WASaBubbleButt

Again you prove my point. During the trials the bands were not placed the same as today. There ARE NO 10 YEAR STATS for the technique of today. You continue talking about how today's band is not great because of the way they did things a long time ago. It's like saying surgery today doesn't work because in the 1800s people died from surgical complications. One has nothing to do with the other. It simply isn't accurate. They recognized a problem during the trials and so far everything you have provided is based on the old bands and old techniques. Your numbers still don't answer a lot of questions about how they came to those numbers to begin with. We don't know how the people were picked, did they all belong to a small group of doctors (likely so), were those docs any good? Did they have much experience with the band, what surgical technique did they use... I could go on all day long. So your numbers just don't work anymore because those techniques are no longer used. I think if you want to only find the negative and the bad, that's what you'll find. That does seem to be your focus and I don't really understand why. We shouldn't be looking for all negatives, we should be looking for a reasonable balance as that is closer to fact than focusing on all negatives or all positives. Regardless, there still aren't any 10 year stats for todays methods. They haven't been around for 10 years. With that said I do believe Inamed fudges their stats a bit, I don't buy the 1.3% erosion stats although I suspect that one might be close but I darn sure don't buy the 3% slip stats. They are finally coming clean and suggesting slips are closer to the 7% rate and that seems more reasonable. But in the beginning they were out to prove their product and just a most drug co's or businesses, they did what they had to, to make the product look more promising than it was. I think if you balance that with all the negatives you find, there might be some truth in the balance somewhere. For now it is the best and most safe surgical procedure I am aware of available today. That's all I can ask for as a patient.

Unjury is a brand of protein. Welcome to the UNJURY Homepage Atkins... the protein/calorie ration is not great. I use them every now and again because they come in a can and are convenient. But I don't know about quality one way or another. I would have to look at the label and see their QA process.

Angie... Welcome to the land of no drama and lots of sanity! We love having Wendell here, we aren't letting him go this time!

Every surgeon's instructions are different. Just remember to stick to room temp water (if you drink anything) within an hour or so of the fill. Cold fluids make some people spasm a bit and you won't get an accurate fill.

None of the symptoms you mention are remotely near those of a slip. Just relax, don't worry, and see your doc. So far it sounds like everything is going as it is supposed to.

Careful about eating too soon. How well you follow the post op diet sets the tone for the life of your band. If you don't follow the post op diet the band can't set in place as well and you risk a slip now or a year from now. You are playing with fire.

I have no idea the circumstances of StrawberryGrl but for those that haven't done the pre op diet, didn't follow instructions, etc., and their liver is slimey and full of fat, they might not be able to do it. I'd rather the doc was honest with me than to wake up and discover there is no band.

Heh... that's true. I once had an employee that was also a friend. She bought a car and we warned her that the guy she was buying it from was bad news. My Adm checked it out and it turns out the car really was okay for her to buy but we didn't tell her that until later, he didn't want her getting herself into a jam with this car. We had a staff party at my house shortly after she paid for the car. I hired a stripper to come in dressed as a police officer and he "arrested" her for car theft. He had a formal looking warrent for her arrest and the whole bit. He handcuffed her to a chair and well, the rest is history. The best way to do practical jokes is to take an on going saga like the car example and play it up. You can get someone to believe ANYTHING under those scenarios or when they are stressed. My employee/friend was certainly stressed. HA!

Yes, you will lose some muscle during massive weight loss. The idea is to limit the amount of muscle you lose. You do that by doing what you are doing now, keep up the exercise (especially weight resistance) and keeping your Protein up. Don't worry about a final goal now. Focus on a realistic goal and when you get down to where you want to be, you'll know.

Most Mexican docs will see the patients of other docs for fills. It costs more, but at least it's under fluoro, transportation is covered from the SD airport, etc. If I happened to be in TJ and had some sort of problem or needed a fill, even though Ortiz didn't do my surgery he would still see me. My doc explained that it is a professional courtesy of sorts between Mexican docs. They will take care of other doc's patients. I know a person that was banded in Jordan (her uncle was the anesthesiologist so she wanted to travel there) and my doc is going to do her follow up care/fills. Matter of fact we are going there this Saturday. It's just something most Mexican docs do unlike American docs. Another thing you can do if you are anywhere near the SD airport. Go check out the various clinics/hospitals. I can't imagine why a doc wouldn't let you go on the van with them since they go to the airport daily. Just catch a ride with them, check out the facilities, meet the doc, the staff, see everything and ask all your questions. It shouldn't cost anything, they are going to the airport daily anyway.

Terri... I have a hunch you'll just have to suck it up and drink the right dose of the gross stuff. LOL! See why I use injectable Toradol? Toradol is like strong Motrin. Works for me.

