I will try to keep my lap band complication drama to a minimum.

I have pseudomonas aeruginosa from my lap band surgery in Apr 06 (at Betancourt Medical, Tijuana).

My current (American) surgeon has been treating me w/ oral antibiotics, and admitted me into the hospital for a week last year for IV antibiotics. The infection has caused the tubing of the band to protrude through my stomach leaving a draining, painful wound - that has part of a lap band hanging out of it, no less. She has tried going in and cleaning out the port area and re-burying the band several times. These procedures were done in her office, and were unsuccessful. The infection continues to find the path of least resistance and pushes the band back out, reopening the wound.

Tomorrow, she's going to go in and take the infected tissue out and re-bury the exposed tubing. This time it will be done at the hospital under general anasthetics so she can go in deeper. Which I'm really nervous about.

Hopefully this will help, but if not... I'm wondering if I should see an infectious disease dr as well as my current dr? My current dr is EXTREMELY nice and has bent over backwards for me (accepting me as a patient when no one else would). But I've been dealing w/ this for over a year and a half, and the more and more I read about this type of infection, the more it terrifies me.

Any advice? Insight? Suggestions? Anything?

I would definantly see an infectious disease doctor and possibly a wound specialist also. This has been going on for too long.

Sorry you have had to go through this. I would definitely ask for a second opinion from another surgeon. An infectious diseases doctor can't really help with a band issue, but can probably advise on the right antibiotic therapy for pseudomonas.

Natalie's Mom:

Please call an infectious disease specialist right away. You cannot mess with pseudomonas! You said you've read about pseudomonas and you're right it is very scarey.

Hope he/she can kick that infection out of your body.

Keep us posted.

Sue

would removing the band help? that would suck to have to do that, but if your body can't handle it maybe it's the best.

I hope you feel better soon and I am sorry you are going through this.

I had an infection two weeks ago and was hospitalized on IV antibiotics. Although I do not have the same infection, the infection disease specialist was consulted while I was in the hospital to find out what kind of the infection and what medicines I should be taking.

So for you to consult with infection disease I think is a smart idea.