youknowit

I've tried asking this in other areas, but have had little success. Does anyone know whom we can contact, directly, or otherwise, at INAMED? My band has been determined to have a leak in it (defect, not overfill), and my doc "says" Inamed will replace the band, but I still have to pay over $5000 to have this all taken out and replaced, etc. I tried DON MILLS, but that email bounces back as a dead address. Please, if anyone can help me, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm starting to have a mini-meltdown. Thanks all! Best wishes. :redface: A

i finally got a response, but won't post it here. let's just say, it's not good, so i'd rather not bring that negativity. if anyone wants to know, please PM me.

i talked to natalie, the answers was absolutely, no. oh well... at least i tried! :cursing:

thank you for the information. i've tried the 800 number, it's absolutely impossible. i've left voicemails twice, no response. i've sent them an email through the "contact us" link, no response. i'm starting to get really angry about their "non-response" at this point. any other thoughts? anyone else have direct contact information for INAMED? i'm going to keep trying the 800 number, but i think i'm just going to end up in voicemail hell again. a

BigRobb -- Any news?? I don't know what I'm going to do... I'm still trying to contact anyone at Inamed, but have had no luck. I hope your band is tip-top! a

Hi there! I have not heard ONE single response from ANYONE at Inamed. I did the email thing you suggested, and NOTHING. I don't know what to do. I know from looking at other threads, there used to be a guy named Don Mills who took care of these issues over there, but his email bounced right back to me as a dead address. My doctor "says" that he spoke to someone at Inamed and they will "replace the band" but nothing else... so he tells me it will be $5000 to have the band removed and new one placed. I have a suspicious feeling he might not have actually talked to someone there, and he is charging me so much, as he is including the band in this price. Is this possible? I went to Mexico, and my intial surgery with EVERYTHING, surgery, all tests, etc, one night in the hospital, 2nights in a hotel, transport to and from the airport, fluroscopy, etc, and it was only $7500. Seems a little odd. Anyways, any thoughts or input you, or anyone else has, would be very helpful. I'm pretty upset right now, as I'm sure you can imagine. I will get this band replaced, that's not the issue, but I think I might be getting railroaded on the price, etc. Thanks to all for any advice you might give. -- a

Does anyone who has gone to Dr. Kirschenbaum, know if he will see patients that he did not do the intial surgery on? In addition, do any of you know if he would be willing to do revisionary (removal and replacement) surgery on a new patient that did not see him initially? I'm going to call them tomorrow, but thought I'd ask... I am having a problem with my band, a leak IN the band, and my original doctor wants to charge me $5000 to remove and replace a new band. I figure, even though it's an extra $5000, if I can see someone here in the states (and Colorado is just as close to me as TJ), then I would go to Dr. K in a heartbeat... Any thoughts? I'm all ears! Thanks all! :redface:

Rob, Is your doctor doing the fills under fluoro? I'm guessing he isn't, because if there is a leak in your band, you would see it RIGHT away, on the screen. That's what happened to me. I have an update on my situation as well... I am going to have the entire band system replaced with the LapBandAPS, the newer band I guess. It's going to cost me $5000 to do this. My doc told me the band company is going to pay for the band, but nothing else.

almost forgot... people around you WILL start to ask all the "how'd you do it" questions... i tell them that i watch what i eat and exercise, that i only drink Water and tea (no sugar), and that's it. there doesn't seem to be a lot of argument or questioning of that, as the people around me can see this is true. best wishes! :thumbup::thumbup:

if you can order a half-portion, that's always good. i've notced a lot of the restaurants with HUGE portions are now offering half portions right on the menu (claim jumper comes to mind), and although these half portions are what a normal person MIGHT be able to eat, cute that in a third or half, and that's it. kids menu might be an idea, but honestly, most kids menus are all crap food, so it's deep friend or macncheese or whatever. not to say you shouldn't give it a try though. on the idea of not telling people... i have pulled this off for almost 3 years. a couple of people i know who have the band know about mine, but family? nope. friends? nope (with exception of one). new people i just meet here and there? nope. i have on occasion tested out my "telling" people with newer friends, and have had an ok response... but honestly, some people are still weird about it. i figure that's their problem. my body and my life is my business. so i keep my band to myself (that's just me). ALL my friends, family, coworkers, etc... know i watch what i eat "very closely" but more in the areas of portion control and not having soda and stuff like that... and everyone knows i have lost a bunch of weight. but that's where it ends. anyways, you'll figure out what works for you. honestly, when i go out to a lunch or dinner, which i have to go out to quite often, i usually order like normal, for the most part, and toss the rest. i eat only a little bit. i know this seems like a big waste of money and food, but after a while, you won't feel guilty about leaving the food... you'll be happy it's there on the plate, and not on your booty! :thumbup:

