CER Hospital in Tijuana offers several bariatric procedures, with care coordination through its CER Bariatrics program.
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CER Hospital, also known as CER Bariatric Surgery, is a hospital in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The supplied profile gives its founding year as 2008 and lists gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass, gastric balloon, gastric plication, revision surgery, and metabolic or diabetes surgery. Surgeons named in the profile include Dr. Sergio Verboonen, Dr. Diana Salcedo, Dr. Fernando García, Dr. David Vazquez, Dr. Jaime Ponce De Leon, Dr. Pedro Kuri, and Dr. Cassandra Mendez. The profile describes preoperative evaluations and postoperative support, and lists English and Spanish among the languages offered. It also lists AMCPER, CMCPER, and Colegio Medico de Tijuana. The hospital’s website presents CER Bariatrics as its bariatric program and describes care coordination for patients traveling from the United States.
| Procedure | Listed price (USD) | Price source |
|---|---|---|
| Gastric Balloon | Ask for an offer | |
| Gastric Bypass | Ask for an offer | |
| Gastric Plication | Ask for an offer | |
| Gastric Sleeve | Ask for an offer | |
| Metabolic / Diabetes Surgery | Ask for an offer | |
| Mini Gastric Bypass | Ask for an offer | |
| Revision Surgery | Ask for an offer |
Prices are starting prices published on directory profiles or the provider site and may be outdated or exclude hospital nights, tests, travel and aftercare. Request a current written offer.
As listed by the provider. Confirm what your package includes before booking.
Dr. José Sergio Verboonen Sotelo is a bariatric and metabolic surgeon based in Tijuana, Mexico. He is associated with the Obesity Goodbye Center, where professional profiles identify him as a lead surgeon. Sources describe his experience differently: some report more than 25 years, while other profiles state 30 years or more than 35 years. A professional directory lists bariatric and metabolic procedures including gastric sleeve, mini and classic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, revision surgery, and metabolic surgery for diabetes. Other profiles also mention single-incision gastric sleeve and duodenal switch procedures. A physician profile lists an M.D. from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and postgraduate training at the General Hospital of Tijuana. The Baja Health Cluster directory states that he is certified by ASMBS, IFSO, CMCG, and CMCOEM. A professional faculty profile identifies him as president of the Mexican College of Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Diseases and as a founding member of the College of Bariatric Surgery and Metabolic Diseases of Baja California. His professional website reports that he has performed more than 15,000 gastric surgeries. Other profiles publish different totals, so procedure counts vary by source. The available information associates his practice with Tijuana and the Obesity Goodbye Center; it does not establish a connection between him and CER Hospital.
Education: M.D., National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM); Postgraduate training, General Hospital of Tijuana
Certifications: ASMBS; IFSO; CMCG; CMCOEM
Memberships: President, Mexican College of Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Diseases; Founding member, College of Bariatric Surgery and Metabolic Diseases of Baja California
Dr. Miss Diana Salcedo is identified in the supplied information as a bariatric surgeon practicing at CER Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. The available profile text describes CER Bariatric Surgery as a team focused on weight-loss procedures, but it does not name Dr. Salcedo or establish her role there. The web results provided do not contain information clearly identifying her. No doctor-specific details about her training, qualifications, procedures, experience, or professional affiliations could be verified from these materials.
Dr. Fernando García Govea is a bariatric surgeon in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The available provider information lists his medical degree from the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo and a general surgery residency at Hospital General, endorsed by the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC). Doctoralia lists his medical degree in 1999 and general surgery qualification from UABC in 2007. The Tijuana Bariatric Center identifies him as its medical director and says he teaches advanced laparoscopic surgery at UABC. Its pages also state that he has worked at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social for more than a decade. His reported areas of practice include bariatric surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and revision procedures. Doctoralia lists his office at Hospital CER, and the Tijuana Bariatric Center gives CER Hospital in Tijuana as its address. The center reports that Dr. Available sources describe his training and clinical work but do not provide a clear account of professional memberships or certifications.
Education: Medical degree, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (1999, according to Doctoralia); General surgery residency, Hospital General, endorsed by Universidad Autónoma de Baja California; General surgery, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (2007, according to Doctoralia)
Dr. David Vazquez is a general surgeon in Tijuana, Mexico, whose published profiles describe a focus on bariatric and gastrointestinal surgery. A 2015 announcement reported that Vazquez and his colleagues moved their practice to CER Hospital, where they performed bariatric procedures. This establishes a historical association with CER Hospital, rather than confirming a current hospital affiliation. His medical education is listed as a degree from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, and one profile reports surgical training at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. Jet Medical Tourism reports that he completed a mini fellowship in adjustable gastric band surgery and a fellowship in sleeve gastrectomy at Hospital Angeles Tijuana, and received Advanced Trauma Life Support training through General Hospital of Valle de Bravo. Published descriptions of his surgical work include gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, and revisional bariatric procedures. One profile also lists laparoscopic procedures involving the gallbladder and hernias. Jet Medical Tourism lists Spanish as a language spoken. Available sources do not confirm current certification in bariatric surgery or establish his present hospital affiliations.
