Hi from Ireland!

abbey78 · January 5, 2010

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site. Just wondering if anyone has had their band done in Birmingham with the "Hospital Group" or if anyone has heard good or bad reports about them. I'm booked to have my Band fitted on the 23th Jan '10. It is costing £6995(stg) or just under €8000 for 2 years aftercare and with unlimited fills. I live in the Northwest so I am going to be getting my fills in Belfast as they have a weekly clinic there and because its closest to me. They also have clinics in Dublin, Cork and Galway. From reading this site it seems that most people have gone to Dr Chris De Bruyne in Brussels. The reason I chose the Hospital Group was because of the weekly clinic but now i'm wondering should I change to Dr De Bruyne and he seems to be alot cheaper. I have only paid a deposit of €500, so still have time to change my mind. Would love to hear anyones advise.

Cleo's Mom · January 5, 2010

Hi everyone, can't believe how quiet the thread has gone, nobody ever seems to post anymore. I'm banded 3 years today and still not at target:crying: the band just hasnt worked properly for me. I'm either way overfilled I can't swallow my own saliva never mind anything else or underfilled and can eat for Ireland:cursing:
I put on about 6lb over xmas. My port is causing me problems and is way too near my skin so has to be moved. Its really sore at the minute and just about through my skin, going to my GP tomorrow to get antibiotics. I'm going over to Chris De Bruyne on 18th January to have the port moved. Not looking forward to that at all. Its costing another 2,000 euro to have done so in total I've spent 12,000 not including the fills at 120e a pop. I'm so sick of it at this stage.

Would love to hear how everyone else is getting on

My husband, children and I vacationed in Ireland for two weeks in the summer of 1996. It was a vacation of a lifetime. The country is so beautiful. We especially loved Dingle and the Ring of Kerry. Around every corner was what I called a calendar picture - you know those calendars of Ireland? We got a chance to meet one of my husband's relatives in Co. Cavan (Shercock). I am so glad we had the chance to go there before my husband died (far too young) 4 years ago.

Now onto the band. I was banded in Sept. 2008 and it has never worked for me like it has for others, either. I have a 4cc band and my former surgeon overfilled me in 2 fills to 3cc's. I developed a lot of problems and he took out 1cc. I then switched doctors and am happy with my current doctor.

I have only lost about 15 lbs due to the band and have not lost any weight in almost a year. My total weight loss is about 75 lbs from my highest but that is due to my own dieting, the 6 month pre-op diet and the liquid diets before and after surgery.

Plus, I got stuck about a month ago and it landed me in the ER and an overnight hospital stay. All my fill was removed. An upper GI showed I have esophageal motility disorder, plus previous ones show I have a hiatal hernia. I had never had either before the band. Plus I get left shoulder pain from time to time, also band related.

So, all in all, I am disappointed in how the band has worked for me, because I follow all the band guidelines and exercise every day.

I hope you are able to resolve your band problems. Good luck.

lil · January 5, 2010

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this site. Just wondering if anyone has had their band done in Birmingham with the "Hospital Group" or if anyone has heard good or bad reports about them. I'm booked to have my Band fitted on the 23th Jan '10. It is costing £6995(stg) or just under €8000 for 2 years aftercare and with unlimited fills. I live in the Northwest so I am going to be getting my fills in Belfast as they have a weekly clinic there and because its closest to me. They also have clinics in Dublin, Cork and Galway. From reading this site it seems that most people have gone to Dr Chris De Bruyne in Brussels. The reason I chose the Hospital Group was because of the weekly clinic but now i'm wondering should I change to Dr De Bruyne and he seems to be alot cheaper. I have only paid a deposit of €500, so still have time to change my mind. Would love to hear anyones advise.

Hiya if I were you I would post on the UK thread aswell as there are probably lots on there who have been banded there.

I'm from Dublin and was banded in 2007 by ACS, I paid 10,000 euro compared to the 4,000-4,500 being charged abroad. I was afraid to go abroad in case anything happened to me here and there would be no-one to look after me so I borrowed the 10 grand to feel safer. Boy was I wrong:unsure: a few months after I was banded ACS went belly up and we were left with no aftercare. I was overfilled one time and rang the clinic all weekend which was closed, I ended up having to go to my local hospital who could only put me on a drip to rehydrate me until the surgeon arrived back in Dublin to give me a defill. I paid the extra money to avoid this:mad2:

After all the money I paid I was left with no aftercare whatsover. I now attend fill clinics which are held I think its the 1st Thursday of the month in Dublin...as far as I know they go to Belfast aswell but I would double check that if I were you. Its Chris De Bruynes management company who do the fills this is their website www.ecfs.be. They also organise banding for Chris as far as I know.

