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I researched the lapband extensively for a long time before deciding on Dr. Ortiz. I have been so happy with my results. I am only about 10 pounds from goal and I feel like a new person. I knew all the possible complications, but I am human, and I still worry when I read about 9 ladies who have recently experienced erosion. I actually still have fears and concerns. I have spoken with Rene and Sandy at OCC. They have on record 7 patients that have experienced erosion. (Per Sandy) I understand that the number of complications will rise as the surgeon performs more and more surgeries. So, for a surgeon like Dr. Ortiz, who has done approximately 2 thousand surgeries, 7 erosions is not that many. I think that comes to less than one half of a percent. The national average reported by Inamed is somewhere like 1-3%. I appreciated their honesty when I called, and their quick response to me. I am returning this week for a follow up visit and I will ask more questions. I may ask for an endoscopy, as I have had the band almost exactly one year. The risk of complications will always be there; would I do it again? Absolutely!

:welcome: :welcomeB: DALLAS,TX 28, 5'2, 250lbs tried all diets since age 15 been this overweight since I had my son at age 17 I am looking for a job and prefer the job to have insurance that covers lap band surgery,just in case. :help: IF YOU HAD THE SURGERY AND YOUR INSURANCE COVERED IT, Please let me know:help: YOUR JOB'S company name.:help: I have done different types of office work,customer rep., a/r and have done some light industrial work. I have been offered some jobs, but insurance does not cover lap band surgery. About how much was your out of pocket cost? My mother was overweight like me,she had lots of complications from being overweight,she passed away may 2005, age 52. I see my self and I am just like her,I am starting to notice symptoms that she had.:sick THANKS,:eek: TO ALL THAT HAVE POSTED,:clap2: I'm sure this info will be useful to others.

Any possibilityof re-financing the house and paying down some fo the debt? I ended up self paying as well, but had an accident prior and used my settlement to pay for it. There have been times I wished I had the cash settlement back, to pay bills. My DH has been off for several months with heart surgery and complications, so bills have piled up. But like you I don't regret it. We had some savings we used...and stuck it out. Talk to your creditors, even if they do try to be ugly, if they are rude ask to speak with someone else, and explain you have hit hard times, and need to make payment arrangements. Having been on the business end of that, I know they would rather have you make a small payment and make it regularly than not make any! Plus you need to figure out if selling and then renting will actually save you money. It is not a great market right now to sell I have heard...so look over all your options. Possibly a consolidation loan...put everything together and lower your month to month output. As you get back on your feet, you could increase the payment amount. Maybe even some credit counseling...that keeps creditors happy if they know you are attempting to do something. My niece used one, and it kept her out of bankruptcy. Good Luck to you...come back for support!!! We are not all independently wealthy---we can relate!!! Kat

Happiness1, Do go see the other surgeons! this Doctor is only concerned about his convenience, not you. I had to lose 190 # when I started . The doctor and I preferred the lap band, even when I developed health problems while waiting. Lapband statitistics show Fewer complications, with surgery and long term, than with the bypass. There are some here who had bypass and it was right for them; but if you don't want it, don't do it. BTW, there are surgeons in Omaha and Lincoln Ne who do lapband surgery- if you have to travel. I'll bet there is a Center of Excellence hospital for bariatric surgery in Des Moines, too.

I am so afraid of the unknown and the potential complications. I just really need this to go well.

Had my surgery on January 13th--everything has been fine-no complications. Was back to work in a week and a 1/2, never threw up, never got sick, can eat anything I want. Have lost 29 pounds to date.

Thanks MissJDVSG! I don't put makeup on a lot, but when I do, I go all out with it. So he responded via email, saying he is confused & hurt. Wondering when I made the appointment, he understands why I told him via email though b/c he doesn't respond well to some information, and he doesn't understand why I would consider doing something permanent to my stomach instead of trying exercise again first. He's worried about complications & the cost (money is tight for us). He still thinks of me as young & capable of losing the weight by exercising. I've had 4 knee surgeries, 1 foot surgery & I'm well on my way to knee replacements, which I'm hoping WLS will help to prevent. He is delusional sometimes, I swear. I go next week to my PCP to get him to sign off on WLS & I have to see my Orthopedic surgeon about my knees. I also have to make appointment with my counselor to get her to sign off on my Psych papers for WLS. Talking with my Patient Advocate, I could have surgery as soon as the end of March or early April. But I'm not sure if that is a good time for us as a family. It the start of Track season, my husband is our High School coach & my son is on the 8th grade team. Plus my nephew is on the Baldwin Wallace Track Team & I'm going to be going to some of his meets. I need to be able to move around for that & I'm a Sub Teacher. But I don't want to postpone it too long b/c I can't lose too much weight between now & surgery. Can't drop below 35 BMI. I'm currently 39.4. Sorry this was so long. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

You are still healing, So take it easy, but certainly make sure you inform your surgeon and nutritionist. If you've got a stricture or some other mild complication, it might need to be looked into, always make sure to keep your surgeon in the loop on stuff like this.

