La_madam

Blossom you are correct..I was told by my Doctor that the 10cc band is mainly used for patients who have a BMI over 50.

Very interesting Penni.. I too emailed Don and he replied back telling me to call him this morning to discuss it..I guess I dont have to now. Thank for sharing this info Penni...Amazing how they are aware of 6 eriosion patients..Dam we know 4 right here on this board..Donali, Rita, Karen, Catfanluvr..then there is Kimberely from Yahoo boards so that makes 5..wondering if these 5 are part of his 6??

Hi Marlent Thank you for your thoughts and Kind words No not everyone gets the same ammount for their first fill.Everyone is different. Dr. Martinez is the fill master..he knows how much to fill you, he uses fluoro which is like an x-ray machine so he can see your band , port, etc then he will have you swallow barium which shows him contrast and how well the liquids are flowing through the band.this is how he determines how much fill you get. The fluoro also helps him to access the port with one poke..Dont worry about a thing, you will do fine . You are in good hands. Yes it is normal to be hungry now, the band is designed to be filled so when it is not filled of course you will be hungry. Totally normal. The fills will help with that alot. Best of luck to you..Let me know how it goes....Tell Dr. Ortiz & Martinez hello for me

Yes Karen..Im so so sorry to hear of your ordeal..sending you hugs and prayers. Keeping you in my thoughts..Im so glad you have contacted Inamed and will see this through..something is not right here.

My docs instructions before a fill is no food 2 hours prior Good Luck

How can that be? Thats strange since Ortiz just told me he does 4 to every 1 of Lopez's..maybe it is just the people who are having erosions do not know to report it to inamed thats why his percentage is so low. I'm sure after this fire of a post they all will..I would like to know then what Ortiz's % is & Kuri's for that matter. I know they both do many many bands a week. Thanks Lisa for sharing this info with us..

Thank You Carol Dr. Ortiz said the same thing to me..he was happy I made the trip to Tj and took responsibility for my band he told me many of his patients dont and pay the price later for it.. But in my own defense..I could no go another day without answers , physically, mentally or emotionally. I was a wreck!! Was not sleeping or eating or functioning for that matter .. I did not care how much he was going to charge me I needed answers, I needed piece of mind and I needed relief. I got all threee of those things today ..lucky for me he was so nice and did not charge me. I'm glad to hear you experienced ( well not glad but you knowwhat I mean) this too and the medication worked well for you, that gives me much hope What medication were you on? I am on prevacid and a mexican drug called DEBRIDAT which helps to regulate the esophagus and the spasms..he did say though unfortunately that it would clean out my colon too Oh well it is worth it if I can eat comfortably again and feel better .

Wow that was quick..I just got email comfirmation that Don Mills has read my email all ready From: "Don Mills" <don.mills@inamed.com> To: "Michelle Houston" <angel.atheart@cox.net> Subject: Read: Erosion % of a Certain Doctor Date: Monday, November 29, 2004 3:27 PM Your message To: Don Mills Subject: Erosion % of a Certain Doctor Sent: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:26:10 -0800 was read on Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:27:07 -0800 I am sure I wil lbe geting a reply

I just emailed Don Mills from Inamed myself with questions in regards to this whole Lopez erosion/aftercare thing. If I get a reply you can bet I will post it in its entireity including the date! and For the record I did mention my esophagitis, even though my band is fine..I wanted them to be aware of my personal situation. Documentation does help to provide a better product and service no matter who you are or who your surgeon was..These incidences being reported just helps in the long run. Even Dr. Ortiz made a physical note of this today, for future reference and for future patients.

That is strange..and I agree I never remeber the respones to this very question For me I have had 2 fills, my first one was 1.1 cc's in June 2004 My 2nd fill was August of .9 cc's..he pulled out 1.1 and then added .9 I have heard that people say it evaporates..I have heard people having a leak in their tubing..I have also heard that when a Dr. pulls out the needle some can leak... .4 cc's is not alot so possibly that is the case with you? My first fill when the needle was pulled out I did have a wet spot where it dripped down on my tummy from saline..it's possible

Good Job Penni..I think we all should this is getting way out of control..every week we are reading about others who have erosion from Lopez..something is not right. Inamed is not on these boards like we all are..who better to report to them then us..if no one tells then anything then they thing these Dr.'s are in good standings when the fact remains they are not! I know lisa has contacted them several times..I'm glad you emailed them Penni..

Margaret she is not doubting the letter is real or valid..she is questioning the date of the letter..if it was 6-8 months ago it means nothing since all of the erosions and problems are popping up all over in the last month...what good is the letter written months ago if these problems are happening now and the letter does no good if these patients are not reporting their erosions to Inamed..If Inamed is unawre of these erosions then of course they are still going to think he is a wonderful Dr..this is why any of you who have had problems with your band with whatever Dr.. you need to contact Inamed.. Don.mills@inamed.com let him know of your situation..

