Hi, I'm new to this site and wanted to post my story. During all the time I did research on the lap band procedure not once did I come across what has happened to me. I wanted to share it with others to let others be aware of other complications that might arise from the lap band or any other surgery.

1st off...my insurance denied me for rny surgery after 6 months of jumping through their hoops. I was so gung ho and ready for the surgery that I started checking into going to Mexico to have the lap band surgery done. We took out a loan, went down and I had the lap band surgery done April 7th, 2004. Within 1 week I had excrusiating pain in my chest and arm. I had a ekg done, it was fine. Ended up at the ER to have morphine and chest xrays done. Still no relief but dry heaves from the morphine. I ended up having a c-scan, barium swallow, sonogram and other testing. The surgeon up here that was going to do my surgeryin the 1st place agreed to do my aftercare, so after going into his office and him doing a sonogram he saw severe infection around my port. I had to have a emergency removal of the port (staph infection and foreign body rejection was the 1st diagnosis). I came home to home health having to pack two deep wounds and after seeing a infection control Dr. having to be on iv and oral antibiotics. Still the pain worsened, I was in bed for almost 2 months living off pain pills, compazine for my dry heaves and constant diarreah. I had to go in again because one of the wounds started draining. The surgeon had tried to save my band but it was harboring the antiarobic and arobic infection I had. On top of all this the surgeon called me and told me there was a 3rd infection found called my mycobacterial fortutium. It is a bacteria that can be found in unsterilized surgical equipment or contaminated water. This was a swift moving ulcerating infection that I needed to start getting treatment for also.

By this time my insurance carrier, soft heart that they have..ha, granted me the rny surgery to be done when the remainder of the band was removed. My infection control Dr. said no way...the infections I have are too dangerous to keep me open as long as it would take for the rny surgery.

My 3rd surgery was 2 weeks ago. I'm now on antibiotics for 1 yr. It takes at least 6 months for m-fortutium to heal.

I'm not saying all this to scare anyone, just to enlighten, it can happen to anyone. Though my surgeon in Mexico says he has never had it happen to any other patient he has had. It's something I had never read about and sure that alot of others aren't aware of. My surgeon up here said it could have happened up here as well as it did in Mexico, though they were working on the water system while I was there.

Just please, all those comtiplating surgery of any type, make sure you are strong and your immune system is ready to handle everything. If you have to go out of the country to get the surgery done, beware, as there is no recourse after the surgery is done if an error was made. I'm so fortunate that I had a surgeon up here ready to help me. Also actually for my insurance co. for picking up all the expense of the surgery gone wrong.

Now I'm bandless but just thankful to be alive and will keep my desire for weight loss high but try and do it on my own before I would think of surgery again.

I love to hear all the great stories of those of you have done so well, I know it's sooo possible! And I'm so happy for all of you that have suceeded and are doing so well!

Keep up the great work and best of luck to those who are on their way to a new life!

Lori

Lori, thank you again for being so forthcoming about your experience. Your decision to never try again makes a whole lot of sense to me--I'm sure I would have made the same one. You sound like you've done some soul-searching through it all, and I'm sure you'll be successful at getting healthy again and staying that way.

Sue, what great information on hospitals! I agree, having the best facility possible can make a HUGE difference in outcome. And if I were traveling across the border--any border--for medical care I'd want it to be absolutely top of the line.

Confession/caveat...Hospital Oasis is an "alternative cancer center." I am extremely, extremely, extremely skeptical of such businesses. I know others disagree with me, but I really feel that most of such places are just out to take advantage of desperate people. Snake oil and all. So, while the banding surgery is not part of the alternative cancer treatment thing, I just could not go there. To each his own, but I just could not. I don't doubt that it is clean and that good doctors go there. But the hosptial I chose was a teaching hospital associated with a medical school, cuz I'm a coward.

Hi all .... The reason I am dragging this old thread up to daylight again is because I wanted to speak of Dr. Jose Rodriguez, the private hospital he practices at and who he has for support in case of an emergency.

First of all, ONLY have your surgery scheduled there Monday - Friday. No Weekends. More than half of the building where the small 10-bed hospital is located consists of the clinics, upstairs & down, where the doctors have their offices. Among the doctors in practice in that building are cardiologists and two other laproscopic surgeons.

Dr. Rodriguez uses chiefly very safe hypnotic anesthesias and avoids the gases that cause frequent post-surgical nausea. But one of the side effects of the one of the meds is the patient having the SENSATION of being unable to catch their breath --- thus displaying hyperventilation & panicked efforts to breath. Usually the patient will have no memory of this (or anything else) that happens during after coming out of recovery as the amnesiac stage is still present.

However, the reason I bring this up is that it happened to me ---- and I have the isolated memories of Dr. Jose Rodriguez AND other doctors at my bedside. I remember because one of them said my name, catching my attention, and introduced himself -- a Dr. Garza -- very handsome, and I greeted him and shook his hand.

I also have the memories of the oxygen mask and finger clamp monitor on me ... and a sweet woman stroking my face and calming me.

I was never in any danger, but until he was CERTAIN of why my symptoms had suddenly developed, he had access to reinforcements in other surgeons.

PS: The fact that Dr. Garza WAS able to capture my attention stop the "attack" and get me engaged in "polite conversation" was what he needed to determine my condition.

These other physicians and surgeons, just down the hall, are available to check on patients if need be when Dr. Rodriguez is in surgery with another patient or not immediately available.