Hi, Everyone;

I'll assume that some of my comments won't be all that popular here, but if you want honesty about the Lap band, I'll be happy to give you my point of view.

I have a Lap band. It was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life. I had it "installed" at one of the finest medical centers in the world, by a well-known surgeon.

It has almost killed me. And, I am entering the hospital on May 7th for a 4th and final surgery that MAY be fatal for me. The lap band will be removed, the big hole in my stomach that it may have created will be repaired (hopefully), and my colon will be opened up so that they can remove the Lap Band tube that burrowed it's way inside.

It's a long story, with lots of twists and turns.

My purpose for becoming a member here and sharing my story is to let potential Lap-Band recipients know that there is a "dark side" to the lap band. It should not be a quick or easy decision. It's only one option.

I hope my comments here will be taken seriously.

David

OP...

Did you start out with a port infection?

Just a yes or no will do.

Did you ever have a port infection? It sounds like you did.

Just a yes or no will do for now. ;o)

Actually, the direct answer is no; the port infection occured a few months after the surgery.

Number one, not your friend

Number two, if it had "burrowed" or "embedded" would end up the same as a perf' it is still a life threatening situation... and if it was your colon or bowels you would have had emergency surgery then and there to remove the object and repair the "burrowed" or "embedded" area. Sepsis is a very serious thing in the medical community, it can and will kill in a matter of hours. You can polish your halo until you are blinded by it, but I am not buyin ... not even close ...

Actually, the direct answer is no; the port infection occured a few months after the surgery.

It doesn't matter when the port infection happened, you had a port infection.

People, what he is saying is entirely possible. I have no clue if it is true or not, but I have a hunch it might be true. It would not be the same as a perf (for the EMT) the tubing/colon would sound more like an erosion type issue. That is not a matter of life threatening TODAY, that is like..."Really important, mega important and this has to be fixed ASAP."

OP... I wouldn't be pushing the talk show circuit just yet. This is a potential complication of banding. We all know there are risks to banding including the unknown risks. There is no promise that you won't die of surgical/band issues. Not making light of your issue, just saying that you are talking big right now because your family thinks you should go on Oprah.

I knew there were risks to banding and I'm living them right now. So I'll deal with it. But to go into this thinking it is 100% safe and no chance for bad things to happen is burying your head in the sand.

I have a hunch that 85% of what you say is true and maybe 15% or so is frustration and ... well, a bit of drama. But maybe if I experienced the same I'd have some drama too. I don't know.

Good luck to you.

this sounds like a lonely person who is looking for a fictional story and audience. I think I have wasted too much of my time on this already. You have definatetly "lost" me from your taget audience!

....and this is a GOOD thing, because you are not my "target audience" anyway. Lonely? hardly. Fictional story? of COURSE it is. And i spent DAYS just trying to find out everything I could about the Lap band so i could appear credible. Right.

Of COURSE your time is wasted... you've made the decision. your band is working Mine is NOT. And OTHER people may experience the same thing or WORSE. I simply want them to be AWARE of a different perspective. Truth is scary for some people. Like you.

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"It doesn't matter when the port infection happened, you had a port infection.

People, what he is saying is entirely possible. I have no clue if it is true or not, but I have a hunch it might be true. It would not be the same as a perf (for the EMT) the tubing/colon would sound more like an erosion type issue. That is not a matter of life threatening TODAY, that is like..."Really important, mega important and this has to be fixed ASAP."

OP... I wouldn't be pushing the talk show circuit just yet. This is a potential complication of banding. We all know there are risks to banding including the unknown risks. There is no promise that you won't die of surgical/band issues. Not making light of your issue, just saying that you are talking big right now because your family thinks you should go on Oprah.

I knew there were risks to banding and I'm living them right now. So I'll deal with it. But to go into this thinking it is 100% safe and no chance for bad things to happen is burying your head in the sand.

I have a hunch that 85% of what you say is true and maybe 15% or so is frustration and ... well, a bit of drama. But maybe if I experienced the same I'd have some drama too. I don't know.

