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OCC’s epidemiologist is closely monitoring the COVID-19 status and is actively issuing updates as they are available. The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are the most trusted sources online.  As we reinitiate weight loss surgery, we are constantly adapting and installing new and updated safety measures.

Weight loss surgery is medically necessary.

Bariatric Surgery and the clash of two pandemics.   

Major metabolic and bariatric surgery Societies and colleges globally are now calling for the safe resumption of bariatric and metabolic surgery before the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over. 

The sooner bariatric surgery can be safely performed, the quicker obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases can be reduced or resolved as they are not only chronic they are also progressive.  Obesity is also linked to more than 40 diseases including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and at least 13 different types of cancer.

A recent statement from the ASMBS says “Before COVID-19 began, it was clear that patients with obesity were ‘safer through surgery.’ In the era of COVID-19, ‘safer through surgery’ for patients with obesity may prove to be even more important than before.” Obesity and Metabolic syndrome have been identified as an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes including death among COVID-19 patients.

See here for full COVID-19 update. 

BMI Calculator

Use the sliders to determine your Body Mass Index (BMI), and whether or not you should contact OCC to schedule a weight loss surgery consultation.

BMI Categories

Underweight < 18.5
Normal weight 18.5 - 24.9
Overweight 25 - 29.9
Obesity BMI of 30 or greater

Your Weight: 184 pounds

 
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Your Height: 5' 4"

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Your BMI: 32
Surgery Recommended
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HOMEPAGE / Gabriela Rodriguez, MD, PhD

Gabriela Rodriguez,
MD, PhD

Bariatric Surgeon and Director of Research

“The desire to serve, the determination to act, and the ability to be better.” – Gabriela Rodriguez

Ask Dr. Rodriguez

  • 5800+

    satisfied patients

  • 15+

    years of experience

About
+

About

Dr. Rodriguez started taking interest in helping others at the age of eight years old. She began taking her first courses of First Aid and CPR, then she became a volunteer in a non-profit rescue team (Rescate Halcones, A.C.) in Tijuana and also joined Scouts of Mexico. By the time she turned thirteen years old, she was the youngest paramedic certified in Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS).

Dr. Rodríguez graduated from the School of Medicine at the Autonomous University of Baja California. She did her internship at Texas Medical Center in Saint Luke’s Episcopal, Methodist, and Memorial Herman Hospital. She completed her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Cardiovascular Investigation Center of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston. Also, she has collaborated with publications of international circulation.

Dr. Rodriguez is specialized in General Surgery and Laparoscopy. She completed her residency at the Autonomous University of Baja California General Hospital of Tijuana and in the High Specialty Ambulatory Surgery (UNEME). The Mexican Council of General Surgery certifies her as a surgeon. The Mexican College of Bariatric Surgery and Metabolic Medicine certifies her as a Bariatric Surgeon. She did a rotation in Bogota, Colombia to perform Gastric Bypass. She is a founding associate of the Mexican College of General Surgeons. She is a member of the team that works at OCC in the surgical department and investigation.

Education
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Education

Studies

School of Medicine at the Autonomous University of Baja California

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Cardiovascular Investigation Center of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases of the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas.

 

Internship

Texas Medical Center in Saint Luke’s Episcopal, Methodist, and Memorial Herman Hospital

Residency

Autonomous University of Baja California General Hospital of Tijuana and in the High Specialty Ambulatory Surgery (UNEME)

Awards
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Awards

Academic Appointments

Professor of Surgical Pathology and Surgical Techniques at Medical-Surgical Nursing at the University Ibero-Americana

Assistant Professor of Surgical Medicine at the Autonomous University of Baja California School of Medicine – she teaches young physicians and surgical nurses the fundamentals of surgery and clinical medicine

Titles

Master Surgeon in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MSMBS) – Designation by Surgical Review Corporation since 2019

Surgeon of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery (SOEBMS)

Licensures & Certifications

General Surgery Board Certificate: Available Upon Request

Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Board Certificate: Available Upon Request

Mexican Medical License Number: Available Upon Request

Surgeon Diploma Number: Available Upon Request

Publications

Rodríguez, G., Varon, J.: Clevidipine: A unique agent for the Critical Care practitioner. Crit Care & Shock 2006;9:9-15.

Raffaella Lombardi, Gabriela Rodriguez, Suet Nee Chen, Crystal M. Ripplinger, Wenwen Li, Igor R. Efimov, and Ali J. Marian: Treatment With Anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine Attenuates Cardiac Hypertrophy And Fibrosis And Improves Susceptibility To Cardiac Arrhythmias In The ß-myosin Heavy Chain-Q403 Transgenic Rabbit Model Of Human Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Circulation, Oct 2007; 116: II_177.

