Spivak and Spiegal - Tell me more

[mini_me 3]

((innocent eyes))

bumping for fun...

karik and karen, it is good that you were satisfied with dr. spiegel. i think the whole idea of this thread was to post your individual experience with your prefered doctor--and you did that wonderfully.

unfortunately it kind of turned into a slugfest of people who favored dr. spiegel vs. those who did not(for whatever reason)

I could have gone with spiegel if i had woken up in a different mood onthe day i decided which doc to use. it just so happened that i prefered spivak on the day in question.

btw everyone---i had my biggest loss in lbs between fills yesterday. since my previous fill one month ago, i lost 4lbs. ((in case you are not familiar with my situation, i am a SSLOWW loser))

[barbara465 2]

Rolling my eyes back at you with such an angelic look on my face.

Its funny how passionate some get over their doctors. I don't have those kind of feelings. I just choose one, then switched to Dr. St Laurent, then back again when the insurance got all messed up.

I had contacted my primary for advice. I told her my choice wasn't a compasionate doctor and I would come to her for my hand holding. She laughed and told me you pick a surgeon for his/her operating ability not their bedside manner. I tend to agree, although its nice when you can find both. I never listen to office help either. I want to talk directly to the doctor. If I can't I move on to a professional that will talk to me.

Good news on your weight loss. It's nice to see the scale move downward.

[mini_me 3]

thanks barb...i have waited since june for a budge on the ticker. i can really feel a difference since yesterdays fill. i feel it both in my hunger and my levels of food consumption. now, i just have to concentrate on good food choices and exercise...story of my life!!

glad things seem to have cooled off in here.

[KariK 0]

Glad too! Wheww.

[coltonwade 27]

Just an FYI for anyone who has Time Warner Cable in Austin this office has an "Infomerical" on channel 1432 advertising their surgery .

I have heard some good things about them . But I think its a little "odd" to have an infomerical on a video on demand channel for a cable company .

But that's just me. It is a good informative "show" .

HTH

[Randi 0]

Eight, you are not the best advertising for Dr. Spiegel's practice.

Ditto for me, Clarity. I came here today looking for an experienced lapband surgeon since I may end up being self-pay. What I know is that the attitude of the office staff is usually reflective of the attitude of the Surgeon. It's doubtful I will consider Spiegel for my surgeon now.

[Deede 0]

But if not, perhaps erosion has a lot to do with wether or not ppl stick to eating 6 oz. meals? Does anyone know what causes erosion? I guess I could look it up lol but .. im feeling too lazy. If I look it up later I'll post what I find out.

Hi All...

About band erosion....

This is my first post and I can only say what my experience has been, or rather my daughter's. We were both banded in 2002, I was banded in November and she was banded in December. I still have my band, but she lost hers on February 28, 2005.

My daughter was too young to have the band at 17 even though she begged me for it. She had been obese all of her life, and had been teased unmercifully throughout school. I'm sure you all know how teenagers are now. She promised to do exactly what I did, etc. It didn't work out that way.

She was never complaint with the band. In other words, she just got so tired of not eating that she would eat, throw up, eat some more, and throw up some more. She never got to the "sweet spot" with a fill, whatever that is. I didn't know she was throwing up so much, because I was having my own problems and never heard her. It was like she was bulimic, and she hid it well. She was involved in so many High School activities that she was gone almost every day doing something.

Finally, my husband found out she was throwing up when he heard her in the middle of the night. He went into her room and found candy wrappers and chip sacks everywhere. She promised not to do it anymore, etc. etc. if he wouldn't tell ME.

It was horrible, and she nearly paid for it with her life.

In February of 2005, she began to have a lot of stomach pain, and she was unable to eat much at all. She supplemented her diet with Protein drinks, and Soup. Now remember, I didn't know she was barfing her brains out. She was at the end of her Senior year in High School and had lost nearly 100 pounds. She looked great, but she was white as a sheet.

I begged and begged her to see her band surgeon, but she wouldn't. Teens! But then she couldn't swallow....anything.

We forced her to go to her band surgeon because she was too weak to resist. Her band had slipped completely and there was no way they could save it. She had emergency surgery to remove it, and I thought everything would be okay.

They dumped her out of the hospital the next morning even though she looked horrible, so we took her home. After she couldn't get out of bed the following morning we rushed her back to our hospital in our small town. The ER ran tests and her blood count was so low they had to give her transfusions. It seems she lost 5 pints of blood but NO ONE told us. She was in the hospital for 3 more days.

She scared us all so much, and she has suffered so much for eating when she shouldn't and eating too much.

She has regained every pound that she lost plus more.

