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Allergan sucks



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I am having problems with my band and no one knows what is happening, so I thought I should call Allergan. They are SO not interested in helping me. But I get the impression that my surgeons in Canada (not in Mexico) and the company are hoping that my band will come out so they can sell me another one.

They told me that there is no warranty on the lap band and even if they find out that it is the lap band that is defective, that is not their problem. They also said that because I am not in the US, there is nothing they can do.

Are they allowed to sell a defective lapband and not have any responsibility?

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Where did you have you band surgery? I am having a Allergan band at False Creek Medical in Vancouver & it is under warrenty for 1 year.

I would ask to speak to a manager at Allergan.

Are you self pay?

Good luck!

K

I am having problems with my band and no one knows what is happening, so I thought I should call Allergan. They are SO not interested in helping me. But I get the impression that my surgeons in Canada (not in Mexico) and the company are hoping that my band will come out so they can sell me another one.

They told me that there is no warranty on the lap band and even if they find out that it is the lap band that is defective, that is not their problem. They also said that because I am not in the US, there is nothing they can do.

Are they allowed to sell a defective lapband and not have any responsibility?

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I have heard of several cases where the band has been replaced by Allergan because of a defect. All bands are marked with identifying numbers and I read a post about one surgeon having to replace a couple bands from the same lot. The problem is you have to take the band out and prove it is defective.

You don't give enough info in this post for me to offer any further ideas. Did you do all your follow up? Are you eating properly?

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When I got my lap band over a year ago, it was heavenly. I really loved the satiaty and didn't miss eating larger portions. I was quite happy. But then a few monts ago, it got harder and harder to eat solids. Now, I put things in the blender with some broth so that it liquifies and stick to juices and Soups. I also get reflux at night which makes it hard to sleep.

Now, my lap band is very tight, yet there is no saline to remove. The saline was removed several months ago, but it didn't make anything better. There has not been a slip according to radiography. According to gastroscopy, the entrance to the stomach is extremely narrow.

There are many possible causes, but the band being defective is definitely one possibility.

I do not know what to do and am scared that everyone wants to remove the band. I also do not want to have two surgeries, one to take out the band. And then return to normal while I fight with everyone and raise tons of money to try and put a new one in.

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When I got my lap band over a year ago, it was heavenly. I really loved the satiaty and didn't miss eating larger portions. I was quite happy. But then a few monts ago, it got harder and harder to eat solids. Now, I put things in the blender with some broth so that it liquifies and stick to juices and Soups. I also get reflux at night which makes it hard to sleep.

Now, my lap band is very tight, yet there is no saline to remove. The saline was removed several months ago, but it didn't make anything better. There has not been a slip according to radiography. According to gastroscopy, the entrance to the stomach is extremely narrow.

There are many possible causes, but the band being defective is definitely one possibility.

I do not know what to do and am scared that everyone wants to remove the band. I also do not want to have two surgeries, one to take out the band. And then return to normal while I fight with everyone and raise tons of money to try and put a new one in.

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Hello

My name is Shelley, Im from Australia, I have been googling the internet all night trying to find someone who is going through the same problems as me. I have been banded for ten months now, and everything has been wonderful, I have only ever had one fill, my band as it always seemed a bit tight, but it wasnt a problem I still could eat well and comfortably. I have lost 35kgs in 10 months so I was just wrapped with the success of the lap band, UNTIL last friday, all of a sudden my band became tight, so I visited the surgeon after a couple of days as it got worse, he took all my fill out so my band was completely empty, after two days to was still so tight. I went for a Barium Swallow, which showed no band slip, no problems with my stomach NOTHING except that the band was tight and liquids are just trickling through. Now my surgeon wants the band to come out, I am absolutely devistated, I just dont understand what went wrong, I did nothing different, ate nothing different, just all of a sudden it was tight. Its been a week now and I have this terrible clamping feeling in my stomach, I can get Water down and some food but it hurts and feel uncomfortable. I have no insurance, I paid $15,000 to have the op, its going to cost money to get the band out, plus I just dont feel I can continue to loose weight with out it. I know you posted this a while ago, but I love it if you could let me know how things are going for you and if you can shed any light on the suituation.

Kind regards

Shell

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Could the problem be with where your surgeon placed the band instead of a defect? I wonder if it is placed in the wrong position - perhaps too high or too low.

Can you get a second opinion?

Best wishes to you both.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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