Gabriela Rodriguez, Grazyna Czernuszewicz, Yanli Tan, Neal Kleiman, Guillermo Torre-Amione, James T Willerson, Simon Sims, and Ali J Marian: Phenotypic Plasticity of LMNA Mutations in Cardiovascular System Includes Isolated Cardiac Progeria, Dilated and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathies, Atrial Fibrillation, Conduction Defects, and Degenerative Valvular Diseases. Circulation, Oct 2008; 118: S_883 – S_884.

Lombardi R, Dong J, Rodriguez G, Bell A, Leung TK, Schwartz RJ, Willerson JT, Brugada R, Marian AJ.: Genetic fate mapping identifies second heart field progenitor cells as a source of adipocytes in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Circ Res. 2009 May 8;104(9):1076-84. Epub 2009 Apr 9.

Suet Nee Chen, Raffaella Lombardi, Gabriela Rodriguez, and Ali J. Marian: Pathogenesis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Caused by the Myozenin 2 Mutations Involves Calcineurin-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms
Circulation, Oct 2008; 118: S_323.

Lombardi R, Rodriguez G, Chen SN, Ripplinger CM, Li W, Chen J, Willerson JT, Betocchi S, Wickline SA, Efimov IR, Marian AJ.: Resolution of established cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis and prevention of systolic dysfunction in a transgenic rabbit model of human cardiomyopathy through thiol-sensitive mechanisms. Circulation. 2009 Mar 17;119(10):1398-407. Epub 2009 Mar 2.

Publications (cont.)

Omar Barakat, Gabriela C. Rodriguez, Isaac Raijman, Paul M. Allison, Claire F. Ozaki, Robert P. Wood: The clinical Value of Hepatocyte Growth factor in Patients with Peri-ampullary cancer Before and After Pancreaticoduodenectomy. Digestive Disease Week 50’th annual meeting. May 30- June 3, 2009. Chicago, IL.

Omar Barakat, Gabriela C. Rodriguez, Paul M. Allison, Javier Nieto, Claire F. Ozaki, Robert P Wood: Plasma Hepatocyte Growth Factor assay as a tumor marker for malignant liver tumors.

Digestive Disease Week 50th Annual meeting. May 30-June 3, 2009. Chicago, IL.

Suet Nee Chen, Gabriela Rodriguez, Grazyna Czernuszewicz, Un-Ho Jin, Jianping Jin, and Ali J Marian: TRIM63, Encoding MuRF1, is a Novel Gene for Human Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Circulation, 23 November 2010; 122: A21194.

Omar Barakat, Gabriela C Rodriguez, Isaac Raijman, Paul Allison, Javier Nieto, Claire F Ozaki, Robert P Wood, David A Ingler: Clinical Value of Plasma Hepatocyte Growth Factor Measurement for the Diagnosis of Periampullary Cancer and Prognosis After Pancreaticoduodenectomy. J Surg Onc 2010; 102:816-820.

Danny Alexander, Raffaella Lombardi, Gabriela Rodriguez, Matthew M. Mitchell, Ali J. Marian: Metabolomic distinction and insights into the pathogenesis of human primary dilated cardiomyopathy. Eur J Clin Invest. 2010 Dec 14. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2010.02441.x.

Publications (cont.)

Gabriela Rodriguez, Aijin Z. Starr, Grazyna Czernuszewicz, Amit Manhas, Ahmad Alhariri, James T Willerson, Craig J Reist, Karen Piper, Kenneth Mahaffey, Al J Marian and Neil S Kleiman: Determinants of plasma vitamin D levels in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Eur J Clin Invest. 2011 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2011.02540.x.

Gabriela Rodriguez, Tomomi Ueyama, Takehiro Ogata, Grazyna Czernuszewicz, Yanli Tan, Gerald W. Dorn II, Roberta Bogaev, Katsuya Amano, Hidemasa Oh, Hiroaki Matsubara, James T. Willerson and Ali J. Marian: Molecular Genetic and Functional Characterization Implicate Muscle-Restricted Coiled-Coil Gene (MURC) as a Causal Gene for Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Circ Cardiovasc Genet June 3, 2011.

Alessandra Ruggiero, Suet Nee Chen, Raffaella Lombardi, Gabriela Rodriguez, Ali J Marian: Pathogenesis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Caused by Myozenin 2 Mutations Is Independent of Calcineurin Activity. Cardiovasc Res. 2012 Sep 17;: 22987565.

