Search the Community

Below is an email from my Dr's office... Do you think Allergan will cover this type o complication? basically my band has a bubble, aneurysm, blister (whatever you want to call it) in it and when they fill it the Fluid is all going in to this bubble. Below you can see what Allergan wants to see from my Dr as he is appraoaching them to replace it... just want to know what you all think??? Ok, I finally have some information for you. Dr B let me know that we need to do a fill under fluoroscopy to show Allergan where the dye is going. So we will adjust your band while we are shooting an xray which will show Allergan the fluid is not leaking out of the band. I am having Becky work on dates for next week to get you in to do that. I will let you know once we have a better idea. We are getting closer. No, it is all accumulating in a bubble. Think of your band as having a blister except the fluid goes in but can't come out. Jessica Thorpe, RN, BSN, CBN

So, TD, I assume from your post that you ARE a lap band surgeon who is qualified to speak for everyone who has ever been banded? Considering that each surgeon has different ideas about every phase of lap band surgery, from pre op diet to treatments of complications, I would say it is presumptuous of you to speak for all surgeons and all patients. Please share your experiences, by all means. Even tell us what your surgeons' opinions are. They are educated, trained, informed opinions, but opinions nevertheless. My surgeon may disagree. I see no need to attack anyone who disagrees with you. Using phrases like "paranoid delusional narcissist is rude and an indication that the phrase applies to you more than to anyone else.

I would imagine it really varies. If it was a 3-day weekend, raining or something else going on that would generate more accidents it will take longer, assuming none of those factors are present my experience would be 5-10 days. When my son's car was totalled we got the payoff offer at about the 8th day. We knew it was totalled before that because that was the mechanic's opinion. Not sure how this works among companies, but with Mercury when there is a total it goes to a whole different department for them to determine the payoff amount. As I told you I was very happy with the amt Mercury paid us (they even paid the sales tax since my son had had the car less than a year). What I was NOT happy with was how LONG it took for them to send us a check. Based on my clients' experiences--barring any snafus--it takes about 3 weeks to get a check. For some reason it took TWO MONTHS for our check to come. I didn't call and ask about this sooner because I was trying my best not to be an impatient & demanding claiment. Even tho it was the other party's fault in my son's accident I went thru my insurance because I'm not impressed with the company that the other person is with (won't name them). If he had been hit by someone who was with State Farm I probably would have gone thru them directly because of their good service reputation. Hopefully you took your lienholder off the policy and off your registration when you paid them off. This sometimes complicates matters. If it's a total you will need to sign & mail the pink slip to the insurer. Be sure to send this certified mail. And keep a copy of everything you sign and send back as well as the date you sent it. That is just strange that the guy would lie about the number of people injured. It's not like it wouldn't be a matter of record. Of course his company would find out the facts. I can't imagine why he would do that. Hopefully he has plenty of BI/PD coverage.

As with all surgeries anytime you go under you are subjecting yourself to things going wrong and many complications. And the tt does have some complications. Do your research and make sure you have a board certified plastic surgeon that can explain the procedure in details, complications, etc. My tt was very successful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I had body liposculpure at the same time and to be honest with you, that was painful.. I felt as if someone took me and beat me then ran me over. I would lay in bed in pain and think Oh God, what have I done to myself, but after time, and with the proper care, it is so worth it. I love my flat belly and my new belly button. I can see my you know what, before all I could see when I looked down was a blob of fat. The liposculpture was also worth it, it reduced fat deposits all over my body. I had my arms done, the bra fat overhang, the fatty part between your breast and arm pit, my waist, upper and lower back, my thighs, inner and outer and here and there and everywhere. Some of the fat that was taken was re-injected into my bottom to make it look rounder, that was an added bonus for someone with a flat tooch like me. Good luck.

Reminder-If you have your surgery in another country and get home with a complication ( infection, leak, band slip, etc ) Who are you going to find to take care of you? Not many bariatric Dr.s want other Dr's dissasters. It is a liability issue for these Dr.'s to take care of other Dr's patients. The cost of a complication after you get home will be minimal to the saving of having it done in another country. :laugh:

I was 245 and asked the same question about being "heavy enough" for the gastric bypass. Ultimately, I chose this surgery because it has a higher success rate for getting rid of diabetes and PCOS, which I had. I can proudly say I no longer have diabetes nor PCOS and feel so much healthier. I did have some complications which are not common and I am still dealing with them, but I would do it again.

I've gained back almost 40 lbs as well and that's because I never made my goal so I have more than that to lose. I had a baby which accounts for some of it. Due to complications, I was told to increase my calories and Protein intake and I may have taken it too far. I also haven't been able to exercise due to sciatica and knee pain. I was already losing my mind and eating poorly and then these things made it so much easier. I had barely been maintaining my weight with 5 high intensity workouts a week. If I go back to full liquids, how long is best? I'm thinking three weeks at least. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I turned 43 today. I'm three days into my pre-op diet--I'm on the road to a thinner, healthier me. This is the best gift I can give myself. It will last the rest of my life. I'm sticking pretty much to Isopure protein shakes, chicken, tuna, cheese, cottage cheese, and almonds. I'm getting in about 100 grams of protein a day; my minimum is supposed to be 70. I'm doing great. My carbs are supposed to stay under 30 a day; this is soooo not a problem. Hubby took me out for dinner to celebrate. We went to Outback Steakhouse and I got the center-cut filet (medium rare) with a Caesar salad. I enjoyed every single bite, because I know it will be quite awhile before I can eat another steak or salad. It was delicious! We're looking to buy some riverfront property on the San Marcos river here in Texas. I went out and stomped around on the piece we're most interested in--most likely it's in the flood plain. I wish it wasn't. It's gorgeous. We so want to live on the San Marcos river after I graduate from dental hygiene school in May 2008. George retires from the phone company after 30+ years in December 2009. Life just keeps getting better for both of us. We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on July 4. We've been together for almost seven years. After several failed marriages between us, we took our time getting to know each other. We are perfect for each other. Anyway, back to the lap-band. My sister had a band placed five years ago and has done very well, despite having stretched her pouch. She's lost all of her weight and has been training daily and running marathons for about three years now. I started investigating different weight-loss surgeries for me about a year ago. At first I thought I'd do the vertical sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch, but since I have Crohn's disease, my gastroenterologist wouldn't approve it for me. Then I thought the Rouen-Y--same response from my doctor. Well, then I figured that the lap-band would be okay, because it could be reversed, if I had a life-threatening flare-up of my Crohn's disease. My doctor said he thought that was a great idea. In April, I went to a bariatrics seminar held at Seton hospital here in Austin, Texas, and Dr. Mark Sherrod presented all of the information, pre-qualification factors, etc. and he was so personable. I enjoyed the presentation and spoke with him for sometime afterward. My husband came with me and enjoyed it as much as I did. He really liked Dr. Sherrod too. I made an appointment and saw Dr. Sherrod for the first time on a doctor/patient basis in May. With a BMI of 43, I was definitely a candidate for the surgery. There was a ton of paperwork to fill out, questions to answer, future appointments to schedule, etc. that kept me very busy. I went back on June 25th for a meeting with anesthesiology (for an EKG), the psychologist (to make sure I had realistic expectations), an exercise therapist (to give me ideas on what kinds of exercise was reasonable for me), a nurse with the bariatrics team (to discuss the actual surgery, possible complications, etc.), and a dietician (to discuss my eating habits, the pre-op diet, and post-op diet, and lifetime eating habit modification). My gallbladder decided to go bad, and after a couple of gallbladder tests, that came back strongly indicating a malfunctioning organ, Dr. Sherrod was kind enough to take it out for me on June 29. Whew! I feel so much better. I had my gallbladder removed at the Central Park Surgical Suites on 38th St. here in Austin. And I had such a terrific experience that I've canceled my lap-band surgery at Seton hospital, and have scheduled to have it done at the Central Park Surgical Suites. Dr. Sherrod raves about the staff there, and I can certainly understand why. I had my very own nurse who made sure that I never felt any pain. She was priceless! I don't really have any misgivings about the upcoming surgery. I know that I will mourn the loss of my best friend (food), but honestly, my best friend has let me down for 20 years. It's a sick, sick, sick relationship. Food doesn't make me feel better about myself, it hasn't made me healthy, it turned my mom into a type II diabetic, and I know I'm next. If I had a human friend who treated me the way food has, I sure wouldn't have kept that friend around for 20 years! So, the lap-band goes on July 19. It's a tool to help me control how much I eat. And since I will have such a tiny stomach, I will have to be super smart about what I put into my body. It's no different than when George stopped smoking four years ago. He used the patch, the lozenges, and the gum. They were tools to help him curb is addiction. The band will help me curb my addiction. I'm very excited about starting my new life. I'm only 43, if I treat myself well, I could live another 40 years and enjoy my grandkids and their children, and maybe even their childrens' children. How cool would that be? I'm going to commit to posting here once a week. I sure I can do it once school starts up again. We shall see.:kiss

I choose the Rny because I only wanted to have surgury once and RNY is the gold standard and I didn't want to have surgery again due to acid reflex . I love the choice I made and I am loving the results , I would advice discuss your options with your doctor, your support team and I'm sure you will make the right choice . I know for me I did because I could only afford to be off work once . I have had no complications and I could have went back to work within one week . Good luck my friend .

