Dr. Luis A. Betances

Education

  • OBS Business School and the University of Barcelona. Executive MBA (Master in Business Administration) 2017
  • BARNA Business School. Santo Domingo, Rep. Dom. Sept. 2007. Diploma in General Management of Administrative Management.
  • University of Nice-Sofia-Antipolis, Nice, France 1994 Diploma of Video-Laparoscopic General Surgery.
  • University of Aix-Marseille II, Marseille, France n 1994
    Interuniversity Diploma in General Surgery
    Thesis: "Partial Hepatectomy with Resection of the Inferior Vena Cava"
  • University of Aix-Marseille II, Marseille, France 1993 Diploma in Digestive Endoscopy
  • University of Aix-Marseille II, Marseille, France 1991 Diploma in Anatomy and Surgical Techniques
  • Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), Santo Domingo, Rep. Sun 1988,
    Doctor in medicine

Member of:

  • International Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), since 2003
  • International Federation of Surgeons of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases IFSO.
  • American Society of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons SAGES.
  • Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons SLS.
  • Dominican Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgeons.
  • SODOCIMEB (Vice President 2012-2014)
  • Dominican College of Surgeons, Vocal 2016-2018, 2018-2020
  • Latin American Association of Endoscopy Surgeons (ALACE)
  • Latin American Association of Endoscopy Surgeons (ALACE), past delegate.
  • Dominican Association for the Study of Obesity (ASODEO).
  • Medical Tourism Association
  • Current Medical Director of the Medical Center for Diabetes, Obesity and Specialties (CEMDOE)
  • Medical Director of the Center for Diagnosis, Advanced Medicine and Telemedicine (CEDIMAT), 2016-2018.
  • Director and Head of the Department of Surgery and Medical Specialties, CEDIMAT
  • Director of the Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery Program, CEDIMAT
  • Director of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program, CEDIMAT
  • Founder and Director of the Bariatric Institute.
  • Founder and Director of the Bariatric Care Foundation.
  • Member of the Editorial Board of the Ibero-American Bariatric & Metabolic BMI Magazine.
  • Past Editorial member of the Bariatric Times Magazine in Spanish.
  • Advisor to the Caribbean Health Travel Magazine.
  • Consultant for Apollo Endosurgery in research work and creation and application of medical devices.
  • Proctor and consultant for Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon Endosurgery.
  • Director Fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Bariatric and
    Metabolic CEDIMAT-INTEC.
  • Post Bariatric Weight Gain. International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), Dubai, 2018.
  • First Leaders Academy. Johnson & Johnson Medical Innovation Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil, March, 2015.
  • Certificate of Completion Part Two Leaders Acadamy Program. Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2014.
  • Abdominal Wall Closure training course. Preceptorship training course. Brazil, February 2014.
  • Obesity Week. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Atlanta, Georgia. November 2013.
  • Gastric Sleeve Complications, Endoscopic and Surgical Solutions.
  • Advanced Bariatric Life Support (ABLS).
  • Managing Complications Bariatric Surgeries.
  • Metabolic Surgical Update. New physiological procedures and clinical trends.
  • Minimally Invasive Rectal Surgery (TAMIS). San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 2013.
  • Metabolic Applied Research Strategy (MARS COURSE), Bogota, Colombia Nov 2012.
  • SUMMIT OF ADVANCED BARIATRIC SURGERY 2012. May 2012. Bogotá, Colombia.
  • Annual Congress of the American Society for Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery SAGES 2012. San Diego. AC. USES
    • Laparoscopic Colon Surgery Course.
    • Course on Metabolic Surgery for Type II Diabetes.
  • Congress of the American Society for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Surgery ASMBS, 2012. San Diego. AC. USES
    • Course on Management of Complications in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery.
    • Course of Endoscopic Therapeutics applied in Bariatric Surgery complications
  • Congress of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. ASMBS. 2011
    • Metabolic Surgery Update, Advancement of Bariatric Surgery in Latin America,
    • Advancement of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery. June, 2011
  • Masters in Metabolic Surgery, IFSO Latinoamericano, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia March 2011.