Omar Barakat, Shahrzad Abbasi, Gabriela Rodriguez, Jessie Rios, R. Patrick Wood, Claire Ozaki, Laurie S. Holley, and Polly K. Gauthier: Use of Decellularized Porcine Liver for Engineering Humanized Liver Organ. Journal of Surgical Research 173, e11–e25 (2012).

Alessandra Ruggiero, Suet Nee Chen, Raffaella Lombardi, Gabriela Rodriguez, and Ali J. Marian: Pathogenesis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by myozenin 2 mutations is independent of calcineurin activity. Cardiovascular Research (2013) 97, 44–54.

Gabriela Rodriguez, Arturo Martinez, Marco Viramontes-So, Leopoldo Sanmiguel, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Jose Limon, Lucia Chavez, Leonel Gradillo, Ariel Ortiz Lagardere: A New Bariatric Procedure: The Stomach Sparing Gastric Sleeve™️. Surgical Technology International XXVII Bariatric Surgery (2015)1-7.

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bariatric surgeon dr. ariel ortiz in tijuana, mexico

Ariel Ortiz MD, FACS, FASMBS

Medical Director / Director of Bariatric Surgery

Board-Certified Bariatric Surgeon

Arturo Martinez, MD

Bariatric Surgeon Chief of Surgery

Board-Certified Bariatric Surgeon

Lucia Chavez, NC.

Chief Nutritionist

Chief of Nutrition

Gabriela Rodriguez, MD, PhD

Bariatric Surgeon and Director of Research

Board-Certified Bariatric Surgeon
MEET OUR TEAM

Dare to Compare

OCC

  • 50 Years combined experience

  • Proven/published safety track record

  • Trademark innovations & techniques

  • Safest Most effective procedures

  • No brokers / middlemen

Others

  • New to the industry

  • Hearsay

  • Conventional

  • Unverified claims

  • Brokers fee up to 30%, low budget surgical team

Learn Why OCC is your clear choice

Medical Tourism

It is completely safe to travel to Mexico and have surgery with us at OCC. Over 100 people from the USA come to Mexico every single month to have surgery with Dr. Ortiz and achieve optimal results. We even take care of patients by shuttling them between the hotel and hospital, as well as across the border.

We have passed the most rigorous accreditations and now display a List of Awards and Designations of Quality bestowed upon the Hospital and the Surgeons. In order for the Obesity Control Center to be awarded the various distinctions and designations by third party quality accreditation organizations, we had to go through rigorous year-long reviews that examined every aspect of our practice, including the staff, surgeons, and facilities. We are one of only a few international hospitals to be awarded these designations. We are fully accredited as a Center of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery and our Surgeons have been designated Surgeons of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, and have also obtained the Golden Seal awarded by the Joint Commission International that signifies that we have met the highest standards in patient safety and quality available in healthcare.

If you have any questions or concerns about traveling to Mexico for bariatric surgery, please contact The Obesity Control Center. A member of our team would be happy to speak to you about what you can expect during your weight-loss surgery process.

Learn More

Obesity Control Center

Trusted Solutions for a Healthier Life

An innovative, and industry-leading metabolic weight loss center of excellence that helps people from around the world achieve their weight loss goals using lifestyle changes and the most modern and safe techniques in bariatric surgery.

  1. Highest Safety Standards

    Fully Accredited and follow the highest US medical safety standards. Lowest complication and infection rate with a 20+ year track record of successful surgeries.

  2. Cutting-Edge Innovation & Experience

    Pioneered multiple techniques used around the world, such as an improved gastric sleeve. Co-developed the gastric balloon & double buttress procedures. Performed over 23,000 successful procedures.

  3. Comprehensive 5 Year Post-Op Care

    OCC guides you through five-years of post-op care through our app, online support groups, and US-based on-call patient coordinators. You become part of our family.

  4. All-Inclusive Concierge Service

    Includes service to and from the airport, guidance over the border and five-star accommodations. OCC is your partner from initial consultation to five years of post-surgery follow-up.

  5. Fast Track Surgery

    Work with patients to get them safely prepared from consultation to surgery in as fast as 4-6 weeks.

Learn More About OCC Download Our Brochure

Dr. Rodriguez started taking interest in helping others at the age of eight years old. She began taking her first courses of First Aid and CPR, then she became a volunteer in a non-profit rescue team (Rescate Halcones, A.C.) in Tijuana and also joined Scouts of Mexico. By the time she turned thirteen years old, she was the youngest paramedic certified in Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)