Hi, Everyone....I think I'll be the contrarian voice here...

[ELENATION 0]

I have never said that I would NOT answer questions. I was a bit unprepared for the level of interest that this has created. And the hostility. If you look back over the posts, you will see that I have spent a LOT of time answering questions, but MOSTLY defending myself against those that would call me a liar.

My surgery was 4 years ago.

The Manufacturer of the Band was InaMed, formerly known as BioInterics.

My Hospital was a Major Medical center here in Los Angeles. One of the members of the Medical Group that performed my surgery was one of the original participants that participated in the Clinical Trials that led to the approval of the Lap Band by our friend, the FDA. This doctor was NOT my surgeon. I initially REQUESTED that he be my surgeon, but I was told that he wanted $20,000 in cash payment in ADDITION to what the insurance would pay. That was not an option for me at the time, so I agreed to have the surgery with one of the other doctors. A MAJOR mistake.

The first difficulty I experienced was right after my first fill; the day after my fill, to be precise. I experienced TREMENDOUS pain in my upper left abdomen. I could NOT get the doctor to see me. I finally was able to get one of the other associates in the Medical group to see me, and he determined that a large Hematoma had occured, as a result of the fill injection. I had to stay home from work in great pain for several days as a result of this, but it did eventually go away. The Dr. Prescribed some pain medication, but that was it.

My next problem began couple of months later when the area around where the port was connected began to get red and sensitive and puffy. It continued to get worse. At this point in time, My insurance had lapsed, as I had been laid off by my employer. The Doctor refused to see me because of the insurance issue. It was my feeling that the problem was something that THEY should deal with, insurance or not. They put it in, it was going bad, and they needed to correct it. I went back and forth with them for a LONG time about this. I could not afford (at that time) to pay for corrective treatment out-of-pocket. And besides, I was VERY CLEAR in my feeling that this was a problem that THEY should take responsibility for and simply go in and fix it.

They did not, and it progressed to the point where it exited my body.

I will continue to give more details, but some of you need to realize that I can't sit down and write the whole damn thing out in one sitting. And, I have some previous posts that i still need to reply to.

OK, this post gives us some info....thank you, now, from what I read here, your body rejected the port, which could happen, every lap band patient, pre or post op is aware of that in my opinion, by the doctor not correcting this problem right away it got worse, but that is not band failure, other circumstances were involved such as financially which are also not band related, because if you could've taken care of the problem at the moment, you may have been able to stop the complications ahead, but I understand that you couldn't financially and I'm sorry, I truly am, but again, that has nothing to do with band failure really... and with your original post you gave the impression that your situation was all due to band complications and/or failure, when indeed I see maybe negligence from the center and/or hospital and other issues not band related that contributed to the problem, your first post came across as a lap band bash unfortunately, I'm sorry though that you had to endure all these problems.

Edited April 17, 2008 by ELENATION

[NicoleW8ing 0]

Indeed i did. And I regret it.

Do you regret it because YOU had complications (part of that <1% risk, hell, you should play the lottery) or do you regret it because IT'S A FAULTY PROCEDURE THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET?

Your posts allude to the latter, but logic points to the former.

[Headhunter 6]

And, no. I don't think I will actually go away. I think there is really a lot more to say. Whether you choose to participate or not is up to you.

You can speculate all you want about my motives, what I did wrong in dealing with the Doctors/Hospitals/etc, whether or not I should have Lied to the Surgeon about the insurance, whether or not i should have paid COBRA (I did for a while...), and on and on and on. This would be an ENDLESS discussion, I can assure you. In spite of what some of you percieve as my being "angry", i can assure you I have no malice toward anyone, and I'm not the least bit pissed off....expect for a few people who twisted what i said.

You can believe me or not. Or You can stick around and get to know me and perhaps learn the nuances of my experience. Or not.