I'm going over to Chris De Bruyne in 2 weeks time to have my port replaced. Theres another thread on here http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/anyone-know-dr-de-bruyne-chris-41669/ theres lots of info on there you should take a look.

I would really think hard about it, I have been in touch with lots of girls who were banded by Chris De Bruyne and others abroad and they are all very happy.

Best of luck whatever you decide

abbey78 · January 5, 2010

Thanks Lil for your reply and for sharing your experience. I'm really confused now as what to do. I just copied and paste my last post on that other link you recommended. Hope to get some advise on what others would do. Like you I was willing pay the extra for having the weekly clinic's available to me but in saying that I'd pay for alot of fill's with the difference in price between having it done in England rather than Brussels.

lil · January 5, 2010

My husband, children and I vacationed in Ireland for two weeks in the summer of 1996. It was a vacation of a lifetime. The country is so beautiful. We especially loved Dingle and the Ring of Kerry. Around every corner was what I called a calendar picture - you know those calendars of Ireland? We got a chance to meet one of my husband's relatives in Co. Cavan (Shercock). I am so glad we had the chance to go there before my husband died (far too young) 4 years ago.
Now onto the band. I was banded in Sept. 2008 and it has never worked for me like it has for others, either. I have a 4cc band and my former surgeon overfilled me in 2 fills to 3cc's. I developed a lot of problems and he took out 1cc. I then switched doctors and am happy with my current doctor.

I have only lost about 15 lbs due to the band and have not lost any weight in almost a year. My total weight loss is about 75 lbs from my highest but that is due to my own dieting, the 6 month pre-op diet and the liquid diets before and after surgery.

Plus, I got stuck about a month ago and it landed me in the ER and an overnight hospital stay. All my fill was removed. An upper GI showed I have esophageal motility disorder, plus previous ones show I have a hiatal hernia. I had never had either before the band. Plus I get left shoulder pain from time to time, also band related.

So, all in all, I am disappointed in how the band has worked for me, because I follow all the band guidelines and exercise every day.

I hope you are able to resolve your band problems. Good luck.

Hiya yes there are beautiful places in Ireland alright, I live in Dublin. Sorry you're having so many problems with your band. I hope you can get them sorted out, its very frustrating alright. Thanks for your good wishes, hopefully when I have the port replaced the band will start working properly for me.

Cleo's Mom · January 5, 2010

Hiya yes there are beautiful places in Ireland alright, I live in Dublin. Sorry you're having so many problems with your band. I hope you can get them sorted out, its very frustrating alright. Thanks for your good wishes, hopefully when I have the port replaced the band will start working properly for me.

Dublin was the last two days of our trip. We stayed at Stephen's Hall. We had lunch at Judge Roy Bean's. We did all the touist-y things like the bus tours and horse and buggy ride and loved St. Stephen's Green. And of course we shopped in the very crowded shopping district. I would love to go back to Ireland but it just wouldn't be the same without my husband.

lil · January 6, 2010

Dublin was the last two days of our trip. We stayed at Stephen's Hall. We had lunch at Judge Roy Bean's. We did all the touist-y things like the bus tours and horse and buggy ride and loved St. Stephen's Green. And of course we shopped in the very crowded shopping district. I would love to go back to Ireland but it just wouldn't be the same without my husband.

Sorry hadn't seen that your husband had died, sorry to hear that xx

Cleo's Mom · January 6, 2010

Sorry hadn't seen that your husband had died, sorry to hear that xx

Thank you.

Brenners · January 15, 2010

Hi there, I have not posted here for well over a year!! Where do I start? Well I was banded in April 2007 by ACS. I really had no problems at all for the 1st 2 years and lost 10 stone. Then last March I started losing restriction and having reflux. I got a few 1 ml fills and still had no restriction. At this stage the weight was starting to creep back on, so upseting after getting down to size 14 from size 26. I ended up with 9.75 mls in my 10ml band and still zero restriction. I went to Chris Deprez in Dublin in October and he unfilled me completely. He thought my band may have slipped and suggested I leave it unfilled for a couple of months and see if it goes back into place.

