Unsatisfied with the Lap Band surgery!!!!

[poopgirl 1]

Ok, so I had my surgery in November of 2008. I just wanted to share my experience with this whole ordeal.

I lost most of my weight within the first six months (mainly due to all the vomiting that I was doing). I also gained new health problems. GERD is my main concern. I had Hair loss. My teeth are rotting. My finger nails have become extremely brittle and thin. The night coughs are a new problem to add to my list.

Another concern of mine is that every time that I went in for an adjustment, I would see a different doctor and they would give me different information. One doctor would say I needed 7 ccs of saline while others said 6 and others 5. I have no idea how many ccs my band needs. They are the doctors, they should be telling me.

Anyways, I have horrible night coughs (started in January of this year). I haven't had asthma in over 15 years!!! Then this year...WHAM...I had an asthma attack due to the night coughs!!! My last adjustment I had 6ccs and requested they take out 2. I haven't had coughs but I can eat whatever I want! So I went back to fill me up to 5 ccs. The night coughs started again. Wheezing every night!!! So I had all Fluid completely removed from my band. I'm dieting on my own now.

After my surgery I thought I would have been given instructions for after care...NEGATIVE!!! I had to research everything for myself using the internet and through trial and error on what foods I can or cannot eat!!!

I'm very disappointed with the service that I had received from my surgery center. I called 1-800-GET-THIN and ended up at the Beverly Hills center for Top Surgeons. Three months after my surgery, my doctor was fired!!! Also, the Omidi brothers that own Top Surgeons in Beverly Hills, had their medical licenses suspended and revoked!!! You can google them for yourselves!!! Dr. Julian Omidi and Dr. Michael Omidi.

Overall, I would NOT recommend the lap band surgery for ANYONE. If you want to lose weight, just do it with pure diet and exercise.

Now if I have done something wrong with my lap band experience, please advise. I haven't met anyone that has had a weight loss success from the lap band. If you have had a success story, please do share!!! I didn't pay 15k to have this stupid implant in me for nothing.

[Cazzy 725]

Ok, so I had my surgery in November of 2008. I just wanted to share my experience with this whole ordeal.

I lost most of my weight within the first six months (mainly due to all the vomiting that I was doing). I also gained new health problems. GERD is my main concern. I had hair loss. My teeth are rotting. My finger nails have become extremely brittle and thin. The night coughs are a new problem to add to my list.

Another concern of mine is that every time that I went in for an adjustment, I would see a different doctor and they would give me different information. One doctor would say I needed 7 ccs of saline while others said 6 and others 5. I have no idea how many ccs my band needs. They are the doctors, they should be telling me.

Anyways, I have horrible night coughs (started in January of this year). I haven't had asthma in over 15 years!!! Then this year...WHAM...I had an asthma attack due to the night coughs!!! My last adjustment I had 6ccs and requested they take out 2. I haven't had coughs but I can eat whatever I want! So I went back to fill me up to 5 ccs. The night coughs started again. Wheezing every night!!! So I had all Fluid completely removed from my band. I'm dieting on my own now.

After my surgery I thought I would have been given instructions for after care...NEGATIVE!!! I had to research everything for myself using the internet and through trial and error on what foods I can or cannot eat!!!

I'm very disappointed with the service that I had received from my surgery center. I called 1-800-GET-THIN and ended up at the Beverly Hills center for Top Surgeons. Three months after my surgery, my doctor was fired!!! Also, the Omidi brothers that own Top Surgeons in Beverly Hills, had their medical licenses suspended and revoked!!! You can google them for yourselves!!! Dr. Julian Omidi and Dr. Michael Omidi.

Overall, I would NOT recommend the lap band surgery for ANYONE. If you want to lose weight, just do it with pure diet and exercise.

Now if I have done something wrong with my lap band experience, please advise. I haven't met anyone that has had a weight loss success from the lap band. If you have had a success story, please do share!!! I didn't pay 15k to have this stupid implant in me for nothing.

I think given the amount of people on this forum who have had a bad experience from the 1-800-GET-THIN centre it may well be that your experience of the band is more due to the doctors and their after care service than the band itself. Reading a lot of the posts here many people do have success with the lap band, but it isnt for everyone, all we can do is give it our best shot. Im sure everyone will sympathise with your story and wish you well in the future.

