Please read! Horrible first surgery!!

[Elise_London 0]

Well, I'm glad that suited you, it certainly would not have suited me. I wanted to be in the hospital where I could be monitored, so if there was any bleeding and if there were any complications they could address them immediately.

I have my whole life to be in my own bed, I want proper hospital care after what is, after all, fairly invasive, major surgery requiring general anesthetic...it's not like a filling at the dentist!

Please tell me that you didn't drive yourself right after having general, that someone else was there with you?

[rodriguezequal 3]

Oh goodness no I didn't drive lol. My mom and husband were there with me :tounge_smile:. My surgery wasn't done at a hospital it was done at a surgery center. I wasn't too worried about bleeding or anything since they don't cut the stomach or really mess with too much in there. Plus I have a blood clotting disorder where I over clot so the Heparin shot helped me. My surgeons only do over night hospital stays if something goes wrong or if the patient is having too much trouble....or if they request it and pay for it and that just wasn't an option for me.

[Elise_London 0]

I must say that this surgery seems to be taken pretty lightly in the States....It may explain that 7% slippage rate. I hate to sound harsh, but I've been genuinely shocked by so many of the posts I've read here in the last few days.

When I had my wisdom teeth out, I was in there longer than you were with your lapband...and that wasn't even with a general, I had twighlight sleep!

Oh and please don't take this to be an anti American post, I was born in LA and lived in the States until after I finished University.

[rodriguezequal 3]

After I had my wisdom teeth out as soon as I was awake I was on my way home...I don't know...After I had my son I was in the hospital for 9 days. However I also had a lot of complications...I guess it just depends on the surgery :tounge_smile: I agree though that surgeries are taken more lightly here in the states then it is elsewhere, but we do have pretty crappy insuarance here and some of us have none at all...

[Elise_London 0]

Yes, I know, it's unbelievable, isn't it?

Having said that, I paid for my surgery myself as well. My BMI was not high enough to qualify for surgery on the NHS, which is fair enough, I understand there has to be a cut off.

[susan1961 0]

It sounds like what happened with your first surgery is he had trouble inserting the first trochar... which is the long needle through which they inject air. This is a blind insertion; the surgeon is supposed to hear 3 pops on the way in, and then confirm position by sucking back on the needle and then by dribbling in some Fluid. There is the risk of hitting bowel, bladder, or more on the way in, and since it's blind it is just chance and the patient's anatomy, no fault of the surgeon. It is the nature of medicine that you can do everything right but not totally avoid bad outcomes. If he thought he hit something, instead of getting into the peritoneum cleanly, it makes sense that he'd do an exploration. It sounds like the doctor told you this, but that the info wasn't processed because you didn't know enough about the surgery and were perhaps still under influence of drugs or just very upset. Scars are no biggie...they fade. I've had 2 prior laparoscopic surgeries over the past 2 decades and you'd be hard pressed to know it, and I'm sure the most recent scars will fade too.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I must say that this surgery seems to be taken pretty lightly in the States....It may explain that 7% slippage rate. I hate to sound harsh, but I've been genuinely shocked by so many of the posts I've read here in the last few days.

When I had my wisdom teeth out, I was in there longer than you were with your lapband...and that wasn't even with a general, I had twighlight sleep!

Oh and please don't take this to be an anti American post, I was born in LA and lived in the States until after I finished University.

How long one stays in the hospital wouldn't have anything to do with the slip stats down the road. Nurses and doctors here don't like the lack of hospitalization either, it's the ins co's that are behind it.

[Elise_London 0]

My post said that this surgery seems to be taken lightly in the States and that it didn't surprise me therefore that US slip stats are so much higher than Europe for example. Nowhere in my post did I mention doctors or nurses.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

My post said that this surgery seems to be taken lightly in the States and that it didn't surprise me therefore that US slip stats are so much higher than Europe for example. Nowhere in my post did I mention doctors or nurses.

No, you didn't mention doctors or nurses - I did. I was basically agreeing with you by saying that doctors and nurses don't like it either.

[Elise_London 0]

I am probably more cynical than you are. I feel that there seem to be plenty of doctors doing lap band surgery to make a quick and easy buck. I say that judging by the lack of preparation some of the patients I'm reading posts from are given. Also, the doctors could cost an overnight hospital stay into their charges and adjust their profits accordingly, but they make far more doing it in their own offices on an outpatient basis, so that's what they do.