I have only PBed 2 times in 7 months and have lost 70 lbs so that statement of PBin alot and losing is not true. Have you had your band checked recently? I was just diagnosed with esophagitis today becasue I had tightness of my esophagus like you explained, I had spasms for a week and still do but not as severe..I have onbly had my band tightened 2 times since surgery and never loosened.I have learend to eat slow and tiny bites so I do not feel that uncomfortable feeling..every once in a while a big bite slips through like last week which led to my esophagitis..I will never do that again! I'm sorry you are struggling, one thing that helps me when Iam struggling is this board and all of the people on it. Support has been key for me! Maybe try posting more often, not just when you are desperate..we are all here for thesame reason..lots of love & support here on this board..Give it a try

my weight loss this week was NOT a fun experience trust me! But thank you TheresaMarie

Maybe she meant pouch..LOL..food can not get clogged in your port..IMPOSSIBLE And we need to get our facts straight?? WOW!

If he suspects erosion under fluoro it is becasue the barium is flowing over the band and not through it..I asked hi mthe same question..my barium flowed through the band, when it flows over the band it is most likely the band has eroded into the wall of your stomach..the endoscopy is for 100% accuracy, if he suspect erosion from the baruim flowing over the band he will schedule and Endo. If you call Martinez he will take the timne to explain it all to you..just like Rita who posted on erodedbandsters, Kuri told her he suspected erosion since the barium was flowing over the band instead of through the band..the other reason Ortiz told me many docs in the US do not use flouro for their fills so that is also why they schedule an Endo to determine erosion for sure. He also told me many cases of erosion are reported after a year to 2 years out..on rare occassions he has seen it happen 6 months post op..$ many cases of erosion are from techniques used when placing the band during the original surgery. I know Ortiz & Lopez were partners at one time and I asked his receptionist why they were no longer together..he answer wassimple.. Ortiz's reputation was being tarnished and he would not allow that to happen any longer. She also told me they get calls all the time from patients thinking they are calling Lopez's clinic since there names of the clinics are almost the same. Lopez = Obesity Control Clinic Ortiz= Obesity Control Center.

It was exactly what he told me it was on the phone on Saturday & Sunday but I need to see it for myself for peace of mind so it was worth the drive to TJ. I got in and out of there in not time. I was on the road back home at 11:00 and made it home at 12:30 Thanks Penni for your prayer..it worked

I just went to see my Dr. and I asked him about this..he told me there is no such thing..it is either Esophagitis which is inflamtion or irritation/swelling of the esophagus or Erosion of the band, 2 entirelty different things..I have Esophagitis, I just found out today but not from being filled too tight, it was from a Almost PB episode that I did not treat as a PB which iswhy I contiuned to irritate and inflame my esophagus. It can also happen from being filled to tight ..Iam on a medication to regulate my esophagus, Dr Ortiz told me the Prevacid or Nexium will not heal this alone...

Hi Everyone I am back from my appointment with Dr. Ortiz, First let me thank all of you for your support and thoughts that were with me all this morning. I arrived at Ortiz's office at 9:30 as I was waiting for Ortiz to show up, Dr Martinez called the office to make sure I arrived OK. Dr. Ortiz arrived at 9:45 and I was his only appointment today he made a special trip just to see me. Martinez is out of town so no fills scheduled ( he is the fill master they only do fills on Mondays & Saturdays surgery the rest of the week) Ortiz took me into the fluoro room where I explained all that was going on. I told him about my ALMOST PB on a bite of bread last Monday night. I explained how I had all the symptoms of a PB, the slime, watery mouth and golf ball feeling but the bite passed through and there was NO PB, so I thought since I did not actually PB I did not have to do 24hrs of liquids like he wants his patients to do after a PB..I was wrong, he told me even though I did not actually PB my esophogus went through the motions of a PB for a long 15 minutes..He put me under fluoro, had me drink the barium and I was so pleased to hear that my band has not slipped, no erosion..I just have Esophagitis due to me not doing liquids right after that episode and eating normal until Wednesday when I could not take the discomfort any longer..so my esophagus was inflammed and irritated. He then took me into his office where he spent a good 40 minutes talking with me , he prescribed me a medication to regulate my esophagus, to make it work slower if it is working too fast or to work faster if it is working to slow..I will start taking it today for 2 weeks 2x's a day. I love that Dr. , he did not even charge me a penny for his services and got me my meds at a discounted price of 14.00 He told me some very interesting things..He told me that Inamed both US & Mexico Inamed is really frowning on Dr.'s who are using patient coordinators and making money off of them and are trying to regulate this since it is illegal in the US..Inamed is discussing and weighing options of supplying bands to any Mexican Dr. who is using patient coordinators. I asked if he used a patient coordinator and he told me NO even though people think he does, what he does is if a patient comes in referred by another patient his gives the new patient a 500$ discount and the patient who referred him a free fill( 100$ savings) He also today told me he has opend up Centers all over the US, there is one in Cancun, Texas and New York..these are for patients who have their surgerys done in Mexico but can not or do not want to travel back to TJ for aftercare..the Dr's at these centers are Dr's he has personally trained through Inamed and will be working at these centers for aftercare.for example Dr. Grossbard who is actually a patient of Ortiz's but also is a Lap Band surgeon in Florida will be working in the Cancun office..this is also great for others who did not use Ortiz for their original surgery but need aftercare in their areas or at least closer to their areas without having to fly back to TJ. We also spoke about his book..the book needed one last go over by Ortiz which is why the delay, the books are all being shipped this week Mon, Tues & Wed so for all of you who ordered they are coming. I asked Dr. Ortiz if I was filled too tight and why I have this problem, he told me NO, if anything you have less restriction then most but since I'm losing every week and my weight loss is now at 70lbs he sees no need for a fill or an unfill..for all of you who PB..please do the 24 hrs of liquids, do NOT make the same mistake I did, this is the most irritating and uncomfortable thing I have experienced in a long time..I have been miserable for over a week now but how ironic it was that this morning on my way to TJ I was feeling better then I have in a week..My mind is at ease and I'm on the healing phase, doing liquids and soft foods for a couple of days but its OK with me knowing my band is in good shape! ..

