Dr. Roberto Fuentes-Juárez

Dr. Roberto Fuentes-Juárez is a consultant gastroenterologist and therapeutic endoscopist at Hospital General San Juan de Dios in Guatemala City — one of Guatemala's largest public hospitals and a principal centre for specialist medicine in Central America. With 15 years of gastroenterology practice, Dr. Fuentes-Juárez provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal and hepatological services.

Guatemala faces a significant burden of chronic liver disease, driven by high prevalence of hepatitis B and C infection, alcohol-related liver disease, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. Dr. Fuentes-Juárez's hepatology sub-specialty equips him to manage these conditions through antiviral therapy, cirrhosis monitoring, and the management of portal hypertension complications including oesophageal varices and ascites.

He is an active therapeutic endoscopist, performing upper GI endoscopy, colonoscopy, and advanced procedures including ERCP for biliary and pancreatic disease. He leads the hospital's colorectal cancer screening programme and has been instrumental in improving access to endoscopic procedures for patients who previously lacked specialist gastroenterological care in Guatemala. He also consults at private clinics, making his services accessible to Guatemala City's growing medical tourism patient base.

Dr. Fuentes-Juárez completed his medical degree at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) — the country's national public university and Guatemala's principal medical training institution. He completed his specialty in Gastroenterology at Universidad Francisco Marroquín, undergoing clinical training at Hospital General San Juan de Dios and Guatemalan private hospitals.

He subsequently undertook a Fellowship in Hepatology at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara in Mexico, gaining advanced training in cirrhosis management, hepatitis antiviral therapy, and the management of portal hypertension. He is certified by the Guatemalan Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos and is an active member of the Asociación Guatemalteca de Gastroenterología (AGG) and the Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver (ALEH).

Dr. Fuentes-Juárez's gastroenterology practice encompasses both luminal and hepatobiliary disease. His endoscopy practice includes diagnostic and therapeutic upper GI endoscopy, colonoscopy, and ERCP for the management of biliary stones, strictures, and pancreatic disease. He performs variceal band ligation for the primary and secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients — a frequent complication in Guatemala's liver disease population.

In hepatology, he manages all stages of chronic liver disease including NAFLD/NASH, alcoholic hepatitis, hepatitis B and C (including direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C), autoimmune hepatitis, and decompensated cirrhosis. He coordinates liver transplant evaluation referrals with Mexican and American transplant centres. His inflammatory bowel disease practice includes diagnosis and biologic therapy initiation for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, coordinating with surgical colleagues for IBD complications.

Guatemala City is readily accessible from the United States and Mexico, with direct flights from major North American airports. Dr. Fuentes-Juárez sees patients from the United States, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras who seek gastroenterological assessment and therapeutic endoscopy at significantly lower cost than in North America.

He conducts video consultations in Spanish and English for international patients who wish to review their symptoms, laboratory results, or previous endoscopy reports before arranging a visit to Guatemala City. He provides comprehensive endoscopy reports in English for international patients and facilitates ongoing communication with referring or follow-up physicians in other countries.

Dr. Fuentes-Juárez has been recognised by the Asociación Guatemalteca de Gastroenterología for his contributions to endoscopy services and liver disease management in Guatemala. He has presented at the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Gastroenterología (SLAGE) congress and ALEH annual meetings on hepatitis C outcomes in Guatemala following the introduction of direct-acting antivirals.

He has received the Hospital San Juan de Dios clinical excellence commendation for expanding specialist gastroenterology services and serves as a faculty instructor for gastroenterology trainees and medical students at the hospital.