GeezerSue

I was a revision to another surgery, so there is no way to know.

Rumbaut...10/15/2002...Monterrey, MX...no erosion.

Some of us see a man who deserves our respect and gratitude for trying to educate us. Some of us see a guy who jumped in to try to prevent any further damage to his reputation. I'm looking at a stark-naked emperor, myself. The people I respect and owe gratitude are in a whole different category. But, to each his/her own.

He may be from Mexico, but he attended school in the US and is a US resident, north of the border. There are advantages to having a practice south of the border. As far as the spelling errors and medical terminology...you should SEE his book! BTW, guess who pockets WAY more money on a banding...an Ohio surgeon or a Tijuana surgeon?

1--I am not eroded. 2--My band has been removed. (The dysmotility is greatly improved.) 3--I'm no longer all that supportive of the band, but will try to help those who have made a decision contrary to what I'd choose. 4--I have observed Dr. Pleatman offer reasonably-priced adjustments to those whom other US-based surgeons won't touch--or those who were going to be charged mucho--because they were banded in Mexico. I've also seen him catch hell for his manner of expressing things...not unlike this episode. 5--I didn't say one bad thing about Ortiz in this thread, because now you can all read how wonderful he is in his own post.

..in a hotel room. Sorry about the delay in posting. Post-op, it's so easy to read the boards, but it just feels like a jumbo hassle to post, especailly if it's more than one board. So, it was not only textbook, it went better than that. Doctor had scheduled his first surgery (me) for 7:00 a.m. and the second surgeryat 10:30. Only, by 9:15, Dr. K was all tidied up and talking to my husband. He later razzed me, saying that I had screwed up his schedule for the entire day. Also, my last two anesthesia debacles were overblown. At my post-op meet with the anesthesiologist, I was told that I was a "Class Three Intubation," and should mention that at my next surgery. At my next surgery, I did mention it, but that forewarned-is-fore-armed thing didn't work. That surgery was almost cancelled...a second surgeon and fiberoptics--and some good timing--became necessary. But here, they peeked in and said, "Oh, there it is," and they were done. After entering the OR and being tied down, I have zero recall until I awakened in my room. There's a shadow of a memory of being moved somewhere, but you wouldn't want me testifying in court on the subject. However, I DO remember Carmen. What a kick. There is Carmen and there are rules and the two have become one, haven't they? She was very kind to me and I felt safe in her hands. First night was fine. Second night was from hell. Everyone who needed to take something out of or add something into my body, plus those whose job it was to keep my body in motion, timed their visits at thirty minute intervals. And then everything that works fine in the daytime, malfuntions--and beeps--at night. So we got battey low warnings from machines which were not being operated on battery. Doctor arrived the next morning and dared to say, "Good morning." I responded, "Says who?" And he started to back away cautiously. The third night went better, and when doctor came by the next morning, before he could say anything, I said, "Why good morning, Sweet Cheeks!" He replied, "Well somebody had a BM." I said, "Not fair! You peeked at my chart." He said, "I didn't need to peek. I've been doing this long enough to have learned that a patient's personality is directly tied to how long it has been since his or her last bowel movement." I was released Thursday. We've been at a local hotel. I'm TRYING to get 80g of Protein in...the first 40-50 g goes pretty well, but after that, it's a real challenge. I went protein supplement shopping this morning. I've slept a lot, but I feel excellent. My "new best friend" has not figured from my voice or other clues that I've had the surgery. She's probably figuring that I went out of town to a pre-op exam...because I did that without telling her. So when I get home and she finally figures that I'm post-op, I think she'll scream. (She also does this to me. We both HATE pop-in visits and people who want to feed our husbands.) For the record, Dr. Roberto Rumbaut Diaz in Monterrey, Mexico, implanted this band, almost exactly as he did in the pre-FDA trials and as he has for several years now. Dr. Keshishian, my DS surgeon, can do a DS in 1.5 hours, but revisions almost always add to the time. My entire surgery took around two hours...maybe less. So a well-placed band and little scar tissue (that was my contribution) and not having erosion (pure luck) all contributed to a good game. Last night, my husband and I went to dinner at the coffee shop adjacent to the hotel. One of the waitresses used to work at the hospital. She kept asking when I'd be having my surgery and when it finally sunk in that I was four days post-op she was kind of in shock, claiming that I simply did not look like someone who had already HAD surgery. So, I guess I'm doing okay. Sue

...except for the damage it can cause... ...but people should be financially and emotionally ready to deal with surgery if it is needed... ...again, an additional surgery, and if an infection is involved, could signal erosion... ...MANY, MANY people (I'm one of them) have esophageal dilatation and unfills can only do so much... Well, as I've had the band and the DS, I'd like to add that my esophagus SEEMS to be getting better. But that was only after REMOVING THE BAND. and I'm still taking drugs for the band-induced motility problems. My DS-related problems so far include knowing that I'm not getting in enough Protein and Calcium (I'm working on it), and having clothes that fit for only a week at a time. I've lost as much weight in eight weeks with the DS as I did in eight MONTHS with the band. My knees are happier. Sue

