patina21

Hello, I just want to know costs involved when anyone had theirs removed please.... I am needing to have my Band out ofter 10 years of pain and discomfort. I have an Autoimmune disease and I'm told its not good to have this surgery with this. Dr Jay in Dallas did it. DR Jayaesseelan ? wrong spelling. I lost 50 lbs and I've now gained back 30 of it. I have discovered this: Your problem is overeating. You can have a band on your stomach, but the main problem is still there... I lost 130 lbs the hard way before this. It was simple, low calorie and exercise everyday. I kept it off for 10 years. I slowly started putting it back on when I slacked off on my daily exercise. I found out my Insurance would pay for lap band so I took advantage of it. Wish I hadn't. I am now losing the weight again through diet and exercise. Ill stick with this until I reach my desired weight again .

I had Dr Jay put my lap band on about 10 years ago and Im contacting them tomorrow to inquire about having it removed. I have constant heart burn and I'm having sharp pain in the band area. I initially lost about 50 lbs and gained back 30 of it in the years I've had it. I will tell you the truth, in my experience; Its not as great as you might think. Ill tell you my problems I've had with it. Heart burn constantly in the past. At first if you eat too much , too fast or just for no reason your food will get stuck in the stoma created. It is very painful and a lot of discomfort until it breaks loose. I still vomit food up after eating. I do it to relieve my discomfort. Ive always had problems with it. It is very hard to eat meat or , I should say to digest it. it gets stuck. A nutritionist said i was not getting proper nutrition and suggested removing it. You can still eat all the sweets, carbs and junk food you want. It doesn't stop that. You still have to watch what you eat. You are still on a "diet" So if you think you are going to have this put on and you will just loose weight....wrong! The only reason you loose any weight is because you can't eat anything out of fear it will get stuck. You then will choose soft foods that you feel are safe and not get stuck , but they are high calorie and you gain weight. In the end, It only stops the AMOUNT of food you take in. Your stomach is so little you can only eat a little food. If you over eat.....vomit it up if you're lucky, if not you will just have to wait it out with the pain and discomfort until it passes through. I feel I was abandoned by his office after the surgery. I would go in for an adjustment and a "Medical Assistant" with less than a years training was doing my adjustment! I am a Medical Assistant and believe me they are NOT trained to do this procedure. No one would return my call when I phoned them. I found another Gastric Dr in Colleyville and I thought he and his staff were just great compared to Dr Jay's office and treatment. I told them Medical Assistants were doing my adjustments and they were shocked! Only Physicians Assistants can do it at their office and they are all highly trained to do it. I am calling Dr Jay's office first to remove it for cost reasons. Someone said the Dr that put it in will not always charge a fee to remove it. If he does charge me Ill have Dr Kim remove it for a fee. I believe Im in much better hands there anyway. Just be aware of this.....the problem of over eating is still going to be there. Putting a band on your stomach will not stop that. You will find a way around it. Like eating other foods that won't get stuck. Easy foods like sweets and carbs . So , in the end, the problem is still there. You have to change your eating habits and exercise. Im now loosing the weight again like this. I had lost 130 lbs through diet and exercise and kept it off for 10 years. I slowly started putting it back on. I found out my insurance would pay for this so I took advantage of it. Loosing weight is not easy. The Dr's that do these surgeries make it seem like it is.

I had a Lap Band 7 years ago. The Dr that did it doesn't take my Insurance anymore and most important, he lets Medical Assistants do his patients fills. I need to see a Dr that will take me as a patient. I have never had proper after care. I am now vomiting a lot and it is brown bile. Very bitter. Does anyone know of a Dr in the Dallas area that will take me as a patient? I have Aetna PPO Insurance. thanks, Monica

No, I did not have it done at the Surgery center. I had it done there at Medical City. I have not been able to eat solid food very well at all since then.I think she put to much saline in. I just can't find another Dr that will see me for my aftercare. I am very unhappy with the care I have received there. :laugh:

Believe it or not... a Medical Assistant in Dallas where I had my surgery done did my last fill. I was on the table when she approached me and started doing my fill. I have had problems with it since then. I am now trying to find another Dr for my aftercare and fills. I am a Medical Assistant and I know she is not qualified to do a fill. Dr Jayaseelan at Medical City did the surgery. I know they are charging my Insurance $250.00 a fill and I think the Dr should be doing it not someone that went to school for 8 months for a half day.

Hi, I was wondering who does your fills and aftercare? I see you had your surgery in Mexico. I am trying to find a Dr that will do my aftercare.

Hello, I , too need a Dr in Dallas/Fort Worth area that will take over my aftercare. I am disappointed with my Dr and staff. He is out of network for me as well. My insurance is Aetna PPO. I am having to pay a $50.00 co-pay for my fills because he is out of network.

Hello, I was hoping everyone would share your experiences with me on food getting stuck and how to get it to finally go through. I find I am having a hard time after my second fill to eat Chicken, fish, tuna, and beans. Everytime I eat them i get stuck! I just had a few bites of Talapia for dinner and I stared regergitating. I phoned the Dr (this was on a Friday night and he phoned me right back !)and he said to walk,walk,walk and to jump up and down and move around a lot. That eventually it would either come up or go down. My stomacch would crush it and it would go down. And not to eat or drink anything. Sure enough I walked to the park and I feel better know.It took 2 and a half hours to go through. I am afraid to eat those foods anymore now. How will I get my protein in ?:help:

Thanks everyone!! You have been a great help! I guess I am still not chewing good enough and eating to fast. Thanks again! :hug:

Spunkywoman, How much protein in K water? And, if you puree your tuna does it go down ok?

Hello; In answer to your question: It is when certain foods lay over the stoma or opening to the lower stomach that get stuck. Since they won't go down they have to come up. So, you regergitate it to get it out.

Hello, I was banded by Dr. Jayaseelan at Medical City in Dallas. I researched Doctors in the area and decided on him. He has the most experience with LapBand, with 2000 surgeries under his belt. Very nice Dr and staff and named the best in 2005 and 2006 in D magazine. Aftercare with support groups etc... phone # 972-566-2263.:clap2: