From time to time, I get asked questions about the two Doctors - Dr Rumbaut and Dr Kuri

I would like to answer those questions

One at a time, In no particular order

Question:  Since you know both doctors, I was wondering if you had any comment on the facilities of Monterey, versus Tijuana.

Answer:  First of all, Mexican hospitals are not the 5 star hotels that American hospitals have become.  They are no nonsense hospitals that get the job done.  The sanitary levels that I saw in both hospitals are quite adequate.  

Hospital San Jose in Monterrey is a teaching hospital and has lots of beds.  Lots of Teaching staff, Nurses in training, Medical students and Interns are there.  Most lower level hospital staff speak minimal English, while the upper level staff speak English quite well.

Hospital San Francisco in Tijuana is small with only about 20 beds.  But, is quite adequate,  Administered by the Sisters of San Francisco who personally watch over everything.  The staff is smaller and on average, quite well trained.  Few speak English.

But where you want sterility is not in the hospital, but in the surgery room.  I have been in both surgery rooms, both as patient and as observer.  Never did I see anything in either surgery room that alerted me to non-sterile conditions.  There have been American nurses that have seen both the operating rooms.  Nothing has been reported about unsafe or un-sterile conditions.

Question: Could you comment on the two doctors Rumbaut and Kuri?

Answer:  Drs Kuri and Rumbaut are the best of friends and both are quite good.  Dr Rumbaut was my surgeon and I would rank him the top LapBand surgeon  in the western hemisphere.  Dr Kuri is my fill doctor.  I met Dr Kuri about 8 weeks after my band was installed, and was quite impressed with him.  I have met and know personally about 60% of all his Mexican patients and 100% of all his American patients. There has been only one complaint that I know about, and that was someone that had a personality problem with one of the nurses in the hospital.  If I had it to do all over again, It would be a difficult choice.  And to be honest to both Doctors, I think it would be a toss up.

I thought a ranking table might express my thoughts:  Using 10 = Best

Disclaimer:  You might want to rank the different items differently than I did.  Or you might want to include other items.   Who knows ...

Question:   I am also wondering how safe is going to Tijuana alone?

Answer:  Quite safe.  I do it all the time - I drive my car into Tijuana and park it on the street.  The Mexican people are much more honest and hard working than given credit.  The only caution for you, is that there are bad places in Mexico as there are in any other country on this planet.   If you don't feel comfortable along some street, turn around and walk away.