EricBermudez

Usually dr. Rumbaut Recommends chewing 30 times at each bite. So you eat slower, avoid PB, and get that full sensation with less food.

Just in case you want any more options in San Jose, Costa Rica Dr. Guillermo Suarez $ 10,500, top notch Hospital www.hospitalsanjose.net or try Dr. Carlos Quesada, I do not know address maybe search on internet I know he is a little cheaper. Dr. Quesada studied in Japan and had done alot of this surgeries and bypasses as well as Dr. Suarez. They usually do about 20 bypasses a month each. Dr. Rumbaut did my lapband surgery. He is one of the best and was trained by the ones who invented the Lapband Dr. Favretti in Italy. I recommend him 100%

I had a leak about 4 years ago. Usually the hose that comes out from the port is reinforced but it is still silicone. So I went back to Mexico with Dr. Rumbaut, what he did is just open the scar where the port is and cuts the puncture hose and reconnects it. He took about 15 minutes to fix maybe less. He did not charge me at all, I just paid for the private clinic about $ 160. He even located the hose behind the port so the probabilities to puncture again lowers. I noticed it was punctured cause there was no restriction at all. This was punctured by the syringe during a fill ( no Fluoro ). It is normal to be pinched several times. Usually my doctor in Costa Rica senses my port very easily and pinches me 1 time about 90 % of the times.

San Jose, Costa Rica is another option I recommend. Top Notch hospital www.hospitalsanjose.net , Dr. Guillermo Suarez Cost +/- $10,500.

I have not made research about it. But would not like to have any sort of battery inside, because of any kind of acid leakage....( Am I wrong)???:phanvan

This a very personal issue. I chose the Lapband, because it is reversible. Also the Dr. Recommended the Lapband, because I had little overweight.

I got tired of not having the same size of pants, everytime I went to shop I had a bigger size, until I could not find that size no more in the Department stores. Also suffer from being hot, always sweating. Since lap band I suffer from being cold.

Oh, I forgot. I can,t drink milk when I am starting to open the band it turns into cottage cheese and I PB. Maybe body heats transforms milk into almost a kind of cheese.

Bread unless it is very toasted Red meats Shrimp or lobster this is the worst very hard. Pastries Rice unless it is soaked with Soup, ketchup or any liquid to make it slippery Usually eat a lot of fish, chicken, and Pasta with lots of sauce.

I am an Architect.:bewaremod:

Welcome E Harper, to the bandsters and lapbandtalk.

I ve heard that a lot maybe if you can tell is what type of band you have ( C.C. capacity and how many c.c. you got on the band right now), and how many fill you have had.:rolleyes

Also somedays you will feel like a burning sensation like if you have a sore throat. I do not know what it is. But it is not that bad, losing weight is the positive side of the band. You will get used to it. Cheers:)

Leatha G is right. You feel like if you have your stomach at your neck. It is like the nerves that send the fullness alert to the brain are just up there next to the pouch. I ve had that sensation for up to 5 years, but that a good sign the band is working.

Hi, I had the Bio Enterics Lap Band Surgery in Monterrey, Mexico with Dr. Rumbaut about 5 years ago. I live in San Jose , Costa Rica; at that time they did not made the surgery down here, but they do now. I had lost 70 Lbs, I am know at 175 Lbs, and maintained that weigh until now. I had the band deflated totally, and in three months I gained 30 Lbs. I am adjusting the band back on Monday. My band works great with 2.3 c.c., but that varies on everybody.

Not at all Kathy, thanks for your interest in the poll....

I am sorry Kathy I sent the reply somewhere else in the morning til I noticed, at lunch time. There it Is. I am really sorry.