  • Seminar at the Institute of Endo-Surgery on the Approach carried out in Weight Loss Surgery. Cincinnati, OH. September 2007.
  • Proctor of the Hand-assisted Laparoscopy Program for Large Intestine Removal, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Jay Redan, MD March, 2006.
  • Master in: Bariatric Surgery. American Society for Bariatric Surgery, June-July, 2005.
  • CME "Bariatric Surgery": American College of Surgeons. San Francisco, CA, October, 2005.
  • Comprehensive 4-day Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery Training Program including: Advanced Training in Multidisciplinary Adjustment for the United States in Bariatric, Fort Lauderdale, FL. with Robert Marema MD, July, 2004
  • Course in Advanced Bariatric Surgery, 21st. Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery ASMBS, San Diego, CA, June, 2004.
  • Course in Bariatric Surgery, American College of Surgeons (ACS), 2003
  • Certification in Gastric By-Pass: Surgical Treatment of Mobid Obesity,
    University of Virginia Health System, M.Gagner Pr. M. Vix Dr. 2003.
  • Left and Right Adrenalectomy Laparoscopy Certification, University of Virginia Health System, J. Mascareux. Pr., D. Mutter Pr. 2003
  • Certificate of Participation in Bariatric Surgery in the General Department of Vascular Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Minimal Invasive Surgery Section of Cleveland Clinic in Weston with Dr. Raúl Rosenthal, 2003.
  • Certification in Bariatric Surgery (Gastric By-Pass Laparoscopy) with 90 hours of Manual Surgical Practice, Johnson and Johnson, with Dr. Dillip Dan, Proctor, 2003.
  • Certification in Bariatric Surgery (Adjustable Swedish Gastric Band) OBTECH, Johnson and Johnson, with Dr. Javier de la Garza, 2003.
  • Certification in Bariatric Surgery (Lap-Band Techniques) Bioenterics with Pr. GBCardiere, Brussels, Belgium 2002.
  • Course of Advanced Surgery in Laparoscopy, European Center for Laparoscopic Surgery, Brussels, Belgium 2002
  • Laparoscopic Surgery Seminar, University of Nice-Sofia-Antipolis in the city of Nice, France 1994.
  • Laparoscopic Training Course and Seminar, at Laveran Armees Hospital, Marseille, France 1992.
  • Certification of Preparatory Studies for the Specialty of General Surgery, University of Aix-Marsella II, 1990.
  • 37th Congress of the Dominican College of Surgeons, "Metabolic Surgery" Where we are today "Punta Cana, RD 2019. Faculty.
  • CSTAR International Cosmetic Surgery Travel and Recovery. "Bariatric Surgery abroad" New York, USA. Exhibitor
  • XVII Congress of the Latin American Diabetes Association ALAD, “Metabolic Surgery in Diabetes” Nov 2019. Faculty.
  • LAF Latinoamerican Forum, Masters in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Boston, 2018. Faculty
  • Summer Congress College of Surgeons, Bávaro, Punta Cana, Dom. Rep. 2018. Metabolic Surgery, Speaker.
  • XV Medical Scientific Conference Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras. Metabolic Surgery. Sto Dgo 2017. Faculty
  • XXI International Congress of the Dominican College of Surgeons CDC. "Metabolic Surgery, Where We Are Today" Bavaro Punta Cana, RD. 2016. Faculty
  • LatinAmerican Forum 2017. Updates in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Orlando Fl, August 2017.
  • XIV Medical Scientific Conference Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras. Bariatric Surgery and Cancer. Sto Dgo 2016. Faculty
  • Lationoamerican Forum 2016, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX. USA, June 2016.
  • IFSO 2015. International Federation of Obesity Surgery and Disorders
    metabolic. Vienna, Austria. August, 2015.
  • Train the Trainers - Bariatric Surgeons, March 2015, Johnson and Johnson Institute Medical Innovation, Sao Paulo, Brazil 2015.
