From the Yale Head of Barriatric Surgery

[Littleroo27]

Several people have given me a lot of flack for posting my concerns about Dr. Ortiz on this board.

I would like to state that I am NOT trying to change anyone's mind about this procedure OR going to Dr. Ortiz.

I would also like to say that last night I e-mailed Harvard and Yale Medical regarding Dr. Ortiz and recieved the following from the Yale head of Barriatric Surgery:

"Dr. Ortiz is generally regarded as one of the MOST experienced Lap Band surgeons in the world."

I plan to post the entire e-mail when I get home tonight, as I can only check my yahoo mail account from my cell phone when I'm at work.

If I get a response from Harvard I will post that as well.

I sincerely hope that the members of this board will take the time to understand the concerns of the people posting on this site. It is not just for happy e-mails about wonderful experiences, but also about people who have never had surgery before and are scared to death. Listen to them and understand them and help them. Do not berate them for posting something that you do not agree with.

[fisherman]

I felt that I had done significant research ahead of time, and therefore I already knew that would be the response you received from Yale. Good job Littleroo - don't let anyone sway you in your quest for truth.

Some people do tend to be touchy - they come to the Internet hoping to find people with their same viewpoint on things so they can commiserate, but there are plenty of others that know that real truth only comes when hard questions are asked.

My surgery was July 10th by the way, and I couldn't be happier - down about 40 lbs total including pre-op weight loss.

[Chelley]

Get the facts first ... I did ... I could have came online and blasted my concerns as a nurse, but I didn't. I conducted my own research, very carefully I might add. I've always encouraged those on this site to research to their own satisfaction. Although your opinion is welcome, get the facts first.

[Littleroo27]

Get the facts first ... I did ... I could have came online and blasted my concerns as a nurse, but I didn't. I conducted my own research, very carefully I might add. I've always encouraged those on this site to research to their own satisfaction. Although your opinion is welcome, get the facts first.

I don't want to get into an argument over this, but I did want to make sure you know I wasn't stating any facts, I was simply asking questions.

[fisherman]

Chelley, you are still blasting Littleroo for asking questions! Why? That's all she did. Yet you are acting as if you were personally attacked!

[Littleroo27]

Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 12:29:42 -0400

From: "Robert Bell" <robert.bell@yale.edu>

Subject: Re: Confirmation of Dr. Ariel Ortiz as a Lap-Band Surgeon

To: "B R" <elsolomio@yahoo.com>

Dr. Ortiz in all likelihood attended a COURSE at Yale, sponsored by Dr. Butch Rosser. Dr. Rosser has not been here since the early part of 2002.

Those courses generally involved didactic sessions followed by an INANIMATE lab. It was certainly not a fellowship. There is no way he operated on a live person while in New Haven. It is no different than if he took a course at the American College of Surgeons Annual meeting. The only reason anyone would even put this on their resume is that the course was held at Yale.

Now, that being said, Dr. Ortiz is generally regarded as one of the MOST experienced Lap Band surgeons in the world and I am happy to confirm that. But his time in New Haven has no bearing, whatsoever, on that fact. Does this help?

Robert Bell, MD, MA

[ClaireinCO]

VERY interesting.

L-roo, once again, props to you for asking questions, even if they stir up some turmoil. You, and all of of us, have every right to ask and seek the advice of the group. Isn't that what this forum is about?

So it looks to me like there is a little resume padding. I take it at face value. He still has a loyal following and SCORES of happy patients.

[Littleroo27]

VERY interesting.

L-roo, once again, props to you for asking questions, even if they stir up some turmoil. You, and all of of us, have every right to ask and seek the advice of the group. Isn't that what this forum is about?

So it looks to me like there is a little resume padding. I take it at face value. He still has a loyal following and SCORES of happy patients.

Yeah, I really can't say too much about that. Honestly, who doesn't pad their resume with every fancy sounding thing you ever did?

And I think it probabably helps people from the US to see a US college on the list amongst all of the colleges and universities in Mexico that we know little to nothing about.

I really appreciate the support as well

[LoriBecky]

Hi again,

I hope that anyone that had a question would feel free to ask!

I don't think I'd call listing your accomplishments or continuing education "resume padding", but that's up to you.

Please feel free to post questions, comments or suggestions, and you are right, Dr. Ortiz has a very loyal following because of his success rate and his concern for his patients.

Feel free to contact me or any of the OCC staff anytime!

[Littleroo27]

Hi again,

I hope that anyone that had a question would feel free to ask!

I don't think I'd call listing your accomplishments or continuing education "resume padding", but that's up to you.

