My Story - very long - cross posted

[virginiann 0]

My name is Virginia and I had the LapBand Surgery on May 21st 2007. From that date until somewhere in August all was well, I was losing weight and feeling pretty good, except for one major issue. I began having gas. Not the 'oops excuse me' gas but full blown explosions that resulted in much embarrassment and stomach bloating. My husband and I work together and car pool to work or it would have been a much worst experience than it already was, because on the ride home at night I had gas so bad I felt I was in labor.

I began doing research on the LapBand and gas and could not find much on it. I started to eliminate different foods from my diet like milk, Beans, etc... I made sure I didn't drink from a straw, I made sure I didn't eat too late at night, the list of what I tried went on and on. So during one of my fills in September I told my surgeon that the gas was getting to be too much for me to deal with and I didn't know what to do about it. He said that no way was it the band that was causing this gas, that it had to be my food.< /span>

Well as the days pass and my gas gets more and more uncomfortable something interesting happened in October. I got a fill that was too tight. Needless to say I had to go in for an unfill and that unfill was still too tight so I went in for another unfill and this time my doctor took out 1.5cc and I was left with absolutely no restriction. I decided that since I had a terrible Thanksgiving I would just leave things alone for awhile and get back to it after the New Year.

Now here is the interesting part, during the time I had no restriction my gas all but went away. I ate anything I wanted, dairy, beans, veggies and even stuff I should have never eaten but since I was in a loving life to the fullest mood I ate sweets, fast food and my wonderful ice cream. I gained 17 pounds during this time and I have no regrets. I was gas free and comfortable for the first time in months.

But of course all good things must come to an end. On January 12th I made an appointment for a fill and while my doctor was doing the fill I told him that if I got my gas back that I would be coming in with a request to have the band removed.

I felt as though he didn't take me seriously all those months and the minute I said I wanted the band out all of a sudden he was all concerned. No one believed me that I KNEW the band was the cause for my discomfort.

Needless to say the gas came back full force.

Two weeks later, with a ton of research in hand and food logs I went back to him and told him that I wanted the band removed and I wanted him to do the RNY on me. I had been researching it for months and I was not willing to just have the band removed and go it alone, I wanted something to take its place and I choose the RNY. He read over what I had brought to him and when he was finished he said okay.

His biggest concern was, he stuck to the fact that he has done 'a thousand' LapBand procedures and I was the first to complain about gas this far out. Well I guess there always has to be a first.

I agreed to another endoscopy and colonoscopy. As soon as all that came back clear my surgery date was given and believe it or now Yesterday March 17th marked three weeks post-op.

What I would like to add is my Surgeon(s) Dr. Michael Orris and Dr. John DeBarros via the Weight Loss Institute of Arizona. When I first had my LapBand surgery last May, both these surgeons took my insurance. Somewhere along the line, Dr. DeBarros decided to drop Aetna and therefore I was only able to see Dr. Orris for all my fills. That was okay because it really didn't matter. However, when it came time to do my revision, since both these doctors work hand in hand I was forced to pay out of pocket for Dr. DeBarros. I don't think this was right but I paid what they asked anyway.

One of my biggest complaints that I have had since I walked though their door is you can expect a good two hour wait to get into see either doctor. By the time I went in for my last few visits all I could think about was how grateful I was going to be when I didn't have to go there any longer. There were times when so many people were complaining about the wait time that several just walked out.

I don't feel I was taken seriously when I complained about my gas and I know I wasn't treated with respect when it came to my appointments. Some times it was as long as 4 hours in that office. Now that I have had the RNY I will not have to go back for three months.

Anyway, this is my story, I wanted to share it with you. If you are having any kind of issues with your Band and you feel you have done everything you can to make it work, make sure you yell, kick and scream if you have to, to be heard. Now I am on a different road and it has been a long slow recovery, I am still not back to work. The area where the port was is still very sore due to the cutting of the muscle that the port was attached to. My surgery took 4 hours because of scar tissue. I can't tell you all if it was worth it or not at this point in time, but I will try and pop in from time to time and give you updates. Please feel free to ask me anything, I would love to help. virginiann@cox.net

[SElaine 3]

V-

I'm so sorry for everything you've been through. (((Hugs))) I wish there was something I could do.

We were in the hospital together the day we got banded and you were there with me through all of my complications and you were there with me when they took the band out. I appreciate and love you so much for everything you've done. You have no idea what a strength and support you've been for me.

I hope this new path you have chosen is the right one for you and that you are pain free and successful. No matter what, though, you'll always be my #1 band buddy.

ETA: I hear ya on the port pain. I'm still quite sore, too. It's been four weeks for me, and I'm surprised and how sore I am. Dang, if I move wrong or sit in the same position for a long period of time it's even painful. Go figure. At any rate, it was definately easier going in than coming out.