HA! You aren't the first to say the same thing. Most don't have the tact to refrain from saying what it DOES look like. It's a lot easier when they use the LMA. Your throat doesn't hurt, there isn't the chance for broken teeth (although that is rare), there isn't the same risk for damage within the throat, etc. I've had it done both ways and I prefer the mask. Whatever you do just consider one thing in picking a doc. Choose one that works out of a hospital and not a clinic. While the risk is very low there is always a risk of a complication. If you have surgery in a clinic and have a complication, you'll have to travel to an actual hospital. Life is Mexico is not the same as it is here. Here, we dial 911 and we're at a hospital in minutes. In Mexico you call for emergency services and they'll get there as soon as they can. If you have a complication you'll want to be in a hospital. If you are looking at TJ and Mexicali that would be my preference too because it's near the border. Some people make a vacation out of going to Mexico for surgery. They like Monterrey and while the docs in Monterrey are great, it's too far from the border for my taste. I want to be able to go home quickly, I'm just not a brave soul in that way. When I'm having surgery I want to be able to go home quickly. You'll also want to see if the doc opens you, places the band, and closes you. Many docs have their asst. surgeon do most of the procedure. The asst. opens you, fixes a hernia (if there is one), and prepares you for the band, the surgeon comes in, places the band (10 minutes) and leaves the asst. to close you. It's an assembly line process. You'll want YOUR surgeon to open you, place the band, fix the hernia, and close you.

But the article doesn't say what bands they are studying. The studies you show don't offer a lot of details such as who specifically was studied. Are they following up those that eroded or had other complications? Who is their target group, everyone who was banded or one city of banded people or who. People whose band was placed with the old technique or the current technique? There are a lot of missing details. Those stats just don't work with what is going on today. I'd have to see a lot more details and how they formed their numbers before I'd buy into that. It was just 5-10 years ago that they were sewing the band into place much differently than today and people did not do well. They were slipping and eroding. Today it isn't the same problem by any stretch. Ten years ago they didn't have the various sizes of bands we have today. That's a huge issue right there. So there are soooo many variables. The problem with 10 year stats and the band is that ... there aren't any. The bands used today are different, the technique for placing the bands is different, there are no 10 year stats for today's bands and today's surgical techniques. So I can't possibly put any stock into their studies.

Ruban was my patient coordinator, he's a nice guy. He's really into music, not sure if he has his own group or not. Gaby is another person that works for Dr. Aceves, she handles after care stuff. Dr. A requires that you contact them every 10 days after surgery and then some such schedule. When I didn't it was Gaby that emailed me asking why I wasn't following the rules. Her son is a famous rock star in Mexico. I mean *really* famous. His target audience from what I understand are the younger girls. Here is their website: Reik Pagina Oficial Fotos Biografia Agenda I think that's the webite. HA! I was looking for the website and found they are even listed in Wiki, her son is Julio: Reik - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia They are doing a US tour. I didn't realize it until it was too late so I didn't go to the place they were at in Scottsdale, AZ. It would have been fun to see them.

Thanks! That is what I was looking for!

Lots of people ask if they will be put to sleep during surgery (yeah, I know... weird) and I wonder if they thought that is what you were talking about. Your questions are good, most people don't ask about those kinds of details and they should! Can I ask who you heard from? Nina? Monica? They are both sweethearts! I've met Nina but I've never met Monica in real time however, I am going to meet her soon. When I have a PS consult I'll be near where she is and she's taking me out. I'm 45, she's in her early 20s.. I'm scared.

BTW, it sounds like you had a wide hiatus vs. a standard hiatal hernia from what they are saying in this report. A hiatial hernia is a hole, a wide hiatus is a little different, it's this shape: __/ vs. this shape: O

(emphasis my own) They closed it with two sutures. They went on to cut the connective tissue around the stomach to form a hole where they would slip the band through.

I could have well missed it but where does it explain how many adjustable bands were done vs. non-adjustable bands during that time frame?

Mandy... I've been looking for an answer to this question and I don't know where to look. I do volunteer work in Nogales, Mexico (nothing to do with my surgery, my surgery was in Mexicali, Mexico), I do volunteer work for a trauma surgeon down there. Are my expenses tax ded. since it isn't a not for profit and in another country? Or can you tell me how I go about looking up this info? Thx

They do if the person is quite large or they have anatomical problems, anyone would have to at that point. I'm not sure the patient coordinators really know the details of anesthesia. I'll email them as well and see what's up.

laryngeal mask items on eBay.com= There are photos of the LMA, it's a tube that goes to the back of your throat.

There is more than one way to secure an airway. A Laryngeal mask is the new way, many docs are using it including mine. It's easier on the patient. If someone is a very high BMI, if there are anatomical issues, etc., then they may have to intubate but for the majority of bandings they can use a special mask that has a tube that goes to the back of the throat vs. all the way down the throat. I'll see if I can find a photo of one.

The Men's Room: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f110/

Think of all the things that can be done with shampoo. Sew the fly on his underwear shut. You could dump Methylene Blue in his coffee. With the coffee he won't be able to see it but he'll see blue when he pees. If you are really good at sewing, take the seams in and make him think he gained weight. Most of the stuff I know involves drugs, such as lidocaine to numb his mouth (toothpaste), make him pee blue, make him pee a lot. I'm not good at jokes on non medical people.