If there was to be a Class Action lawsuit against lap band and related companies, would you join it? My surgeon really believes its going to be yanked off for the market because as a medical device its failure rate is extremly high with high rate of complications that are way outside the margin of accepted standards for the FDA. I'm not sure I would though. I'm not the suing type.

Don't know if I'd sue but it does seem like a rip off, all these years (2007) l felt I'd failed again. Now I will be 65 going through surgery again. Still have to jump through all the hoops. Weight 265, this will make life harder the older I get. So here I go again.

Absolutely!

I had the band placed in 2011. From the getgo I’ve had nothing but issues. I never had much fluid put in because I would have terrible problems getting fluids down much less food due to excessive swelling. After several years of dealing with it I finally had all the fluid removed, yet I still have problems with swelling around the band that cause me to vomit and not be able to eat. It is common to have this issue during rain or thunderstorms. Other days I can eat like normal. I was told that the insurance company would not pay to have the band removed even though they paid to put it in because my issues, according to the doctors, are non issues, ie not acknowledged complications or band failures. I’d rather be fat than live with this any longer and I’m scared to death I’m going to end up with even worse complications like esophageal failure. How do I get the insurance company to pay for it? Lap Band makers should be forced to study this complication and acknowledge this is a real problem. I’m not the only person suffering with this. If there are others who have contacted you dealing with the same issues I’d love to see if we have a suit.

4 hours ago, VBurton said:

Absolutely!

I had the band placed in 2011. From the getgo I’ve had nothing but issues. I never had much Fluid put in because I would have terrible problems getting fluids down much less food due to excessive swelling. After several years of dealing with it I finally had all the fluid removed, yet I still have problems with swelling around the band that cause me to vomit and not be able to eat. It is common to have this issue during rain or thunderstorms. Other days I can eat like normal. I was told that the insurance company would not pay to have the band removed even though they paid to put it in because my issues, according to the doctors, are non issues, ie not acknowledged complications or band failures. I’d rather be fat than live with this any longer and I’m scared to death I’m going to end up with even worse complications like esophageal failure. How do I get the insurance company to pay for it? Lap Band makers should be forced to study this complication and acknowledge this is a real problem. I’m not the only person suffering with this. If there are others who have contacted you dealing with the same issues I’d love to see if we have a suit.

Not sure if you’ve had an endoscopy or not, but it’’ll show the damage, if any, caused by your band. If damage is found, the doctor can request treatment for the issues or request that insurance cover band removal. Docs usually want to remove with the intention of revising the patient to a different surgery. I literally had to threaten my doctor to finally get him to put in for only a band removal with no revision. He caused me much suffering over the years, and I was done. He was so afraid when I suggested that he call security, that he finally agreed. He worded it so that insurance approved it about 48 hours after the referral. Sometimes we have to fight for our health. Literally. Good luck.

YES!!

Signed me up. Horrible horrible horrible experience

Yesss! Had 4 surgeries. Almost died and had it removed in emergency surgery.