Now she wants another band, and I don't know what to do. She will be 20 in 2 weeks, and she promises, yet again, that she will do whatever it takes BUT she will not go back to the surgeon who removed her band. He really scared us all by not being truthful with us about her blood loss, and booting her out of the hospital the next morning.

Would you pay for another band?

Thanks for listening.....

[jahair 0]

Hi All...

About band erosion....

This is my first post and I can only say what my experience has been, or rather my daughter's. We were both banded in 2002, I was banded in November and she was banded in December. I still have my band, but she lost hers on February 28, 2005.

My daughter was too young to have the band at 17 even though she begged me for it. She had been obese all of her life, and had been teased unmercifully throughout school. I'm sure you all know how teenagers are now. She promised to do exactly what I did, etc. It didn't work out that way.

She was never complaint with the band. In other words, she just got so tired of not eating that she would eat, throw up, eat some more, and throw up some more. She never got to the "sweet spot" with a fill, whatever that is. I didn't know she was throwing up so much, because I was having my own problems and never heard her. It was like she was bulimic, and she hid it well. She was involved in so many High School activities that she was gone almost every day doing something.

Finally, my husband found out she was throwing up when he heard her in the middle of the night. He went into her room and found candy wrappers and chip sacks everywhere. She promised not to do it anymore, etc. etc. if he wouldn't tell ME.

It was horrible, and she nearly paid for it with her life.

In February of 2005, she began to have a lot of stomach pain, and she was unable to eat much at all. She supplemented her diet with Protein drinks, and Soup. Now remember, I didn't know she was barfing her brains out. She was at the end of her Senior year in High School and had lost nearly 100 pounds. She looked great, but she was white as a sheet.

I begged and begged her to see her band surgeon, but she wouldn't. Teens! But then she couldn't swallow....anything.

We forced her to go to her band surgeon because she was too weak to resist. Her band had slipped completely and there was no way they could save it. She had emergency surgery to remove it, and I thought everything would be okay.

They dumped her out of the hospital the next morning even though she looked horrible, so we took her home. After she couldn't get out of bed the following morning we rushed her back to our hospital in our small town. The ER ran tests and her blood count was so low they had to give her transfusions. It seems she lost 5 pints of blood but NO ONE told us. She was in the hospital for 3 more days.

She scared us all so much, and she has suffered so much for eating when she shouldn't and eating too much.

She has regained every pound that she lost plus more.

Now she wants another band, and I don't know what to do. She will be 20 in 2 weeks, and she promises, yet again, that she will do whatever it takes BUT she will not go back to the surgeon who removed her band. He really scared us all by not being truthful with us about her blood loss, and booting her out of the hospital the next morning.

Would you pay for another band?

Thanks for listening.....

Deede,

First my sympathy for all you and your daughter have had to go through. You've been scared so many ways it is not funny! I can only imagine your stress levels.

Here's what I would do if this was my child/young adult. I would not contemplate another band for her unless two things happen:

• She gets into therapy with someone who is experienced in counseling young people about food issues. She needs better insight into what is triggering her self destructive actions.
  
• She finds a way through part time work to pay for a portion of the new band. If it were my child I would want to see her show some ownership of the new band by making a contribution on her own behalf.

I can't presume to tell you what you must do with your family, I can only let you know what would be important for me. I hold you and your family in prayer.

Please let us know how things are going.

Jo Ann

[Randi 0]

Hi All...

About band erosion....

This is my first post and I can only say what my experience has been, or rather my daughter's. We were both banded in 2002, I was banded in November and she was banded in December. I still have my band, but she lost hers on February 28, 2005.

My daughter was too young to have the band at 17 even though she begged me for it. She had been obese all of her life, and had been teased unmercifully throughout school. I'm sure you all know how teenagers are now. She promised to do exactly what I did, etc. It didn't work out that way.

She was never complaint with the band. In other words, she just got so tired of not eating that she would eat, throw up, eat some more, and throw up some more. She never got to the "sweet spot" with a fill, whatever that is. I didn't know she was throwing up so much, because I was having my own problems and never heard her. It was like she was bulimic, and she hid it well. She was involved in so many High School activities that she was gone almost every day doing something.

Finally, my husband found out she was throwing up when he heard her in the middle of the night. He went into her room and found candy wrappers and chip sacks everywhere. She promised not to do it anymore, etc. etc. if he wouldn't tell ME.

It was horrible, and she nearly paid for it with her life.

In February of 2005, she began to have a lot of stomach pain, and she was unable to eat much at all. She supplemented her diet with Protein drinks, and Soup. Now remember, I didn't know she was barfing her brains out. She was at the end of her Senior year in High School and had lost nearly 100 pounds. She looked great, but she was white as a sheet.