Yes i understand totally I would definitely pick the sleeve in that case. What I am trying to get is if they basically similar why is the complication rate much more? Maybe he meant its the same weight loss. Congrats on your weight loss. I get cyst crazyy everytime i turn around its another cyst.

My two cents for whatever it's worth. I'm only 3 years 5 months out. No regrets. I bounced back from surgery quickly. My weight came off quickly. I'm healthy and in the best shape of my life for an old fart. Maintained well for the first 2 years. 3rd year battling a 10-15 pound gain back and forth. I can gain weight quickly and it's a snail's pace to get it back off. Always a risk of complications with any surgical procedure. Statistically is seems to be a low percentage. I only have one minor issue from my sleeve procedure. I have reactive hypoglycemia/low blood sugars. It's manageable. ( I'm not in hospice care with month to live... so, life is good.) Long term data and statistics have been an interesting thing. My local surgeons office is having problems collecting data because many patients stop coming in for appointments/check ups as they get further out from surgery. I just decided I didn't want to be a statistic. I'm responsible for my own outcome and success with weight loss.

It IS considered ELECTIVE surgery. So many doctors & insurances have stricter guidlines on it. Unlike a surgery that you might HAVE to have where they can't afford to play with your life to wait till your healthier. While I cannot see where smoking can have any effect on the band whatsoever IT CAN have an effect on how fast you heal, or the % that YOU MIGHT have complications. Cause there are very well documented facts that come with smoking that CAN be of concern to the surgeon. Smoking can reduce healing. Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict, retarding blood flow to the body. This can also cause the raising of blood pressure too. The build up of the tar and everything else in a smokers lungs often means we dont have the same lung compacity that a non smoker has. Therefore after surgery complication of pnumonia can be higher. Fluid buildup in the lungs after surgery is a COMMON problem that they normallly address after every surgery for smoker and non smoker alike. This build up can also cause a smokers lungs to not be able to utilize the oxygen as well lowing the % Of oxygen in the blood stream which again retards/slows healing. I am a 29 year hard & heavy smoker. And yea I have had nunmerous procedures in the past that smoking hasn't hurt. But I probably didn't recover as quickly as I could have. But I have decided that living past the age of 40 is something I am now going to strive for. So one of the things to go is smoking. I know it's gonna be a challange. And it won't be easy. But dangit my health is worth it. Any day now I gotta go pick my first batch of Patches (Ins wont cover chantix, Waiting on the dr to call em in to pharmacy) And start on that adventure. While not all surgons will insist you stop smoking, many of them will. And honestly they have good reason to. While I know that many like to place the blame on 90% of health problems on smoking they do have some valid reasons for doing so. It all boils down to the fact that smoking does nothing good for our bodies, and if your serious enough to consider surgery for weight loss for your health continuing smoking just don't make alot of sense(at least not to me). Why do something so drastic as elective surgery to improve one area and then refuse to continue to keep improving your health?

Hi Terry, If I were you I'd continue to pursue banding surgery (duh). Leatha mentions my situation, and you'll find my appeal letter in a sticky thread in the Insurance Issues section. But I'd also add that it's really only a matter of time before carriers drop their "investigational/experimental" exclusions. The band was approved in 2001 and in June of 2006 that will be five years. In my experience that's sort of a benchmark for some in the insurance community for accepting "new" procedures. It's instructive to note, too, that Aetna and many, many other carriers no longer cover VBG because it's ineffective in the long run and has a high complication rate. Despite how it may seem sometimes, it is a fact that carriers have medical people as well as businessmen making their policies. When they decide to stop covering something because it's dangerous and ineffective (as opposed not covering it yet because it's "unproven" or "investigational,") I pay attention. BC/BS of GA is behind the medical times, and you might want to contact your state insurance department to ask if you have any recourse for appeal. IMO, it's just a matter of time before banding is fully accepted by insurers across the country.

I am not banded yet, but my surgeon did say I will be in the hospital overnight, as long as there are no complications. I do know some surgeons use a day surgery center where you can go home the same day, so everyone is different and it also depends on your surgeon as well.

I'm 3 1/2 yrs post lapband. No soda is allowed with the lapband because it can cause band erosion or slippage. I occasionally will have a sip of hubbys soda if we're out to eat, but basically don't drink it anymore. My band is slipped now (thanks to my frequent vomiting) and I'm revising to a sleeve soon. From what I've been reading, they say no to soda because of discomfort. banders are sposed to have discomfort with soda too, but I have none. So is it medically ok to drink soda but it's up to the individual on whether it causes pain - or is it across the board a no-no? Just curious....

