Javier De La Garza Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

Dr. de la Garza was very patient with me. He answered all of my questions and gave me the reassurance I needed. He sat with me until I was satisfied and did not have any more questions. By the next day after the surgery he came in to tell me everything went well. At the time I thought the amount of pain I was in was abnormal, but he was so nice to explain my pain. It was actually gas. He explained everything in great detail. He also emphasizes aftercare as the key to losing weight. Only you can do this, nobody else, nor the band, can do it for you, it is only a tool. To me it is important that my surgeon has both surgical competence and bedside manners. Surgical competence because people’s lives are in his hands for approximately 45 minutes, bedside manners to reassure the patient before and afterwards. Dr. de la Garza was perfect at both. I would rate him as the king of lap band surgeries.
All the staff was wonderful and my patient coordinator is seriously the best. She was great through the whole ting, from the very first moment I applied to the moment we left. Isabella, the psychologist was fantastic too, very encouraging and motivated. The nutritionist Denisse is excellent as well, just perfect!
The hospital building is immaculate. When we were in the hospital room (which was huge and beautiful) we had a cleaning lady come in and washed the room from top to bottom. She even washed the back of the TV. Then there was another lady that came in to inspect the room to make sure it was done right. Everyone is so nice and very clean cut, I swear everyone ironed their uniforms before work! My expectations of quality and service were definitely met and I would absolutely recommend both the doctor and hospital to anyone!

Dr. de la Garza is a very professional, nice man that was willing to answer all questions I had. Most important, he was very personal and approachable. The fact that he was very concerned with my well being made him even more professional. I was very impressed. He was very adamant about the surgery not being a “cure all” and that I would have to work to make the surgery work. I feel that Dr. de la Garza was the “perfect” doctor in every area. Nice, compassionate, professional and very knowledgeable. In a scale of 1-10 I would give him a 15!
Nina was also great, from the fist time I e-mailed her just thinking about having surgery to the last time I saw her she was great. She felt more like a friend than a coordinator. That was important to my wife and I. The nutritionist and psychologist were also very nice and friendly.
I live in St. Louis, MO and have been to many hospitals, and OCA Hospital had many amenities that US ones do not have. It is very important to know that the hospital and it’s staff did it’s very best to make me as comfortable as possible. I had read a lot about the facilities prior to coming and was impressed with what I read, but after spending 4 days there I was wrong, they were even better, I was very impressed!

When I met Dr. de la Garza I found him to be professional, kind and informative and over time I only got more impressed. He will educate you on all that the Lap Band offers and how to obtain your goal.
The patient coordinator and staff at Lite´n free were also incredible, very polite and helpful. The service throughout the whole experience was 20 out of 10 and I´m definitely spreading the news about Lite´n Free and Dr. de la Garza, they rock!

My first impression of Dr. de la Garza was very good. He answered all of our questions and seemed like a great guy. Both me and my husband were very pleased with my choice of surgeon. The patient coordinator was also wonderful from the first time we spoke and guided me through the whole process. I also met with a nutritionist and psychologist to help prepare me for the changes I would see after surgery. All in all I had a great experience with Lite´n Free, surgeon, staff and facilities were great and I would indeed recommend it to others who are thinking about having Lap Band surgery.

I was nervous when I first met Dr. de la Garza, but he was so kind and answered all my questions which made me feel completely at ease. He talked a lot about aftercare and how you need to change your eating habits to achieve complete success with the band. He also talked about the risks involved in the surgery even if they are low since it is the least invasive weight loss surgery. He has great surgical competence as well as bedside manners, and I would rate him as a 10+!
The hospital’s hotel is beautiful and the view of the mountains were amazing. All the staff were wonderful and the service was above my expectations. My patient coordinator Nina answered all my questions and helped me so much during the entire process.

When I first met Dr. de la Garza he seemed like a confident man who knew what he was doing. He is also reassuring and kind which makes you feel in good hands. He talks a lot about aftercare and has a clear and structured program for this. I definitely think I made the right choice with Dr. de la Garza. I´m confident with his experience and already the day after surgery I was feeling great. I have no complaints at all.
The Lite´n Free staff was also very kind, helpful and supportive, and it was like staying at a 5 star hotel. I would most definitely recommend Dr. de la Garza and Lite´n Free to future patients!

Dr De La Garza is a very kind and careing doctor. He expalined everything to me and allowed me and my group of 3 friends to ask all the questions we had.Everyting went just as he said it would. He did emphasize that the band was just a tool and that i had to work at it also. He emphasized quantity,quality,frequency,exercise as the four most important post-op rules. I would and have recommended him to anyone.

I had my Lap Band surgery with Dr. de la Garza and Lite´n Free on May 10, 2005. I found Dr. de la Garza to be very friendly, helpful and informative about everything. I believe he is a very good doctor and I am glad I went to him. I would rate him 10 or higher!
The Patient Coordinator was also great, she was so helpful through the whole process. She made my experience here easy and wonderful.
My whole stay at OCA Hospital was very good, everybody tried so hard to be helpful and communicate with me the best they could. I would definitely recommend Lite´n Free and Dr. de la Garza to future patients.

My first impression of Dr. de la Garza was that he is a skilled and knowledgeable surgeon. He gave me accurate and honest information and emphasizes aftercare a lot, however I will get my aftercare stateside. Both his surgical competence and bedside manners are great, and I would rate him with an A+. I loved everything about him.
The hospital and hotel facilities offered by Lite´n Free were impressive, they were very clean and stylish with a lot of room. Everything was beyond my expectations. Te care, courtesy, cleanliness were all above the United States standards.
Every anxiety I had disappeared the moment I was met by Nina at the airport. I knew I made the right decision upon entering OCA Hospital. Everyone is skilled in their department and the hospitality even has the southern USA beat. All expectations were exceeded. My trip was made only by me, no one to be with me, and I was impressed with how well they looked after me!

Dr. de la Garza obviously knows what he is doing, and was very patient in talking to both myself and my mother and boyfriend who were with me. He didn’t mind having to explain things in both Spanish and English and several times to make sure everybody understood and were comfortable. He emphasized aftercare prior to the surgery as well as after, each time emphasizing how important it was for my heath and well being. Dr. de la Garza is definitely one of the best surgeons I’ve come across.

The Patient Coordinators from Lite´n Free were nice, willing to assist in anything related to our travel to Monterrey, the surgery and the aftercare. They always responded in a timely manner, via e-mail or phone, and made it possible for me to go through the process as easy as possible. They were there when I arrived, and made sure they were there when I left and got off ok. When they couldn’t be there they made sure that I had somebody at my side just as helpful as them during my stay.

I was very very impressed with the hospitality of both facilities, as well as the maintenance of the facilities and quality. I’ve never stepped into a hospital before where I have forgotten that it was a hospital. As my mother so gracefully put it, “you almost want to get sick so you can spend some time there”. We were definitely spoiled by the facility, attention and care of OCA Hospital and Hotel.

Nina, Anna, Celeste and Dr. de la Garza, as well as all staff and other doctors that were around were an excellent team. I couldn’t have made a better choice than to go with this facility and these doctors.