any additional work. I would choose (#1) Dr. David Kirsch in Monterrey, MX. He is board certified in the United States and trained in France. A bit pricey compared to other docs in Mexico. (#2) If cost is the issue, I would go with the Guerrerosantos Clinic in Guadelajara. They are professional.

Thanks for your post. Please do not post any additional advertisement for Dr. Velasco. There is no need to reply to this.

Sherri

US Tax law prohibits taking deductions for plastic, cosmetic or aesthetic surgery - whether it is done in the USA or in another country . When I travel abroad, I plan medical work so that I can deduct my travel, hotel and other expenses such as medications, drugs, etc. When I went to Monterrey, I also saw my gastroenterologist for follow up, my dermatologist for procedures and my dentist. When I went to Guadelajara, I saw a gastroenterologist for endoscopy and a second opinion, a dermatologist for treatment, a dentist for repairs, and ear, nose & throat specialist for breathing problems and allergies. It is a pain when you are recovering to sit in a dental chair. And it adds stress to your body. But, the prices in Mexico are 1/2 to 1/4 of what we pay in the states. With careful reference checking or a doctor recommendation, you can find excellent qualified health care providers. You can ask your doctor who he recommends. It is also a good use of recovery time. Folks who planning reconstructive surgery and then plan to go beach hopping and sight seeing are insane. After surgery recovery is exactly what it says. Gives your body time to heal.

lets go together
i cant wait to see everybody
ever since i have been here i have been homesick for everyone there.
i mean having all of this work done has its ups and downs
it takes time to heal,but i do not think i will ever in my life have the care from anyone on this earth that i recieved from everybody involved in my surgery....
from jose to emma to the incredibly gifted doctor fernando guerrerosantos...
have i been a royal pain in the ass??of course i have been,on a daily basis,several times a day,and yet none of them,especially doctor guerrerosantos have EVER let me down.now will they ever...i know of no one anywhere that i can honestly say that about

Thanks for the info you have given it is really helpful . I want to know if what was the total cost for the facelift and what type of facelift was it ? A mini or a total facelift? Im in the process of trying to negotiate prices with different doctors and 2500 hundred sounds good:) I just turned 46 and am still told i look younger but i don't want it to creep up on me unexpectedly,lol What I'm noticing already has me concerned. Im still a single guy and don't look forward to being alone. So , just dying to put a price on what i feel i need. thank you :)

Mine was a mid facelift 4 years ago and he also did work at the hairline near the brow. He made a deal on the facelift, because I had some other work done with it. He did not do a brow lift or forehead lift. Dr. G. made incisions in front of the ear and behind the ear. I had lost weight and he removed quite a bit of loose skin. A friend, Colleen had surgery with Dr. Fernando Guerresantos a month ago. He charged her about $4700 USD. I know she had a full face lift and can give you his medical coordinators name. If you look at her review, she gives pricing for the B&B where she stayed. About $50 per day. Plan on staying 10 days for follow up. If there is a blood clot, it can travel if you fly too soon. That's fatal and why they like you to stay 10 days. Look at Colleen's pictures and you will see that there is some pretty serious bruising and swelling. Constant icing helps the swelling go down quickly. It is still pretty serious surgery. And healing takes time. Take a look at Colleen's pics.

Christian, e-mail Dr. Fernando Guerrerosantos pictures (front and side) showing neck and jaw line and ask him what he charges.

A facelift is a good personal investment for your career. At 45, you will probably be working another 20 years. So there is a longer payoff to having the work done now.

what is his email ?

what was the dentist you went to ? I have been considering veneers for a long time .

