Sergio Quinones, MD

Ok so who thinks of going across the border just to have a surgery? I did..It took me over a year to actually take the step and even put in an application..Ok so I did it and then failed. Then one day I looked in the mirror and said enough is enough..I need the extra push to lose weight. So long story short I went to the Pompeii Surgical website & applied and boom!!! I had my surgery February 26, 2020. When I tell you it is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life I am not lying to you. I am as of today 5 weeks and 6 days post op. My start weight was 385. My current weight is 340. In just 5 short weeks!!!!!! This is not the easy way out...But it does most definitely help! My actual surgery date I was horrified...I mean I'm talking scared shitless..Like am I going to die? Am I going to regret this? Are they going to be clean? Well when I tell you Pompeii took amazing care of me they did...I never went without. Anything I needed they immediately got for me. My surgery went well...And Dr Q is nothing but amazing..I will forever be in debt to him...Let's talk about the beach house afterwards....Wow!!!! After your surgery you get to go to a beach house that is just a small extra fee...The provide all transportation to and from. It was just amazing also...Walking on the beach was just so peaceful. Let's talk about aftercare...It is week five and Pompeii calls me weekly...To check on me. Every Wednesday I get a call from them just checking to see how I am doing and just seeing if I need anything....Have I had any complications? Yes. Around week 2 going into week 3 I had a mild chest pain....(1-10 I was about a 7)...Anyways I immediately contacted Pompeii and they advised me it was gas but if it continued on to go see my dr...Well it went away a few days later...Besides that I have had no complications whatsoever....I have to stay off the scale. That is one of my major downfalls because I continuously weigh myself and sometimes the weight just stays the same. And of course I get discouraged but I'm just inpatient....I am learning how to adjust to this new lifestyle. My clothes are fitting looser...This is really great! I will once again be forever thankful for Dr Q and the Pompeii Surgical staff. I will upload pictures at a later time! Thanks for reading! I hope this helps you guys take a leap on life!!

I have a lap band conversion to gastric sleeve. No complications . They are professional and have great customer service . I’m a nurse and did my research . I have no regrets , Pompeii surgery center changed my life . I’m 60 and feel great. They are such a fun group too! They love being creative and fun. Go Pompeii surgical group site and Pompeii challenge public groups and join . Meet others on their journey . Lots of encouraging and great information

Motivation - I was 5'4 227lbs and sick of trying fad diets. I exercised more than 6 hours a week but could never keep the weight off. Pros - transportation to and from airport, translators, Netflix, low cost Cons - pain, the medicine they used was mildly effective Outcome - roughly 1 year out and I went from 227lbs to 138lbs.

I had a surgery V.S..G. and I was very over weight and I had had so much energy can not not believe how much this surgery has changed my life. I was very skeptical to have surgery in Mexico but never had the means to pay full pay in the U.S. So I decided to go with Pompeii surgical in Tijuana Mexico with Dr,Quinones. He has changed my life in so many ways I can never have thought how much a weight loss surgery could use change my life I new that I was going to lose weight but never thought of the energy I was going to get after surgery.Thanks for listing to my bla bla bla and sorry for not keeping in touch that much but will try to get on the forums more often.

HW: 246 CW: 240 SW: ? GW: 150 I am a 32 year old mom of 2, and I’m tired of being tired!! I have struggled with my weight since puberty, and I’ve easily lost and gained the same 40-50 pounds so many times I can’t keep track. I want to skydive! I also want to be healthy and live a long life with my kids. Both parents have high blood pressure, one diabetes and high cholesterol on top of that, and I want to get in front of those issues. I had planned to get RNY through my insurance, but found out after being told I wouldn’t have to wait, that I would need to do the 6 months supervised, which, for me, wouldn’t have worked out. I know I could lose 40-50 lbs in 6 months, and then be ineligible for surgery just to gain it all back in a couple years, wash, rinse, repeat. So, I have scheduled my surgery with Dr Quinones at Pompeii Surgical in Tijuana. I leave on Monday (2/12) and my surgery is Tuesday (2/13). My partner is going with me and we’ll be spending Valentine’s Day in recovery lol how romantic. Dr Q’s team has been amazing, answering all of my questions promptly and checking in both weeks, while also setting up transportation. I decided on VSG since I am young and don’t want to be stuck with any of the issues that go hand in hand with the malabsorption, and I’d like to be able to at least taste some of the foods I loved before again someday (with moderation!) I scheduled my surgery and immediately began the pre-op diet, which has not gone well. I have managed to folllow it for about 2 out of the last 10 days. I usually eat relatively well, but the “never again” mindset has my food addiction (I didn’t know I really had) rearing it’s ugly head. FOMO is getting to me. I’m determined to make it through these last 4 days though. I’m so excited! I am planning to skydive and do a month long yoga retreat in India later this year! I feel like I’m giving myself a new life. I couldn’t be happier!!