hi all. it's been a long time since i've posted... i lurk around sometimes, but have to ask for help at this point. i was banded almost 2 1/2 hours ago. started at 225, lowest i've been is 144, and in the last month or so i have gained back about 5 pounds. about two months ago i had a GREAT fill, super good for about two weeks. then, boom, felt like i could eat anything if i wanted to. i didn't, but apparently that whole "restriction" thing works, because since i don't have any currently, i'm gaining. i'm eating. i feel like i'm starving half of the time. i haven't felt this mentally weak and out of control since right after the band, when we go through all the adjustments in the mental and physical changes. what i'm worried about is this... just had another fill a week ago, NO CHANGE whatsoever. my fill guy is telling me he wants to eek up slowly now, but i'm like "where did that restriction go?" where did this five pounds come from? i asked him if it's possible to stretch my stomache/pouch, and he (surprisingly) has said no, it's virtually impossible, as the top of the stomach is NOT like the lower stomache, which is what stretches when we overeat/gain weight. i'm confused on this. people "say" the pouch/stomache can stretch, but where is the literature that says yes or no. i am thinking that's the only reason i could possibly go from very restricted to nothing to gaining to my currently being all bummed out. i get more and more nervous with each fill, which is odd... because i've had so many adjustments at this point. my fill person tells me i'm almost at capacity (4cc band). i'm freaking out! honestly, if this is as low as i'm going to go, i can live with that, but gaining, I CANNOT! help!! thoughts, suggestions? i need something advice... Thanks for listening. - a

so true... oddly enough, he did do some pressure tests, and there's always good back-pressure. cross your fingers for me. i need a miracle to get this band replaced for free by inamed. :thumbup:

hey rob and nan... please do keep us posted on what's happening with you... i will do the same. rob -- it looks like you just got the band a few months ago... my best guess on your situation is that you've lost a considerable amount of INTERNAL fat around the stomache, and therefore you feel like the band is lose or empty. This happened to me a couple of times over the first year or so. it would freak me out everytime. since you're still PBing on occasion, and having that bit of restriction, i'm crossing my fingers that you're such a big internal-fat-loser (YAH!) that the band feels "loose" :thumbup: fingers crossed for all of us. - a

cool! i'd like to see it... just cause i'm nosey. you look awesome, by the way! great job on your loss. :thumbup:

my guy doesn't pull all out to check before a fill either... clearly if he had done this, he would have seen there was NOTHING in my band. so... months now with NOTHING in the band. I'm wide open, and who knows how long it will be before i can get a replacement band. grr.

yes, my band has a leak. it needs to be replaced. i'm really upset about it, and hope this situation gets resolved soon. i wish i would have seen your response sooner... i just got this info last weekend. totally makes sense that there was a leak. and poof... there it is!

Thank you to everyone who has shared their encouragement or advice. I'm going to try emailing them, and see what happens. I've been doing ok so far this week, but today, now that the long weekend is here, I am falling apart. :thumbup: So... Here's hoping for a positive response. Please send me good vibes and prayers, that I can get this replaced soon. If anyone has any other advice, or contacts for Inamed, that would be helpfu. Thank you all, so much!

anyone have a leak in your actual band? i need advice on this. i posted in another area, but not thoughts or advice. anyone get the band company to pay for any of these revisions? please feel free to check out my original posting, and ANY and ALL advice is helpful. i'm really feeling alone on this... thanks!

Thank you for your support! It really does mean a lot to me, since I'm really on this island alone. I really need some help/advice on working with Inamed. I don't want to call or write them without some insight into how to get them to listen. I know I have to get this band out and replaced. I really want to do this ASAP. Thanks again for your thoughts and concern. I do appreciate it, and will update you if I get anywhere with this...

hi. i just found out my band has a LEAK in it. it's not the port, it's not eroded. it's the actual portion of the band that is supposed to fill. it has broken or "popped". my doc says it must be replaced, it cannot be fixed. has anyone had this problem? i saw what it looks like when i had a fluroscopy the other day, it's like the fluid goes in, and trickles right back out into my body. scary, and i'm really sad. i've had the band for 2 1/2 years. i was going through what you are mentioning, fill, no restriction. another fill, no restriction. we did this three times, and then it was like "something is wrong". my doc says they are going to try to get the LapBand people (Inamed? Allergan?) replace it, but that's not a "for sure" thing. anyone with advice? is this what's going on with you, vikkiann? please let me know what you've found out, or if you have any advice. Thanks!

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this question, but I'm trying to find out what the actual facts are about the possibility of "stretching out the pouche"? My doctor says that it is virtually impossible, because of where/how the band if placed, and the major pain and serious problems that I would see right away (GERD, etc). I'm only asking because I've stalled to the point that i was down to 144 a few weeks ago, and have literally gained 5 lbs back in a month! I had a snug fill about 6-8 weeks ago, and it "worked" for a few weeks, then boom, felt like i was basically wide open. Got another fill a couple weeks ago, no change whatsoever. I'm worried. Any thoughts, advice, support? Thanks all!

Barely anything... In a normal day I am eating a handful or two of walnuts or almonds. Water or Unsweetened Iced Tea. A salad with light dress and some chicken. An occasional piece of something sweet, because I go nuts with total deprivation. Any thoughts?

thanks for the clarification. i'm certain my doc doesn't use the huber needles, as i've never seen anything like that coming towards my port! i guess whatever he uses is working...

I guess we're all on the right track. Check out this WebMD article. It says the physical and mental stress from a surgery can be a cause of hairloss. Also Protein, Iron, etc. Hope this helps. hair Loss-Cause

thank you for the advice. i know i need to do the food diary again, and i started today. my big conern though is that i feel like i don't even have a band, no restriction, i've even tried (just to see) to swallow something not completely chewed, and it goes. i'm stressin. seeing the doc again on tuesday.