RANT: lack of portability on care

[Manatee 3]

I had the lap-band done back in 07, and while I don't have it anymore (long story) I was blessed with a good doctor and support function.

My friend got one in 06. He hasn't seen as much success as he would like. The doc and support staff are inaccessible and refuse to admit there may be anything wrong despite years of adjustments, pain and disappointment on his part.

We have found it impossible to get any other physician to take him on as a patient. We get the same story everywhere: if we didn't put the band in, we cannot touch it. "Liability, don't ya know."

Right now he's having all the symptoms of a too-tight fill (reflux, vomiting, coughing, etc). We contacted the emergency rooms of the two local hospitals. Both do bariatric surgery. Both told us that their bariatric doctors would NOT do an unfill on someone who hadn't been banded there.

God help you if you get a physician who moved, closed, is incompetent or died.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Manatee

[Beachbunny 5]

where is he located? My surgeon takes on other pts.

[Llyra 3]

Liability, hell. What is criminal is the refusal of a doctor to care for a person who is in pain. Don't these people take the Hypocratic oath seriously anymore?

[Bryn 3]

Liability, hell. What is criminal is the refusal of a doctor to care for a person who is in pain. Don't these people take the Hypocratic oath seriously anymore?

hippocratic oath went out the window when people started to believe it's ok to sue doctors for every minor thing; hence their high malpractice insurance and a decrease in pay.

i really don't blame them.

to the thread starter: why can't he just have the original bariatric surgeon take it out vs. finding out the problem? seems like a last resort at this point

[BetsyB 9]

why can't he just have the original bariatric surgeon take it out vs. finding out the problem?

If he's overfilled and having issues as a result, the original surgeon certainly can handle an unfill.