NataliesMommy

I had my surgery in Mexico, and when I got back home, began having complications. I had to go into an extended hours clinic and they paged the surgeon on call. He barely took a glipse at my stomach and told me it was inflammation and it'd go away. His bedside manor was horrible and treated me as though I was wasting his time. He said "Well, what is it that you want me to do for you?" He ended up leaving the room and the nurse came back in. I told her that I really wasn't comfortable w/ his "diagnosis" and was afraid there was something more to it. She stepped out in the hallway to ask him to take a second look and he said "That's her fault for going to Mexico!", clearly where everyone in the office could hear him. I was so embarressed. I just got up and left w/out even checking out. Whether it was my fault or not, he's not there to judge, he's there to treat. Come to find out, it wasn't inflammation at all. It was a very serious and potentially fatal infection. Thank goodness I FINALLY found a dr that actually took the time to culture it.

I think most dr's want you to wait 12 to 18 mos post op.

I delivered naturally, a year and a half post-op.

I know what you're going through. I found out I was pregnant the exact day that I got a fill. I was so scared they (my surgeon or OB) was going to make me get an unfill. But... my surgeon told me that as long as i'm not having too much morning sickness, and if the OB said it was okay, I didn't have to unfill my band. My OB said that the baby would be just fine, and would get the nutrients it needed from my body. He just stressed the importance of taking Vitamins and making sure that the food that I could eat, was healthy. So, I didn't have to get an unfill. I ended up losing a total of 40lbs while being pregnant. The pregnancy went very well. My son is now almost 3 mos old and is as healthy as an ox! They can't force you to have an unfill. However, if you don't follow your dr's medical advice, they can fire you as a patient. I'd try talking to your dr and letting him know exactly what your concerns are.

Aww, don't be scared! I just had a baby Oct and I'm 2 yrs post op. The pregnancy and labor went great. I had gotten a fill right before I found out I was pregnant, so I actually lost about 40lbs overall. But don't stress if you gain weight, or how much you do. Just like any woman, banded or not, it will take time to get the baby weight off, and you'll be back to your regular self, if not better. After the baby arrives, get your band filled back up, and you'll be back on track. Try not to focus on the negatives. You are truely blessed. Good luck and congrats!!

Hey Silry! I've been banded for almost 2 yrs and delivered a healthy baby in Oct. Vaginal delivery. No complications. Everything went great! Back in the spring, I got a fill, and went home and found out I was pregnant. No joke. I was worried that I'd have to have an unfill to not only provide nutrients to the baby, but also to prevent slippage. My surgeon told me that it should be fine as long as I was not throwing up all the time. I had your average case of morning sickness, I guess you could say. But the band was fine, and did not slip. So, I didn't have to get an unfill, and I just waited until after the baby was here to get my next fill. Overall, I actually lost weight during my pregnancy. About 40lbs total. And my OB said that as long as I was taking my Vitamins, the baby would be fine. He just advised me the food that I am able to get down, should all be healthy. Congrats and good luck w/ the little one!! :smile:

Hi Apryl! Congrats! I just had a baby in October, and I had the same concern you did. My dr assured me that the lap band would not interfere w/ labor at all. He said the band was secure and was not going anywhere. But it wouldn't hurt to ask your dr about it, so he can calm your fears.

Dr. Querry is great! She did not band me, but she is treating me for complications from my original surgery in Mexico. I would highly recommend her.

Wow, 9,500? That's cheap! That's not much more than I paid in Mexico! I'm guessing that's Dr. Wade Barker. He's the only Dr. Barker in the Dallas area that does bariatric surgeries (that I could find). I don't know anything about him, but I see his commercials all the time (I live east of dallas too!) www.wbarkermd.com

Don't go back there!! Try to find follow up care in the states. Dr. Lopez did my surgery as well, and I've had horrible port site complications. Feel free to email me.

Yes, they're horrible.

Oh no, Kathy. Your story starts off exactly like mine did. Did you use Betancourt medical in TJ?? I did. And like you, I was having pain at my port site, they told me it was tilted and inflammed. If you did use Betancourt, please don't allow them to try to fix the problem. They very well could make things worse. I found an American doctor to treat me, and we've been dealing w/ my port infection for almost 2 years now. She had to go in and flip my port back over, which she was able to do. However, we haven't been able to kick the infection. I will probably have to have the band removed soon before the infection, that was diagnosed as pseudomonas, causes irreversible tissue damage, if it hasn't already. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

No, no, no. For your sake please do not use Betancourt!! First of all, there is no Dr. Betancourt. Andres Betancourt, the owner is not a doctor. There are TONS of horror stories from this medical group, including my own. Do your research. On this site alone, you can search for, and find many posts that I think would greatly influence your decision. Good luck. I know that there are many great Mex dr's, but you won't find them at Betancourt, that's for sure.

lpbndinfo, I'm sorry that you feel like you're having to defend yourself so much, however many people on this site know full well the horrible reputation of Betancourt. Therefore, when you come on here and try to recruit business for them, you're probably going to run into a problem. If you indeed are recruiting patients for them, it is your responsibility to know the goods AND the bads. You say that every patient you have talked to had a good experience. I, personally have not been able to find any former patients that did not have complications or a bad experience per Andres.

I used Betancourt medical for my surgery. The patient coordinator assured me that an FDA approved band would be used, as that was a major concern of mine. I did not find out until after complications started arising that I indeed DID NOT have an FDA approved band. Now, I'm stuck w/ a infection at the port site, which my current American doctor cannot replace. Just FYI.......

Apparently you've chosen to only speak to the very small percentage of patients that have not had complications from Betancourt. There are tons of serious complaints on this website alone regarding this medical group. So, if you're looking for a reputable group, PLEASE do your research before considering Betancourt.