So, I'm having the Vertical Sleeve in Tijuana, Mexico on October 2nd! I'm so excited, words can't describe it. I've struggled with weight all of my life. I did manage to lose about 60 pounds naturally by working out twice a day and basically eating eggs and soup and the occasional Slim Fast. Who can live off of that?! Anyway. I had lipo a few years ago, and let me tell you...it will come back unless you are mentally prepared to change your habits! I don't regret it tho...maybe a little, cuz I did pay with my own money, but whatever... Anyway, I've tried everything from diet and exercise, to the HcG diet, to Phentermine, to lipo, to a raw vegan diet (I was a vegetarian for 14 years and a total carb addict!)...I've tried everything and the only thing that worked was when I exercised all the time and ate very little...again, that can't be sustained for a long period of time. Any who, I'm having surgery with Dr. Sergio Quinones, which I've heard and read nothing but great things about. Yesterday was day 1 of my liquid diet and already I have lost 2 pounds. I'm super excited for this journey and frankly really ready to be on the other side of surgery. I'll keep you guys posted! Let me know what you want to hear! HW 233 SW 230.4 CW 228.4 GW 140-145...I just want to feel good with my clothes on and off! Updated on 4 Oct 2017: So Oct 2nd came a lot quicker than I thought. My flight was supposed to leave Nashville at 5:20 am, 1 hr layover in Phoenix and arrive in San Diego by 9:00 am. After boarding the plane and sitting for 30 minutes, we had to get off due to a jet engine leak. I was upset, but grateful this had been discovered, for obvious reasons. To make a long story short, Southwest ended up sending our bags to Kansas City in a flight we were not on! We were sent from Nashville to Baltimore, and from Baltimore to San Diego...finally arriving at 3:30pm. I called Pompeii and kept in touch with them every step of the way. I just knew my surgery would be cancelled and I didn't know if they could squeeze me in the next day. I arrived at the center at 4:45 pm, (Originally supposed to be there at 9 am) and surprisingly everyone was waiting on ME! They kept my surgery date and waited on me hand and foot! Alex picked me and my husband up from the airport in a spacious Gold Suburban with the perfect amount of air blowing and drove us across the boarder, making sure to point out tourist-worthy sights. Alex was great! When I arrived, I filled out my paperwork, paid, changed into my gown, got my blood drawn and got my IV. The only negative thing I would say about my entire experience was they could hire people who are more skilled at getting the vein the first time without picking and prodding. However, Josefine was an absolute dream, who knew exactly what she was doing and stepped in to fix things, before telling me "no more pricks baby", giving me a big hug and telling me how beautiful I was. She was so nice. While I was getting my IV, Dr Q. came in and told me about the procedure and answered any questions I had. I asked him to make sure he takes good care of me, and he said I was in good hands. I was wheeled into the OR, where the anesthesiologist gave me something in my IV that made me feel nice and woozy, then he put a mask over my face and I was out. I remember waking up and asking for my husband. I was hot and they turned the air directly on me, which helped a lot. I wasn't in any pain at all, just the terrible, horrible, no good very bad feeling of feeling like I ate an entire buffet! I felt stuffed to the brim, but I knew it was all gas. Honestly, it didn't hurt, just super uncomfortable. I even cried after coming out of anesthesia, not because I was in pain or anything, but because I am a cry baby by nature and I was sure this would make me feel better lol (it helped!) Once I got back in the room, I was able to relax and take a couple Gas X strips, which worked fairly quickly. The procedure was only 30 mins and I got a chance to watch the video of my procedure today. It was very interesting and Dr. Q definitely knew what he is doing. I pretty much slept thru the night, waking up what felt like every 10-15 minutes to pee thanks to the bags of IV fluids. I didn't mind it though, because that's how I got a lot of my walking in. Today is "technically" day 2 post-op, since it is after 12:00 am, Oct 4th. Yesterday, Day 1 post op went smooth. I got 2 cups of ice chips and a Popsicle. I went for my barium swallow test, which surprisingly wasn't all bad and got an X-Ray to take home. After the leak test, I had another Popsicle and a cup of ice to wet my whistle since I couldn't drink any water yet. I got my prescriptions from Pompeii and just pretty much relaxed the rest of the day. I found Pompeii on the net, discovered all of his wonderful patients on Facebook and continued with the procedure off of reviews and word of mouth. I was not disappointed! The fact that they actually waited for me the day of surgery, combined with such a top notch staff that are literally at your beck and call made my experience a fantastic one. The staff truly are a superb bunch! Again, I was never in any pain and my gas"pains" (not really pain) was pretty much gone by the evening of day 1 post op. Now for some honesty on my behalf. The pre-op diet was a struggle. I did fantastic the first day, and continued to do great while I was at work everyday...but when I got home, I was definitely on the struggle boat. I cheated a little bit everyday due to pure cravings. I also smoked (although I drastically cut back) up until the previous morning when I left for Nashville. Although I had zero complications this far, please follow your surgeon's instructions. I am a logical and critical thinker by nature, so these are my thoughts...As far as pre-op goes, it is designed to shrink a fatty liver. I was a vegetarian for 14 years, barely eat meat now, and am generally a clean eater, so I wasn't worried about my liver too much. This was confirmed when I watched the video of my procedure. My liver was just as clean, pink and shiny as a new born baby's. I was grateful for that. Now, with me smoking...I've had other surgeries where I've smoked and had no complications, including a breast reduction, which is supposed to be really high for complications with smokers...I had none. I was