Please feel free to post questions, comments or suggestions, and you are right, Dr. Ortiz has a very loyal following because of his success rate and his concern for his patients.

Feel free to contact me or any of the OCC staff anytime!

Lori,

I did e-mail you with the same questions I originally posted on this board, but have not heard back as of yet.

[LoriBecky]

Hi,

I'm sorry, I checked my mail for the last 2 weeks and don't have anything from you. Please feel free to try again anytime! I really do answer any email I receive.

[Littleroo27]

Hi,

I'm sorry, I checked my mail for the last 2 weeks and don't have anything from you. Please feel free to try again anytime! I really do answer any email I receive.

I just resent the e-mail. If you do not get it, please let me know.

[LoriBecky]

Hi

I think I got your email and responded to it today. I'm not sure of your actual identity or email address, but it looked like it was from you - same quote as from forum.

Thanks

[can't wait]

I felt that I had done significant research ahead of time, and therefore I already knew that would be the response you received from Yale. Good job Littleroo - don't let anyone sway you in your quest for truth.

Some people do tend to be touchy - they come to the Internet hoping to find people with their same viewpoint on things so they can commiserate, but there are plenty of others that know that real truth only comes when hard questions are asked.

My surgery was July 10th by the way, and I couldn't be happier - down about 40 lbs total including pre-op weight loss.

that is awesome! from what i see the weight loss with lap isnt as great as with bypass? you seem to be doing great. other postings i have read, have taken longer for people to loose. do you think it is their diet and lack of exercise or atleast walking?

[eightcupsofgravy]

This one is for littleroo. This surgery is a life changing experience. I'm not just talking all of the fluffy-happy stuff. You have to be mentally strong if you truly are going to go through with this. Your lifestyle must completely change. You probably know this since you have said that you have read Dr. Ortiz's book; but take it from me, if you are going to follow all of the rules the nutritionist has set forth for you, it is a trek. You essentially will not touch solids for one month, that sounds easy, because you have this tiny stomach, but mentally it's like a torture chamber sometimes. You are giving up your best friend; food. Trust me I know the feeling.

You sound scared and are looking for an excuse not to have the surgery done. If you are really serious, go down and see the facility, meet with the Dr., talk to someone who just had it done the day before. You can even call the company that produces the Lap-band, they'll tell you the same thing. If you just listen to friends of friends, then goodluck solving anything.

The reason most of your friends freak out is because they hear MEXICO. I went through the same thing. I went to three doctors here in the States, at UCI, UCLA, and USC. THESE WERE DOCTORS, THEY REFERED TO DR. ORTIZ AS A DOCTOR. All three of them had been trained by Dr. Ortiz. All three of them recommended him if I did not want to pay the $30,000.00 it was going to cost.

The only reason you are even looking Dr. Ortiz's way is probably because of the cost. If you really are that freaked out, stay in the states and pay three times as much. Trust me, you save a ton of money on food after the surgery. I'm one month in with an extra $600.00 in my pocket from my new eating habits.

Also remember we all researched before we jumped into this. When you question Dr. ORtiz being a real docotr and how your friends of friends say he is this or that, then you are kind of telling all of us who went with him, that we didn't know what we were doing. So don't be surprised if people get mad at you. It's like running into a Catholic church and screaming "The Pope is a fraud!" You are kind of seen as a blaspheme. This site is mostly people who are greatful.

I think about Ortiz daily and am greatful to him for doing this surgery. No hang-ups, no hassels. I don't know how long you have been overweight, but for me it has been a while and I tried everything. I am now getting my life back. It is not easy, I work out two hours a day, I struggle looking at Dr. Pepper. I have a hard time sip-siping water, Meal portions drive me nuts, but I would do it again, no questions asked.

Yeah this is long. It's because I am just amazed that people who are obese don't see this as a godsend and sign up next day. I had my surgery on 6/29/06, I was 284 preop/ 269 weighin, and 247 right now. I do the walking, I do the stair mill and I watch what and how much I eat. I even do the four food group divided portions.

If you are unsure about any one thing, just don't do it. It is too easy to be miserable after the surgery and blame everyone and everything else for your misery. If you do do it, do everything, exactly as you are told and you will never be happier.

[Littleroo27]

It's like running into a Catholic church and screaming "The Pope is a fraud!"

*snorfle* I would so do that!!! LMAO

Sorry, that just made me crack up, but you're right. I would probably get stoned.

Although this issue has really been settled since I originally posted it, I did want to say that the person who said everything actually is from TJ, so she doesn't have the same stigmas attached to out of country surgery as most people from the US do.