  • FELAC Congress (Latin American Federation of Laparoscopy). And the XXI Congress to the Dominican College of Surgeons. “There is a place for the Duodenal Switch post Gastric Bypass failure” June, 2015. Faculty
  • Latinamerican Forum Master 2015, Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. June 2015. Faculty
  • 1st Caribbean Congress on Eating Disorders and Bariatric Psychology. Bavaro Punta Cana, RD. Nov 2014. Faculty
  • XIX World Congress International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders IFSO 2014.
  • XX International Congress of the College of Dominican Surgeons CDC. Bavaro Punta Cana, RD. 2014 Faculty
    - "Dark side of Bariatric Surgery Part 2".
    - What to do in The Weight Gain in the Gastric Sleeve.
  • 1st Forum Advances in Metabolic Surgery, Bogota, Colombia Oct 2013.
  • XIX International Congress of the Dominican College of Surgeons Metabolic Surgery
    in Non-OBESE patients. July 2012. Faculty
  • SUMMIT OF ADVANCED BARIATRIC SURGERY TOP GUN. May 2012. Bogotá,
    Colombia.
  • XI Latin American Congress of Obesity and 1st Dominican Congress of Bariatric Surgery, Metabolic Surgery in Non-Obese Patients. Bávaro, Rep. Dom. Sept 2012. Faculty
  • X Medical Scientific Conference Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras, CEDIMAT. Master Lecture: Metabolic Surgery in the treatment of Type II Diabetes Mellitus. Faculty
  • Annual Congress of the American Society for Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery SAGES 2012. San Diego. AC. USES
    - Laparoscopic Colon Surgery Course.
    - Course of Metabolic Surgery for Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Annual Congress of the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery 2012. ASMBS San Diego. AC. USES
    - Course Management of Complications in Bariatric Surgery.
    - Course of Endoscopic Therapeutics applied in Bariatric Surgery complications.
  • Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Building the future. Summit 2011, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Panelist and Teacher.
  • IV Latin American Congress of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Cartagena, Colombia March 2011.
  • XI National Summer Congress 2011, Dominican College of Surgeons "Gastrointestinal Surgery and Diabetes. What have we learned ?" Faculty
  • Experience in Management of Leaks, Fistulas and Dehiscences in Bariatric Surgery at CEDIMAT.
  • Review of the first 1000 cases of Bariatric Surgery of the Bariatric Institute.
  • Conference Annual Congress of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery and
    Metabolic ASMBS 2011. Miami. FL. USES
    - Course of Surgery for Natural Orifices NOTES
    - Metabolic Surgery to treat Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras. Comparison of Gastric Bypass Vs. Sleeve Gastrectomy for loss and effectiveness in controlling associated comorbidities in CEDIMAT. Sept. 2010. Faculty
  • XVIII International Congress of the College of Surgeons. Update on the management of complications in Bariatric Surgery. Bávaro, Rep. Dom. July, 2010. Exhibitor
  • VII Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras Conference on Advanced Surgery for Minimally Invasive Surgery. Metabolic Surgery DJB-SG new solution for Type II Diabetes. San Francisco de Macorís, Sept. 2009. Faculty
  • Bariatric Lap Band Laparoscopy, American College of Surgeons, 58tava. Annual Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 2008. Faculty.
  • BEST Bariatric Endoscopic Surgery Trends. Complications in Bariatric Surgery by Videolaparoscopy - Diagnosis and Treatment of Complications in Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery, Puerto Alegre, Brazil. August 2007. Faculty.
  • IV Medical Scientific Conference Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez: Future Technology. Presentation of Surgical Technique: Fobi Surgery. Sto. Dgo., Dominican Republic, July 2006. Faculty.
  • VII Latin American Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. "Bariatric Surgery of the Caribbean". Miami, FL. July 2006. Lecturer.
  • VIII Roundtable Conference on Bariatric Surgery. Summer Congress of the Dominican College of Surgeons. July 2005. Faculty.
  • III Medical Scientific Conference Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez. March 2005. Faculty.
  • Xvo. French Congress of Laparoscopic Surgery SFCL. Experience in the first 100 cases of Surgery, Bariatric Institute. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, January 2005. Lecturer
  • Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Case Series A 120. Presented at the XXV South-East Session, Marseille, January 1995. Lecturer
  • Mitie: Houston Methodist Institute for Technology Innovation & Education. LAF Masters. LatinoAmerican Forum Masters. Houston, Texas, June 2016.
