Erosion, The Real Facts

[one gone dog 0]

[quote name=DeLarla But for anyone to say they'd pick surgery in Mexico over surgery in the United States, where we have many highly qualified band surgeons THAT ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW STRINGENT MEDICAL REGULATIONS AND CARRY INSURANCE...

Need I say more?[/quote]

It doesnt matter what country you go to, what hospital you go to. the doctor can carry all the insurance he wants and follow all the guidlines and regs he wants.

What does matter is his skills and .knowledge and working conditions.

I have two family members that have almost died (one did and was saved by the nurses) by a doctors sheer stupididy. and i can think of many cases on the news where doctors screwed up. like leaving a retractor in a guy for almost 9 months. all right here in the USA.

ive had surgery both here and down at the hospital san jose de montterey. all mine have been done by laparoscope and my best recoverys were in mexico. and having seen the surgery rooms ive been in,, id pick the hospital san jose over anything ive seen up here.

as far as whats going on with these two docs and erorsions, ? not a clue.

just my opinion.

[FunnyDuddies 6]

As was pointed out in the other threads, I think it is more an issue between the clinics rather than between the countries. There are certain clinics that seem to have a higher rateof erosion. And there are other clinics that have almost nil when it comes to erosions. Its the same as it is here in the USA, and in France, and in Australia.

Amy

[Penni60 45]

OK I will try to make this short. I am so disgusted with this post for several different reasons. I apologize ahead of time for my language. If this offends anyone I am sorry but I am pissed. The following are MY OPINIONS and MINE ALONE.

The coldness of some of the posts just gets under my skin. Unless you have experienced EROSION you DO NOT even begin to understand what we are all going through. YOU HAVE YOUR BAND!!!!! WE DON'T!!!

I personally don't give a rats ass what the percentages are regarding erosion. All I know is my highly skilled and one of the TOP PROCTOR's for the LAPBAND placed my band on April 6, 2004 in Mexico at a reputable facility. Exactly 18 months later to the day December 6, 2005 I ERODED. I had ZERO symptoms and maintained high restriction till the band was removed.

Would I go back to him for a new band? HELL NO!!

Would I go back to MEXICO for a hang nail removal? HELL NO!!

Thank God my insurance Co covered the band removal otherwise I would still have the band. I would just hope that I did not develop any complications because I would not have been able to afford the surgery.

The techniques are different across the board from US to Mexico to Europe to Australia. Inamed teaches the basic technique that is deemed safe for placement to surgeons. They in turn improve on the technique or continue to use the basic technique. My follow up US surgeon has told me that he took what he was taught by Lopez and improved on it based on what he experienced.

Would I use my follow up US surgeon to have a hang nail removed? YES !!!!!!

Would I use my follow up US surgeon to have a new band placed? YES!!!!!!

My personal experience with Mexico surgeons, the Mexico experience both pre op and post op was HORRIBLE!! Would I suggest or recommend Mexico for any surgery to anyone? NO NOT NOW OR EVER!!!

There is so much more I could say but I think this is enough.

[Penni60 45]

OK One more thing! The title of this thread implies that everyone that has experienced Erosion has reported lies or erroneous information. That bites too.

[one gone dog 0]

Cristan,

Sorry, I didn't see your first post about where you had surgery.

My updated question - did you look at traveling within the US to more experience US surgeons? Still trying to understand the Mexico thing...

Dont know why Cristan chose mexico but i chose Dr. Rumbaut because he's done almost twice as many as any U.S. doctor,or mexican doc. hes had a band for over 6 years himself and his training related to the band.

Both my wife and i were self pay and could've chosen anywhere we wanted, even overseas.

but we went with experiance.

[Penni60 45]

Just a little FYI: Where are you getting your information on how many surgeries your surgeon has performed? If you are getting if from your surgeon then what is to say he might fudge the numbers some just to make him look better.

I know for a fact that one surgeon told me he did 1500 surgeries. Then I hear he told another person he did 3000. The reason he increased the number -- he included all the surgeries that was done while he was partnered with another surgeon whether he did them or not.

SO just know that outside the US when a surgeon tells you how many he has performed you have NO way of checking. Inside the US you do.

Keep that in mind OK!!

[DrPleatman 3]

As a surgeon doing bariatric as well as other general surgeon, I was shocked to read the suggestion that the surgoen insure the patient against future medical bills. When I do an operation such as LapBand or gastric bypass, I promise my patients that I will take care of them and not charge any more for problems after the surgery, but there is no way that I can afford to pay for all their future medical expenses relating to complications. Hospital bills can be astronomical, especially in the USA. That's why we prefer to take care of patients with insurance, as we don't want to put our patients in the poorhouse as a result of an unforseeable complication. Enough about that.

I know Dr. Ortiz well... he trained me as well as numerous US surgeons. I have seen his clinic and watched him operate in Tijuana, and I would recommend him to anyone. We all have complications. It's a fact of life. There is a saying that the only surgeons who don't have complications are the ones that don't operate.

If your band has eroded, get on with your life. Stop obsessing about your Band. You might consider having a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.

Mark Pleatman MD

www.laparoscopy.com/pleatman

[one gone dog 0]

Just a little FYI: Where are you getting your information on how many surgeries your surgeon has performed? If you are getting if from your surgeon then what is to say he might fudge the numbers some just to make him look better.

I know for a fact that one surgeon told me he did 1500 surgeries. Then I hear he told another person he did 3000. The reason he increased the number -- he included all the surgeries that was done while he was partnered with another surgeon whether he did them or not.