I have also done the liquid diet thing before - Opti-Fast 800. My tummy was not thrilled with the all liquid thing and my IBS tried really hard to act up, but I think if it's only for a month I can handle it. I will just have to be sure to mix in some soluble fiber supplements.

As for doing the all liquid thing, I can do that just fine. My problem is moderation - all or nothing. It's like telling an alcoholic to only have three beers a day. Yeah, like THAT'S gonna happen!!!

I've already tried not eating bread or anything "sticky" for a week to see if my tummy would be okay, and it was. What I still need to do is get into not drinking water after I eat. I drink water all day long, so that is going to be very hard for me.

This one is for littleroo. This surgery is a life changing experience. I'm not just talking all of the fluffy-happy stuff. You have to be mentally strong if you truly are going to go through with this. Your lifestyle must completely change. You probably know this since you have said that you have read Dr. Ortiz's book; but take it from me, if you are going to follow all of the rules the nutritionist has set forth for you, it is a trek. You essentially will not touch solids for one month, that sounds easy, because you have this tiny stomach, but mentally it's like a torture chamber sometimes. You are giving up your best friend; food. Trust me I know the feeling.

You sound scared and are looking for an excuse not to have the surgery done. If you are really serious, go down and see the facility, meet with the Dr., talk to someone who just had it done the day before. You can even call the company that produces the Lap-band, they'll tell you the same thing. If you just listen to friends of friends, then goodluck solving anything.

The reason most of your friends freak out is because they hear MEXICO. I went through the same thing. I went to three doctors here in the States, at UCI, UCLA, and USC. THESE WERE DOCTORS, THEY REFERED TO DR. ORTIZ AS A DOCTOR. All three of them had been trained by Dr. Ortiz. All three of them recommended him if I did not want to pay the $30,000.00 it was going to cost.

The only reason you are even looking Dr. Ortiz's way is probably because of the cost. If you really are that freaked out, stay in the states and pay three times as much. Trust me, you save a ton of money on food after the surgery. I'm one month in with an extra $600.00 in my pocket from my new eating habits.

Also remember we all researched before we jumped into this. When you question Dr. ORtiz being a real docotr and how your friends of friends say he is this or that, then you are kind of telling all of us who went with him, that we didn't know what we were doing. So don't be surprised if people get mad at you. It's like running into a Catholic church and screaming "The Pope is a fraud!" You are kind of seen as a blaspheme. This site is mostly people who are greatful.

I think about Ortiz daily and am greatful to him for doing this surgery. No hang-ups, no hassels. I don't know how long you have been overweight, but for me it has been a while and I tried everything. I am now getting my life back. It is not easy, I work out two hours a day, I struggle looking at Dr. Pepper. I have a hard time sip-siping water, Meal portions drive me nuts, but I would do it again, no questions asked.

Yeah this is long. It's because I am just amazed that people who are obese don't see this as a godsend and sign up next day. I had my surgery on 6/29/06, I was 284 preop/ 269 weighin, and 247 right now. I do the walking, I do the stair mill and I watch what and how much I eat. I even do the four food group divided portions.

If you are unsure about any one thing, just don't do it. It is too easy to be miserable after the surgery and blame everyone and everything else for your misery. If you do do it, do everything, exactly as you are told and you will never be happier.

[Linda23585]

Littleroo and others,

I am a Registered Nurse and am considering Lap Band surgery. I have a pre-op consult with my chosen surgeon tomorrow, in fact. You had better believe that I checked out this surgeon thoroughly. My primary physician tried to talk me into going to a different place, but I knew that going where she suggested was not the right decision for me.

I think that anyone who is trying to make such an important, life-changing decision needs to ask questions...and a lot of them! I went to the informational meeting armed with an entire page of questions and I have thought of some more that I will ask tomorrow - before I make my final decision. We can all have identical information presented to us, weigh that information in our minds and come to completely different conclusions. It is not important at all that we do not make the same decisions. What is important is that we we respect the decisions that others make and that we don't attack them for not making the same choices that we have made.

I, also, checked into the clinic in Mexico. I do not doubt that the physician is excellent and that many have had great outcomes. For me, it was not a viable choice due to distance and the fact that my insurance company will pay for the surgery.

Littleroo, I look forward to reading the complete emails from both places! You go, girl. Do you research, ask all of those questions then do what is best for YOU!

Linda23585

[Littleroo27]

Unfortunately, Harvard would not provide me with any information without Dr. Ortiz' approval, but Yale made good, so that's okay!