Monday 11/29 194.50 -3 lbsfor me this week for a total of 70.50

Hi Rita.. I was the one who told you about this site..I was also the one who emailed you personally when I heard your story on eroded bandsters..I hope you dont mind that I posted your post here so everyone was aware of it..When you say "doubled your fill" what do you mean exactly? and what problems were you having since that time? What made you switch to Kuri ? Thank you for sharing your story here with us as painful as it must be for you but everyone needs to be aware of this continuous problem with Lopez..I wish you all the best...

Yes it is Alex..I just got off the phone with Dr Martinez ( Ortiz's assistant) Believei t or not he ansewered his cell hpone on a Sunday evening at 5:30 I asked him about this, he told me the only way it can happen is if it is a defective band other then that it is virtually impossible to happen.So that has relieved my mind a bit.. I'm meeting Dr. Ortiz at his office tomorrow at 9:00 am to find out what is wrong with mine..Thanks to all of you and your well wishes..I will let you all know what happens...

Margaret PLEASE before you come here and defend Dr. Lopez think of all of these women that have had problems..they are very sad and upset, there are many of them and the last thing they want to hear is you defending Lopez..put yourself in their shoes for just one minute..there is something obviously wrong here if all of these women have had erosion or port infections ..this is why we allget so angry with you..These are real life women who have paid lots of money for their bands and now all of them are going to lose them..This is not a coincidence here anymore Margaret...these are not rumors. For you to come here and imply that it is all rumors and heresay is an insult to all of these women who Im sure right now are truly heartbroken about losing their bands...have some comapssion Margaret..so far you are one of the lucky ones but these other women arent!

Here is another Lopez erosion...thiswoman posted this on this site Due to erosion having my band removed Dec. 7th -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you all for responding to my original thread. I have my date for having my band removed. I am going on Dec. 7th. I am a little nervous because it is the first one that this doctor has had to remove. I am so worried about how I am going to be successful with my weight loss after it is gone. I am especially angry to see that there have been at least 7 people who have had to have theirs removed that had their original surgery done by Dr. Lopez. I have contacted Inamed, and they asked a lot of questions, and they want me to send them my and after it has been removed. I also notified Dr. Lopez's office, and I got back one email saying that it needed to be confirmed by an endo, I emailed them back and told them I had one done, and it was definitely eroded. Not that anything can be done about it, since he is a Mexico doctor. My doctor here said it ma well have been the way the band was placed. However somone mentioned that Dr. Lopez has trained others and they are not having any problems. So what if it is a problem with the band itself. Will Inamed do anything about it???? I imagine if I send them my band they'll look it over and say there was no problem with it. The guy on the phone that called me from Inamed, said the ones that they have seen that have been sent in after removal, have only shown signs of the destruction of being removed,and some discoloration due to stomach acids. I think what it all boils to is that I am out of luck. I paid all that money to not get to my weight goal. I will have to go back to trying it on my own. Obviously I was soooo successful at that the first time around. Well wish me luck. Keep me in your prayers. thanks, chrissy catfanlover View Public Profile Send a private message to catfanlover Send email to catfanlover Find all posts by catfanlover Add catfanlover to Your Buddy List #2 Today, 02:51 PM

Just thought I would share this post from erodedbandsterswith all of you..I just got it in my email this afternoon..Im sure all of you will find it interesting as I did Message: 1 Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 15:10:04 -0000 From: "lizzie4524" <reets4524@msn.com> Subject: erosion I was banded on May 14, 2003 by Dr. Lopez. Just went down for a fill from Dr. Kuri yesterday and he said he thinks my band has eroded. He suggested an endoscopy and possibly have my band removed. What did you guys pay to have your band removed? I'm panicking at this point and wonder how soon I should have this done. Is this an urgent thing? Any help would be greatly appreciated before I go crazy with fear. Thanks.--Rita Another Lopez erosion..imagine that! Do you think this woman is lying?