Anyway, I have since put on nearly 5 stone and as you can imaging I am so upset and angry as I had little or no aftercare. I decided, after much deliberation, to contact Gravitas in The Blackrock Clinic. The surgeon there took me on at a cost or €2,800 for 2 years. I had my consultation with him on Wednesday and I am so relieved and now see some light at the end of the tunnel!. He is going to do a OGD scope and a barium swallow xray to try to discover whats going on with my band. Luckily VHI will cover the scope but the xray will mean forking out more money!

I feel so let down by so many medical professionals, I will not mention names. But I am going to put it behind me and fingers and toes crossed I am on the road to losing the weight again.

I think its so important for the girls who were banded by ACS and now have a band that is not working to make contact and help each other out as much as possible. It would be great to have much needed advice readily available.

So glad I posted, feel better already!!! Brenners xxx :thumbup:

kila · January 15, 2010

Hi Brenners,so glad that you're with Gravitas,they really do care.I was banded with A.C.S.in aug.2006 and had terrible time,port seperated,infection,finally port came through my skin.Yuk.Gravitas fixed me up,and I'm slowly finding my way again.Had great support group meeting last dec.I know it's more money but I feel really safe with them.Don't think about how far you have to go,but how far you've come already.You're an inspiration,missed reading your posts!

Gerri · January 15, 2010

Hi Brenners, Lil, Kila and all. I too was banded with ACS 11th September 2007. Like yourselves the after care was non existent as they went bust shortly after that. Have to say that I consider myself one of the lucky ones as apart from an infection early on, the stress and the money I have been relatively problem free. I travelled North last Summer to the Hospital Group and had a fill done and didn't have another one done again until October and had reflux after it, had it taken out and another fill in December. Think I have 5ml in an 8ml band and hit the scales this as with the first number as an 11 for the first time in about 25years or more. Have gone from a size 22/24 to a 14. Fingers crossed things continue to go well.

Yours was the first post I read Brenners when I was doing my research and had noticed that you had disappeared off the forum. Glad to see you back:smile2:. By the sound of it you have made a good choice going with Gravitas, keep us posted on how that goes for you.

Bye for now.

Ger

lil · January 15, 2010

Hi girls great to see you back posting. I'm heading over to Brussels early Monday morning, operation Tues with Chris

De Bruyne. Port area still infected, on my 2nd dose of antibiotics and still not clearing so I'm bricking it, he said he will only take the port out and leave out for 6 mths if infection still there so hoping for a miracle at this stage.

Brenners what does the money include with the Blackrock clinic? Like you I paid 10 grand plus all the fills I've had to pay for and now this is costing another 2 grand plus flights!! If I could get my hands on the lady responsible I'd swing for the bitch:angry:

Hopefully people will start posting, I agree Brenners we should all stick together especially when we're having problems. I'm hoping Chris De Bruyne is going to sort my band out for me now

Brenners · January 15, 2010

Girls, what a joy to get replies so quickly!! It really helps to know there are others going through problems too and that we are here for each other.

Lil - the fee with Gravitas is just the surgeons consultation fee and any fills. It really seems like a huge amount but just to know that I have back up and a surgeon close by is great. The very best of luck on Tues, will be thinking of you. Make sure you keep in touch.

Gerri - You have done amazing! Down to a sz 14, Fingers crossed I will be back in my 14's soon!

Kila - Jan said she will let me know if there is a patient support meeting at the end of January, maybe I'll see you there. I have heard nothing but good things about Gravitas. And your right In need to be positive and believe that I can get there again.

So great to read all the posts. Will defo keep posting now!!!

Brenners xxxxx

Gerri · January 15, 2010

Hi Lil

Best of luck with your trip to Brussels, from what I have read and heard you are in good hands with Chris De Bruyne. I understand your anger with ACS we all got a raw deal from them. :w00t:

Hope it all goes well and you are on the road to recovery quickly.:thumbup:

Ger

lil · January 16, 2010

Hi Lil
Best of luck with your trip to Brussels, from what I have read and heard you are in good hands with Chris De Bruyne. I understand your anger with ACS we all got a raw deal from them.

Hope it all goes well and you are on the road to recovery quickly.:w00t:

Ger

Hi Ger great to see you posting again and well done on the fantastic weightloss. I haven't lost anymore weight I'm up and down like a yo yo:crying: Thanks a million I'm bricking it for Tuesday. I'm upto 90 because the infection hasn't cleared and I'm on my 2nd dose of antibiotics (4 times a day!!), he said he'll only take the port out and leave out for 6 months if infection not cleared so I've everything crossed it will be, though not looking likely its so sore.

Brenners thats great you have someone looking after you now it'll be worth the money if you can get back on track. I'm hoping Chris De Bruyne will sort mine out for it