Has anyone ever used Dr. Fred Maese in Dallas? After reading this forum, I am starting to think that he damaged my port. Now what? How do you know if it is damaged? Is there a way to find out for sure? Do fill doctor's have insurance for such a thing? I don't know what to do. I need advice.

What makes you think your port is damaged?

I have probably had no less than 15 fills from him and I never get any restriction. Ever since he emptied it, Nothing! We keep filling it and filling it and nothing ever takes. He keeps saying it leaks, but had proved to me that it doesn't the time before. THen I thought he just wasn't hitting it right and was missing the port. Now I just think he damaged it and it is a lost cause.

Although I can sympathize with you on your frustration, do you have proof of Dr. Maese damaging your port or are you speculating? I would be very careful of slandering a medical professional on a public forum. There are severe consequences to those kinds of accusations in the form of lawsuits.

I have used Maese for fills since Sept, 07. I have had no problems with him whatsoever. Is he brief, yes, but very efficient in managing his practice and his time. He does 20-30 fills a day, 5 days a week. I have also sent many other new Lap Banders to him and they have been very happy as well.

Get a second opinion before throwing around words that could get you into some civil legal trouble. Just my opinion.

Misty

Get a second opinion before throwing around words that could get you into some civil legal trouble. Just my opinion.

Misty

i'm not sure how accurate that is, that someone can be sued for stating an opinion on a forum regarding a lapband Dr. everyday / every wk - there is a thread started about problems/complications/issues with staff about a Dr & his practice. i think it just goes with the territory. with that said, as someone in the DFW area, i've read MORE than one bad experience about Dr Maese on this forum. from port infections / unsanitary office conditions / trouble getting him to call back when a complication arises - these aren't my interpretations, just those who've written here, a search up top should yield those threads.

i agree, go find another Dr (second opionion) to assess your problems.

i'm not sure how accurate that is, that someone can be sued for stating an opinion on a forum regarding a lapband Dr. everyday / every wk - there is a thread started about problems/complications/issues with staff about a Dr & his practice. i think it just goes with the territory. with that said, as someone in the DFW area, i've read MORE than one bad experience about Dr Maese on this forum. from port infections / unsanitary office conditions / trouble getting him to call back when a complication arises - these aren't my interpretations, just those who've written here, a search up top should yield those threads.

i agree, go find another Dr (second opionion) to assess your problems.

Hi Luluc,

That was an awesome response to a not-very-nice and extremely, heavy-handed post directed to someone who is obviously stressed out by a situation that they have spent a lot of time and money trying to resolve.

A little empathy and kindness was definitely in order here, even if that person didn't agree with what the OP was saying.

For the record, slander is an untruthful oral statement, so Chubbychaser cannot be sued for "slander."

Anyhow, moving on.............

Chubbychaser, I would find another Dr. to take a look at your band under flouro with a barium swallow. I know that Dr. Jorge Rincon in San Antonio will work with patients that are not his own and I believe there is a Dr. Garwood in College Station will too. Good luck!

thank you for the clarification on the legal jargon. That should have been "libel" instead of "slander", but my guess is this poster is probably "slandering" Dr. Maese as well as the written version "libel".

Like I said before, this doctor does 20-30 lap band fills A DAY, 5 days a week. That is 100-150 fills a week or for you non-Math majors: 400-600 a month. I pay $200 each fill I receive by him. You can do the rest of the math if you like. Obviously, this is a large part of his business revenue. It wouldn't be that difficult to contact his attorney that he keeps ON RETAINER to write a simple cease and desist order to the website who in turn can release a posters personal information and get served in a civil suit.

Since I have gotten to know Dr. Maese, I don't think he would be the kind of person that would just roll over while someone, obviously a disgruntled patient playing the blame game, insinuates on a public forum that he was liable. We knew the risks of getting the Lap Band. Heck, I went to Mexico for mine and assumed ALL LIABILITY. Things go wrong with the band. If I could get mine removed tomorrow and get a sleeve, I would do so in a heartbeat. I have seen way too many people, more than the 2-5% that Allergan claims for complications get theirs out because of erosion, slips and infections. He runs a business, and judging by his numbers does a good job doing it or he wouldn't have so much business. Is his bedside manner a little brash because he doesn't hold your hand the moment you walk into his office? He's arrogant and guess what? Most of the doctors out there are too. Not sure how he can be responsible for an infection when he uses disposable, sterile needle and syringe every time and does an alcohol swab of the port area before inserting the needle. This is standard protocol and he follows it.

If my port gets infected, I am not going to go boohooing about Dr. Maese and blaming him. I am self-pay, I knew the liability, I signed a release form at his office stating he wouldn't be liable so I accept my losses and move on.

My advice to this poster is to do some research into converting to a gastric sleeve. There are no complications and it is permanent and extremely effective in both losing weight and keeping it off. It's not fickle from one day to the next whether you have restriction or reflux choking you at night.

Again, this is just my opinion but I have personally known of other posters on other forums publicly criticize and spread malicious lies about another and have gotten sued in civil court. It's not worth it to me.

I have had multible barium swallows in the course of getting a fill. Everything looks normal. The port is filled to a very high level and I feel like it is fairly restrictive and don't eat for 4 days. Then I try something and it goes right down. I had a fill last me over a year and a half and it was never this difficult to get to the sweet spot.

My question still remains, how do you tell if the port or connection is damaged? Would that show up in the barium swallow? If it is not damaged, why is the Fluid not there after a few weeks? Could it be that he is not really hitting the port in the first place?

Misty, get over the whole law thing. I am talking about my band-not the LAW! I think my port may be damaged. Dr. Maese is the only one to touch it. I didn't say anything about suing him or anything else. I just want my band to work. Stick with the subject here. I THINK that Hiallary Clinton is an idiot. Are her lawyers going to sue me? Get a grip!

