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Feeling much better
A lot of people have messaged me with well wishes and have asked me if I have recovered……I am feeling much better now, wounds closed completely in the last few weeks, my scars are pretty bad but i dont even care about that right now. I have no infection but my blood work is closely monitored by hematologist who i see regularly.
photos
I'm adding photos of my tummy tuck incision and infection. If anyone has any questions about my experience or recovery, please don't hesitate to message me through this website, I will be happy to respond promptly.
Plastic Surgery Nightmare
On 9/28/2022 I had 360 Tummy Tuck, BBl, and Arm Lift with Dr. Nico Leyva in Tijuana Mexico at CER hospital. I researched surgeons for a very long time and decided to book with Leyva through EOC (Eias Ortiz and Co.) I booked almost a year in advance. Surgery went well as far as I know, It was recommended to have a blood transfusion which I agreed to pay for. I spent the night in the hospital and the next day (Thursday) was moved to recovery hotel (The Grand). Nurses there were nice enough but not qualified for much more than changing bandages. I had two drains from 360 tummy tuck, my front drain filled with bright red blood multiple times a day and blood gushed from drain holes also. My back drain had a much different color of fluid which lightened by the day. The nurses took daily cell phone photos of drains and drain holes and assured me it was completely normal. What did I know? I'm not a medical professional, I trusted Dr. Leyva and his team. Dr. Leyva and most of his office was out of town that weekend to attend a coworkers wedding. On Monday 10/3/2022 a nurse was ordered to take my blood and check hemoglobin. Monday evening I was told that my hemoglobin was lower than it was immediately after surgery-in other words, I was bleeding beneath my incision (hematoma), a lot! Dr. Leyva set me up for emergency surgery the next morning to open entire 360 tummy tuck incision, stop bleeding, and debride the wound (remove dead tissue). Now I completely understand that a hematoma is possible complication of this type of surgery, but to wait 5 days to address this problem because staff is out of town? The nurses were taking pictures of my drains because they knew it didn't look normal. After 2nd surgery on Tuesday morning 10/4/22, I feel completely horrible, I have 2 more blood transfusions because my hemoglobin was so low. I spent the night at CER hospital and was moved back to Grand Hotel on Wed 10/5/22. I asked Dr. Leyva several times if it was safe to fly so soon after what I had been through, Dr. Leyva assured me I could return home on Friday 10/7/22. He was wrong. It gets much better, bear with me.
The next day (Saturday 10/8/22) I am horrified to see a 3 inch opening on the front right side of incision, the stitches are gone, skin is bright red. Communicating through EOC coordinator Alissa by text, Dr. Leyva said there is nothing to be done but see wound clinic specialist. He said my tissues were very stressed from 2nd surgery-why in the he** did he send me home so soon on a plane?
It is the weekend and there are no wound clinics open, I am starting to freak out and cry a bit. What do I do? Is my insurance going to pay for this? The next day is Sunday, my sister who works for a dermatologist comes over to change my bandages, after taking off my faja and bandages we see that almost half of my 360 incision has opened, drain lines exposed, its like a scary movie, I just about fainted. Now the skin is hot to the touch and red, oozing pus fluid, I have a fever and chills and decide to just go to the emergency room. I get admitted to the hospital immediately, ER doctors do wound cultures suspicious of infection. I am put on IV antibiotics right away while I await wound cultures. The plastic surgeon on call refuses to see me because I had surgery in Mexico. After 72 hours, when the cultures were complete, the Infectious Disease Dr. comes to see me in my hospital room. I have 4 different infections, Staphylococcus hemolyticus, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, and a Priority 1 Very RARE Superbug called Acineto Baumanniii. The 4th infection is a surgical infection caused by contaminated Operating Rooms or Surgical Instruments. At this point, surgery is not an option due to severity of inflammation and infection. I stayed in the hospital for five days, released on at-home IV antibiotics. From here I only have a text relationship with Dr. Leyva's office coordinator (Magui). Magui is a nice girl, but the only help or guidance I was offered (through text) was to return to Tijuana and use a wound vac at a recovery house for $270 per day for approximately 3 weeks (No Thanks-really?).