  • Dominican Association for the Study of Obesity ASODEO. "Metabolic Surgery and DM II Advantages and Disadvantages" La Romona, RD July 2016. Faculty
  • XXV Central American and Caribbean Conference of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy. Punta Cana, RD 2015. Lecturer.
  • XXI Congress of the Latin American Federation of Surgery FELAC. "Exost a place for the BPD for failure of the GBP". Bavaro Punta Cana, RD. June 2015.
  • Metabolic Surgery: State of the art 2014. Obesity Week. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Boston, MA. November 2014.
  • Nutrition I and II in Bariatric patients. Obesity Week ASMBS. Boston, MA. November.
  • IFSO World Congress 2014. Montreal, Canada. August 2014.
  • Endoscopic Bariatric Procedure
  • Dominican College of Surgeons Congress CDC. Dark side of Bariatric Surgery II. Bávaro, Rep. Dom. June 2014 Faculty
  • Gastroenterology Conference: Surgical treatment of GERD. Moderator. Dominican Society of Gastroenterology. Santo Domingo, RD May 2014.
  • LAF Latinoamerican Forum Celebration, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. Orlando, FL. January 2014.
  • 30th. Annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery ASMBS. Obesity Week. Atlanta Georgia. November 2013.
  • 1st Forum Advances in Metabolic Surgery. Exhibitor. Bogota Colombia. October 2013.
  • LAF (Latin American Forum). Speaker: Bleeding in Bariatric Surgery. Celebration. Nickelson Center. Orlando, FL. August 2013. Faculty
  • IFSO Latin American. Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Cusco, Peru, May 2013.
  • Annual Congress of the American Society for Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery SAGES 2012. San Diego. AC. USES
  • XI Latin American Congress of Obesity and 1st Dominican Congress of Bariatric Surgery, Bávaro, Dom Rep. Sept 2012
  • Annual Congress of the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery 2012. ASMBS San Diego. AC. USES
  • XXII World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. SAGES 2010, April 2010.
    - Postgraduate Course in Bariatric Surgery: New technologies, Reviews,
    Endoluminal and Simple Port Access Surgery.
    - Postgraduate Course in Bariatric Surgery around the world.
    - Hands on Endoluminal / NOTES Lab.
    - Symposium on Metabolic Surgery: Current status.
  • Advanced Bariatric Surgery: Plenary Session, Controversies in Bariatric Surgery. San Diego, CA. June 2007.
  • II International Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Experience in the first 180 cases of minimally invasive Bariatric Surgery. Bariatric Institute. Havana Cuba. November, 2005.
  • XVI Pan American Congress of Endocrinology. Bariatric Surgery. To whom, how and when. Bavaro, Dominican Republic, 2005.
  • 89th. Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, 2003.
  • European Congress of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery. Bruzelas, Belgium. 2002.
  • XIX. Assembly of the Federation of Latin American Hospitals, Sto. I say. nineteen ninety six.
  • 96vo. French Congress of Surgery, Paris, France 1994.
  • XXV South-East Surgery Session, Marseille, France, January 1995.
  • XVI Pathological Session of Digestive Surgery and Video Laparoscopy, Nice. February 1994.
  • First Session of Pediatric Surgery de la Timone, Marseille, France 1993.
  • First Medical Surgical Meeting of Hepatogastroenteritis, Marseille, France,
    November 1993.
  • 95th. French Congress of Surgery, Paris. October 1993.
  • Digestive Surgery Surgical Session, Surgical Dr. FEKETE, Xavier Bichat Faculty of Medicine, Paris, France, April 1993.
  • XXIII South-East Surgical Session, Marseille, France 1991.
  • XXII Surgical Session of the South-East, Marseille, France 1990.
  • Third Annual Thoracic Imaging Session, Marseille, France 1990.