Good morning svoebel. I've really been following Colleen and your posts and am very impressed with the outcome both of you got. I am looking at having a facelift and eye lift done around the March/April 2013 timeframe. I have really just begun researching this and feel a little more comfortable with your opinions since you both have a medical background. Dr. David Kirsch looks to be very impressive and of course the hospital he uses is top notch. I haven't gotten as far as inquiring about a cost because the whole Monterrey, Mexico and the crime problems there has me a little spooked. At this point I'm leaning a little towards Dr. Guerrerosantos, he appears to be a leader in the field. I know I'm going to have a million questions but first in my mind is his responsiveness if you develop a problem after you get back to the states; how is he in your opinion? How long did it take before you could comfortably go out in public? How did you arrange your transportation and accommodations while you were in Guadalajara? I would really appreciate any info you could pass on. Thanks

Dr. David Kirsch K charges about $6-7K for face and eyes. I've seen his work and it is great. His office is the Delta Professional building in Monterrey and he uses a modern private hospital. He conducts his practice professionally. You can find a u tube video by searching his name and city. It is in Spanish. He is fluent in 5 languages. He's outstanding. Night and day difference between Monterrey and Guadalajara. Monterrey is a business city and Guadalajara is more laid back.


You book your own hotel and take care of your own transportation. Taxis are cheap in Monterrey. The gastroenterologist who put in my lap band recommends him highly. He is well known by other plastic surgeons internationally - not just Mexico.

Dr. Jose Guerrerosantos did my surgery. Colleen tells me that he has retired. His son Fernando joined his practice 5 years ago. I met him and he is very nice. He really educates his patients regarding their procedures. I cannot vouch for his work as his dad did my surgery. I can however say that they are extremely professional. And their nursing staff is excellent.

Other than phone support and email support, you have no guarantees or legal recourse when you have surgery done outside the United States. If you later run into a problem, you must go to an emergency room or fly back to Mexico to see your surgeon.

That's why it is so important to choose a good surgeon and a good hospital. I chose Jose Guerrerosantos because he taught plastic surgery at the University of Guadalajara Medical School. He is also board certified in the USA. And his references were good.

I elected to stay at a different private B&B in the Chapalita area of Guadalajara not affiliated with Dr. G., where I had stayed before. It is within walking distance of my dentist and dermatologist. The price was $85 per day and now has gone up to $100.

I used Jose, Dr. Guerrerosantos driver for appointments. At that time, he charged $6 each way to appointments, but everything has increased.

In Monterrey, a true 5 star hotel such as Hotel Safi Valle cost about $100 per day. I emailed and booked directly with the concierge who speaks English. Quinta Real next door charges upwards of $200+ per day. But even more plush than the Safi and has excellent reasonable dining. They are out of this world. You pay for your own meals. The Valle mall is across the street and a great place to walk or shop. The food court has a place that makes fresh fruit smoothies that are to die for.

Monterrey is much more like the USA than Guadalajara. It is an industrial city only 3 hours South of the Texas border. It has 5 luxury malls that are just like those found in Chicago or Dallas.

In Monterrey, his driver retrieves you from the airport. A local taxi costs about $5-6. I The hospital is excellent. You are pretty much on your own.

That's basically the difference.

Many years ago, I worked with a magnet school on the Texas border. Two years ago I visited that area when I went down to see my gastroenterologist in Monterrey. The border area has changed significantly. I flew into McAllen, Texas and caught a bus from the airport to the direct bus to Monterrey. Much like a Greyhound coach but nicer and cleaner. It was far less expensive than flying into Mexico from Chicago.

To sum it up in a nutshell. Monterrey and Guadalajra are basically safe. Chicago has crime ridden drug areas that I do not visit and so do many large urban areas in the US.

Mexico has areas that are either very wealthy or very poor. Like any international city, you must be careful with your purse. I had a purse stolen by professionals in GDL when staying at Victoria Express, a 4 star hotel in the Chapalita area. In the hotel lobby, under surveillance cameras. I set it on a bench behind me while checking out. Fortunately, I always carry my passport and money on my person separate from my purse. The hotel helped me make international calls to my credit card company and to my mobile provider. They also took me to file a police report. That can happen anywhere. So, you must be viligent anywhere you travel.

Both Dr. David Kirsch K in Monterrey and Dr. Fernando Guerrerosantos in Guadalajara are in safe areas. Dr. K's office is extremely modern and you would think you are in a medical highrise in the USA. I found an excellent lady dermatologist and dentist in the same professional building. My gastroenterologist is in a very nice but older area nearby.

