Almater Hospital

The lifestyle of truck drivers can lead to many health problems and many drivers are looking at the new safety initiative, CSA 2010 as focusing on the problem of obesity and sleep apnea.  Actually, it has more to do with the DOT, however, the concerns drivers are having is due to the following statement, found in the CSA 2010 document which states:

“Driver Fitness BASIC—Operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications.” The “medical qualification” that many drivers are concerned with, is the possible disqualification due to being overweight.

Concerned about the BMI tests and the costs of the CPAP, as well as the possibility of losing their jobs, many truck drivers are investigating the option of gastric sleeve surgery.  Furthermore, many truck drivers with a BMI of 30 and over are looking at CSA 2010 as the incentive to lose the weight that they have been wanting to lose anyway, but due to the trucking lifestyle, never had that “push” they needed to do so.

We have done exhaustive research into this procedure and wanted to share what we have discovered with our readers :

Gastric sleeve surgery in the United States will cost between $18,000 and $35,000 and many insurance providers will not pay for the procedure unless the patient has a BMI of 40 or more, or if there is a health risk involved such as diabetes or heart disease.  With the average long haul truck driver making $32,000 per year, it is nearly impossible for them to have the Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure.  More truck drivers across the country have discovered another alternative with incredible results.

To learn the truth, we went directly to the source :

Almater Hospital is a private hospital with state of the art equipment, located in Mexicali, Mexico.  Dr. Alberto Aceves specializes in the gastric sleeve surgery and has performed nearly 1000 surgeries.  His credentials include:

• Member American College of Surgeon
• Member American Society for Briatric and Metabolic Surgery
• Current President of the Mexican Association for Bariatric Surgery
• Member International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity
• Member Mexican Association of Endoscopic Surgery
• Member Mexican Association of General Surgery
• Member General Surgeons College of Mexicali
• FACS  (American College of Surgeons)

Dr. Aceves and Staff

We contacted Dr. Aceves’ staff to discuss the gastric sleeve surgery and to learn more about him and the Almater Hospital.  The biggest concern with a sleeve surgery is having a leak.  Dr. Aceves has never had a leak with any of the sleeve surgeries he has performed.  The Almater Hospital is above the statistics for this procedure and no other doctor in the United States or Mexico has this great of a record with this number of surgeries performed.

In the U. S. most sleeve surgeries are done as an out-patient procedure.  Dr. Aceves keeps his patients in the Almater Hospital for three days for recovery.  He and his staff’s biggest concern for American patients is that they will get trapped in attending one of the many facilities in Mexico that offer the procedure at a very low price, but in return, they are having a great deal of complications, including infections and poor sterilization.  Dr. Aceves and the Almater Hospital believe in not sacrificing quality to lower prices.   Speaking with Nina Eguia, patient coordinator at the hospital, she told us:

“The doctors in Mexico doing surgery at lower prices are having a lot of complications and sacrificing quality.  It is a shame that patients go to them to save money and end up with complications they really cannot afford or having to stay off work for months to recover, because procedures are not done correctly or with sanitary standards.”

The Almater Hospital in Mexicali, Mexico are seeing and hearing from more American truck drivers and we wanted to research this more.  What we found is an excellent hospital and staff with exceptional standards.   As the U. S. is charging $18,000 to $35,000 for the gastric sleeve surgery, Dr. Aceves total cost for the procedure, including the hospital stay and everything . . . is  $9,500.

As CSA 2010 grows closer and truck drivers are threatened by their BMI in regards to a possible positive sleep apnea diagnosis, they are questioning the use and cost of forced and  expensive  sleep apnea testing and a CPAP machine.  Instead of only treating the effect of the problem, why not treat the cause?   The cause being the overweight issue that they feel they may be flagged for . . .

I feel that this information on Dr. Aceves and the Almater Hospital in Mexicali, Mexico is imperative for truck drivers facing this problem to be aware of . . . in fear of losing their jobs and the fact that they look at CSA 2010 as the push they needed to do something about their weight and to become healthier . . . if there is another reliable, trustworthy and safe solution that will save them thousands of dollars . . . then we wanted to provide this information for them.

Let’s face it . . . how many truckers can afford $18,000 to $35,000 even when their livelihoods are at stake?  Dr. Alberto Aceves and his professional staff at Almater Hospital are making the impossible . . . possible.

For more information contact:

© 2010, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: Almater Hospital, CSA 2010, Dr. Alberto Aceves, gastric sleeve, gastric sleeve surgery, Mexicali, Mexicali Bariatric Center, obesity, overweight, truck drivers

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By: Allen Smith

There may be a new regulation coming for the trucking industry.  If so, this new requirement could effect as many as 3.9 million licensed commercial truck drivers, according to a recent study by the Cambridge Health Alliance.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea, lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep.  Clinically significant levels of sleep apnea are defined as five or more episodes per hour of any type of apnea.  There are three distinct forms of sleep apnea:  central, obstructive and complex ( a combination of central and obstructive).  Regardless of type, the individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening.   Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, or a Sleep Study.  This “Sleep Study” may be the laying foundation for the new trucking regulation.

Truckers with severe sleep apnea or who sleep less than five hours a night are more likely to experience sleepiness and impaired ability while driving, one study concluded.  Furthermore, studies have shown that obesity is the most significant risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea.   Over 60% of adult Americans  are categorized as being overweight.  Each year obesity causes at least three hundred thousand deaths in the United States.  The statistics are even worse for truckers.

Studies show that approximately 73% of drivers are overweight and more than 50% are obese.   Because of these statistics, another aspect for the possible new regulation will be a required BMI test for truck drivers.  BMI ( Body Mass Index) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.  It is calculated by four different categories:

1. BMI of 18.5 or less = Underweight
2. 18.5 – 24.9 = Normal Weight
3. 25 – 29.9 = Overweight
4. 30 or greater = Obesity

As an example, an adult male who is 5′ 10″ tall and weighs 220 pounds, would calculate out with a BMI reading of 31.6, thus being regarded as obese.  An adult woman who is 5′ 8″ tall and weighs 150 pounds, would calculate out at 22.8 BMI, being regarded as normal weight.   You can calculate your BMI to see where you would fit in, if this was already a regulation for truckers.

Being discussed on the grounds of safety, sleep apnea testing, along with BMI calculations, is becoming more of a possibility as a new trucking regulation.  Even though this condition is completely treatable and reversible, I have heard from one source that one trucking company has said that they expect to lose 20% of their current drivers if this does become a regulation.   We have learned that many trucking companies are in a silent “panic mode” right now, and plan to either ask new driver applicants to take the sleep test, as well as considering current drivers in their employment to have the testing performed also.

Other factors which may be considered before someone could become a professional truck driver are:

• High blood pressure testing
• Their pattern of sleep
• Neck size
• Age

Their is a lot of underground talking going on about the problem of sleep apnea and obesity.   Don’t be surprised if this new testing soon becomes a new regulation for the trucking industry and our nation’s truck drivers.

UPDATE: Read our updated post from May 13th, 2010 -Sleep apnea testing coming soon for truck drivers.

© 2009 – 2010, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: apnea, BMI, body mass index, obesity, regulation, sleep apnea, sleep test, testing, truck drivers, Truckers, trucking, trucking companies, trucking regulation

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