Education: Medical degree, Autonomous University of Guadalajara; Surgical training, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico
Certifications: Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), reported by Jet Medical Tourism
Dr. Pedro Kuri is a bariatric surgeon based in Tijuana, Mexico. The provided practice information names CER Hospital, while online materials also associate him with Dr. Kuri & Associates. A clinic listing describes CER Bariatric Surgery in Tijuana. His reported clinical focus includes laparoscopic bariatric procedures, particularly the adjustable gastric Lap-Band procedure. His education and training listings identify the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México School of Medicine, clinical training at Medical Specialty Hospital No. 25 of the Mexican Social Security Institute, and a general surgery residency at General Hospital National Medical Center in Mexico City. The listings also report that he completed laparoscopy training at Baylor University in 1990 and was board-certified as a general surgeon in Mexico. A professional biography says he worked at Tijuana General Hospital No. 20 and served as its surgery chairman for nine years. His practice-related website reports that he has performed more than 5,000 surgeries since 1998; other online profiles give different procedure totals, so those figures are not consistent across sources. Profiles list memberships in bariatric and laparoscopic surgery organizations, including the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.
Education: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, School of Medicine (1970–1975); Clinical training at Medical Specialty Hospital No. 25, Mexican Social Security Institute (1977–1978); General surgery residency at General Hospital National Medical Center, Mexico City (completed 1981); Laparoscopy training at Baylor University (completed 1990)
Certifications: Reportedly board-certified as a general surgeon in Mexico
Memberships: American Society for Bariatric Surgery; International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders; Latin American Society of Laparoscopic Surgery; Surgical Association of Baja California
Dr. Miss Cassandra Mendez is identified in the supplied information as a bariatric surgeon in Tijuana, Mexico, with CER Hospital listed as her practice. The available material does not provide details that can be confidently attributed to her about specific procedures, education, certifications, professional memberships, or years of experience. It also does not establish a connection between her and the separately described CER Bariatric Surgery clinic. The search results provided refer to other doctors or do not identify Dr. Mendez, so they do not support further claims about her background or practice.
Dr. Jaime Ponce de León is a bariatric surgeon practicing in Tijuana, Mexico. Mexico Bariatrics identifies him as medical director of its weight-loss program, and he is also featured as a surgeon by Bariatric Mexico. His practice focuses on minimally invasive weight-loss surgery. Procedures described on his website include gastric banding, gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, duodenal switch, and revision surgery after prior weight-loss procedures. Biographical information published by My Victory Bariatric states that he earned his medical degree from Saint Nicholas University in 1991 and completed a general surgery residency at Tijuana General Hospital. The same source reports that he received laparoscopic surgery certification in 1995 and certification from the Mexican Association of Endoscopic Surgery in 1997. His website describes him as board-certified in laparoscopic and bariatric surgery and reports that he completed fellowships in laparoscopic weight-loss surgery in the United States and France. The website also reports that he has performed more than 8,000 surgical procedures; this figure is reported by the practice. Mexico Bariatrics describes him as having more than 22 years of clinical experience, while his own website says he has worked in Tijuana for over 30 years. These are practice-published descriptions of his experience.
Education: Medical degree from Saint Nicholas University, 1991; General surgery residency at Tijuana General Hospital
Certifications: Board-certified in laparoscopic and bariatric surgery; Certified in laparoscopic surgery by the Mexican Association of Endoscopic Surgery in 1997
Biographies are compiled from the practice website, directory profiles and other public sources. Verify board certification with the Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía General.
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Combined rating is weighted by the number of reviews on each site, as shown when last checked. Surgeon profile ratings count toward this center because the surgeon operates here.
Fantastic facility. Spent two days here with my uncle who had a gastric bypass. Staff was friendly. The procedure went well and the recovery suites are good and spacious. It's in a good, safe neighborhood on the business side of downtown. Lots of great restaurants in walking distance as well as the museum. You can't bring food into the building so the cafeteria and local restaurants are helpful.
Medical Tourism is a real thing! My sister and I traveled to Tijuana for a medical procedure. We were able to meet with my sister's doctor and her team. They were very professional and answered all of our questions and concerns and made us feel at ease. We were able to meet Dr. Balza on the day before my sister's surgery and she gave off a peaceful energy. She was calm, kind and we did not feel rushed. On the day of her surgery we met Vanessa Nieto, her anesthesiologist, and she too was professional and thorough. In addition, the staff located at the front desk and the security team throughout the hospital were very attentive. I can't say enough…
Mi esposa entró como Jenny Rivera, la gordita pues, no muerta... y ahora parece Sofía Vergara
I was scared but they were wonderful and this hospital was so clean. These people really care about their patients, it's not a rush job. They genuinely care, that goes along way. I recommend this hospital.
They provided great care. Most of them speak pretty good English too. Have them a 4 only because of some situations where select employees didn't speak much English at all.
There is a HORRIBLE Doctor here by the name of Dr. Isabel Balza who truly is the absolute Worst Surgeon not only in CER Hospital but in all of Tijuana. I had a Breast Lift and under eyelid surgery done at CER Hospital a year ago, and Dr.Balza BOTCHED me and ruined both my Breasts and Eyelid surgeries. I woke up in the Middle of my surgery because the Anesthesiologist she used didn't do his job(CER should be sued for allowing this to happen at their hospital). I witnessed my right Breasts being sown by her assistant who was stretching her hands and sitting on the opposite side, which caused my Nipples and Breasts to be sown incorrectly. This horrible…
I’m feeling great! I met my goal weight about eight months after surgery and have maintained it easily since. I’ve started running and weight lifting, and eating is both easy and enjoyable. The only annoyance is some persistent acid reflux, but I take a prescribed pill every day or so and that keeps it under control. Earlier this year I had gallstones, which were incredibly painful, and I was scheduled for surgery — but thankfully they went away on their own. My surgeon was Dr. Garcia at the Tijuana Bariatric Center, and overall, I couldn’t be happier with the results.
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