Also in my case once I open the band I will have to eat at a constant pace. If I stop eating for about 2-3 minutes, it gets harder to start eating again. I believe tha band starts to restrict the food again. Remeber my band is at a higher level, I think the pouch can't get larger than if you have the band at a lower level. This is just an Hypothesis.. Eric

Since it is very hard for me to open the band each time I want to eat. I only have 3 meals a day. Sometimes at dinner I eat only a Soup or only a Glass of milk. Even for the milk I have to open the band with Water. If I open the band with milk I will PB, and guess what it is not milk it is loke cottage cheese ( sorry for the details ), thats because of the time it takes to open the band, the body heats changes the milk composition. Ive tried eating solids first and there is no way, I get the PB sensation. Even it is hard for me to eat. The Lapband is the best thing. It changed my way of life for good. Sorry for my English.... Ask me anything else if you feel I havent answer all your questions.

Thanks Kathy, Ill try to rewrite. Well I got a fill again this time 2.7 c.c. . It is very tight but it is OK so I loose weight faster. In my case ( I don't know if it is true) the Dr. told me he placed my band higher than normal. Why?? Well, when I had surgery my BMI was 1 point under the minimal for surgery. But when I told the Dr. what I ate he said I would be back later with the correct BMI, I was eating about 8000-9000 calories a day. Everytime I saw a fast food restaurant I had the urge to eat. Ok... Having the band higher, makes you eat slower, because you get the sensation of fullness faster. In my case the eating procedure is different as many of the bandsters. I understand the principle of eating solids and avoid too much liquid so you don't wash your food away. I hope I am not the only one that uses the inverse. In the mornings it is very difficult to " open the Band " it takes me even up to 2 hours to make liquids go through. I usually open the band with iced Water with a lot of ice. I've heard people drinking hot liquids ( it sounds logical hot liquids make the band softer ). Ive never tried it, Ill have to give it a try. In the mornings I only have liquids. In the other meals once I open the band , I'll go for soups, mashed potatoes,or any kinf of puree. Then I'll go with fish or chicken. Before the band I was 100% carnivorous ( red meats ), now I hardly eat read meat its to rough. next reply>>>>>>>>>

Tightness varies from one day to another. Sometimes the band area gets irritated and swollen, which makes it difficult to eat. Also the saline solution can pass through ( thats what Drs. told me) and make the band looser. I am not sure about that. But my band has its days, just like a person, some days you eat easier than others.

Yes you will Michelle. You are gonna be eating like gourmet food which is flavorful but in less quantity. You will lose weight depending on how tight is the band. I am in a point where I do not loose or gain, but I reached my goal. When you reach your goal try to fill the band where u dont gain or loose. You will get used to the band after a while. Its great.

Well. Since Lap Band I have not enjoyed food like before, but is not so bad. Maybe is not that I do not enjoy eating. When you love eating you eat anything and really fast which makes you and all of us happy. Its just like dieting it makes you depressed. I rather be eating minimally and slow and loose weight. Since I started loosing weight I have not experience stomach aches, diahrreas,.... ; and start seeing the bright side, you are getting thinner and healthier. Also when I eat like hard food the next day is hard to eat. I believe the band area gets irritated and swollen. I usually take a cold drink or just go for a liquid state for one day. This is normal.

Yes, When I lost enough my ports showed on mky left side. I know I have a small port, it was bigger in the early 2000. I have the Inamed. Maybe now 5 years later there is a smaller port. The port has to be located in a place where is easy for the Dr. to make the fills. When u gain weight it gets more difficult to locate. Sometimes Drs. need to pinch several times to get the port.

About the erosion issue. I really don't know exactly what relly provokes it. I ve been lucky maybe. The only food I had not eaten since the surgery is red meat or shrimp which are a pain to make them pass the restriction. I believe that if you force the band it will erode. But I was thinking earlier that even water on the rivers erode the land... but it is different cause there is a lot of water and is constant. That will be an interesting thread to post. Maybe try to decipher from the bandsters that have erosion to see their diets. This is a real issue we bandsters have to find what really erodes the band area. I know for sure having the band too tight will provoke erosion, thats why Im in a liquid state, ( maybe some pasta with a lot of sauce ). Thats another thing I usually moisten my food with any kind of dressing, even mayo, ketchup, mustard. We could find out making a poll to see how moist is their foo. Is there anybody there that can make a poll. I don't know how to insert it in this thread. Eric