Lap-Band Tragedy

[thebionicbroad 127]

A staff member at one of my sister high schools had had a Lap-band for awhile, but chose to keep it secret. Shortly after her retirement party, she collapsed, and within a few days, was dead. It seems that her Band had eroded, and she had a massive infection. There was nothing that the doctors could do. Every time I see one of those "Get Thin!" billboards along the freeway, I want to tear them down. Many people seemingly do fine with the Band, but the thing is still a ticking time bomb.

[jillw8 22]

I could not agree more! When I was researching all of my options, I thought "why would anyone do this?!" some countries have done away with the band completely. From my research, it was risky, had a low success rate and had a lot of complications. Scary.

[Julie76 251]

I just don't see how anything foreign to your body can be beneficial to your body. So very sad.

[circa 333]

some people do great with the band - you have to be vigilant in your own personal care. I wonder how many warning signs this person may have ignored. Everyone does it - you ignore a pain here, a feeling there - when you have something like this done, you absolutely CANNOT ignore the little signs.

[MoonSiren 48]

This is so sad. I feel really sorry that this happened to that poor woman, right after she retired too. I wanted to get the band when I came in for my consultation but they convinced me that it would not be a good choice. Even the lady right next to me as I was waiting for surgery was getting a revision to a sleeve from a band. She was extremely obese so the band had done nothing for her.

[Happy Camper 266]

My 25 year old daughter has had one for two years. Surgery was done at UC San Francisco and she has done wonderfully. I am very nervous for her future health however...she made her own choice. I just pray for no future complications.

[kekerene 35]

Unfortunaly there are tons of us out there that had the band and had to have a revision surgery down the road due to complications from the band. I am so sorry to hear about this woman, this breaks my heart. I am so grateful that I had that horrible thing removed from my body.

[CAM1989 2]

Stories like this helped me realize the band was not for me. My doctor feels like I should get the lap band instead of the sleeve or to get a vertical banded gastroplasty which is pretty much stomach staple. I am going to stand my ground and tell my doctor I want the sleeve!

[Rev Me Up! 75]

Terribly sad. I also get upset with all the aggressive marketing on the lap band. It's poison, folks - plain and simple.

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

I know you didn't ask for advice... but... I will give it anyway... find a surgeon who really believes that the sleeve is the right surgery for you!

The first surgeon I saw felt i would fail with the sleeve since I had regained all my losses with the band. He wanted me to do the gastric bypass and I thought about that for a long time but for whatever reason, I could just never wrap my head around the risks and he messing with my intestines. I guess we all have our "thing" and for me, changing the intestines was just something I couldn't visualize doing to myself. It was dumb luck that I encountered someone who told me to reconsider the sleeve and to meet with a surgeon that she loved and whose patients are having great successes... and the rest... well ..history as I am now sleeved by a great surgeon!

Stories like this helped me realize the band was not for me. My doctor feels like I should get the lap band instead of the sleeve or to get a vertical banded gastroplasty which is pretty much stomach staple. I am going to stand my ground and tell my doctor I want the sleeve!

[CAM1989 2]

The problem I have is that under my insurance I can pretty much only go to one surgeon. So I just have to tell him my position and hopefully he agrees.

[longer-life 139]

The problem I have is that under my insurance I can pretty much only go to one surgeon.

Are you sure? With all or most insurances you can travel and it would be covered.