Thanks for your post and I can promise that I will keep posting (way too much) on the board

Littleroo and others,

I am a Registered Nurse and am considering Lap Band surgery. I have a pre-op consult with my chosen surgeon tomorrow, in fact. You had better believe that I checked out this surgeon thoroughly. My primary physician tried to talk me into going to a different place, but I knew that going where she suggested was not the right decision for me.

I think that anyone who is trying to make such an important, life-changing decision needs to ask questions...and a lot of them! I went to the informational meeting armed with an entire page of questions and I have thought of some more that I will ask tomorrow - before I make my final decision. We can all have identical information presented to us, weigh that information in our minds and come to completely different conclusions. It is not important at all that we do not make the same decisions. What is important is that we we respect the decisions that others make and that we don't attack them for not making the same choices that we have made.

I, also, checked into the clinic in Mexico. I do not doubt that the physician is excellent and that many have had great outcomes. For me, it was not a viable choice due to distance and the fact that my insurance company will pay for the surgery.

Littleroo, I look forward to reading the complete emails from both places! You go, girl. Do you research, ask all of those questions then do what is best for YOU!

Linda23585

[Dreamer]

Hello everyone,

I don't object to questions or constructive criticism, nor did I read that into Chelly's comments. I too, am a very satisfied, loyal and devoted advocate of Dr. Ortiz', my opinion is that as a physician, he is second to none! This man's credentials and resume, although impressive, mean so little compared to "the man" that Dr. Ortiz is....talk to his colleague's, his employee's, and his patients....meet with him one on one....then "you" decide. This Dr. is the elite in the lap-band field!

He gave me my life back.....and I thank God for him every day! He cares about his patients, did you ever know of another Dr. who gives his patients his cell phone number? Yeah, I'm happy that I was banded, happier that I was banded by the best surgeon in his field....and loyal to him? Damn right!!!

Good luck to everyone on your journey, it is not always easy.....but it is doable! May God guide you all in making the right decisions for yourself.

Dreamer

Banded April 18, 2006 in TJ by Dr. Ortiz (and darned proud of it)

[Cubankitten9]

I read the post about Dr. Ortiz padding his resume... although I had my surgery with him, and am quite fond of him, I wanted to check this out... following (below) is a cut and paste of what he put on his resume on his website... nowhere does it say he did a fellowship, nowhere does it say he performed surgery on anyone... all it says is that he attended a course study at Yale, which is what the doctor from Yale confirmed... now if someone says they did A, and someone else confirms they did A, then how is that padding a resume? LOL... that's being 100% truthful... no padding AT ALL... now, if someone is unaware of how to read a resume, and doesn't know how to distinguish between course study and fellowship (there is a huge difference and yet nowhere does Dr. Ortiz mislead anyone), then please let's not decree that someone is "padding" a resume... although many people do it, doctors should NEVER do it, because it speaks to their credibility, or lack thereof... and for us to even suggest that he padded his resume, without benefit of seeing what he actually put on it, is potentially damaging,and my guess is, not how any of us would like to be treated... if somehow in searching Dr. Ortiz's website I missed something that would lead one to believe he claimed one thing, but did another, I would love for anyone to please point that out to me... in my mind, he is a great doctor and yet I still want to be sure that his ethics are above reproach... I would expect no less of any physician.

2000 Endo-Laparoscopic Course Study

Yale University School of Medicine

Yale Endo-Lararoscopic Center

New Haven, Connecticut USA

Kyle

[Guest marys]

I know your comments were aimed at Littleroo but I wanted to chime in - I agree 100%. I kinda half read anything negative or questioning about Dr. Ortiz cuz I had the surgery with him - researched him forever, felt and still feel a million times positive about my choice, etc. etc. etc. I know there are plenty of sites and chats on the internet and this one is primarily (i thought) for his patients so I know hearing and posting somethings from folks unsure of Dr. Ortiz can be unsettling. So not much to add except I too am thankful every single day I found Ortiz and his facility and staff - I would never go to any other doctor re:lapband no matter how much money I had available to me.

[Rid]

Seriously. This dead horse has been beaten, kicked, and brutalized. If you've read every post in this thread, then read this one as well:

http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=626&st=0

Then seriously. Let it go. Before you flame me, read all the responses in both threads. This is not something that needs to be discussed any further.

Ortiz is great.

All agree.

[nita57]

Seriously. This dead horse has been beaten, kicked, and brutalized. If you've read every post in this thread, then read this one as well:

http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=626&st=0

Then seriously. Let it go. Before you flame me, read all the responses in both threads. This is not something that needs to be discussed any further.

Ortiz is great.

All agree.

Rid,

God bless you and thank you, Well said. Nita