Sorry you are feeling let down. However I am sure that the surgeon has your best interests at heart. Surgery is dangerous and the higher your BMI the more dangerous it is . A BMI of 68 is extremely high.Far better to lose the weight prior to surgery than to die from complications on the table. It is also normal in the US to have to undergo a 6 month supervised diet prior to undergoing surgery . This proves to the insurance company that you are serious and have tried your best and are not just looking for a quick fix. you are not the first person i have heard of that has to do a 4 week preop diet. The purpose of this part of the process is to help shrink the liver. When you are obese the liver is enlarged and fatty. If it is not reduced in size prior to surgery you run the risk of having to have open as opposed to laparoscopic surgery or of it getting damaged during surgery which is highly dangerous. If your Dr suggested a bypass you need to find out why do not just dismiss his suggestion out of hand.Yes there are some Dr's that push bypass because it is their preferred surgery but your Dr may feel that a band would not suit you. With weight loss surgery there is no one size fits all - different surgeries suit different people depending on their types of eating.Bands are generally recommended for people that eat large quantities but do not have as much of an issue with sweets. bypasses are recommended where it is felt that malabsorption is also required. There is another option - the sleeve.I have even heard of people having a bypass and a band combined. Price should not be your deciding factor when choosing a surgeon. I understand that it is important but it is more important to choose an experienced surgeon that has done lots of the procedure that you choose and that has a good track record. Their are countless horror stories of things going wrong when using a cheap or inexperienced surgeon. That is not to say that all surgeons offering cheap surgery are bad but you do need to be careful. This board is a great place for you to vent, get support and do research.Read some of the threads from people that had revisions from lapband to bypass to help you with your decision as well. Wishing you all the best.

I have heard that insurance will cover some skin removal procedures if there were medical complications due to the excess skin, but havent actually known anyone with first hand knowledge. Has anyone else see insurance cover it? HW 385 SW 359 Sleeved 10/5/16

I am planning on being back to work 8 days after surgery. I have a cubicle job. I am sure it will be exhausting at first and I plan on letting my boss know that it will take a week or two after I am backfor me to be in full swing fast pace again. I was just hoping that the fmla covered me in the event I have any complications that could keep me from returning. My department doesnt handle someone being out more than a day or two before things get behind. In fact when I put jn for my 7 vacations days my boss wasnt going to approve it but did when I told her it was for surgery. Makes me mad that they havent hired enough people in our department so that we can all take our vacation/personal time without us all having to work so much overtime. I almost bet my boss will ask me to work every weekend after coming back. not sure how that will go over.

In most cases the time worked has to be on a "perm" basis...and "temp" time won't count towards the limits. I hope you have no complications, and that your employer values your contribution to their team!! Best of luck!

I was wondering if any of you have had your re-flux issues resolved??? Or just controlled? I am thinking of having this surgery and this seem to be the only thing i cant find any information on. I can find the information that says this is a complication but not how its treated other than meds. Do the meds work? I have never had issues with re-flux but it scares me to think that i could after surgery.

Heyo folks. I've been obese my whole life (40 years now), and finally made the decision to really do something about it this past spring. The funny thing is, I was scheduled to have the surgery on May 7th of 2001. I backed out because I was 25, arrogant and a know-it-all. I thought I could beat this thing myself. Well...I did beat it, and it beat me back 10 times since. This has been a decision I have been struggling with for the past 15 years. Now...I am well on my way to surgery. I'm a couple of weeks away from my final appointment and meeting my surgeon. Looks like my surgery is going to be the week of Christmas. I'm scared of a few things: Death due to anesthesia. Death due to blood clotting. Death due to complications. Thing is...I don't want to die, and that is why I am having this surgery. I want to extend what's left of my life. Would be nice to have grandchildren one day, watch my kids get married, grow old with the woman I love. Just scared of not even getting out of the gate. It's keeping me up nights. I wake up and can't get back to sleep. It's a veritable hell I am going through on this. It's started to depress me and make me irritable. It's overwhelming fear sometimes. I've almost talked myself out of it. Sometimes I think the lengthy process makes you process too much at times. The time drawn out from classes, appointments and insurance approval almost makes you wait too long, and sit with your thoughts and anxieties. If it were August or September and you told me I was having my surgery tomorrow, I would jump with joy. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you deal with it? Any pointers or suggestions? Thanks O

Wow guys.... Thanks for all the replies! It's nice to know that I'm not alone in these feelings. After a long holiday weekend, I am feeling a lot better about getting the surgery. It seems that I might be actually boring myself with these thoughts, as I am feeling more relaxed the closer I get to it. Fact of the matter is that I am in dire need of getting rid of this weight. I have to take this opportunity to better my life, and the life of those that love me and want my presence on this earth. After doing a bit more research, I realized that a lot of these complications that happen and result in death, is the patient themselves not following Doctor's orders post-op. This will not be a problem for me. Thanks again.