SO just know that outside the US when a surgeon tells you how many he has performed you have NO way of checking. Inside the US you do.

Keep that in mind OK!!

gee i never considered that during almost 4 years of research on the band.

how long did you research you doctor ? i reasearched mine for two years talking with patients, doctors he trained, doctors hes worked with up here in the usa and talking with reps from inamed.

"so keep that in mind OK!!"

lets try not to make this personal, i do feel for all that have lost the band for one reason or another. If i lost mine i could deal with it, if my wife lost her's however, that would kill me because of what it means to her.

[Penni60 45]

As a surgeon doing bariatric as well as other general surgeon, I was shocked to read the suggestion that the surgoen insure the patient against future medical bills. When I do an operation such as LapBand or gastric bypass, I promise my patients that I will take care of them and not charge any more for problems after the surgery, but there is no way that I can afford to pay for all their future medical expenses relating to complications. Hospital bills can be astronomical, especially in the USA. That's why we prefer to take care of patients with insurance, as we don't want to put our patients in the poorhouse as a result of an unforseeable complication. Enough about that.

I know Dr. Ortiz well... he trained me as well as numerous US surgeons. I have seen his clinic and watched him operate in Tijuana, and I would recommend him to anyone. We all have complications. It's a fact of life. There is a saying that the only surgeons who don't have complications are the ones that don't operate.

If your band has eroded, get on with your life. Stop obsessing about your Band. You might consider having a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.

Mark Pleatman MD

Dr. Pleatman, I can't believe how much you just trivialized what we that have eroded have gone through. It isn't like we just had a hang nail surgery we LOST OUR BANDS. For me personally it was the ONLY thing that worked for me. Bypass isn't an option because I don't want the issues that come with that surgery either. If I was gonna do the bypass don't you think I would have done that FIRST?

The fact that you suggest another surgery to help with our situation appalls me to no end. You presume it would be easy to just get another surgery. I have not quite recovered from the last one emotionally and you just matter of fact suggest another one. Typical surgeon attitude is what I am seeing from you. I dealt with this when I was an RN all the time. You see the procedure and NOT the patient.

I am just shocked at how insensitive you just were. You have just lost all my respect.

[Penni60 45]

Yes I did my research as well. Inamed told me this was a top surgeon in the field. This was the reason I went to him.

As an RN I do my research rather well thank you.

[one gone dog 0]

.

If your band has eroded, get on with your life. Stop obsessing about your Band. You might consider having a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.

Mark Pleatman MD

www.laparoscopy.com/pleatman

buddy, that was just not right, in fact, it was just plain rude and disrespectfull.

id hate to see your "bedside manner"

[Penni60 45]

Thank you Anca and Big Dog for your support

[DeLarla 22]

"It doesnt matter what country you go to, what hospital you go to. the doctor can carry all the insurance he wants and follow all the guidlines and regs he wants. What does matter is his skills and .knowledge and working conditions."

You mean things like a hypodermic needle lying at nurse's station uncapped and unattended? That kind of working conditions? Perhaps a patient wandering around a surgical suite in a drug induced fit of hallucinations, touching everything with no staff around to hear or care? I think I gotcha now.

Research that, would ya?

[La_madam 20]

I met Dr. Ortiz and found him to be a rather impressive fellow, and I'm grateful for what he's done for Michelle.

Thanks Lisa :target:

This is a touchy post for me. Iam a fan of Ortiz..he is a wonderful Dr. and I thank him for coming here

I am an Ortiz patient and I eroded. I do not hold him responsible. I have recieved impecable aftercare from him and his staff they were always there for me when I needed them, not only did he give the tool of the band to lose over 100 lbs and have a happier healthier life, he also saved my life by fixing my bowel obstruction surgery when NO U.S. doctor would touch me. I will never know the real reason I eroded, Dr. Ortiz thinks it is from a stitch, maybe it could of been from my bowel obstruction, who knows for sure. I just can not dwell on it any longer. Sure Iam sad I eroded, but in the same breath I am very very lucky to have had such great success with my band.and sure it is very strange that 4 of us here on LBT all had our bands placed within a month of eachother with Lopez and Ortiz and we al leroded together..that is something I think about often. But It is now up to me to contnuie to stay successful without my band and put the erosion behind me. It could be worse, I could of not been so fortunate to been able to ever have the band and be even heavier now then I was when I got my band. As bandsters I think all of us have the same fear of erosion, it is something we worry about all the time, I was a perfect bandster, so I do not think it had anything to do with me not following the rules because I followed the rules. I have no regrets..as far as another band in my future, right now I would say NO...it has been 2 months since my erosion and I have managed to maintain my weight loss, obviously I learned something from it all..it is struggle, I will not lie, but Iam not gaining and to me if I never lose another pound then the band did it's job!

We all have our own opinions here, thats freedom of speech in it's best form!

No onme should be made to feel wrong for voicing theirs good or bad

[Aimze 0]

[quote name=

If your band has eroded, get on with your life. Stop obsessing about your Band. You might consider having a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.

Mark Pleatman MD

www.laparoscopy.com/pleatman

If only you had stopped typing before writing these words.

You are Cold! How very sad that you felt the need to say this to people who have just lost their band, their chance to be free of obesity.

I am shocked that you are a medical professional, and i use that word very losely, and are as uncaring and unprofessional as you just proved that you are.

Amy