Good luck to you."

Thank you, wasABubbleButt, for at least your openmindedness.

I can assure you that everything I have stated thus far is true. There are those who choose to believe, those who won't, those who will reserve judgement, and those who don't give a damn whether I'm telling the truth or not. They are welcome to their opinions. It is clear that I have not articulated the entire situation to everyone's satisfaction. And there is still more to the story. <o:p></o:p>

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Yes, there has been GREAT frustration. But, in all honesty, the frustation has NOT played a role in my adding any drama to this. There is no drama other than what has actually transpired.<o:p></o:p>

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And it's not all just about the Lap band. it's about our nation's medical system, our nation's insurance system, the doctors themselves, and what they will or will not take responsibility for. And it's about what WE as individuals will take responsibility for with regard to our own health and well being.<o:p></o:p>

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Let's be clear about one thing: I made MISTAKES in this situation. But these were procedural mistakes, to a large degree, in how I responded to doctors and medical professionals who, I feel, were responsible to ME. Listen, I’ve got NOTHING to gain. An appearance on a national talk show for THIS reason would be EMBARRASSING to me. I didn't pursue them; they wanted ME to talk about my experience. My understanding is that they would have someone from the Opposite point of view on the show as well. But, the host is clearly anti-WLS. I am not anti WLS…I’m just not ENTIRELY for it.<o:p></o:p>

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The question was raised earlier about why I didn't wait until the WHOLE situation was resolved, AFTER my next surgery. Well the simple fact is, I'm not %100 sure I'll BE here after the surgery. I'm pretty sure, but not totally. I want to present my experience BEFORE I go under the knife again.<o:p></o:p>

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The surgeon told me that he thought (I quote): "no other surgeon in the country would take this on". It's THAT messy. That may have been his ego talking. But he DID say that he wasn't sure about the outcome of this. Now, about the "life-threatening" issue. Well....It IS life threatening. If i DON'T have the surgery, I'm toast. He told me that. Will I keel over and die tomorrow? the next day? next week? Probably not. But it WILL happen. And I KNOW it will; the Dr. said so. Several doctors have. Someone here said that it couldn't be life-threatening because death is not "imminent". Tell that to Patrick Swayze. I think he considers his cancer to be Life threatening, even if he has 6 months to live. <o:p></o:p>

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There is a lot of discussion here over simple semantics . "Life-threatening". "Target audience"...etc.etc. Well, you can argue as much as you want here about what word or phrase or expression means what. But the simple fact is that I AM experiencing this NOW and have been for a while. I am TRYING to share this with people that might have an interest in my experience. If you don’t believe my story, that’s ok. It probably wasn’t meant that you should hear it. Then you should simply move on. If you think that my story might dissuade someone from having the lap band inserted, well, it might. That’s not my intention. I just want to make sure that people have all the facts, have tried all the avenues, and considered all the alternatives. <o:p></o:p>

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I have other replies to other messages, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.<o:p></o:p>

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Edited April 17, 200818 yr by Headhunter

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Thank you, WASaBubbleButt<script type="text/javascript"> vbmenu_register("postmenu_805210", true); </script> , for, at least, your openmindedness.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

I can assure you that everything I have stated thus far is true. There are those who choose to believe, those who won't, those who will reserve judgement, and those who don't give a damn whether I'm telling the truth or not. They are welcome to their opinions. It is clear that I have not articulated the entire situation to everyone's satisfaction. And there is still more to the story. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Yes, there has been GREAT frustration. But, in all honesty, the frustation has NOT played a role in my adding any drama to this. There is no drama other than what has actually transpired.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

And it's not all just about the Lap band. it's about our nation's medical system, our nation's insurance system, the doctors themselves, and what they will or will not take responsibility for. And it's about what WE as individuals will take responsibility for with regard to our own health and well being.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Let's be clear about one thing: I made MISTAKES in this situation. But these were procedural mistakes, to a large degree, in how I responded to doctors and medical professionals who, I feel, were responsible to ME. Listen, I’ve got NOTHING to gain. An appearance on a national talk show for THIS reason would be EMBARRASSING to me. I didn't pursue them; they wanted ME to talk about my experience. My understanding is that they would have someone from the Opposite point of view on the show as well. But, the host is clearly anti-WLS. I am not anti WLS…I’m just not ENTIRELY for it.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

