Hi All -

I wanted to post a reply I made on the SmartBandster board regarding someone's strongly stated opinion that band erosion is almost always the patient's fault.

I think it is important to accept responsibility for our actions and their possible consequences. However, I also think it is equally important to be able to accept that certain outcomes of events may have not been under our control, or may have happened anyway.

Perhaps my occasional overeating contributed to my band erosion (frankly, I was doing a lot of that in the past four weeks). HOWEVER... erosion is a possible complication for ALL implanted devices.

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//It is actually the stomach that erodes or is damaged, not the band. Usually because the band is too tight or most often because the person is eating too much and trying to force too much through the band. Usually the fault of the banded person, and NOT the surgeon or the band itself.//

Dan, I realize that it can be reassuring to think that WE have ALL the control over what happens to us and our bands - if you NEED to believe that to have peace of mind, then I leave you to it.

However, if the erosion rates are indeed 1%-3%, I would be hard pressed to believe that only 1%-3% of bandsters ever eat too much. I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of bandsters at least occasionally overeat. I mean, that IS our nature, after all. BUT, the vast majority of bandsters do not experience erosion.

Do a google search on erosion of implanted device, and educate yourself on the realities of having a foreign object in your body, and what can happen to it. The following links cover products that range from heart implants to penile implants to ports - all of these devices list erosion through tissue walls as a possible complication. It is extremely unlikely that overeating (or patient behaviour, period) could be held responsible for these erosions.

You know - sometimes it just happens.

http://www.guidant.com/webapp/emarketing/compass/comp.jsp?lev1=prod&lev2=crtp_ifu

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/urology/patients/rsurgery.htm

http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/enterra/physician.html

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p010020.html

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/71/81224.htm?z=3199_65247_2010_00_10

http://www.bostonscientific.com/templatedata/imports/HTML/infusion_therapy/devbsc_vaxptpsv_ifu_us.html

We should all try to avoid behaviours that increase our risk of erosion, but there are no guarantees that even if you do everything 100% correct that you will escape this particular complication.

Sometimes bad things just happen.

Donali

Dr. Lopez, 1/23/03

303/204.5/135

Diagnosed with erosion 6/19/04

Band removal scheduled for 7/2/04

Jeanne, good one! Funny stuff! And I agree with the other board, I feel no love... but it's really informative so I'm reading all the stuff and just posting a little.

Hey, how are you feeling? I've been so tied up in my own misery that I never get to ask you.

Sorry, Alex, I guess I was showing my ignorance about the editing of posts. I have a lot to learn!

Lisa, I'm really feeling good. I go see the surgeon on 6/28 to get released. I've been walking 2 miles in the evening after dinner. I've lost 25 lbs. All my aches and pains are gone. I guess I can't milk this any further. But it was really nice to get someone else to push the vacuum cleaner for a while. Both biopsies (tumor and gallbladder) came back negative. Yes! How are your furbabies? Hey, hope the leaking stops soon. Take care of yourself.