also honest on my paperwork that I filled out both online before I got approved, when I arrived minutes before surgery and I was honest with the anesthesiologist when he asked right before surgery. It's crucial that you provide this info so that you are provided with the appropriate types and amounts of medication and things like that. This is not to encourage anyone to do the same, just being transparent in case anyone is going thru what I went thru. I am terribly happy about the decision I made to go with this surgery. It is a life long change that I embrace. Dr Q. and Pompeii are the hidden gems of this medical industry and I am ever so grateful to have found them!!!! Updated on 6 Oct 2017: I made it back home and lying in my own bed is amazing! I wasn't gonna weigh myself on Thursday evening after I got off the plane...I though with the IV fluid pumped into me, that my accurate weight wouldn't reflect on the scale, but it said I'd lost 10 pounds since Monday! 10 lbs in 4 days?! I'll take it! I hope this sets the standard for how things will continue to go. Today is my first day back at work and I'm doing well. Currently I'm having Gatorade over ice chips which is heavenly since it takes forever to get a bottle of water down. I have noticed that I can tolerate water better than the protein shakes tho...It takes me over an hour, sometimes more than 2 to get a shake down. It's a little tough when after every sip, I feel a bubble of gas comes back up that translates into a small burp. But hey, for 10 lbs in 4 days, I'll deal with it! I haven't even had the desire to eat anything...I hope it stays like this lol! Updated on 10 Oct 2017: I haven't been in any real pain at all since the surgery. I took out my own stitches 6 days post-op, although they recommend you wait 12-14 days, but they were started to become embedded and my incisions were closed anyway. I've lost 15 pounds in 1 week! Can you believe that?! I'm stoked! It was pretty difficult to get the required amounts of protein and fluids in, but I've learned that fluids trump protein at this point. You definitely do not want to wind up in the hospital battling dehydration...that's no fun at all! However, yesterday was the first time I was able to meet my protein requirements and almost meet my fluid intake! I was able to get 71 grams of protein in and 40 ounces of water. I heard that you have to build back up to the amount of water since it's 64 ounces. That's a far cry from what I was able to drink 3 days post-op. It literally took me hours to drink half a protein shake! Anyways, I'm feeling great and looking forward to more pounds falling off. People are starting to notice, but of course, I can't tell a difference yet...although my face does look a tiny bit slimmer! Bring it on! Updated on 20 Oct 2017: Today marks 18 days post-op and I am officially down 18 pounds! I am in the pureed food stage right not. I actually started the pureed stage 2 days early. My family went to a Mexican restaurant and since I was tolerating my protein shakes and water so well, I order mashed black beans with a bit of cheese and sour cream. I literally took 3 bites and I was done. It was nice to feel the restriction, since when you're on the liquid diet post op, you can't really tell besides the gas that accompanies anytime you drink something. I have been eating things like soft scrambled eggs, egg salad, tuna salad and still having my protein shakes as well. I actually tried some hummus and it was delicious and sat really well. This weekend I'm going to make some deviled eggs and incorporate soup and salmon. My clothes are definitely fitting better. I wore a shirt yesterday that was tight on me before I got the surgery and now it was so loose that I had to iron it to get the wrinkles out! I can see it in my face and I did a side by side in a bikini and you can definitely tell! I will upload them later. Hope everyone is doing well!!! If you're on the fence about this surgery, do yourself a favor and press green for go! Updated on 8 Nov 2017: Today marks 1 month and 6 days post op, down 23 pounds! My clothes continue to fit better and I actually enjoy the pace I'm losing. I did have the dreaded 3 week stall for a week, but I upped my protein and water intake and I broke the stall. I can pretty much tolerate anything I eat, however, I have not eaten any bread. Yesterday, I did have a bite of bread and it didn't really sit well with my stomach, so I will continue to avoid bread. I think at this point I have a pretty solid breakfast/lunch/snack system. Dinner is sometimes up in the air. I'll do a Premier Protein (30 g protein) for breakfast, a SlimFast (20g protein) for lunch and snack on turkey jerky once or twice throughout the day. That way, I've gotten in most if not all of my protein for the day. I make sure to drink at least 4bottles of water per day as well. My coworkers are noticing and I even feel comfortable enough to slip on my sexy nighties once again. I can't wait to see what month 6 looks like! Updated on 27 Nov 2017: Hey guys, I'm almost 2 months post op and am down 30 pounds, currently sitting at 200!!! I could have never done this on my own with so little effort. I thought I would never get out of the 2's, but now on the brink of Onderland! Can't wait until I hit my ultimate goal of 140! Updated on 6 Feb 2018: I am officially 4 months post-op as of 2/2/2018. I'm down a total of 49 pounds and in a loose size 10 from a 14/16! I am so happy with my results and people are definitely noticing. I can pretty much eat anything with a problem, but I stay away from fries, breads, pastas and sweets. My wedding ring is getting looser and looser and my work clothes practically fall off of me. I'm waiting until the Spring to update my wardrobe. My first goal should be made this week if not in a couple of day (180 lbs) that would be about half way thru until my goal weight (140 lbs) Can't wait to really show off my progress when it starts to warm up! As of now, I don't have any loose skin and I've started using a tightening cream on my tummy to prevent this. I haven't had any major long-term shedding either. For the first time in a while, I'm actually happy with myself! Updated on 8 Feb 2018: Updated on 31 May 2018: I've lost about 73 pounds. From 230 to 157. Only 17 more pounds until my goal weight!!!!