@Goodlife1206: My apprehension has abated some, now that I've talked to my psychologist. The more I think about it, the more I realize that my positive attitude and determination will give me the strength to help me see this journey all the way through. I cannot let the fear of the "unknown" or fear of "failure" stop me from doing what I know is right in my heart, which is living a healthy, successful lifestyle. I, like you, have tried a 'gazillion' times only to tell myself, "This is just too hard, can't do it." But I have come to the conclusion that if I can quit smoking cold turkey after 30 years of putting my body through unnecessary sickness, then I can spend the next 30 years trying to make up for it by treating my body right. Attitude is everything, my friend. Thank you for your post and good luck with your journey. I am here if you'd like to talk further. Well, I went for my psych evaluation today and just as I suspected...I am certifiably crazy lol. Actually, It wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. Dr. and I talked for about 30 minutes, then I took a computer test and two short paper tests, which consisted mostly of common sense questions, my opinion about myself and basically making sure I had the good sense to follow instructions and maintain my weight and health with serious dedication. After all was completed, Dr. let me know after evaluating all my tests that his recommendation is "I am a good candidate for this surgery". Again, the only apprehension I have is the fact that 85% of my stomach will be permanently removed and I just want reassurance (especially from previous patients) that, provided I follow instructions and recommendations, there won't be any "ongoing, major complications". After all, once I do this, there's no turning back. I believe in my heart and soul that I have the desire, determination, will power and support to make this a successful journey. I've done my homework through research, reviews, asking a lot of questions, weighing my options, etc. I quit smoking cold turkey on May 27, 2014 and have lost 17 pounds from 06/25/14 through today's date (07/17/14) simply by following the 'pre-pre diet' my bariatric clinic recommended to help me get used to the upcoming pre/post surgery diet. So far, so good. I plan on keeping a journal and updating everyone so that if anyone has questions, just as I have, maybe my personal experience can help them through and make their transition experience a little easier for them. I will post pics soon. Again, feel free to question or comment on your personal experience so I can get a "heads up" on your trials and tribulations of the sleeve surgery. Thanks for all your input!

Enjoy the fact that you do not have a lot of complications (or maybe any for that matter). The only thing I would caution you on is to not allow yourself to become too comfortable where you're like "I can have anything I want. Yay!! let's go for it!" lol...really, though. I'm like you & I not too long ago had to tell myself to stay focused. Don't feel guilty b/c it may come somewhat easy to you in some ways. You're fortunate!! & also, don't be too hard on yourself. Take one day at a time & enjoy the journey. Hope this makes sense & helps some.

It's sheer narcissism that anyone would disagree with someone's personal erosion experience. Unless you've experienced erosion then you're clueless and only base opinions on and endless supply of unconfirmed reading and hearsay. Only a paranoid delusional narcissist would post disagreements to a true story of real erosion to turn yet another thread into a debate. If you don't have any complications, stick to what you've been through and debate your know-it-all disagreements to the Rants and Raves section.

Dear Mom I went to Mexico in 2006 and got a lapband with Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey, Mexico for $8,000. Things went South on me in a hurry. I came down with puemonia and couldn't get out of bed the day after the operation. I had to pay another $1,600 to stay 2 extra days. My wife was with me and she got me to the airport and to the emergency room when we landed in Houston. I was in bad shape. The band never worked. After I started to tighten it up there was never any restriction. To make a long story short I wound up back in Monterrey in about 10 months and I had to pay out another $2,500 to be debanded. Loss of work, transportation, hospitals, fills, etc. I spent about $20,000 and didn't loose any weight and have no lapband to show for it. A lot of people seem to have a wonderful experience with Mexico. I'd urge anybody to stop and consider what it'll cost if you have complications like me. I'm sure that I would have had some financial recourse if it had happened in the USA. One last thing I found out too late is that you can get fills here for a Mexican band, but no Doctor will touch you if you have complications. It's back to Mexico you go. Good Luck with your decision