The important thing to me is NOT the responses that I have received here. It would have been fine if there had been NO responses. What is important to me is the number next to the menu....the one that tells how views there have been of this thread. At last glance, there have been well over 1000. Among those 1000 are going to be at least a few people who are having problems. One has already contacted me. And maybe some that are still in formative stages of their decision making, and want to know what I have gone through. I would encourage those people to PM me, Because it's clear that if you post your inquiries in the open, whatever I say will dissected by MacMadame and others who are more interested in the process of argumentation than they are finding out what REALLY happened with me.

Again: Speculate ALL you want about me. But I'm the only who REALLY knows my story, and I'm willing to share it with those who are willing to GENUINELY listen, and not just argue about the details.

I'll admit that I have made missteps in the telling of my tale. I apologize for that. But this has been a VERY difficult time for me and my family, and it could get MORE difficult in the coming weeks. This is an evolving story.

And now I will sit back and enjoy the Dissection that will inevitably ensue. :tt1:

[NicoleW8ing 0]

What about my question?

(I am pre-op... so I think I might qualify for question asking at this time.... woot... I is target audience!)

Do you regret it because YOU had complications or do you regret it because IT'S A FAULTY PROCEDURE THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET?

Your posts allude to the latter, but logic points to the former.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I believe Headhunter story.

We all know complications are possible. There are risks with everything in life. Anyone of us could die or be killed before the day is over Does that mean we should spend the rest of our life under the covers? Of course not. We have to weigh the odds of complications or risks in everything we do. If we are going to die of obesity complications unless we do something drastric with a slight risk involved, them I will take the risk.

I know that my Dr has had no complications and has never had anyone want their band removed. To me that means the risk is very very slight.

Having said that I believe his story, I need to say that I don't believe he should try to get rich from it. Or go on talk shows.

My good friend just lost a baby...Does that mean everyone should be warned to avoid pregnancy because there is a risk of losing the baby? No! We all just gotta do what we gotta do and pray for good results.

Life is like a box of chocolates..........

I agree with your post.

I will write something here that I wrote to the OP in a PM. I would hope he does not make a huge issue out of this and make it sound like WLS is evil and bad. The benefits do outweigh the risks and people survive because of WLS. Those that have serious and life threatening complications with the band are few in number. To scare people away from WLS that would otherwise eat themselves to death is wrong. If he takes this to the media and shows an incorrect perspective of WLS because of one complication, that is sad and any potential deaths from people being scared of surgery.. well, those deaths are on him and I hope the money he may (not) make is worth it.

There is a moral responsibility in an issue like this IMHO, and that is to offer the facts, ALL of them including the "fact" that this is an amazingly rare complication. But to frighten newbies away from a life saving surgery for the sake of $$ is a karma offense. ;o)

I'm the first one to point out risks of any WLS, I am one that has had mega complications. But that does not make me anti-band, it does make me very pro WLS.

[Kat817 19]

WABB I believe that is why many of us keep posting, I know it is the reason I question the OP's changing statements.

I believe anyone coming here to get information regarding being banded, has the right to hear both sides. When he began posting that was his intent he said was to hit a certain group of people who were researching the band, and to let them know the band is deadly, and there is a massive conspiracy to keep the medical profession shut up. His life was in danger, and pulling the band from the market was on the horizon.

If you are considering the band, you have a right to hear all sides. His included. But ours too. Yes I have questioned him and some of his statements, he has an equal right to question statements we make.

I disagree with his scare tactics, when it is like pulling teeth to get him to give you any pertinent information....it is always saved for later...

I remember you having band issues, and I remember you saying you pulled off the road as you drove to your Dr. in MX throwing up blood---but the point is, you went as soon as you needed help, and you kept going back......are STILL going back, and dealing with follow up care.

We shared the same surgeon---but it was not feasable for me to see him for all of my follow up, but I made arrangements prior---he INSISTED on it! LOL. Point being, YOU made the decision, YOU assumed responsibility for your own health.

The OP could have done the same, and still have his legal options open to him if he is intent on making someone else pay--after the problems were dealt with-and that seems to be the big issue.

