laurieu

I have Cigna and was very lucky that they covered my complications. I hope everything turns out for you...let us know how you are doing:) L.

I was selfpay, two weeks after surgery found out I had staph infection my insurance has covered everything regarding the complications. I kept expecting them to call me and tell me they made a mistake but they even had a case manager follow my progress with all the problems I had. I was very honest with them about the surgery. My short term disability from work kicked in as well because I was off for 7 wks.

Hoping someone can help me out in finding a Dr. in the Phoenix area that will see a patient that was banded in Mexico. I have had some major complications after being banded and now need someone in the area that can treat me. Any help with Dr. recommendations would be fantastic:)

Chubster, Sorry to hear about your problems. I too had a staff infection and had to have my port removed 2 weeks after the initial lap band sugery Nov 07 so had not had a fill yet. I still have not had the port replaced as I am losing weight and feeling great. I find I still have some restriction ( I know strange) I have lost 38lbs since the surgery, I know if I had the port and had fills I would more then likely have lost more but am leaving my option open in having another port put in if the weight loss slows or stops. Good luck I hope the infection heals up and all goes well. L.

Hi Bexter, Sorry to hear you are not doing well. Please call the Dr. I don't think you would be overeacting at all to call and let him know what is going on. Let us know what happens:) L.

S. Elaine, Reading your story touched my heart..You have done fantastic losing the weight and I can understand your fears of gaining it back. I really do think you are on the right track seeing the dietician and keeping the food log and as you get stronger after this last surgery you will work out more and more. I think W.W. would be a great addition to what you are already doing! Keep the faith and keep talking on here! L.

So sorry you have an infection! I was banded Nov 16th and two weeks later ended up in the hospital while I was on a business trip with staph infection and had to have my port removed. I have not had it put back in yet. I spent one week in the hospital and then 6 weeks recovering. Make sure that if you have an infection that you do not have the port put back in right away.... get healthy first!!!

:confused:Hey all, Excuse the length of this post.....I would greatly appreciate any thoughts any of you have on what you would do if you were in my shoes. I had my lapband surgery Nov 16th in Mexico. Two weeks later I came down with a nasty case of staph infection at the port site.....to keep the story short I was in the hospital for a week had the port removed and was left with a ugly large nasty open wound ( wow now if that isnt a pretty picture to paint) I was off work for 7 weeks and finally I am healthy and back to work but with no port inside of me. I saw a new Dr. here in the states and we discussed putting the port back in but I am selfpay and have already spent quite a bit of money with the initital surgery and the complications that have followed and not sure if I can afford having it done by him. When I first got sick I was really upset with the hospital and Dr. in Mexico....2nd guessing my decision to go there and not have it done in the states....I know staph can happen in any hospital anywhere...but of course in the back of my mind and my families it was that whole "Mexico" thing. I think at times I should just go to the Dr. here in the states but then I wonder am I overreacating and if I should go back to the origional surgeon in Mexico. I am so bummed out as I have so much vested in this great tool.... money, time, energy the emotional and physical toll it has taken on me and darn it I want to have the sucesss that I have read so many on this board have had. So now after a lengthy waaaaaawaaaaa post I guess my question is who would spend quite a bit more money to go to a Dr. here in the states and how many would trust going back to the hospital in Mexico that I had the initial surgery done at?:confused::tt2:

I know how hard it is to have so much vested in something and then have it go away. I have not lost my band but I did lose my port 2 weeks after being banded so I have no fill at all. I was in the hospital for a week and then recovery of 6 weeks. I will not be able to have the port put back in for another couple of months. The comfort eating is something I have to fight hard against everyday. I have really tried hard to stick to a high protien low fat diet. I keep my mind set that I still have restriction and that I can not go backwards. I have managed to lose 29 lbs since being banded in November not a huge accomplishment when I see what others have lost during the same timeframe but just reading all the sucess stories on here keep my motivated to keep moving forward. Good Luck! L.

Thanks for the feedback. I do live only 3 1/2 hours from where I had the original surgery and well I guess it is going to take me a bit longer to decide what to do. I know for a fact that the infection was not caused by anything I did....The Dr's that treated me when I got the infection made that very clear and I don't believe that it is a trend with this Dr. according to his staff they had never had an infection from the intitial surgery....but they have had patients get an infection from a fill. So I will ponder this for a bit longer and hopefully in the next month or so I will be able to make a decision have the port put back in and restart this journey.......on the upside I have lost 29 lbs since being banded. Thanks again, L.