Getting closer and closer as the day pass by, getting really nervous but excited as well. Their are not even word on how to explain how I fell. On the other hand I know this will be the best thing I can do for my life,health. Not only do I want to get this for me I also need to get this to give my kids a better life. I’m tired of sitting on the outbound watching the years go by of my family knowing that one day I will regret that I was not able to play with them. Not being able to get on rides with them going on water slides and just do everything they want me to live their experiences with them. I do not want my kids growing up saying that they had to grow up without their mom because she was so obese that she was not able to do anything that they were. Updated on 4 May 2016: I have finally talk to the person whom will be picking me and have even talk to Dr,Quinones so I'm ready to go and just waiting for the big day to roll around the corner. When I talked to Dr,Quinones he was so willing to answer any questions that I had for him I really did appreciate that from his part. He sound kinda shy but really down to earth. He had talked to me like I was a human being not just one of his patients. I found that I go to sleep thinking abut the surgery and I will wake up thinking about the surgery. This is a big step and my life is about to change for the rest of my life. I cant wait to see my self in the mirror in 4 to 6 month out of surgery. I just can not imagine me skinny,well how am I kidding less heaver.

The title pretty much says it all. I have scheduled my surgery in Tijuana, Mexico with Dr. Quinones for Feb 29, 2016 (LEAP DAY!) I'll give you a little background about me. I have not been overweight my entire life. I was a very thin kid and teenager. I was athletic and a dancer. I started gaining weight VERY rapidly soon High School. I went from 140 to 180 in a year. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Combine that with my recently changed lifestyle change. I was no longer active, I had got a desk job, going to school and just didn't find the time to exercise and eat right. Mostly because I didn't know how to eat right. At 20 I was 225lbs and started trying any diet I could get my hands on, really only having success with the Adkins Diet. Which I dropped down to 200lbs. I yo-yo'd for years finally ballooning up to 260 at my wedding at 23. For the next several years my weight slowly creeped up to 285, then I tried Weight Watchers. I had a lot of success with it, loosing 65 lbs in 3 months. Then before I knew it, I was 300 lbs. I've decided that I need help. I understand now that I cannot lose 150lbs on my own. So I'm using the Gastric Sleeve Surgery to aid me. Updated on 16 Feb 2016: So, I started my liquid diet today. So far I'm not doing so bad....but I'm hungry. I'm really trying to not eat...just keep drinking my water and it's helping. How did everyone do on the pre-op diet? Updated on 21 Feb 2016: So everyday it's getting easier. I've learned that the more protein I drink the less hungry I am (I know, I know surprise, surprise)