We have ask for a simple time line to get an idea of how long all this took--it interests more than band researchers.....it is of interest to us all. Our questions are not strictly our way of defending our decision to be banded--one he made himself....We can learn from his misfortune too---if allowed.

I mean he said it was not immediate, it was following a fill, he paid Cobra for awhile....but no details.

If the band is as dangerous as he wants us to believe why doesn't he want to share information?

I agree that obesity in and of itself will kill far more people than the band.....he hints that is not true---but won't back up those comments meant to scare of people.

Kat

[Headhunter 6]

Do you regret it because YOU had complications (part of that <1% risk, hell, you should play the lottery) or do you regret it because IT'S A FAULTY PROCEDURE THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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Your posts allude to the latter, but logic points to the former.

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Ok, Nicole, That's a very reasonable question, and I appreciate you asking it. <o:p></o:p>

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I DO regret it because I had complications. That's a fact. I regret many of MY missteps during the whole process of treatment, etc. Do I think it's a faulty procedure? Sometimes it is. As I have stated before, It HAS worked for MANY people, and that is a good thing. <o:p></o:p>

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You have brought up an issue that is not possible for me to ENTIRELY address in one sitting, I just want to let you know up front. I say that because I have had several years to dwell on my experience, and the experience is evolving as I write this. I'll try and give you a little info here, and I'll follow it up later with more. <o:p></o:p>

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There were several things that turned my head and made me believe that I should not have had the procedure, and that there are SOME people that need to think twice before having it. One was my choice of Surgeon. I do not think that my surgeon was very experienced...in fact, I KNOW he wasn't very experienced in Lap Bands. He WAS, however, an experienced TRAUMA surgeon and I was "sold" on his ability to do the job. Also, keep in mind that at the time, there weren't as many experienced surgeons around that did Lap bands. But, that was MY decision. It has NO BEARING WHATSOEVER on whether or not the procedure is faulty. This is just a warning I want to offer...CHECK OUT YOUR SURGEON. Make sure he has done PLENTY of these surgeries. The problem is.....EVERY surgeon has a FIRST LAP BAND INSTALL. Do you want to be someones first? <o:p></o:p>

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Ok, I digress....back to your fundamental question, do I think the procedure is flawed?<o:p></o:p>

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You would think that this would be a Yes or No question for me, but it's not. It’s complicated. I LIKE the fact that it has helped so many people. I like the fact that it has changed many lives. <o:p></o:p>

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But when my band failed to produce the results I had hoped for, I began looking around for OTHER answers. I considered a Gastric Bypass. I began to ask myself a LOT of questions about my TOTAL experience with obesity. It has been a LIFELONG experience, from the time I was just a kid. Why was it necessary to have a plastic band put inside me to make my body work right? Didn’t the Creator get it right? What was it that I …..ME…. was doing wrong? Why didn’t diets work? Why did I have such a horrendous appetite and so little control? Why did it have to be so DAMN HARD? I know that you have asked yourself that as well.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Ok, I have to go out to a client location now, but I will pick this up later and continue to try and answer the question as to whether or not I think the procedure is flawed. <o:p></o:p>

[willsmommy 2]

Does anyone know the actual statistics?? How many people have slippages?? Erosions?? My surgeon said he had only had 2 in the 5 years that he had been doing Lap band!! Does that sound right??

[NicoleW8ing 0]

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One was my choice of Surgeon. I do not think that my surgeon was very experienced...in fact, I KNOW he wasn't very experienced in Lap Bands. He WAS, however, an experienced TRAUMA surgeon and I was "sold" on his ability to do the job. Also, keep in mind that at the time, there weren't as many experienced surgeons around that did Lap bands. But, that was MY decision. It has NO BEARING WHATSOEVER on whether or not the procedure is faulty. This is just a warning I want to offer...CHECK OUT YOUR SURGEON. Make sure he has done PLENTY of these surgeries. The problem is.....EVERY surgeon has a FIRST LAP BAND INSTALL. Do you want to be someones first? <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

God, if your original post said this, I wouldn't have had a panic attack the other day. This I can understand, relate to, and agree with!!!! I checked out a surgeon with MANY other Doctors, Nurses, and Patients before I chose him. Then, when he didn't give me the right vibes, I started the whole process again until I found a surgeon that I love and has the qualifications and experience that my nervous brain requires. This is something people need to know. I think some rush into the surgery because they are soooo excited (as I was and am) and take the first surgeon with those magical letters before his name (Dr.). It is a great reminder to tell people to stop, breathe, and investigate their Doctor. Valid advice, valid point.

**THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY NICOLE**

[NicoleW8ing 0]

Does anyone know the actual statistics?? How many people have slippages?? Erosions?? My surgeon said he had only had 2 in the 5 years that he had been doing Lap band!! Does that sound right??

That sounds right. My surgeon said three erosions or slips in over 1000 surgeries. I think they do about 200 a year, so we have about the same stats.

Let me pull out my Book. I'll let you know if I can find the hard numbers.

[Jesusislove 26]

Does anyone know the actual statistics?? How many people have slippages?? Erosions?? My surgeon said he had only had 2 in the 5 years that he had been doing Lap band!! Does that sound right??

I had my surgery on Monday and my Doctor, Dr. Titus Duncan, he gave us a consent package. The most I saw in percentages concerning complications was 1-3%. I had never had any type of surgery, so I was a little scared, but when I read that and prayed, I felt a little better. Now, it seems that headhunter could have used a doctor that was not experienced in doing the Lap Band. When I chose a doctor I went looking for the best and he just happened to be a Tricare participating provider. I think some complications will exist with all surgeries, but you just pray and trust God number one and then you pray for the right doctor. My thoughts on this matter.

Edited April 17, 2008 by LLPlady3

[ELENATION 0]

"Our questions are not strictly our way of defending our decision to be banded--one he made himself....We can learn from his misfortune too---if allowed"

EXACTLY!!! that is my main problem I have with the post/poster.

[NicoleW8ing 0]

Does anyone know the actual statistics?? How many people have slippages?? Erosions?? My surgeon said he had only had 2 in the 5 years that he had been doing Lap band!! Does that sound right??

Here we go... this is from the "Surgical Aid in the Treatment of Morbid Obesity Hand Book."

pg. 7

4 out of 299 patients (1.3%) had their Lap Band System erode into their stomachs. [because of this], Surgical techniques have evolved to reduce slippage. Surgeons with more laparoscopic experience and more expereience with these procedures report fewer complications.

also pg. 7

"Death can occur despite all the precautions that are taken. There is a risk of gastric perforation ( a tear in the stomach wall) during or after the procedure that might lead to the need for another surgery--in the US clinical study, this happened in 1% of all patients. There were no deaths during or immediately after surgery in the US Study.

[shortgal 5]

I'm getting tired of his long drawn out story. But he's not getting tired of telling it, so I'm sitting back and waiting for the eventual ending.

Whether we respond or not, I have a feeling he can't help but finish his story.

And interesting that he is noting how much "interest" there is in his thread. Likes attention. So far, I know that at least.

[Headhunter 6]

God, if your original post said this, I wouldn't have had a panic attack the other day. This I can understand, relate to, and agree with!!!! I checked out a surgeon with MANY other Doctors, Nurses, and Patients before I chose him. Then, when he didn't give me the right vibes, I started the whole process again until I found a surgeon that I love and has the qualifications and experience that my nervous brain requires. This is something people need to know. I think some rush into the surgery because they are soooo excited (as I was and am) and take the first surgeon with those magical letters before his name (Dr.). It is a great reminder to tell people to stop, breathe, and investigate their Doctor. Valid advice, valid point.

**THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY NICOLE**

I can't over-emphasize the importance of the "vibe" that Nicole mentions. I don't care how impressive the Surgeons' resume is, if you don't "feel" right about him/her, stay away. Trust your instinct on this. I wish I had trusted mine more.