Edited March 19, 2008 by SElaine

[Ezma 2]

I ran into the same problem with WLIA. I have UHC insurance and only one of the two doctors took it. Since they both work on the surgery I would have had to pay out of pocket for the surgeon that didn't take it. Why would they not both take the same insurances? Just curious about that. I ended up going with Dr. Schuster out of Banner Gateway Bariatric. Loved him and everyone at the office. And best part is that everything is covered by my insurance. With WLIA I would have had to pay for the second doctor, the psychological part and I think one other part of their program.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I have heard many good things about Orris and Debarros but there is one source of frustration I have as a self pay patient.

Now, I went to Mexico for surgery so I am not a patient of these docs but as a self pay patient maybe I look at things a little differently.

I become annoyed and frustrated when people want to have surgery locally and cost is a factor. I'm not talking a fair price, I'm talking what these guys charge. They charge $19K for a private pay band. Kirshenbaum charges $10K. Why can one doc do it cheaper than these guys? We are talking almost double for the same procedure.

Now, I realize they say that they have TWO surgeons in OR but you know what? So does everyone else! There are 4-5 instruments to hold during surgery, thus 4-5 incisions. Unless a doctor has 4-5 hands they ALWAYS have 2 surgeons. Why is it that Debarros and Orris charge double compared to others? It is deceptive to make it sound like you are safer because there are two surgeons, everyone else has two surgeons as well. Some have three for things like bypass, etc.

So why are these guys so expensive? Are they both charging as though they are the lead surgeon? Or is one lead and one assisting?

I know these guys have great reps and I am not talking surgical skill here in the least. I'm talking ethics. Why do these guys charge $19K for doing the SAME exact thing as other doctors charging 50% or less? If they need another surgeon in there because one isn't bright enough to do surgery as lead surgeon, they shouldn't be operating. But I know that is not the case here. They are both good docs, I just don't like their financial ethics.

Another thing I don't like. They have a coordinator posting here. At first he was posing as a person interested in a band. Check it out:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/688701-post13.html

Yes, I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I have not had the operation yet but I have been around many people that have in my life. I might get the operation someday. Thanks for asking! It looks like you're doing very well!

Shortly after posting this he PMed me asking if he could join our bandster lunches. I said absolutely, of course he could join. Thing is, at that time he was not advertising that he is an employee of Debarros/Orris. I was silly enough to believe him that he was just one of us wanting to meet other local banded folks.

Happens to be I had *just* sent out an email that day letting local folks know the date, time, and place of our next monthly lunch. So since I already sent out the email I forwarded it to Clayco and when I did, everyone's email address was at the top of the email since it was forwarded.

He responded thanking me for the "list". The only list was the email addresses of everyone going to the lunch. Silly me, I thought I was inviting him to our lunch, I didn't know he only wanted a list of people to spam or whatever his intent was.

I responded saying I questioned if he was a coordinator for someone and lo and behold, he is. He wasn't interested in our lunch, he was interested in the email addresses of newbies.

He admitted being a coordinator and immediately after that added to his posts that he works for Debarros and Orris.

Since that time I've learned my lesson. I have to send our monthly emails out to everyone as a blind carbon copy so we don't all get spammed to death by coordinators posing as patients.

It made me angry, we have enough coordinators posting on the boards. To have them invade our monthly support group looking for newbies... it was not pleasing. Can we not get away from these people?

The silly part is that probably 99% of that list is already banded. So what was the value of the deceit? So he can talk us into a 2nd band for $19K?

I still think Orris and Debarros are good and safe surgeons. But I'm none too pleased with the business practices. The lunch thing was a clincher for me.

[amsderb 1]

OK...that was all very interesting...and there is a group who go to lunch together? I am local also! I wonder who is on from my dr office???

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

OK...that was all very interesting...and there is a group who go to lunch together? I am local also! I wonder who is on from my dr office???

We have people from Dr. Blackstone's office, you are more than welcome to join us! We have people from most MD offices in our group.. both Mexico and Phoenix.

If you want to join us just PM me your email address and I'll add you to the list. We are planning another lunch and will finalize it tomorrow. So I'll be sending out an email with the date, time, and location within a few days.

We are going to shoot for closer to the east valley this time. We always have them on the west valley and it's not fair to those that have to drive long distances all the time. We are growing big enough I was going to see what everyone thought of two lunches monthly, one east valley and one west.

We'd love to have you join us. It's nothing formal, we just get together for lunch and have some fun.

[emanuel 0]

Hello everyone I'm new here and looking for support. I'm not banded but would like to be one day. I would really like to find people that live in the east valley and would be willing to meet for dinner or something so we can support each other with or with out being banded. Please email me at mrs.manuel05@gmail.com. Thanks everyone this site is wonderful and has answered some of my questions

Edited May 7, 2008 by emanuel

[MerryHearted 20]

Wow Virginia, I'm sorry you had such problems with your band. Glad to hear you are feeling better now and on your way down.

I can imagine the pain you are talking about -- I got that sort of really horrific gas pain when I tried drinking a Coke once after banding. Whew.