Dr. G's office is in an upscale residential area. Emmas's B&B is in a upper middle class residential area called Chapalita.

In some cities abroad, the pick pockets are horrible. Think Athens, Rome, Barcelona.
So, while traveling abroad, don't take any jewelry and mind your purse. Don't carry yourself like a victim.

Bridgett,

I changed enough money at a local currency exchange in Chicago to make sure that I had enough money for a cab from the airport. When I arrived, I went to the taxi authority at the airport and told them I was going to Chapalita. It is a fixed rate ticket. So, you don't get abused by greedy taxi drivers. I took a taxi directly to Dickinson Guest House where I stayed.

The day before surgery, I got to know the lay of the land. James gave me a bus route map, and I ventured out a bit. I had an evening consult with Dr. Jose Guerrerosantos. At that consult, he gave me the names and addresses of the internist (EKG), the medical photographer and lab where I would have my workups. His secretary called ahead and set up appointments for me. My second day was spent running around GDL for my pre-ops.

Regarding your other questions: I was really embarrassed, but I could comfortably go out in public (bandaged up) after just a few days. I iced continually the swelling went down quickly. I tried to stay out of the sun as it was very hot and I was feeling a little light headed after surgery.

I was embarrassed because my hair was not clean. After I was under anesthesia, Dr. G made some tight little braids to pull the back off the face. . Some of these still had dried blood in them. So, as soon as I received the go ahead from Dr. G, I went to a hair salon near by and asked the beautician to carefully wash my hair staying clear of the sutures. She dried the back part of my head. But, I let the front part around my face dry naturally. I had taken a scarf and large sunglasses down with me and covered my hair.
The Mexican people were really nice to me and did not make me feel odd when I was running around like a mummy.

Regarding booking a B&B, I found James Dickinson's B&B on Trip Advisor my first trip down. It was only a short walk from Dr. Cardenas clinic. I believe that Colleen found Emma by way of her medical coordinator, Beverly Snyder.

Regarding transportation, I'm pretty adventurous. Prior to surgery, I used the Executiva bus to Dr. Guerrerosantos office. Jose gave me a ride back to the B&B.

The following day, I used taxis to the internist office and the lab. James gave me an idea of what I should pay and that amount was agreed upon up front before I got into the taxi.

At my consult, I met Jose, the driver who takes patients to and from Emma's B&B. I got his cell phone number and gave him my address. He's very nice.

Prior to surgery, I took the executivo bus to the Sanatorium Guadalajara and checked myself in. After surgery, Jose picked me up and took me to the pharmacy to pick up some items and back to the B&B. Jose also took me to my followup appointments and returned me safely to the B&B.

I walked to the grocery store to pick up fresh mango's and when I felt like venturing out, walked to a small family owned Lebanese cafe near the B&B.

Each morning, I walked to the Rose Garden early (when it was cool) for exercise. It was lovely.

After a few days, I felt like I had more energy and took the local bus to a lovely outdoor walking mall in Chapalita where I walked for exercise. Buses are very inexpensive and it is easy to get around. I stayed close by in the Chapalita area until I felt better.

About 8 days out, I was feeling much better -- and found a Boulevard with over 30 fabric stores. After getting directions, I took the Executivo bus and then walked the Boulevard in search of goodies. It is a lovely area and it's fun to shop in another country.

James, who I stayed with loaned me a map and gave me some directions. He advocated taking taxis, but I felt fine taking the buses and knew the rates were fixed.

There are two types of buses. They are designated by different colors. Neither is expensive but the executivo bus run by a private company is inexpensive, air conditioned and very clean. The regular bus was not air conditioned and I used it for short hops (about 10 blocks) to the outdoor walking mall in Chapalita.

Jose took me to the airport for my flight back to the states.

While I find GDL easy to navigate, the first day I was very uncomfortable running around in the heat to the pre-op appointments. Once I got through that, I was fine.