I don't know why some management tries to be flippant during terminations- it is never a good thing. As a manger who has had to lay someone off before - I had hard time not crying during the meeting - I felt so awful, maybe this guy was trying to mask his own feelings. In any case, I bet they knew before you took the time off - they usually make these decisions a few weeks in advance and then double check the timing - if they had laid you off just before your surgery (don't know if your insurance paid?) They could have set themselves up for a lawsuit - laying you off just before an expensive surgery or even a private medical procedure would look pretty suspicious (although your insurance should cover you through the end of the month following any termination). Which leads me to my next topic - if you are not currently covered by a signficant others insurance, you may want to consider the COBRA option to ensure you have insurance for the first 90 days (minimum) following the surgery. Pretty spendy - but imagine how much it would cost to cover a complication yourself and those can crop up even a year later! Did they offer a letter of recommendation or job search assistance? If the reason they laid you off was new software made job obsolete you would think that they would be willing to support you that way - in any case get your butt on some of the major job search websites out there like LinkedIn and make use of the contacts you have - go to your same industry companies and find yourself a better job and just think - the next time you see your old boss, you will be healthy, gorgeous and employed and he can go take a flying leap!!

I think that if you had sucess witht he band the first time around until the complications developed you should condiser being re banded if it is an option you want to/ can afford to persue. I think it would be AWESOME to see some oneI know on the Biggest Loser" IT would give me an ever greater reason to watch tv and cheer on someone (and I know you are all behind me when I say this) that we love and admire. Penni, maybe eating protien bars for meal replacements would be an option for you as you travel. Maybe you could order glass of ice to pour your protien shakes over as others eat.. if it is for work that you travel try ordring a fish dish or the healtiest dish on the menu... try out the different cusines that offered in the differnt places you go. My biggest problem with eating out preband was that i wouldnt try new items. I knew what i would eat at each resturaunt. esp the fast food ones. I am sure you have looked into some of these options; I hope I am offering you someithing new to consider. best of luck on your options. we wil all be praying for you.

Hey Scarlet121! I to am having the same problem sort of. I had my surgery in may this year and ive had 3 fills already up to 1.8 cc in my band. I still am able to eat everything, bread pasta rice dont make me sick like they say! There were complications with my docotor leaving to another company so i have to wait for my 4th fill, and im going to ask for a whole cc or somthing more. But i have lost already 33 pounds! Yea me! i wish it was more qucikly but i think im on a good track! I still get the sweet cravings but not like before i still eat a burger from micky d's with no problem. But i do feel the pain when i eat too quickly, so i know the band it there. haha.. Well Good Luck with it.. I just want to be a size 12 already! HAHAH...

There are few docs in Canada who do the Beltline Liptectomy (body lift) it has a huge complication rate even for plastic sugery. It has about a 50% complication rate. There are a few people who have had it that I know of but all of them have scarring. I had a breast life/reduction and tummy tuck, I love the results. It doesn't change how you feel about your body in some ways, but in other ways it does. It made me more comfy, I lost about 150 lbs so I had a lot of hanging skin on my stomach and now I feel more comfy. I think it is really individual and you need to be generally happy with your body and really happy with your mental state before you will be happy with plastic surgery.

The vagas nerve doesn't start in the brain. It, like all other nerves in the body, starts in the spine. For this particular nerve, it originates from just below the base of the brain and, as its name implies, branches throughout the body. It's one of the few nerves that controls an extraordinary amount of seemingly unrelated things. It extends along the jugular lines (down the side of your neck) then passes by the carotid artery, goes down into the neck, chest, then abdomen. Its purpose is to send information back to the nervous system about the state of the body's internal organs. It controls your heart rate, the action of your intestines as they 'pulse' to move product, sweating, muscle movements in your mouth, speech, keeping the larynx open so you can breath, parts of the outer ear, and parts of your throat related to coughing. It's because of the compression of the Vagas nerve that your stomach produces less acid and you're unable to get enough B12 from meat (which is why anyone who has had restrictive band surgery should take B12 for life). Compressing the nerve also causes your heart rate to lower, your blood pressure to drop, and all sorts of other fun things, which is why it is avoided as much as possible. There were several studies done with severing part of the Vagas nerve in obese patients and it having the effect of slowing digestion and causing the patients to lose around 15% of their excess weight. When combined with a restrictive band, that percentage increased to 43%. However, severing the nerve is no longer considered an acceptable medical procedure because of the other complications. So ... depending on how your band is placed and if your vagas nerve happens to be compressed, you may get some extra help (and potentially extra problems). However, not everyone will as the nerve may fall in such a spot where it isn't compressed or compromised.

I think like everyone else said..people are curious about people who are successful, but do they really want to do what it is necessary..probably not...especially if its going to be remotely difficult. You know..my turning point was the diagnosis of pre-diabetes..why I thought high cholesterol and high blood pressure was "ok"...I can take a pill..but watching family members die from complications of diabetes..was serious for me. So until they have the OMG moment...they won't change..but I bet you are inspiring people to look at themselves and you may just be a catalyst for their own self discovery and change!