The question was raised earlier about why I didn't wait until the WHOLE situation was resolved, AFTER my next surgery. Well the simple fact is, I'm not %100 sure I'll BE here after the surgery. I'm pretty sure, but not totally. I want to present my experience BEFORE I go under the knife again.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

The surgeon told me that he thought (I quote): "no other surgeon in the country would take this on". It's THAT messy. That may have been his ego talking. But he DID say that he wasn't sure about the outcome of this. Now, about the "life-threatening" issue. Well....It IS life threatening. If i DON'T have the surgery, I'm toast. He told me that. Will I keel over and die tomorrow? the next day? next week? Probably not. But it WILL happen. And I KNOW it will; the Dr. said so. Several doctors have. Someone here said that it couldn't be life-threatening because death is not "imminent". Tell that to Patrick Swayze. I think he considers his cancer to be Life threatening, even if he has 6 months to live. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

There is a lot of discussion here over simple semantics . "Life-threatening". "Target audience"...etc.etc. Well, you can argue as much as you want here about what word or phrase or expression means what. But the simple fact is that I AM experiencing this NOW and have been for a while. I am TRYING to share this with people that might have an interest in my experience. If you don’t believe my story, that’s ok. It probably wasn’t meant that you should hear it. Then you should simply move on. If you think that my story might dissuade someone from having the lap band inserted, well, it might. That’s not my intention. I just want to make sure that people have all the facts, have tried all the avenues, and considered all the alternatives. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I have other replies to other messages, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.<o:p></o:p>

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You got that one available in English?

Sorry about that last post formatting...don't know what happened....

See, what you don't seem to understand is that if you come into somewhere with the pro-WLS and have an anti-WLS connotation, not to mention have the verbiage of a publicist who is trying to pry some emotions and thoughts out of a community, how do you expect everyone to react? I want to believe you, I really do. Like WasABubbleButt said, what happened isn't impossible and does rarely occur, but when the account of it is presented like it was, it sounded like you were just trying to provoke some reaction. My suggestion is to learn how to convey what you would like to convey without sounding like a salesman.

The sad part about all of this is that, despite what you want to think, you are a statistic. Remember that .05% that I mentioned? Well, you are part of the 5 out of 10,000 surgeries that drew the short stick. I do wish you the best. Godspeed.

How long have you had your band? What kind of band is it? When did the problems start? What were your symptoms when you started having problems?

What diagnostic testing did you have? You say this will be the Fourth surgery you are having, what were the other three and why wasn't the band removed in a previous surgery?

If you are going to make a post like this you should expect that people will want more specific information.

If you are trying to help people then this is the type of information that would be helpful. How can we catch a problem right away without knowing what to look for? How can we prevent getting to the place you are? for those of us already banded?

Hi I Do Believe You Need To Work With Your Dr. I Go Every 4 Months I Have Fluid Put In Then Taken Out Its Great.you Cannt Let It Go With Out Seeing Someone Regularly Of Course Now Its To Late But Working With Some One Is Key I Thought I Would Feel Full And Not Be Able To Eat Another Bite But Thats Not True I Can Only Eat 2-3 Oz. Every Couple Hours I Was Trying To Force My Self To Eat The Way I Knew And Dislodged My Band Now I To Have Complication I Dont Blame My Dr I Blame Me For Not Getting All The Info

