Great Experience with Dr. Carmona and Staff

Let me first explain why I decided to have neck and eyelid surgery because some of you may relate. I'm 65 years old, exercise regularly and feel great. I have a great family and friends who really don't care how I look however, the past few years when I look in the mirror in the morning I think I look much older than I feel. I noticed the same neck waddle my dad and grandfather had. It was a friend who is a nurse that pointed out how my vision would increase with eyelid surgery which had never occurred to me since the heavy eyelids had increased slowly over time. I went to a local, well known, plastic surgeon office to get an estimate for a neck and eyelid lift. They quoted me $19 to $22,000! For that much I'd rather take my family on some nice vacations. I started doing research on having these procedures done out of the country. Let me stop for a moment and say if you have not traveled out of the country, are nervous being surrounded by folks who do not speak English as a first language in an environment not quite as familiar as your home town then the three hundred percent cost difference just may be worth it for you to have this done at home. We travel a lot and enjoy the experience of meeting folks of different nationalities and cultures. The people at Shape and Beauty and the Amerimed Hospital in Cancun, Mexico are extremely competent, happy, caring folks which I'll get to in a bit. I kept my research to Mexico as it is within a few hours plane flight from where we live and had heard good things about their doctors and their education. We looked at Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Cancun. The quotes I received were all competitive with each other. Why did I elect to go with Dr. Carmona and Shape and Beauty? It was probably due to first impression meaning the office, Danny a wonderful German lady who speaks several languages, was very quick to respond to my numerous questions. This impressed me as communication is very important. I started doing my research on Dr. Carmona. He had the number of years experience I was looking for along with a solid medical degree and training under very well known plastic surgeons (I looked them up too). His reviews were overall very good. I recommend whoever is reading this do their own research and don't just take my word for it. Price was obviously important but expertise and communication rank, in my mind, much higher considering someone is going to be messing with my face :) My actual experience was pretty much as the Shape and Beauty website said it would be. My wife and I flew down to Cancun a couple of days early just to enjoy the area. On Monday Danny had arranged a driver, Cris, to pick us up at the hotel and take us to the Amerimed Hospital for blood test and a required EKG. We noticed in the hospital waiting room that they had plaques for the past few years stating they had met the standards of the Canadian Hospital Association (something to that nature). Cris stayed with us the whole time and knew the doctors performing the tests. She then drove us over the Dr. Carmona's office for the consultation. Allow me to tell you about Dr. Carmona. My first impression was that the Doctor is one of the most intensely focused people I have ever met. While he is asking you questions he is not only listening but his eyes were constantly searching my face observing. Personally I liked this. I wasn't coming to Mexico to have a warm and jolly conversation with the doctor who is going to do surgery on me. Do not get me wrong. Dr. Carmona is very friendly and we did have a few laughs but he is one seriously focused doctor. The doctor's office staff is delightful. Danny and Nicole were always available to answer any questions, offer advice or just chat while waiting to see the doctor. Then next morning Cris drove us to the hospital. There was very little waiting as we were shown to the prep room (hospital gown, IV, etc. The anesthesiologist, Dr.Fanny, came in to introduce herself and explain what would be happening on her part. She is a very cheerful, outgoing confident doctor. Dr. Carmona then came in to check. At this meeting the doctor was very outgoing as he was in his environment. About 4 hours later I woke up in a private room that may have been larger than our hotel room (all included in the price). I felt like I had been in a minor car wreck with a bandaged up face. The tight bandage under my neck did make me feel a little claustrophobic. Cris drove us back to the hotel the next day. My wife is a travel agent and wanted to see a different hotel than the one Shape and Beauty includes in their price quote. The next three days I just wanted to stay in the hotel room, sleep, watch one of the three English speaking TV shows and read my Kindle. The fourth day I had to get out and walk around the streets wearing sun glasses as I looked like Alice Cooper and didn't want to scare any kids. The black eyes went away in about six days. The black and blue neck took around 10 days to look normal. Three weeks later I'm extremely happy with the results. There is still some tightness around the neck but the doctor said normal recuperation time is one to four months. As I had mentioned before, do your own research but from my own experience I highly recommend Doctor Carmona and would not hesitate to use him again or have family members and friends use him. Best wishes.