I begged and begged her to see her band surgeon, but she wouldn't. Teens! But then she couldn't swallow....anything.

We forced her to go to her band surgeon because she was too weak to resist. Her band had slipped completely and there was no way they could save it. She had emergency surgery to remove it, and I thought everything would be okay.

They dumped her out of the hospital the next morning even though she looked horrible, so we took her home. After she couldn't get out of bed the following morning we rushed her back to our hospital in our small town. The ER ran tests and her blood count was so low they had to give her transfusions. It seems she lost 5 pints of blood but NO ONE told us. She was in the hospital for 3 more days.

She scared us all so much, and she has suffered so much for eating when she shouldn't and eating too much.

She has regained every pound that she lost plus more.

Now she wants another band, and I don't know what to do. She will be 20 in 2 weeks, and she promises, yet again, that she will do whatever it takes BUT she will not go back to the surgeon who removed her band. He really scared us all by not being truthful with us about her blood loss, and booting her out of the hospital the next morning.

Would you pay for another band?

Deede,

Honestly, if she were my daughter, I would not pay for the second band. However, you know your daughter better than anyone in this forum. But, here are few questions you may want to consider:

Has she really matured that much in a year? Since she lost the band, what have her weight loss effort been? Is she the type of person who will say anything to get what she wants, but doesn't follow through with her promises? If she didn't respect the rules of the band the first time, then why will this time be any different? Why can't she wait until she can afford to pay for the surgery herself?

[Texas Cutie 0]

I wish I had paid more attention to this post prior to having my surgery. I read it and thought one bad expierience is just an opinion. I wish I had not had spiegal do my surgery although seeing as I went to sleep and he was not even in the room I can not be sure that he is the one who did my surgery.

I saw him for 2 seconds the day of my surgery and I saw him for 30 on my pre-op date. I am not at all happy with that. I think we should be followed up with BY A DOCTOR. I am like 2 months out and I have no clue where I should be what I should should not be doing. I feel as if me and my insurance company were ripped off severely. Poor Poor after care. Poor care in general!

[barbara465 2]

Sorry you are feeling so neglected TexasCutie. Are you having problems as a result of your surgery? These surgeries are becoming so routine that the doctor's tend to forget that its the patients "first" time.

Dr. Spiegel's office sends you home with pretty good instructions. I hope you got them. It states to call the surgicenter 4 weeks after surgery for your first fill. You were also to go into the doctor's office 1 week after surgery. I didn't see the doctor, but his nurse. She did check to make sure the incision is OK.

I have found that the Surgicenter has me see Dr. Spiegel when they think its necessary. For instance, I started leaking my fill and he put me on the heavier solution. He did my fill that day and now I'm back to the PA doing it.

I hope things get better for you. Lapbandtalk is a great place to get information.

[faybie 0]

Texas Cutie,

Both doctors use the surgery center and they have always been wonderfully helpful. You can always call one of the patient advocates there. I have met all three patient advocats. They are all really nice. I think all 3 are banded as well.

Good luck!

[roband 0]

:faint: If I had read this thread prior to surgery - I doubt I would have chosen Dr. Siegal. I just hope his office conveys this information to him.

[mfw1941 0]

I have researched most of the docs in the Houston area and chose Dr. Spivak because he participated in the FDA studies for the device. I believe he is the only surgeon in TX that participated. My major concern with the other surgeons is that they are just jumping on the bandwagon since the surgey was approved by the FDA. I work in research and know that participation in clinical trials is not always an indication of quality, but that coupled with the info I have gotten from this site and my personal reaction to him convinced me he as the best choice for me.

I liked his staff, they were very friendly and supportive. Several of them have had the surgery themselves, so they were good sources of information.

From what I have been able to tell from the posts, he and the staff are very supportive.

Also, I liked him personally, he seems like a caring person. I did get any "arrogance" vibes from him.

If you are self pay, they have a special for the month of January that covers everything for 12,900.00. This included the fills for the first year.

Good luck with your decision, it takes a lot of sour searching to reach your decision.

[Randi 0]

I live near San Antonio, Texas and self-paid for the procedure. My thoughts were that if I had to self-pay for the procedure, then I would choose based on qualifications and experience, not just for convenience.

At one point, I was considering lapband surgeons in Houston. So, I researched both Spivak and Spiegel -- I looked at their websites and read posts on the LBT and OH websites. Based on all the information I was able to gather, Spivak would have been my choice had I chosen a surgeon in Houston.