At home, my family rented me a hospital bed and my dad (retired firefighter)was packing my wounds twice a day, most of my front was open and had very large openings on back, it was heartbreaking (wound vac was not an option at this point). This went on for a week, I woke up on 10/21/22 with fever and chills again, also back pain and difficulty breathing. I go right back to emergency room and am diagnosed with acute bilateral pulmonary embolisms (one blood clot in each lung), the RARE superbug is also back with a vengeance, it is very antibiotic resistant. I am weak and VERY sick. I am admitted to hospital immediately and infectious disease DR. sends my infection to CDC for guidance on treatment. After a CT scan, a fist sized pus-filled abscess was found deep in my right gluteal region (butt cheek), it was drained and tested positive for the Superbug. I do realize that blood clots are a possible side effect of surgery, however this domino effect of flying home so soon, wound opening, major infections from Mexico, and being laid up so sick in hospital definitely contributed to the clots. I spent 9 more days in the hospital, barely able to walk, on blood thinners and massive antibiotics through tac-line. I was finally put on wound vac for front and back, I came home on 10/31/22 with 8 more days of IV at-home antibiotics and an at home nurse 3x's a week for 5 weeks. I did msg Magui (Leyva's coordinator)when I was admitted the 2nd time, she did not respond at all, days later I messaged again and got some excuse that she had been out of town, she tried to kiss my butt a bit but it was too late, I was too sick to deal with drama. Through all of this, no direct phone call, no voicemail, no email, no flowers sent to hospital from Dr. Leyva. I feel that Dr. Leyva is overworked, his patients are just a paycheck to him, there is no real concern for patients or their health. Every day I see the time he puts in to post ridiculous tik-toks and instagram videos about how caring he is, I get madder and madder with each one. I'm starting to feel a lot better, thank God. My scars are awful, I mean bad, but I am getting healthy now. I have to take blood thinners for 6 months and see a hemotologist regularly. You can imagine what some of my hospital bills have been like. I just want anyone researching Dr. Leyva to know what the outcome could be like. The hospitals in Mexico are not held to the same standards as they are here-infections are common. I am in a private chat group with surgery sisters from EOC and the complications are abundant, I have one of the most serious cases but there are plenty of other women dealing with crappy Mexico infections. Please book your surgery with a board certified surgeon in the US, your life could depend on it.
The next day (Saturday 10/8/22) I am horrified to see a 3 inch opening on the front right side of incision, the stitches are gone, skin is bright red. Communicating through EOC coordinator Alissa by text, Dr. Leyva said there is nothing to be done but see wound clinic specialist. He said my tissues were very stressed from 2nd surgery-why in the he** did he send me home so soon on a plane?
It is the weekend and there are no wound clinics open, I am starting to freak out and cry a bit. What do I do? Is my insurance going to pay for this? The next day is Sunday, my sister who works for a dermatologist comes over to change my bandages, after taking off my faja and bandages we see that almost half of my 360 incision has opened, drain lines exposed, its like a scary movie, I just about fainted. Now the skin is hot to the touch and red, oozing pus fluid, I have a fever and chills and decide to just go to the emergency room. I get admitted to the hospital immediately, ER doctors do wound cultures suspicious of infection. I am put on IV antibiotics right away while I await wound cultures. The plastic surgeon on call refuses to see me because I had surgery in Mexico. After 72 hours, when the cultures were complete, the Infectious Disease Dr. comes to see me in my hospital room. I have 4 different infections, Staphylococcus hemolyticus, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, and a Priority 1 Very RARE Superbug called Acineto Baumanniii. The 4th infection is a surgical infection caused by contaminated Operating Rooms or Surgical Instruments. At this point, surgery is not an option due to severity of inflammation and infection. I stayed in the hospital for five days, released on at-home IV antibiotics. From here I only have a text relationship with Dr. Leyva's office coordinator (Magui). Magui is a nice girl, but the only help or guidance I was offered (through text) was to return to Tijuana and use a wound vac at a recovery house for $270 per day for approximately 3 weeks (No Thanks-really?).
At home, my family rented me a hospital bed and my dad (retired firefighter)was packing my wounds twice a day, most of my front was open and had very large openings on back, it was heartbreaking (wound vac was not an option at this point). This went on for a week, I woke up on 10/21/22 with fever and chills again, also back pain and difficulty breathing. I go right back to emergency room and am diagnosed with acute bilateral pulmonary embolisms (one blood clot in each lung), the RARE superbug is also back with a vengeance, it is very antibiotic resistant. I am weak and VERY sick. I am admitted to hospital immediately and infectious disease DR. sends my infection to CDC for guidance on treatment. After a CT scan, a fist sized pus-filled abscess was found deep in my right gluteal region (butt cheek), it was drained and tested positive for the Superbug. I do realize that blood clots are a possible side effect of surgery, however this domino effect of flying home so soon, wound opening, major infections from Mexico, and being laid up so sick in hospital definitely contributed to the clots. I spent 9 more days in the hospital, barely able to walk, on blood thinners and massive antibiotics through tac-line. I was finally put on wound vac for front and back, I came home on 10/31/22 with 8 more days of IV at-home antibiotics and an at home nurse 3x's a week for 5 weeks. I did msg Magui (Leyva's coordinator)when I was admitted the 2nd time, she did not respond at all, days later I messaged again and got some excuse that she had been out of town, she tried to kiss my butt a bit but it was too late, I was too sick to deal with drama. Through all of this, no direct phone call, no voicemail, no email, no flowers sent to hospital from Dr. Leyva. I feel that Dr. Leyva is overworked, his patients are just a paycheck to him, there is no real concern for patients or their health. Every day I see the time he puts in to post ridiculous tik-toks and instagram videos about how caring he is, I get madder and madder with each one. I'm starting to feel a lot better, thank God. My scars are awful, I mean bad, but I am getting healthy now. I have to take blood thinners for 6 months and see a hemotologist regularly. You can imagine what some of my hospital bills have been like. I just want anyone researching Dr. Leyva to know what the outcome could be like. The hospitals in Mexico are not held to the same standards as they are here-infections are common. I am in a private chat group with surgery sisters from EOC and the complications are abundant, I have one of the most serious cases but there are plenty of other women dealing with crappy Mexico infections. Please book your surgery with a board certified surgeon in the US, your life could depend on it.
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