I was banded Oct 1, 2008. The complications started the day of surgery when a nurse held my ankles and made me reach above my head, grab the bedrails and pull my butt into the hospital bed. I had a shredding pain spread across my abdomen. No big deal they said, hit the pain pump. The next morning I woke up to an enormous bruise that was about 7" wide by 10" long across my abdomen under my port site sutures. I was scared. . .But was reassured that nothing was wrong with me. Fast forward 10 days, suture removal, the bruising has now spread to my side and down even further my abdomen. The port site suture could not be removed because of swelling. The nurse dug around in one of my lap sites to remove sutures, and she couldn't get them out. YAY. 2 weeks later, I had cottage cheese consistency, old blood spewing from the lap site, it's now the size of a lima bean, and I see all the way to the pink layers of my abdomen, right through the fat. The infection is now tunnelling through my tummy. YAY YAY. They didn't seem too concerned, just keep it clean. Okay, off I go, 6 weeks later, the little hole is now getting smaller, it closes one day, but to my surprise there was something growing behind it. LOVELY. Prescription of Levaquin should resolve that. . . I quit having restriction around Thanksgiving with a total of 2.5cc in my "band", in the tubing really. Was told to just stick to the diet, and to remember I am ahead of the game with 25lbs gone. December rolls around, not restriction, can eat more than I should, trying to be good. Called office about not having restriction, am told that it may take 25+ fills to get restriction and I need to accept it. REALLY? I'll throw out this and it maybe TMI for some. But, our sex life suffered substantially because the port area was so sensitive, sex was sometimes impossible. . . Even though my husband is the most understanding, loving, and supportive husband in the universe, I hated feeling that we could not be intimate because I hurt so badly. Okay, now fast forward end of Jan. Lost 1 pound in 2 months, YAY. I have a lot pain in my port area especially about my monthly cycle. Told surgeon, he looks dumbfounded. Manipulates the port for 15-20 minutes, I get 1cc finally. Thought I had restriction, yeah, not really. February, port pain is becoming more and more noticeable. And when I say pain, I mean pain level 6-8 on a daily basis. I go in for a fill even though they don't want to give me one, and he can't get to the port after 20 minutes of gouging around in my abdomen. It's swelling, bruising... I ask about the bleeding, and they finally agree to test me for R5 factor, reaction to Heparin. I am NEGATIVE. I received 5cc of heparin over a 30 hour hospital stay. Okay, March 3rd, went in for a fill under fluoro, yep port is flipped, he digs on me for another 20 minutes, 5 different sticks, and can't get it under fluoro. I'm devastated. . . I ask him "why do I hurt everyday?" his reply " I honestly don't know ". . . Hmmmm this is not good. 6 days later, I show up for another attempt under fluoro even though they tell me it is to be done the next week. He agrees to try again, I get to radiology, and he says " have I accessed the port since repositioning it?" Ummm I was just here 6 days ago, and NO you haven't repositioned my port. He chuckled and said "oh dear, I've forgotten your chart." The fluoro table is at a 25degree angle, he manipulates the port and is able to give me 1cc, and tells me "see ya in 60 days". . . And off he went. I left feeling like I was just ridden hard and put up wet. It was horrific. . . I called a week later and spoke with his nurse who proceeded to tell me " you haven't been happy since the beginning" I argued and said " No I haven't been happy since I have been ignored, and brushed off, and having complications that are trivialized by you and your husband." I told her I wanted my chart, and it took me driving down there and waiting an hour and a half to get my measley chart. She proceeded to tell me " you should of had gastric bypass like I told you". LOVELY. I am not sure if I would of been successful with the band, but I know that I am so glad that I am getting the revision. The PB, sliming,getting stuck on crystal light was just too much for me to tolerate. I followed the rules, I worked my butt off for that 1lb loss between Thanksgiving and January 22nd. I truly feel like I was set up for failure by my surgeon, and I am so grateful to have the approval that I need to have the band removed and revision to the sleeve in June. I was one of those ecstatic band patients until I had problems. Couple that with lack of concern and aftercare from my surgeon, I don't regret my choice for the band initially, I am sad it took me this long to get the hell away from my original surgeon.