I will try to keep my lap band complication drama to a minimum. I have pseudomonas aeruginosa from my lap band surgery in Apr 06 (at Betancourt Medical, Tijuana). My current (American) surgeon has been treating me w/ oral antibiotics, and admitted me into the hospital for a week last year for IV antibiotics. The infection has caused the tubing of the band to protrude through my stomach leaving a draining, painful wound - that has part of a lap band hanging out of it, no less. She has tried going in and cleaning out the port area and re-burying the band several times. These procedures were done in her office, and were unsuccessful. The infection continues to find the path of least resistance and pushes the band back out, reopening the wound. Tomorrow, she's going to go in and take the infected tissue out and re-bury the exposed tubing. This time it will be done at the hospital under general anasthetics so she can go in deeper. Which I'm really nervous about. Hopefully this will help, but if not... I'm wondering if I should see an infectious disease dr as well as my current dr? My current dr is EXTREMELY nice and has bent over backwards for me (accepting me as a patient when no one else would). But I've been dealing w/ this for over a year and a half, and the more and more I read about this type of infection, the more it terrifies me. Any advice? Insight? Suggestions? Anything?

Does anyone know the risks of having band removal surgery while pregnant? Or if it's even possible? I'm 11 wks pregnant, and want my band removed ASAP. I was banded in Apr 06, and have had a port infection that has developed into pseudomonas (a deadly infection). My doctor put me in the hospital for a week on IV antibiotics in Nov, and last month had to do a minor procedure where she had to go in and turn my port over (it was upside down). The newest development is that the tubing on the band is coming through my incision. My dr attempted to fix it, but that didn't work. Needless to say, it's been a real pain! When I informed her of my pregnancy, she told me to stop taking my antibiotics, and that we would have to put off any more treatment until after the baby is here. I trust her, but the thought of the infection building and swirling around in my body while I'm carrying a baby is terrifying. I can deal w/ the pain and the draining...but if it were to harm the baby somehow, I couldn't live w/ myself. I'm not sure if the infection can even spread to the baby or not ...? I know this is a rare and complicated situation, but if anyone has any insight, I would greatly appreciate your responses!

Oh dear, PLEASE do not use Betancourt! I wrote a couple of the posts warning people of this medical group. A year and a half after having surgery by Dr. Lopez, I'm still dealing w/ daily pain and medical bills through the roof. Please do a search for Betancourt and read all the threads. It is well worth your time! I wish I had found this site before I had surgery.

I just wanted to warn anyone that is considering going to Mexico for surgery. DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!! I know you may be determined and feel like this is the only way, BUT IF you have any complications, you're in bad shape! My surgery was in Apr 06, and I've been dealing w/ a deadly infection (pseudomonas) this whole year. I've spent weeks in the hospital, and was lucky enough to FINALLY find a wonderful American Dr that would even treat me (after several mos of searching and being turned down). Not only did I loose my job because of this, my unpaid medical bills are around $40,000 at this point (for that much money, not only could I have had surgery in the states, but also a shiny new sports car, lol) My ordeal will not be over anytime soon. Unexpectedly I became pregnant, and I won't be able to be treated any further until after the baby is born in Oct 07. Not even any antibiotics. Until then, I will just have to deal w/ a painful, draining infection (which I am almost used to). And at that point, our last and only option will probably have to be removal of the band all together. The thought of having the band removed after all I've been through is very disheartening, but nothing compared to my fear for the baby's health. So, if I had just been patient, and saved my money for another year, I would've been able to have surgery in the states, and avoided all this. I understand there are TONS of success stories out of Mexico. That is what I focused on, and thought that I was invinsible. The savings in time and money was not worth it....not even close. If you go to another country for medical surgery, it is a dangerous, HIGH RISK gamble. So please reconsider. And just an FYI.... I used Betancourt Medical in Tijuana, Mex. Since my surgery I have found several, several of their former patients that have had life threatening complications. So please steer clear. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!!!!!

Aw, thanks. The pregnancy is going good so far. Still have a long way to go! I was upset, to say the least, when I found out my band wasn't Inamed. Prior to surgery I asked my patient coordinator and the owner both. They assured me that they used Inamed bands. Through this website I've found out that the owner isn't even allowed to order Inamed bands. GRR!

Congrats! I hope all goes smooth for you!!

I thought everyone but Jordin tanked!! I like Blake, but I didn't like either of his performances last night. I'm thinking Lakeisha's going home, too. I guess we'll see. Show starts in 10 mins for me!

Yes! My situation has gotten more and more complicated! I have no clue if the infection will effect the baby or not, and I worry about it daily. My lap band dr took me off the oral antibiotics, and said any future treatment will have to wait until after he/she is here. I have an appointment set, but haven't had my first OB visit yet. That poor doc is going to be bogged down w/ questions and concerns. He'll probably regret taking me on as a patient. lol Suffering consequences of your own actions is one thing, but to think that my baby may suffer is devestating. But I have strong faith in the Lord which has been so very helpful. Thank you for your concerns and well wishes

Oh, I'm sorry I misread your post. I have a port infection that turned into pseudomonas. My American Dr immediately admitted me into the hospital for a week on IV antibiotics. Since then, she's also attempted going back in cleaning out the port area, all w/ no luck. She was going to replace the port itself, but when she opened me up...low and behold... the band was not compatible w/ United States bands. So, now the only other option is band removal (which will have to wait until October after my baby is born!) And yes... this has all been out of pocket. In the beginning I had medical insurance, but soon after lost my job due to all the complications. My medical bills are through the roof, and I'm still facing the cost of removal. So...that's my sob story! lol The good news is - I have a wonderful Dr that took me on as a patient when she really didn't have to. Hopefully others can learn from my mistakes!