My question still remains, how do you tell if the port or connection is damaged? Would that show up in the barium swallow? If it is not damaged, why is the Fluid not there after a few weeks? Could it be that he is not really hitting the port in the first place?

chubby - i think it's best to seek out a second Dr. typically if a port is damaged or leaking that can show up in a barium swallow - but not the only means of detecting leaks/or damage. if you are no longer comfortable w/the care of dr maese - they're are other alternatives in the metroplex.

mindy - while you have had a positive experience w/dr maese .. so much so you know he has a lawyer on retainer to search such sites; that's not to diminish several here who have not had the same results in care.

to be all honest, my band surgeon does NOT do 20/30 fills a day 5 days a wk (BTW - that increases his odds for complications in fills by shear volume). when would one be able to do a lapband surgery with all that "filling" being done?? but i'm not a math person.

oops - i meant misty not mindy...still trying to work w/VISTA and not liking i can't backtrack in a app. my apologies!!

I have had multible barium swallows in the course of getting a fill. Everything looks normal. The port is filled to a very high level and I feel like it is fairly restrictive and don't eat for 4 days. Then I try something and it goes right down. I had a fill last me over a year and a half and it was never this difficult to get to the sweet spot.

My question still remains, how do you tell if the port or connection is damaged? Would that show up in the barium swallow? If it is not damaged, why is the Fluid not there after a few weeks? Could it be that he is not really hitting the port in the first place?

A barium swallow won't show anything about the port. Contrast can be injected into the port and then look on an x-ray to see if it leaks out. This is the only way and he uses contrast so go to him and ask him. As for him not hitting the port, are you kidding me? He does more lap band fills than anyone else in North America. His uncle is Dr. Sanchez who brought the lap band to North America in the first place. Tell me how a man who is not getting into a port can do 20-30 band fills daily if he is screwing up and not hitting the port. Why did you get it unfilled in the first place?

chubby - i think it's best to seek out a second Dr. typically if a port is damaged or leaking that can show up in a barium swallow - but not the only means of detecting leaks/or damage. if you are no longer comfortable w/the care of dr maese - they're are other alternatives in the metroplex.

mindy - while you have had a positive experience w/dr maese .. so much so you know he has a lawyer on retainer to search such sites; that's not to diminish several here who have not had the same results in care.

to be all honest, my band surgeon does NOT do 20/30 fills a day 5 days a wk (BTW - that increases his odds for complications in fills by shear volume). when would one be able to do a lapband surgery with all that "filling" being done?? but i'm not a math person.

First of all, its MISTY. Secondly, ALL SUCCESSFUL Doctors have a lawyer on retainer. I know doctors, they are my clients. He doesn't have to have a lawyer on retainer to search such sites. I bet there is already one of patients who have called and informed him about this already. I don't know anything about your band surgeon doing 20/30 fills a day. I have no idea who your band surgeon is. I can tell you and you are more than able to verify it that Dr. Maese DOES DO 20/30 FILLS A DAY. He isn't a band surgeon. He is a cardiologist who does Lap Band fills. He does 20/30 daily. He has never been a surgeon and no one on here implied or said that he is one. You don't even know he isn't a surgeon, so what the heck are you spouting out things you know nothing about?

Misty, get over the whole law thing. I am talking about my band-not the LAW! I think my port may be damaged. Dr. Maese is the only one to touch it. I didn't say anything about suing him or anything else. I just want my band to work. Stick with the subject here. I THINK that Hiallary Clinton is an idiot. Are her lawyers going to sue me? Get a grip!

I never said anything about you suing him. I said that he can sue you. I understand you want your band to work. I understand the frustration with the band. I get frustrated with it on a daily basis. Oh, and we do agree on this: Hilliary Clinton is an idiot! Go Obama!

First of all, its MISTY. Secondly, ALL SUCCESSFUL Doctors have a lawyer on retainer. I know doctors, they are my clients. He doesn't have to have a lawyer on retainer to search such sites. I bet there is already one of patients who have called and informed him about this already. I don't know anything about your band surgeon doing 20/30 fills a day. I have no idea who your band surgeon is. I can tell you and you are more than able to verify it that Dr. Maese DOES DO 20/30 FILLS A DAY. He isn't a band surgeon. He is a cardiologist who does Lap Band fills. He does 20/30 daily. He has never been a surgeon and no one on here implied or said that he is one. You don't even know he isn't a surgeon, so what the heck are you spouting out things you know nothing about?

wow is all i can say, the bold/underlining how to compete... btw, i did correct myself w/your name, before your response:)

your right, i'm wrong - my bad. i will go to a band surgeon for a "band" fill rather than a cardilogist and i suggest chubby you find a new Dr. fast.

misty (like that bold??) got the name right? your not the first to overly defend a Dr of their's who's "done no wrong" in their view - why can't this OP have a differing view / opinion. is the OP's assessment not valid because you disagree? they have every right to an opionion on this Dr as do you.

calm yourself - this is an open forum to discuss Dr's, i have done nothing but continually tell the OP to get someone other than your DR to treat them - which btw your suggested by getting a second opinion.

LOL, you make it sound like getting a fill is rocket scientry. When in fact, any nurse or medical assistant able to give a shot could figure it out. But thats fine, you go to your "band surgeon" for a fill. I will choose to go to a doctor with THE MOST EXPERIENCE OF ANYONE IN THE USA WHO HAS DONE THE MOST LAP BAND FILLS. He has done them WAY BEFORE the Lap band was even approved in the USA by the FDA. He has been doing fills for 12 years. I will take experience, and no one can argue that he isn't experienced in working with the band and doing fills. You all have a nice evening!!