Removed after 2 weeks, infection ??

[sweetviolet 0]

why did the doctor not do the rny at the same time as the removal?? Mine did and I have had no problems at all!! Finially feel gret, down 140# and am never looking back--still use the same amounts to eat but NEVER throw up or have to go to the doc for adjustments or anything else unless I choose to go visit!! I am finially not dealing with a foreighn object--if I would have known how easy life could be I NEVER would have gone through the pain...He also should not have charged you for removal after so little time. If you are going to have surgery anyway, have that done also--its like I never had it I SWEAR...except I finially feel GREAT and joined the Y and swim 4 times a week..OMG I am sooooo happy...wish the same for you!!

[IndioGirl55 32]

The one major thing I didn't like about gastric bypass is that it seems that a number of patients regain weight. I know a woman who turned to her old habits and regained over 50 lbs. During my surgeon's seminar, he described it like this. The lap-band is hardware, and hardware doesn't stretch. The stomach left after gastric bypass is going to stretch, and has the potential to stretch significantly.~Anne

Anne - Banders can gain their weight back too - it's all about lifetime lifestyle changes - it doesn't matter if it's the band - bypass - weight watchers etc

It's all about changing your eating habits for a lifetime and adding exercise into your life - Bypass is better for people who are highly addicted to sugar as they get phycially sick if they eat it - us banders can eat it with no problems - My doc says that what determines which surgery is best for the the individual is based on what their eating problems is. Our pouches can be strerched too....

It's not the surgeries that fails - it the people who do not make the lifetime lifestyle changes needed to maintain a healthy weight

[jc2008 0]

well saw my doc again today and am actually VERY RELIEVED..

He told me to bring all the bills I am getting for the removal surgery i had to him and he will take care of them..

He also is giving me a full refund of the money i paid him for the original surgery and is calling the hospital to try to get back as much as possible from them for the original surgery too (hopefully i will just have to pay cost there).

So i should only be out a couple thousand instead of 13k+removal surgery fees.

A load off my mind really.. Was scared it was going to be a big legal hassle but he seems to really want to set this right. Apparently in 5 years and doing 4-5 bands a week i am only the second person to lose my band like this (within the first few weeks of installing it).

I guess concentrating on the financial aspect of all this mess made me not concetrate on the fact that i had a HUGE infection in my abdominal cavity.. I guess im just lucky it hurt like hell so I knew something was wrong and the doc got in there early enough to clean it all out..

[Fanny Adams 7]

Glad to hear your doc is doing the right thing by you and that you are recovering from the infection! Good luck with everything in the future!

[MizPeppy 3]

why did the doctor not do the rny at the same time as the removal?? Mine did and I have had no problems at all!! Finially feel gret, down 140# and am never looking back--still use the same amounts to eat but NEVER throw up or have to go to the doc for adjustments or anything else unless I choose to go visit!! I am finially not dealing with a foreighn object--if I would have known how easy life could be I NEVER would have gone through the pain...He also should not have charged you for removal after so little time. If you are going to have surgery anyway, have that done also--its like I never had it I SWEAR...except I finially feel GREAT and joined the Y and swim 4 times a week..OMG I am sooooo happy...wish the same for you!!

It would not be a great idea to do more surgery when there was an infectious process going on. It would spread that infection all over.

[JoJoBanana 0]

Wow, that is what happened to me as well.

I had the band on 12/28/07. First week, no problems, no gas, nothing. I thought I was home free.

Eighth day, I ate 2-3 bites of some creamy Soup, and the pain started. At first in the center of the abdomen, then it seemed to move to the lower right of the abdomen. I waited that day until the next and ended up going to the emergency room. I did have some fever that went up and down too.

The hospital did a CT scan and could see the infection but didn't know at the time what it was. My doctor did laporascopic surgery to see what it was, and he told me if there was any infection on the lapband it would have to come out.Turns out, they cultured it and it was a strep infection in my abdomen. Well, he took it out.

My doctor said that the infection got in there during surgery. Like if a tiny bit of the needle went into the bowel and then into the abdomen as they are sewing the band in, that could have brought the infection in.

I was in the hospital for 9 days on major antibiotics and then developed pneumonia.

I really am disappointed because while the lapband was doing okay, I was doing great. Plus I am a self-pay, so it's like throwing $15 grand in the trash.

My doctor said I could get another lapband. I would get a second opinion on what your doctor said. I don't believe your doctor wanted the liability of admitting that an infection can get in during any kind of surgery. It is not uncommon for that to happen.

hope this helps.

Being a retired Icu_Sicu nurse-I know for a fact we all sign a surgical release.We all know there are risks-Infection from whatever source being one of them.we are so ready to get banded we are optimistic this won t happen.But if you read all you can in advance-you ll see the numbers prove some of us are going to have problems.

This is why I wonder how people can go to Mexico with NO recourse if there are problems after.

I would have been crushed if my band didn t work out.But thats why we have to do as instructed to see it all goes well.

I think being"sue crazy" isn t the answer.And i m sure the surgical suite was in your fee.So it isn t recoupable.

personally~I would get him to give me a written assurance that he will preform surgery FREE at a reasonable time in the future.go get your disc taken care of then GB and get the weight off.

Good Luck to you.My Prayers are with you.........

[jc2008 0]

Just a little update, but i went to see my doctor again today. I am 41lbs down from when i first had the band in in december (of course it was taken out 2 weeks later cuz of the infection).

But he gave me a check in full for ALL the hospital costs from the first surgery...

Now with the band + the removal i am out a total of a few hundred dollars only. Was afraid that i would be out the 7k of hospital fees.

so relieved this is all over now.

[MicheleK 8]

I'm so sorry you had to go through that nightmare!! Thank goodness you were able to get your money back, and you're going to be okay.

Are you going to opt for other WLS?