Best Doctor in the Ajijic, San Antonio, Riberas, and Chapala Area.
My husband, Mark, and I moved to Ajijic in June of 2019. Mark has some serious health issues. His doctor in Missouri felt that moving to the Chapala area would greatly benefit his ability to keep his mobility and ease his pain. It was very important to find the right doctor. I began reading about every doctor in the area. One man’s testimony really caught my eye. He had found a doctor who did not dismiss his worries, who listened to him and was happy to explain his own reasoning for the man’s problems. The doctor went so far as to go with the man to a specialist appointment to ensure he would be comfortable. I knew this was the man I wanted to meet. We made an appointment to meet Dr. Santiago Hernandez-Martinez at his Chapala Med office next to the Laguna Mall near the Walmart. Dr. Hernandez was everything the man had said, and more. He speaks fluent English, went to school in the States. His office staff also speaks English. It is a comfortable and easy visit for ex-pats. You can read my husband’s account of his surgery on this page.
Here is my personal experience. I found a lump in my right breast. I called Dr. Hernandez’s office and I had an appointment with the radiologist on staff at the office within a few days of calling. The scan and the biopsy were done within a week. My diagnosis was cancer. I met with Dr. Delgado the Oncology Surgeon, Dr. Ignacio the Plastic Surgeon, and Dr. Hernandez within a week and plans were made for surgery. The surgery was performed as soon as I was ready. I was very pleased with my doctors. The surgery went smoothly and the care I had was excellent. I was also checked on daily by Dr. Hernandez or his staff. Dr. Hernandez has since been able to build the new hospital as well as build a network of excellent doctors that come down from Guadalajara to see patients and perform necessary surgeries there at the Hospital right there in San Antonio. My cancer was treated as important as I felt it needed to be. I felt in very capable hands.
We had to come back to the States because of our financial situation. Both of our surgeries set us back and we needed to use our insurance at home. My diagnosis was unique, triple-negative. My oncologist in the States had heard of it but never seen it. He was sure that my doctors in Mexico had diagnosed my tumor wrong. We called Dr. Hernandez and asked him to send up the slides of my biopsy. My oncologist had his lab run the test and the diagnosis was spot on. I never doubted and it was a great feeling to my new doctor to admit that Dr. Hernandez and his group were correct. My plastic surgeon here in the States has been equally pleased with Dr. Ignacio, my plastic surgeon in Mexico. It is our hope to go back to Mexico one day. We miss it and will go back to the Chapala Med Clinic when we do.
Mary (Katie) DePeralta