[Jachut 487]

I've had great success with the lapband. I do attend a practice in melbourne that is run by Prof. Paul O'Brien who is one of the band's pioneers.

Their aftercare plan and their dietary guidelines are simple. Eat 3 meals a day (small Snacks if you really are hungry), come in regularly for checkups, get fills on consultation with your doctor - and the schedule and amount differs for everyone - settle in for slow but steady loss and never accept vomiting, reflux, night coughing as normal. Eat a normal diet - from all food groups, dont eat sliders, no need to cut carbs, obsess over Protein or avoid the occasional treat. Exercise regularly.

Even thought that sounds simple, of course there are people who have the troubles you're experiencing. The band doesnt suit everyone and getting just the right restriction can be tricky - many people go back and forth from too tight to too loose and cant find just the right amount, I've even come close to having that sort of trouble myself since having my band unfilled totally for a big surgery, cant get the restriction I had, but I know I"m getting close to tight. So....... I know I have to work with what I have. The band takes a lot of work, if you let it it will help you eat the right things in the right portions but you are ALWAYS going to have to have self control to not overeat bad foods, which all too often go down very easily. If you expect it to literally stop you eating too much or eating the wrong things you are going to be very disappointed. It also doesnt result in very fast weight loss, its more slow and steady and it does require exercise as well as diet. It sounds to me like you'd be better off workign with the lesser restriction to the best of your ability and stop looking for the band to give you complete control. And if you cant do that, as many cant, this is a complex disease that has emotional and physical elements to it, then perhaps you might be able to look into a differnet surgery that might suit you and your issues better. The band does tend to work very well for lower BMI patients with eating habits not too out of control (which is what I was) and who are able to put in reasonably intense and regular exercise. This is not the situation many morbidly obese people find themselves in and the band is not always the right choice.

[elcee 3,340]

I'm not sure about this poster.

I am sure I have read an almost identical post somewhere before.It seems as though this has been copied and just tweaked a bit but I could be wrong.

Just something seems slightly strange but maybe it's just the cynic in me coming out.

[Corrigan 75]

I don't know if this is a legitimate post or not, but as with plastic surgeons, weight loss surgeons are not

all created equal. Some are a great deal better than others. In my opinion, anyone contemplating

WLS in other than a Center of Excellence is taking a great chance with their future. Of course there are excellent surgeons that are not CoEs, but which ones? Anyone who undergoes WLS without doing

adequate research is just jumping in the pool without checking if there's any Water. How in the world

would anyone allow a surgeon, advertising on a billboard, to operate on them without a thorough

investigation? Is there any wonder why these surgeries fail? No pre or post op care? Come on.

[healthy and happy 64]

OK, I am not a long term bandster, so I dont even know if you would want or value my opinion. I have only been banded for 3 months. But I have to say from reading your post that I totally agree with what Corrigan and Elcee are saying. It sounds like it is not the actual band that is the problem but perhaps the doctors and the surgical center that you are using. This is a major life change. I was told by my insurance company that they would pay 100% of the costs if I used a particular hospital that they were affiliated with and they would only pay 80% if I used the one that I wanted to. I opted to pay the extra money instead of going with the hospital they wanted me to use because I had done extensive research on my doctor and the facility and I also knew some patients personally that had great experiences with them. It was worth it to me to pay a little extra and get the care and service that I was comfortable with. It has definitely been well worth it as I have had nothing but a great experience. My weight has been dropping off at a very consistent pace and I feel absolutely wonderful. I have not thrown up one time or gotten stuck or felt bad. in fact I feel fantastic! But before I could have the surgery they required that I become well educated on the process to make sure it was a success. I had to visit the nutritionist, go to educational seminars to teach me what I would need to know about the surgery and the after care, how to eat and drink with the band, etc. They also required that I had to attend a support group meeting prior to surgery. My doctor personnally called my house a couple of times over the weekend after my surgery to check on how I was doing.

So I say all this to make a couple of points about your post! First, I am so sorry that you are having a bad experience. I feel really bad for you that you are having to go through all of this. Perhaps you could find another facility to go to and change doctors. I would caution you though that your statement about not recommending banding to ANYONE is pretty strong. There are just as many great success stories out there as there are bad experiences. The band has changed a lot of peoples lives in a very positive way! Surely you know this too or you would not have decided to get it in the first place. I would recommend it to my friends in family in a heartbeat with the condition that they are knowledgeable about what they are getting into before making the decision and that they are fully committed to the dedication and work that comes with it to make it successful.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that you can feel better soon!!