Oh well, it's not going to change because I find it crazy, actually, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't get worse before it got better!

Again, I'm not really "Blaming" anyone in particular, it's a combination of things and people including those getting the surgery, I'm simply a little amazed by it and not surprised by the complication rates.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Elise_London

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I am probably more cynical than you are. I feel that there seem to be plenty of doctors doing lap band surgery to make a quick and easy buck. I say that judging by the lack of preparation some of the patients I'm reading posts from are given. Also, the doctors could cost an overnight hospital stay into their charges and adjust their profits accordingly, but they make far more doing it in their own offices on an outpatient basis, so that's what they do.

Oh well, it's not going to change because I find it crazy, actually, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't get worse before it got better!

Again, I'm not really "Blaming" anyone in particular, it's a combination of things and people including those getting the surgery, I'm simply a little amazed by it and not surprised by the complication rates.

Lap bands are never placed in a doctor's office, never. Surgical center or hospital, yes. But never a doctor's office.

I've been complaining about newbie doctors wanting a quick buck for 2 years now regarding lap bands. I don't see it getting better ever.

This is why for me Mexico was a nice option. Two nights in the hospital after my band and 4 nights after my sleeve. In the US bands are usually done outpatient and sleeves are outpatient or one night in the hospital.

Edited December 22, 2008 by WASaBubbleButt

[miranda robinson 0]

this happened to me as well and i have my second op on 14 Jan but at least you have the band now and the future is briight. the idea is to lose weight and keep it off, scars fade and they are under cover anyway. I have done so much preperation I think i could do the operation myself and set up a post op clinic. I am tryiing to keep my calorie count between 600 -800 while I wait. it has been a good time to practice eating tiny bites, chewing and not drinking with meals. I have learnt so much from this site and feel that although i have a lowish BMI 30 it is a permenant solution from the continual yo yo dieting that I have done for the past 30 years.

Edited December 28, 2008 by miranda robinson
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[twiggysmiff 0]

Man, you'd think there would be some stipulation that bariatric surgeons had to spend (x) amount of hours educating potential patients. The OP's doc hosed her.....and she still doesn't really know jack about the basics. I hope her surgeon has a date with karma very soon.

My doctor has been awesome with education. We had a seminar, an all day pre-op visit with nutrition education, psych screening, exercise education, surgery education. We had to watch an online video about it. We had ANOTHER pre-op visit with 2 more videos and a surgery education and a q and a with the surgeon. If anything, I feel OVER educated. I just can't beleive that this doctor would put her in this position! This is WAY TOO IMPORTANT to skimp on the details.

[adrian88 0]

It sounds like what happened with your first surgery is he had trouble inserting the first trochar... which is the long needle through which they inject air. This is a blind insertion; the surgeon is supposed to hear 3 pops on the way in, and then confirm position by sucking back on the needle and then by dribbling in some Fluid. There is the risk of hitting bowel, bladder, or more on the way in, and since it's blind it is just chance and the patient's anatomy, no fault of the surgeon. It is the nature of medicine that you can do everything right but not totally avoid bad outcomes. If he thought he hit something, instead of getting into the peritoneum cleanly, it makes sense that he'd do an exploration. It sounds like the doctor told you this, but that the info wasn't processed because you didn't know enough about the surgery and were perhaps still under influence of drugs or just very upset. Scars are no biggie...they fade. I've had 2 prior laparoscopic surgeries over the past 2 decades and you'd be hard pressed to know it, and I'm sure the most recent scars will fade too.

thank you very much... i do remember hearing this.. i guess i was soo upset i didnt remember.. i have asked my doctor about this and the same reasons were given.. now that u tell me its a "blind" insertion.. i see how this could happend..

well ive lost 25 pounds now.. i still over eat a little and have to throw up once in a while.. but im getting use to it...

:confused:

[susan1961 0]

Congratulations on your second surgery going smoothly and your weight loss to date. Please try to get a handle on the overeating so you can work with your band to reach your goals. Try and listen to what your body and your band are telling you! You've gone through so much to get on track and lose weight, so stay positive, try and address the emotional issues that may be driving your overeating, and keep focused on your goals. I wish you luck.