Hi, My surgery was March a year ago. I was filled by Dr. Spiegel a month ago and I am to tight. I can't eat a bite until around 8pm every night and when I called his office to get a slight "unfil" they informed me that I would have to have all the fill taken out and start again. I am very upset about that because I have lived with this thing a year and I know my band. If I have it all taken out I will regain my weight loss.

Does anyone know any doctor out there in the Corpus Christi, Texas area that will take a small amount of my fill out if they are not the doctor who did the surgery?

Thanks,

Was Dr. Spiegel your surgeon? Was this your first fill from him. Have you tried calling back and speaking to someone else?

I ask these qestoins because I was just banded by Dr. Spiegel on 3/1 and I would like to know if I really need to be caution of my fills and about asking questions before. "If I feel I'm to tight can I get a partial unfill?"

when I called his office to get a slight "unfil" they informed me that I would have to have all the fill taken out and start again.

Are you sure they meant that you'd have to go without a fill for several days/weeks? I say this because I know it's typical for my surgeon to completely unfill me every single time so that he knows how much was in there, but then he just turns around and puts the new amount right back in. I am only unfilled for a moment or two. Do you think this is all they meant?

If they truly mean that they want you to walk around totally unfilled for a few days/weeks then I say tell them that's baloney and not necessary and that you just want a little removed--not totally emptied. I'd remind them that you have Patient's rights and unless they can medically prove a reason that you specifically need to be completely unfilled then they should respect your decision.

I was thinking that too. They unfill me before they fill me. They just pull the liquid out so they can see how much was in there, and then it all goes back in. I'd call back. Maybe you got a newbie.

I go to Dr. Spiegel. I have gone many times for a slight unfill when I've been overfilled. You can go to the surgicenter and they will do it. Dr. Spiegel is now doing the fills at his office or the surgicenter. That just started. I go Monday to his office for the first time since June. I would think the surgicenter would still do a slight unfill. Call them and find out. If they won't call the office again and tell them you just need a slight unfill.

I have been filled many times by Dr.Spiegel but things have changed.

I have called his office and also the surgicenter several times telling them about my problem. The surgicenter said that Dr.Spiegel has changed things and that if you go to the surgicenter without him they are to do a total unfill.

I am not talking about a unfil to see how much is in there and then immediately filling me back up. He does that each time. No., I am talking about that I had a fill 4 weeks ago with Dr. Speigel at the Surgicenter. I told him I only wanted a slight fill because I don't want to be miserable and I don't care if I lose slowly I just want to loss steadily. He told me he was the doctor and then preceeded to fill me. For a week it seemed to be alright but then "poof" it got really really tight where I can't even eat soup without it coming up. I called his office and told him that I lived in Rockport, I was in pain and they told me to go to the surgicenter to get unfilled. We went round and round and they told me that he was to busy to see me for 2 weeks. I was furious and told them that I just needed a slight unfill and that either he would have to see me or the surgicenter would have to slightly unfill me. The office just really didn't care. I again called the Surgicenter (which has always been so very very nice and they still are) but they explained to me his new policy. Maybe he will change his policy but I am through with him. I am going to find me another doctor to do my fills who will listen to me. I have had nothing but trouble with Dr. Spiegels office since the very beginning. Enough is enough. He just doesn't listen to me and he is a "cattle call" with his patients and makes me feel like I am the one at fault.

Think twice before you use Dr. Speigel is my advice.

hey, I had my surgery with Dr. Spiegel 2-6-06. I have only seem him twice since then, and haven't heard of the new policy. I am still battling with the proper fill. I have been filled twice toooooo tight and had to have some unfilled. Is it hard to find another Dr. to do fills if they weren't the original surgeon.

I've only had one fill and and have spoken to Speigal's office only to be treated like they do not care about you. The cash thing bothers me too. It's all a bit shady...

Wish I had done more research prior to picking Speigal.

Also, Speigal doing his own fills means he controls the number of fills, charges...

I wonder if Dr. Spivak will do fills on Dr. Speigal

's patients..... so far, he and his folks have been reasonable.

I just got banded by Spiegel. Of course it is to early fora fill for me, however; I hope I don't have the same problem , and I'm sorry you are. Do you know how much you had in there before he filled you? And how much you have in there now. Does "he" feel like you are not loosing weight quick enough. Do you have to share a food diary or anything.

I'm not saying he's right by no means - but just trying to find out what's the logic behind making a patient unsatisfied.

I understand from another person that Speigel has decided that if you get a fill and call back within 3 days to get a slight unfill, he'll do it. If it's longer than 3 days, he does a complete unfill. I'm getting it second hand, buit from someone I consider reliable.... It's a problem , if you aren't sure you're overfilled at first, or just reacting a bit to the fill....

Hey, Veronica! How are you feeling????

Hello Betsyjane: Just settled back in from camping - We had a wonderful time - The kids were going from the time we got there until we left this morning - We had a good time just enjoying the outdoors. Thanks for asking.

Hey, Veronica! How are you feeling????

I had a fill on Monday at Dr. Spiegel's office. My appt was 3:00 and I saw him at 3:50. The room was filled with about 30 people. He makes you drink a bottle of Water, which you bring with you, before you can leave. I had asked for an extended office visit, but of course that wasn't in the cards. However, I just had my say. I have very difficult fills and don't react for 6-10 days after a fill.

He thought my case was unusual and looked to me like he was just tollerating my story. Anyway, he decided to give me only .2, like I was going to let him give me anymore.

Unfortunatley, if you want to get anywhere with him or his office you just have to be tough. You have to take charge of your own care. I hope I don't have a reaction to this fill, because an unfill for me would spell disaster. Since I can't tollerate much more than .2 or .3, it would take me a very long time to get back to where I was before the complete unfill. I will definitely fight that.

His office staff are just overworked and not knowledgeable. I don't think he has a clue how bad his office staff really is. At least I want to believe that.

Well, we'll just have to see how this goes. He said he gave the surgicenter a year to get it right and they couldn't, so he isn't letting them touch his patients.

That's all I know for now. Good luck everyone.

I can sympathize with all your plights. He did my surgery and is a good surgeon; but if you happen to be sensitive to fills and need a little more attention; you might as well forget it. I had same issues with him giving me a fill and two weeks later - the fill would kick in and i would not be able to eat....i would develop severe acid reflux....and i think i even had a slip during that time....and he just looked at me like I was from outspace and kept insisting that i was eating too fast or not eating right food or taking too big of bites and he would take the fill all out and send me home. After doing this a couple times, he took my fill down to hardly nothing and told me not to come back until I lost 20 lbs? At that point I found another doctor. Seems like I am one that my fill doesn't hit me for up to two weeks and then I close off. I had a slip in Sept. and my fill was lowered to help me maintain. I kept it that way for 4 months and 6 weeks ago I went and just got small fill to see if I can tolerate it. I'm going to wait another month or so and then try a little more. Some of us have to sneak up on the proper fill little by little and Dr. Spiegel's office just doen't have the time for "our type of patient".