[DonnaMP 13]

For what its worth, am I completely happy with the band? Eh some days I am. Some days I get frustrated because the scale doesn't move. But all in all, I've lost 98 lbs in a year. Yes thats lots less than some, but more than others. I've never heard of all the issues that you seem to have and I agree with the others. Sounds like clinic and dr issues more than band issues but you have to remember *you* have to work your band. Sounds like some GERD issues to me. Maybe find a new doctor would be your best bet.

[Lisa1967 0]

I also have been banded for less than 3 months, but I would have to agree with everyone else. I have read to stay away from the surgery centers. I believe there is one death involved with them as well. I think it is the surgeons and not the band.

[susan73 2]

when i started my lapband process, i tried the get thin people, and maybe it was a blessing, but after they dragged me around for over a year and a half, i got disapproved by my insurance. i finally got accepted through oBand and while it took over 6 months to get approved because of the nutrition wait i had to do AGAIN, i am definitely happy with the dr's at oBand.

[karewpah 173]

I personally find it interesting that the OP created their account today and has had only two posts...very suspicious.

That being said, this WLS is not for everyone. I've had my share of complications and even with having a surgery to re postion the band, I wouldn't do anything different. It's not without challenges, but it's also completely worth it...for me.

I'm with Corrigan here...you need good pre-op care...they have these psych assessments for a reason...and post op care...slow fills, specific instructions etc. These protocols are all important to the success of each patient.

[Taynaydosmom 1]

I don't know if this is a legitimate post or not, but as with plastic surgeons, weight loss surgeons are not

all created equal. Some are a great deal better than others. In my opinion, anyone contemplating

WLS in other than a Center of Excellence is taking a great chance with their future. Of course there are excellent surgeons that are not CoEs, but which ones? Anyone who undergoes WLS without doing

adequate research is just jumping in the pool without checking if there's any Water. How in the world

would anyone allow a surgeon, advertising on a billboard, to operate on them without a thorough

investigation? Is there any wonder why these surgeries fail? No pre or post op care? Come on.

[Taynaydosmom 1]

Corrigan...you are my hero!

[mgmagnolia 1]

I think given the amount of people on this forum who have had a bad experience from the 1-800-GET-THIN centre it may well be that your experience of the band is more due to the doctors and their after care service than the band itself. Reading a lot of the posts here many people do have success with the lap band, but it isnt for everyone, all we can do is give it our best shot. Im sure everyone will sympathise with your story and wish you well in the future.

I had my band in 2008 also. You are definitely overfilled. They should have done your first fill by floriscope (an x-ray) and also checked to make sure your band is in the correct position. Also, they cannot give you blanket statements that your band should have "X" amount in it. Everyone's "sweet spot" is different. It is important to know what size band that you have. Mine is the large size. It holds 14 cc's. It currently has 7 cc's in it. It sounds to me like your care is absolutely wrong. Get yourself to the most experienced bariatric surgeon you can afford. Do not go back to these people!!! The band works and works well when done properly. I would venture to guess with that type of slipshod care that your band is most likely not in the correct position to begin with. Good luck.

[poopgirl 1]

I reside in Los Angeles, California...can anyone recommend a good center to me that is not affiliated with 1-800-GET-THIN?

I appreciate everyone's feedback. Since 2008, I have seen over 14 different doctors for my adjustments and every single one of them has given me different instruction as to what to eat and what not to eat or how many ccs I should have in my band. Over ½ the time that I have been in for an adjustment, my fills take about ½ an hour because the doctors cannot find my port! Is this normal? I have seen videos on youtube of lap band fills taking under a minute!!!! AMAZING!!!

Guess I am seeing all the new doctors fresh out of med school! HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHA

I think I will give it another shot and call tomorrow to get a fill. Oh...I did have a question if anyone knows...is it ok to chew gum or drink from a straw? Some doctors tell me yes while others are telling me absolutely NOT! So I'm utterly confused! O_o

[poopgirl 1]

I'm not sure about this poster.

I am sure I have read an almost identical post somewhere before.It seems as though this has been copied and just tweaked a bit but I could be wrong.

Just something seems slightly strange but maybe it's just the cynic in me coming out.

I would say that your eyes are deceiving you.