moosemama

I was banded in 2006 removed in 2008 due to erosion and converted to gastric bypass but gained all 120 pounds I lost with LAP-BAND® back. I miss my band like crazy - I had restriction so I knew when to stop eating when I got the bypass I assumed I would have the same and maintain my weight loss but I never had any restriction like with the band. In fact I could eat anything and everything - I still can and do. I am desperate. I don't want to die due to my weight and the problems carry an extra 120 pounds, I have 5 kids to live for. I like to exercise and walk a mile or more a day I just can't stop eating - I never feel full. I don't know if it is possible to get the band again I have heard the fail rate after having one eroded is very high. I don't know what my options are and was wondering if there was anyone out there who could help me. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Thank you for all your ideas. I really feel like a failure and hate that I gained all the weight back. It totally sucks and I really need to lose the weight again as I already have problems with gaining the weight.

Is beliteweight in the USA? I am looking into them doing my surgery has they take medicare.

Hi: Was wondering if Dr Almanza had a website I could look at? Thanks for your reply.

I had surgery in TJ and in Ensenada. TJ was a little scarey after dark. I heard gun shots and yelling and lots of sirens. I never went out after 7pm. The hospital was first rate though. I went to Ensenada with Dr. Valencia and Ensenada was a very small pretty town. It is one of the cruise ship ports so the people are very American friendly with most of the shops and resturants speaking english. They even pureed all my Soups for me. I enjoyed walking the streets and taking a tour to the Blow Hole and a horse drawn carriage ride around the town. There was even a market place to bargain with venders. Overall I liked Ensenada better then TJ but the Ensenada hospital was smaller and not has modern as the one in TJ. So it just depends on what you are comfortable with. Dr. Valencia had a van meet us at the hospital with a sign with my name on it and drove us round trip to the hospital and then to the airport so I didn't have to worry about getting there. I think Dr. Joya does his surgeries at Hospital Angeles in TJ but I could be wrong. Good Luck with whatever you choose.

I also had to borrow more then $21,000 to pay for a band and all the complications from it but I don't discredit Mexico because with out the lower medical options I would never have considered WLS. We just need to research and find a good surgeon. It is the same here in the USA we have some doctors in it for the money and some who really care that they are helping people out.

Remember to research the doctor you are going to. I had my band placed three years ago and lost 125 pounds but then got complications due to a cheap surgeon who was in it for the money and then wouldn't help me once I had problems. I miss my band. Sure I overate and threw up and sometimes had that elephant sitting on my chest but that was because I was testing my band. We all do it otherwise a diet would have worked for us. You have to remember no matter what surgery you have it is just a tool and you have to be willing to work with it and except it's limitations. Good luck and keep us updatesd.

I first had Dr. Lopez and after many complications including infection and not having any follow up and not able to talk to the doctor directly - I looked around and the only two doctors who would take me where Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Valencia. I choose Dr. Valencia and have not regretted it. He still calls me personally and checks in with me. I wish I had researched and found this website before I had my lap band. I especially like the research Wasabubblebutt did on finding a doctor in Mexico. Good luck with who ever you choose but remember it is your life and you and you alone know what you want in a doctor. do you want follow up? Do you want to talk to the doctor directly or will a cordinator do? Do you want a hospital or a clinic? Etc Etc

Check out Dr. Valencia too. He helped me when I went to a small clinic with prices that were too good to be true ( and boy I found that out) and then ran into problems two years later and they wouldn't help me out. He does surgery in TJ at the Hospital Angeles which is very modern and way better then most hospitals in America or in Ensenada at Hospital Velmar. I liked the city Ensenada way better then TJ it was beautiful and very tourist friendly, but the hospital is better in TJ. Dr. Valencia does bands, bypass, and sleeves and help teachs these at UCLA. He will also give you his status and tell you about any mistakes. He will also tell you flat out whether or not he will even consider you for surgery not send me your money or a deposit and then you go down and all the sudden you can't get it done. I have heard good things about alot of doctors in Mexico and even had Dr. Ortiz's mom email me to help me out but no one called me when I was having problems but Dr. Valencia. I wish I had done research before heading over and had picked a good surgeon my first time. Good luck with whoever you choose just remember a few hundred (or thousand) dollors cheaper is not worth your life.

Don't forget to get your band checked once a year to make sure it is ok. I was told if I had kept waiting out the pain I would have been dead in two months. I wish I hadn't lost my band but my life is more important. I sure miss the band and the bypass is much harder. Good luck everyone on your journey and I really appreciate all your kind words.