  • Thesis advisor: Recurrence of Obesity in Patients undergoing Bariatric Surgery at CEDIMAT period 2007-2008. UNIBE, Santo Domingo, RD. 2016
  • Thesis advisor: "Post-surgical complications in metabolic and bariatric surgery patients at CEDIMAT". Period from 2013 to 2015 ”. UNIBE Santo Domingo, RD. 2016.
  • Thesis advisor: "Bariatric Surgery Vs Medical treatment in the metabolic control of overweight diabetic patients in CEDIMAT". Period 2009-2013. UNIBE, Santo Domingo, RD. 2015
  • Thesis advisor: "Post-surgical complications in metabolic and bariatric surgery patients at CEDIMAT". Period January 2012-January 2013 ”. UNIBE, December 2013
  • Thesis advisor: "Metabolic Changes in patients with Restrictive Bariatric versus Malabsorptive / Mixed surgery 5 years after the procedure, in Cedimat", Period January 2006-December 2011. Santo Domingo, RD September 2013.
  • Thesis advisor: "Clinical-Surgical Profile of patients undergoing Bariatric surgery, at Cedimat". January-June 2011, Santo Domingo, RD March 2012.
  • Thesis advisor: "Pre and Post Bariatric Surgery Left Atrial Diameter in Obese Patients Who Received Assistance in a Selected Private Center in the City of Santo Domingo, RD Period August 2005 - August 2009" September 2012.
  • Thesis advisor: "Left atrial growth in obese patients who received assistance in a selected private center in the city of Santo Domingo, RD". During a period August 2005-August 2009 ”. March 2011.
  • Research: Surgical Resolution Study for Type 2 Diabetes, currently in the final phase of execution, for publication.
  • Research: Endoscopic gastric plication study, CEDIMAT. July 2012.
  • Research: Endoscopic Stoma Reduction Study, CEDIMAT. July 2012.
  • Research: Vyscera SPP-Study: Safety and Efficacy of the Vyscera Weight Loss System to Achieve Preoperative Weight Loss in Morbidly Obese Patients Before Gastric Bypass Surgery; "A Feasibility Study", 2012.
  • Research: Apollo Endosurgery Transgastric Peritoneal Access System Clinical Study. 2008.
  • Thesis: “Partial Hepatectomy with Resection of the inferior Vena Cava University of Aix-Marseille II, Marseille, France.
  • Research: Rare liver tumor: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Literature review of clinical and therapeutic aspects. Presentation of cases. Presented at the XXV South-East Session, Marseille, January 1995.
  • Research: Problems presented in the replacement of the Suprarenal Vena Cava in the course of partial hepatectomy. Regarding Observations, Presented at the XXV South-East Session, Marseille, January 1995.
  • Research: Initial Post-Operative Tomography Study in Pneumectomized Patients - Third Annual Thoracic Imaging Session, Marseille, 1990.
  • Honorary Professor of the Medical Residency Programs in the Area of Health Sciences. Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo INTEC, Sto Dgo. April 2018
  • Recognition by the Ministry of Public Health in the II Santo Domingo Scientific Conference June 2018 "Approach to Obesity from Different Perspectives" Lecturer, June 2018
  • Outstanding Graduate Award in Health Sciences Areas of the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo INTEC, 2013
  • Recognition of the 110 Magazine for its trajectory and vocation of service. January 2013.
  • FONDOCYT Contest Award Scientific research papers on the topic: Surgical Resolution of Type 2 Diabetes. MESCYT. 2009.
  • Award for Quality and Service Dr. Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez for his positive attitude, vocation of service and practice of values
    constantly and enthusiastically, CEDIMAT. December 2009.
  • Juan Manuel Taveras Rodríguez Award for the Implementation of Advanced Surgery Techniques and Collaboration in professional training. December 2006.
  • Management Practice Certificate. GE Healthcare. Nov. 2005.
  • Award for the First Center with Total Care of Bariatric patients in Central America and the Caribbean (Total Patient Care). Johnson And Johnson. 2004.

Native language: Spanish
Other languages: French - Excellent, fluidity and accuracy. Efficient, reading and writing ability.
English - Good listener, speaks and writes.

Interviews

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