I just think that before we assert that we speak other languages--or know how things are in other cultures or countries--we get a second opinion on our proficiency in such matters. While "~*~La Vita Esta Bella~*~" may mean something to YOU, it is not Spanish. Or Italian. Or even Portuguese. I hope you get correct information on the other issues, too. "GOOD parts of Mexico?" Are you serious? Sue

When you stay in the BETTER hotels, there are two Water fountains...one for washing and one for drinking. I wish my mother's stateside hospital in Orange County, CA, had been as clean as my rooms were in Monterrey, MX. Sue :::another Rumbaut patient, with no hygiene-related complications:::

I have a Bi-PAP. I inhale at 18 and exhale at 14. I don't need it now that I've lost almost 50 pounds since the DS surgery. BTW, research has shown that rats with the same sleep interruption as sleep apnea provides DO eat more and DO gain weight.

:clap2: "Spoken" like a true... Never mind. You've got to start hanging out in better places, and that includes better than Beverly Hills. Because, one of the reasons that "Heal the Bay's Beach Report Card" for certain west coast beaches--including those closest to Beverly Hills--has failing grades has more than a little to do with how many homeless folks are camped out there. So much for wealthy cities in "First World" countires.

All the photos you've seen here (of erosion, etc) were done on banded people.

IMHO, not a complication. You may just be one of those people who cannot eat potatoes or pasta. I was.

I had mine removed by Dr. Ara Keshishian, a DS surgeon in central California. It was part of my DS procedure. You can find him at www.dssurgery.com

I'm so not an attorney, but... 1--send the hospital a demand letter for the return of YOUR band stating the price if it is not returned and giving them ten days or whatever CA law says; 2--give them their ten days; 3--go to small claims court in Ventura County and file the case. Plan a trip to Ventura County. When the hospital says, "Oh, we gave that to...." ignore them. It is THEIR job to retrieve it, not yours. Small claims limit in CA just moved up to $7500.

I was banded in October of 2002. Had it removed in November of 2005.

I still "have" my band.

Probably not what you want to hear, but MY resolution was having the band removed. I couldn't live that way...not year after year. My esophagus is still acting that way, but less so than with the band. I'm hoping it will eventually just go away. Sue :::wondering how long it will take her to be attacked for saying, "MY experience with the band was like living a diet with a choke chain":::

One thing I would do first now is to have a motility study...manometry or whatever. I'd want to know the condition of my esophagus/stomach fucntion before deciding.

My recuperation from the surgery itself is nearly done. I'm still dealing with (probably band-related) dysmotility issues. I'm taking Reglan for that, and hope I soon don't need it. I've lost 35-37 pounds in 30 days with the DS. It took me about six months or so to do this with the band. Not that there's a race, but... Sue

Too many de-ported people...

Hi, guys! As far as food is concerned, Dr. Keshishian has a three-stage program. His "Bariatric I" diet is Clear liquids (minus red stuff). You graduate to "Bariatric II", full liquids--including applesauce, oatmeal, soft-boiled eggs, mashed potatoes (with some tofu thrown in) or rice with gravy--as soon as the first post-op BM, at which point you are relaeased to go home. About a week later, you move (if you haven't already) to Bariatric III, which is soft foods. That's good for a month and then it's time to start adding regular stuff. I spend most of my time throwing food away. Weird. But my capacity is a small baby food jar and, at that rate, a can of bean with bacon Soup would work for five meals...not too appealing. One of the hardest parts is getting in all the Water...64 oz/day. I'm still not there and I can see that I need more water. And Calcium supplements suck. My dysmotility is still bugging me, but I'm taking Reglan for it. I knew I needed it when I found myself having a lot of reflux/acidy stuff. I would eventually vomit, and it was still more like the infamous bandster barf/PB than vomiting. When food is exiting upwards, in the same condition it went DOWN, six or eight hours later, there is a problem. That's the problem I want to get resolved. (But at least we can't blame it on my not eating band-friendly foods.) Dr. Keshishian has his entire, three-ring binder of stuff online in pdf format at www.dssurgery.com Right now, I'm about 15 pounds over my lowest post-band weight. I'm hoping to be there--and out of MO-status--in another month. Sue

And, at that time, Lopez and Ortiz were partners, working out of the same office.

Can you, as a surgeon with experience in removing the LapBand, give me a ballpark on this? I was dx'ed with esophageal dysmotility secondary to adjustable gastric banding. The band was removed two weeks ago and a BPD/DS was performed. Have you any idea--based on your experience or that of your colleagues--how long it takes for the esophagus to heal itself? I'm having trouble getting in all my water because once the esophagus "clamps down," there is no point in trying to drink anything. Have you any wisdom to share? Sue

Nah Lisa...my bandng surgery went perfectly. And, partially because the band was "installed" so well, it came out in no time. I think I'm just one of those people who, sooner or later, was going to have an esophageal reaction just because the band is there.