I had basically the samething happen to me but the band did not have to be removed just the port. Two weeks after I was banded ( Nov 16th) I was on a business trip across the country and wound up in the E.R. had a major staph infection at the port site. One week in the hospital and a month and a half of daily visits to the wound care center because they had to leave this huge hole in my stomach where the port had been so it would heal from the inside out. I finally get to go back to work on Monday. I have had 2 scopes since the removal of the port and luckely the band is fine. I will not be able to have another port put in for about 4-6 months as my body needs time to rest and heal. I had my surgery in Mexico so I found a local Dr. here in Phoenix that has been willing to do all the aftercare as I have decided the idea of going back to Mexico after all this is too scary.

Sorry for the delay in responding.......The band is good no slippage no erroision..........so right now life is good. Dr. Orris is working with the maker of the band to see how we would move forward with the port. We wont do anything about putting a port back in for at least 6 months. My body needs time to heal and rest after the last couple of months. I did get the go ahead to return to work finally .......wow have been off since Dec. 3rd, can not wait to get back. So my first business trip is Monday to Colorado for a few days....and the best part even with all this I have managed to lose 25lbs. Thank you so much for your support hope everyone is having a great Saturday! L.

Thanks for the good thoughts. Dr. Orris is awesome and I am so lucky that I found him. He has ordered a scope for tomorrow and then we will be able to see where we will go from there. I have been lucky so far that even tho I had the surgery by Dr. Aceves in Mexico that my insurance has been covering all the complications so far. I am keeping my fingers crossed they will continue to pay for all the problems I am having. I had a wound vac on the open wound from the 17th of Dec. until last Friday and found out today that my insurance had a cap of 700 dollars on durable medical equipment and the vac is 100.00 a day so I am going to have a huge out of pocket expense for that but I have to say that I don't think I would be doing remotely as well without the vac so worth every penny I will have to scrap together for it. If the band is ok we are still going to have to see if we can just put a new port in or if I will have to have a new band as well, but as the good Dr. said today lets take it one step at a time and he said that so far everything I have done since I found out I had the staph infection and the care and the treatment I have recieved has been exactly what he would of done so that was very good news:) So again thank you for your well wishes and thoughts:) Laurie

Good Morning, I actually was able to find Dr. Orris that is willing to see me. I have an appt today. I am hoping that he is going to help me out and let me know where I have to go from here regarding a new port or if that is even an option right now. Keep your fingers crossed:)

Thank you for your response. I was banded back in November and 2 wks later I was on a business trip in MT got sick went to the emergency room and from there was airflighted to a larger hospital where they took out the port and all the tissue that was effected from the staph infection I had. I have now had an open wound since then and have been being treated by a wound care clinic. I know that I need to see a Bariatric surgeon to decide what I am going to do with the tubing that is still inside me as well as the band but am really uncomfortable in going back to the Dr. in Mexico. I will give these guys a call and hopefully they will see a patient that was banded in Mexico

I was banded Nov 17th and two weeks later discovered I had a raging staph infection at the port site. After emergency surgery to remove the port and cut out quite a bit of infected tissue I have an open wound that as of today is about 85% healed but still having to go to the hospital everyday to do the hyperbaric chamber and I am wearing a wound vac the rest of the time. The Dr.'s are telling me I can have another port, but I will have to wait at least 4-6 months before I do this.

Thanks, I am sure things will get on the right track soon:)

I can totally relate to how you are feeling I had my lab band done on Nov 16th surgery went great. on Dec 3rd I had to be rushed to the hospital and then airflighted to a larger hospital because I had a raging staff infection at the port site. I have had the port removed, in the hospital for 6 days and they had to leave the incision site open so it can heal from the inside out...I am going to a wound clinic on a daily basis and have to have a wound vac on at all times. The Dr's are thinking I will be off work for at least another month and will have to wait for 4-6 months before we can even start talking about having another port put in. I am conifident things will get better but it can be very depressing:(

Don't forget to add me to that email for the lunch....can't wait to become one the ya'll .......9 more days and i am banded:)

:)I am being banded by Dr.Aceves on the 16th of Nov. and am so excited. I went to the hospital and had a tour a couple of weeks ago....very impressive!! I was also able to talk to some of the patients that had the surgery the day before and meet some patients there for fills....I heard no bad from these patients.

Hi All, having surgery Nov 16th.....so excited! november date 1stPattyPoo Nessa3678 brandymom1234 Mom_of_Chuy 2nd lizzie_07 lindata 5th DLW Hungryforchange Forestcat 6th ndmom 7th Goldie1109 susieq125 shadst83 8th anw5102 9th Banded4Life neen7171 maccy mariaxoxo4u Carsons_Mommy 10th Selisejohnson omlagirl 12th jrsyshoregrl684 suebob 16th laurieu 27th 731Shawty 29th Sassafras

Hi all, Surgery date is scheduled for Nov. 16th for me.....I am so excited! L.

has anyone ever heard of Dr. Jesus Martin Lopez Dominguez and New life surgical services? I am thinking of having the surgery next month.