Hi i am new to this site as well as the lap band. I had mine placed

last Monday Dec, 19th. I was so excited, ofcourse nervous. I suffer

from anxiety related to driving. Therefore I chose a surgeon who was

new to the lap band, but only 15 min from home. ~~ TERRIBLE

MISTAKE~~. He has done the gastric bypass for quite some time so I

felt he was confident. I was suppose to go home that night. NOT I

woke up in the worst pain, I had a PCA pump, a drain in my side and

the treaded catheter. The surgery took 3 to 3 1/2 hours and some

where in that time they nicked my liver. I had to stay overnight for

2 nights while they monitored my H&H to make sure I wasn't losing

blood. I don't know how many shots I got to prevent blood clots. It

was so scary. Not what I expected. I had to keep the drain in for

another 2 days after i was released. Luckily it's been a week today

and I feel good. A little tender where the port and the drain where,

Last night I was able to sleep on my side all night!! "hurray" . I

JUST WANT TO STRESS TO EVERYONE CONSIDERING THIS BE SURE YOUR

SURGEON IS QUALIFIED! Thanks to all who read this. good luck on

your surgery and may god be with you. I know he was with me! Sue ---

Sue, don't be discouraged if you gain a few lbs prior to your fill. I was up 6 lbs when I moved from mushy to solid. You will lose it after your first fill. Congrats on your success to date. Keep up the good work.

Hi The New Me,So sorry to hear of your misfortune with the surgery.My surgeon is very experienced and does 6-8 a week at the Hospital I went to, which was 5 mins from home.I had my surgery done on the same day as yours, with no complications or problems. It's great that you share your news and experience, again sorry it was such a bad experience for you. I sure hope you get to feeling better real soon and can be excited again about your new life ahead on 2007. I suffer greatly from anxiety associated with Dr's, Hospitals and surgery, so having the surgery was a major decision for me. When I woke up alive I felt greatful. I feel like I've been given a second chance at life and I'm going to embrace it fully. All the best to you, keep us posted on your sucess CHEERS