Hi Nicole!!....You sound like me....Lol!....Being 64, with 4 comorbities, I had absolutely "no choice!"....I like you, could eat allllllllllllll day long and more....And it's proven that 92 percent of diets fail(I've been through 15 of them...LOL!!)....Be not afraid!!!!....I had mine on Feb. 27, and have lost 35 pounds....I can look at pizza, donuts, cakes etc. and never want to touch them....This has been a real education and change for me....I only had discomfort and some pain for 2 days coupled with some gastric disress, hiccups and really only slimed one trime....Your band will tell you when you ate enough....Just follow the post-op instructions and you'll be fine....As far as the negative post here, I DO NOT believe that the lapband will be banned in 3-5 years----------NEVER!!!!....Maybe something new might come along!....Who knows????...But with the pharma. bucks floating around, the success stories etc----NEVER!!......In very small percentages, lapband is not good for people....What surgery is 100 percent????----NONE????....For me there was no other decision but to have it....My best, Chuck....And true!!!!---PUT THAT NEGATIVE POST ELSEWHERE!!!!

My $.02 is that if you want to warn others of what could happen, then you have to be prepared to answer questions.

We want to know: What kind of band was it, when was the surgery, what kind of problems did you have, if any, from the beginning, etc.

I'm being demanding because I want to know: Is the same kind of band as mine, was it earlier in the process when doctors didn't know as much as they do now, did you have problems like mine (I didn't, but want to know the similarities.), etc.

That's why your question dodging is getting on my nerves and making me doubt your story. You're like my 10 year old, when I ask if she did the dishes....Yes, no...well, kinda, maybe. I rinsed one out, so yeah...." Hemming and hawing...GRRRR.

Give some facts.

Give some pictures.

Don't be like the Freak on the street corner screaming "The sky is falling!!!"

Good Luck on your surgery.

Thank you all for being so insistent about answers!!

As someone who is pre-band (the supposed "target audience") I have been following this thread since it began yesterday. The most disturbing thing to me about it? The lack of information. Headhunter is professing to want to educate us about the possible dangers, but is really just teasing us with bits and pieces of information. It's like at the end of a tv show when they show you "scenes from next week". They give you just enough to be sure you tune in next time.

I believe there is probably some degree of truth to his story, but have not heard nearly enough to influence my decision one way or the other.

I have never said that I would NOT answer questions. I was a bit unprepared for the level of interest that this has created. And the hostility. If you look back over the posts, you will see that I have spent a LOT of time answering questions, but MOSTLY defending myself against those that would call me a liar.

My surgery was 4 years ago.

The Manufacturer of the Band was InaMed, formerly known as BioInterics.

My Hospital was a Major Medical center here in Los Angeles. One of the members of the Medical Group that performed my surgery was one of the original participants that participated in the Clinical Trials that led to the approval of the Lap Band by our friend, the FDA. This doctor was NOT my surgeon. I initially REQUESTED that he be my surgeon, but I was told that he wanted $20,000 in cash payment in ADDITION to what the insurance would pay. That was not an option for me at the time, so I agreed to have the surgery with one of the other doctors. A MAJOR mistake.

The first difficulty I experienced was right after my first fill; the day after my fill, to be precise. I experienced TREMENDOUS pain in my upper left abdomen. I could NOT get the doctor to see me. I finally was able to get one of the other associates in the Medical group to see me, and he determined that a large Hematoma had occured, as a result of the fill injection. I had to stay home from work in great pain for several days as a result of this, but it did eventually go away. The Dr. Prescribed some pain medication, but that was it.

My next problem began couple of months later when the area around where the port was connected began to get red and sensitive and puffy. It continued to get worse. At this point in time, My insurance had lapsed, as I had been laid off by my employer. The Doctor refused to see me because of the insurance issue. It was my feeling that the problem was something that THEY should deal with, insurance or not. They put it in, it was going bad, and they needed to correct it. I went back and forth with them for a LONG time about this. I could not afford (at that time) to pay for corrective treatment out-of-pocket. And besides, I was VERY CLEAR in my feeling that this was a problem that THEY should take responsibility for and simply go in and fix it.

They did not, and it progressed to the point where it exited my body.

I will continue to give more details, but some of you need to realize that I can't sit down and write the whole damn thing out in one sitting. And, I have some previous posts that i still need to reply to.