In November 2005 I weighed 250 pounds at 5 1/2 feet tall. I had four children and needed to be healthy to raise them. I looked into surgery but my husband didn't want me to get bypass as he felt it was not reversible. I researched lap band and really liked that it could be adjusted when needed and even removed if need be. On November 13th I flew to San Diego and took a shuttle to Mexico. I got the lap band and immediately starting to see results. A year later I had lost 104 pounds and my life was totally different.'t Then I started to have major chest pain and coulden't eat anything. I knew something was wrong but didn't want to lose my band so tried to ignore the problem. Finally the pain got so bad that I went in for a xray. I was informed that my band was in my stomach. Not good news at all. I tried to contact my surgeon and was given the run around. They weren't going to help me. I was in a panic because I knew this could be potenally fatal. I emailed around and finally found Dr. Valencia at obseityfreenow.com who specializes in revision surgery. He told me to fly down and get an endoscopie so he could see if he could even help me. I had the procedure and found out that is was pretty bad the band was only half way inside my stomach and the other half was being folded into the outside of my stomach. I was very upset because by then I weighed 135 for a total of 115 pounds lost. The next day I was in surgery getting it removed. Dr. Valencia told me it would be a 2 1/2 hour surgery but do to unforseen problems it took 4 1/2 hours. I had some complications afterwards and ended up in a hospital for 10 days total. Afterwards I was severely depressed and so ate. I could all the sudden eat bread, steak, french fries, etc and so I did and quickly gained 60 pounds back. I called Dr. Valencia who had been checking up with me all this time. I never had this with my old surgeon so it was nice to have the follow up care the Dr. Valencia gave to me. Dr. Valencia said it was obvious I needed help to keep weight off and because of all my previous problems he was going to do a bypass for me at no charge. I coulden't believe he would do that and so I flew down and got it done. I thought it would be like the band afterwards but it wasen't. With the band I was full quickly and if I ate more then I should it immediately came back up. Also anything I ate that I shoulden't such as bread and steak came up with the sticky slimely snot stuff. With the bypass I don't do this. I don't know is because I had the band and now it is three years later or what but I have not lost any weight with the bypass and I really miss my band. I would highly recommend the band and I would highly reccomend Dr. Valencia who does surgery in Mexico for 1/2 to 3/4 the cost of in America.

Thank you everyone for your support and words of encourgement.

I haven't lost any weight with the bypass so I would have to say with the band. However at my bypass support group they told me that I should have some restriction which I don't. I did with the band and also could get it filled or unfilled as needed. Although my friend had bypass and can eat only small amounts like I did at first with the band and as lost 114 pounds. I guess it is what you do with your tool that makes you a sucess or not. Not what surgery you get.

Hi: I had two surgeries at the Hospital Angelas in TJ. It is a very beautiful and modern hospital. In fact it is nicer then most here in the United States. Most of the nurses speak some english and can help you. Good luck with you.

Hi. Dr. Valencia who removed it said that the band eroded into the stomach. Like my stomach ate the band. Very rare. I have a feeling since the orginal surgeon fixed my port and then put the same port back in instead of a new sterile one that the infection found on my port and tubing when removed probably also had something to do with it.

I just had surgery with Dr. Valencia. I also had surgery with one of those clinics that had an unbelievable price and so regret it. Dr. Valencia was straight forth and said he may or may not be able to do my surgery not, sure send me your money and we will do it then try to do it and can't. I was impressed with his whole team and how professional and caring they are. It has been several months since my surgery and he still calls and emails to check up on me. Also when I had complications he communicated to the doctor here in America. With having had surgery and bad experiences with another Mexican doctor I was taken aback at how well my experience was with Dr. Valencia.

Hi just wanted to add my two cents. I went to Betancourt and had many complications in fact when the complications became life or death I could not get ahold of them. I had a wonderful doctor take me on and remove my band which had eroded into my stomach due to a port infection going up my tube to the band. The doctor who orginally did my surgery tried to fix a probem with my port but instead of putting a new one in after pulling out the old one he put in the same one after it was exposed to the air thus causing my infection and ultimately the removal of my band. I am missing my band terribly and have gained 45 pounds since removal. I liked having the device help me to say your full. The damage done to my stomach is so sever I can't get rebanded again. So please look into other doctors before going to Betancourt or Dr. Contreras. There are several much better surgeons.