horror story

[thebudha 0]

hello everyone i just wanted to share this story with everyone out here, its for everyone with the band and those thinking about getting the band. do your research first!!! i was banded on 3/2/04 was 315lbs currently 267 lbs wow feel great right? wrong. i wasnt happy with my doctor in nj who was giving me my fills, he also did my surgery, so a friend of mine who got the surgery done in ny at nyu told me to go see he doctor and that he was really good. so i said let me give it a try what do i have to lose right but more weight!!

so went to see him for about 2 months and he gave about 4 fills, good ones too. everytime he adjusted me i got this strange feeling on the table that something was wrong just didnt feel right. was having chest pains and very shaky hands! so he suggested that i go to have an esophagram done. i went to see a doctor to have it done and then went back to him to get the results. to much of my amazement the doctor started calling all the other doctors in to the room, at that point i knew something wasnt right. they told me and showed me on the film that the band was siting at the top of my stomach where it was supposed to be but not around my stomach but next to it! so he told me to get my original ex-rays from the day of surgery to look at the band, would you believe that it was an identical match!!!!! the doctor never put the band around my stomach but placed it around fat which he thought was my stocmh!!! no the band is floating around under my chest causing me to have sever chest pains! could not believe it i feel like i was cheated! i dont know if i could go through surgery again! the only good thing that came out of this is that i lost the weight on my own i guess it was all in my mind huh!

[SHAZ 0]

Budha, that's a scary story!! I'm glad you changed doctors and are now on the right track. So, what, will they go in and remove the band or install it properly. What? I feel really bad for you and I wish you the best with whatever you are having done to correct this.

[leatha_g 4]

you need to contact inamed about this. don.mills@inamed.com

[Alexandra 55]

Holy cow, budha, that's scary!! I'm shocked a doctor in NJ would make that sort of mistake. Any chance you want to share the name?

[nightingale2u 42]

Yikes!!! I hope you find a doctor that you can trust and good luck whether you decide to have your band placed properly or not. Yikes...

[hagerteresa 3]

Thanks for sharing that situation with us. That is terrible! I would be outraged!!! Have you told your surgeon what he did to you? Before I had surgery I contacted my insurance to find out if they would cover complications even though they wouldn't cover the procedure. They said they would on a couple of different occassions. If your insurance didn't pay for the origonal surgery they might pay for the repairs. Sorry you had to experience this problem, Teresa

[babsyintx 0]

Hi,

I have never heard of such a thing!!! You really need to get in touch with Inamed. How did you get the first set of x-rays? Did the other doc /surgeon just give them to you?

I hope you will take appropriate action. I cant see how a surgeon could make this kind of mistake.

Babs in TX

334/184/170

-150

6/23/03

[Guest terrie67]

I am sooooo sorry this happened to you. I am still in the pre-op stage and I will be certain to get verification that the band is actually around my stomac. I neverrrr would have thought such a thing. I hope you are not discouraged by this quack of a doctor who performed your surgery. I hope everything works out for you and your family.

[New Hope 37]

Wow, my surgeon had me do a barium swallow before I was released from the hospital when I got my band. Apparently this wasn't done or he/she would have spotted that problem right off the bat. I'm so sorry that you've had such problems. Take care!

[3labsrus 0]

That is scary! Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope that everything will work out for you. Congratulations on losing the weight on your own!

[I'llsucceed 1]

What an amazing event, horrible & amazing. I am not sure if your going to be re-banded/banded but I would raise a huge stink about this with not only the Doctor but the Hospital in which it was done. I can understand that you may not wish to go there for another procedure- But they should finance any & all medical bills pretaining to the band/including fills for the next year or even two for you. All you need is a great new Doc & a talkative attorney. I doubt it would take long for them to agree to your request. Congrats on the weight loss & just think if you do consider a new operation, You will be a champ at losing. What ever your desicions are I wish you luck & good health.

[the best me 6]

So, whatever happened? Just searching old threads and wondered...hope all is well!

[bobby_hamrick 0]

How much you think you'll get! I mean after the law suit.....Cause I'd be living in his house if the idiot done that to me!

[claraluz 2]

This is an outrage! Your surgeon was obviously incompetent! Are you sure you lost the weight on your own? It sounds like maybe the band was pushing against the stomach or something. Were you able to eat large amounts of food if you wanted to?

Anyway, I can understand your reluctance to have another surgery, but I think you should - either to have the band placed properly or to take it out. I wouldn't want the band just floating around in there. Why risk having a foreign body in you if it is not helping you?

And of course, your surgery should be free. I would talk to your original surgeon and the hospital. Tell the surgeon you want him to pay for a new surgery with another surgeon and tell the hospital you want to have a free surgery. You may not even need a lawyer. But if they don't comply, of course I would sue. You'll, win, it's a no-brainer. Sorry all this happened.

Nancy

[I'llsucceed 1]

Bumped for Rachel