zuchinno

Has anyone ever been lied to regarding the complications with the band?
I was looking back at my lap-band journal to the notes I had taken when I was first looking at, and shortly after I got the band, and I feel like people were not exactly truthful, for instance, about complications.
I feel like I need to vent a little and share the things that were told to me, 'cause I think it's unethical to misinform patients.
1. I was told that it's really rare for bands to have to be removed, although I see a disturbing number of surgeries here, to remedy slippage, infection, kinks, port repositioning etc.
2. When I asked about the port flipping, quite a few places said they'd never heard of it, and that the patients from whom I'd heard of this, must be mistaken.
3. When I asked about the port sticking out when people lose their weight, my surgeon said that would not happen, but I've already seen pictures of people whose ports show.
4. When I went to the fill doctor that my surgeon sent me, I asked if the doctor would be seeing me and they said yes, when I saw him in the hall and asked him a question, he said I could only be seen by his assistants, as I was a liability since my surgery was done by another doctor.
5. When I was researching clinics to do the surgery, a representative from NWWLS in Everett sent me gristly pictures of a supposed counterfeit gastric band that had been put in by a Mexican doctor and removed at the NWWLS. I google image searched the name of the image and found 3 other websites for bariatric surgeons claiming they'd removed the same counterfeit band themselves. I wish I could find the picture... it was scary and unprofessional.
Anyway, those are the things I was told that were a little misleading. Have you guys ever been told stuff like that?

I understand that they're doing a sales pitch, and I think it's unethical. I think it's really wrong when I've already put down the money and the surgeon still won't give me the straight truth in the pre-surgery consult. I know that there are people meant to rake patients in--- but I don't wanna feel like I'm operated on by a used car salesman. If you can't get the truth from the doc before they cut you open and change everything, how are you supposed to make an informed decision?

My boyfriend and I are heading on 5 years together and he's the best person in the world. He's been so supportive of every step of my weight loss. He walks with me every day and congratulates me on scale and non-scale victories. I just wanted to mention that he's played a huge part in supporting me. Here's to all the supportive people out there that help make the good stuff happen!

My boyfriend and I are heading on 5 years together and he's the best person in the world. He's been so supportive of every step of my weight loss. He walks with me every day and congratulates me on scale and non-scale victories. I just wanted to mention that he's played a huge part in supporting me. Here's to all the supportive people out there that help make the good stuff happen!