Jake- thanks so much for the encouragement. You're exactly right... It's so worth it. My husband was really concerned about me and all the complications I've had already just this early in the journey... But unjust told him you deal with them as they come and it will be worth it in the long run. I've already lost 40 lbs thanks to this band... Plus a little hard work :-) but honestly, this is the easiest I've ever had to work to lose weight. Maybe not easiest? Maybe it's just that I have hope this time. I've lost 40 lbs before on my own but this time I know i will never see those numbers again. I'm glad someone else has gone through what I'm going through... That's comforting. And congrats on your new self! You should be so proud! How long ago was your surgery?

I also have this Mediblue through medicare and i was wondering if this is who you had when they approved your sleeve? I have this now in NY but they are withdrawing as of 12/31/13 and Im hoping to get everything done before this!!! I need a band to sleeve revision due to complications from the band Keeping my fingers crossed...congrats on your whole journey

Since you have posted the same question to me in all the places I posted this, I will also answer you here as posted on the OH board: Wasabubblebutt (Midwestern girl), you really are something. I've never seen anyone leap to such conclusions! You have decided I'm on some sort of witch hunt (vendetta). If you say so. The truth is you have no idea why I'm asking. I am simply asking to correspond with anyone that has had complications after using this surgeon. If you didn't use him, then ignore the question. If you did and didn't have a complication, then ignore the question. (Then you go on to say that you have all the answers about which docs have the best and which docs have the worst reps. Whatever you say. I'm not going to debate an issue with you that you obviously know nothing about. And by the way, I don’t have a “beloved” surgeon. I unlike you don’t have a case of doctor worship! You base all of your opinions on what you read on the boards. Good luck with that! I've got news for you, all surgeons have complications, even yours. Yours has also had a few deaths. But that's not what I'm interested in right now. ) As for the reasons and more information, it will be made known later. Cheers! <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I had plication with Dr. Ortiz in August of last year. I am currently down 75 lbs. with about 30 more to go. I never vomited but was close a couple times. They do send you home with anti-nausea meds. They do get busy so if you have a date in mind you should set it soon. As far as the financing part , I just saw on BP that they are offering great deals through the website on surgery in Mexico. Looking at the costs, it would save you about$3,000.00 but you have to choose another surgeon at Jerusalem Hospital. He is top-rated though, so check that out before you commit to Ortiz. I personally was not impressed with him or the staff (Ortiz), but I didn't receive horrible care either. However, I did have complications at 2 months out. (Read my other posts if you are interested) I have no idea about the financing part. As far as your job goes, I needed about a month to be 100 percent, but went back to work at 2 weeks and had no problems, other than desperately needing a nap when I got home! It was so worth it for me, I know I would have been at my highest weight or even higher right now had I not had the procedure done. Good luck with your decision!

I wonder if there is a corrolation between having a pre-op Diet or not and the incidence of complications. Seems preop diets are entirely a surgeons preference.

Hey ya'll. It's been 8 weeks and 2 weeks since my surgery and I've forgotten how you "feel" the first few weeks, partially because I didn't feel normal last time, and partially cuz well I've forgotten what I've read since it's been so long. So I know I have more bloating than usual because of multiple surgery's and complications. But I'm basically in week two again and I feel full up to my chest (if that makes sense). I'm having a really hard time getting in liquids and Protein and I need them both. I'm on full liquids now. Is this normal? Or for those with complications....is this normal for us? I'm wondering if the chest pain (which is not dangerous) is just pressure from my rib cage pain and swelling when they stuck the garden hose down there....that most can't comment on LOL thank god! But how did you feel normal or complications a couple of weeks out?

Dr. Primomo with UT Physicians in the Davis Clinic. He and his staff are great!! 1 yr post op and not a single complication. He has great bedside manner and truly cares about his patients!

I'm 59. I had the band for 10 years. It was removed 2 weeks ago after a year of complications. It is a device and devices do not last. Read up on everything you can - all the stats on Bands. Educate yourself. I am looking into the Sleeve as an option, not another Band. You could check Facebook - Failed Lap-Bands and Realize Bands to ask any questions of members. Friendly and supportive group like this one. Good luck!

Ohhhh, all the more reason your friends needs to find a band doctor and get in ASAP. She could be serious trouble I'm afraid. Btw, the specialist she must see immediately is a bariatric surgeon not another internist. Every day she goes without seeing one the greater the risk of major damage and complications with her band.