I had my lap-band done in october of 2006. I lost about 70 lbs, and then one day it just stopped working.

For about one year I got more fills - until my band was over full and still had no restriction. I had all the saline taken out for a few months and started fills again. Had many a tests done, and after all this my Dr. and I decided to put a new band in.

I still have about (60) pounds to lose. I am getting my old band replaced with the new Realize Band.

I am wondering if any others have had there old band removed and this new band put in...and if so how has it been working for you?

My surgery will be on Wed, and I am looking forward to finally shedding these last 60 lbs!!

I have know Dr. Geiss for over 20 years and work as an NP in the same health care system. For THAT reason, I limited my action to writing a letter to the CEO and CNO. Yes, HIPPA violations are serious and I will be discussing this issue with Dr. Geiss when I see him in a few weeks.

Just in case Rocky forgets what HIPAA is, here is a link for him:

HIPAA.ORG

Perhaps he should read through it a time or two. ;o)

Anyone who goes under anestesia, gets cut open by a doctor and chooses a an implant that is meant to be in you for life because the company has a really cool website needs major psychological couseling. If you look at both bands, there is no comparison.

Wow, really? Well, since you seem to be SUCH an expert and the final word on everything, I'll crack open the old Yellow Pages and find a shrink... that is, a head doctor because I have the Realize band, which according to your scientific reasearch is a fool's tool. Then again, I guess the real Tool is someone who overgeneralizes and make judegment calls based on personal opinions and "facts".

I believe Rockbandster elected to leave the forum.

I believe Rockbandster elected to leave the forum.

What a shame!

:tongue:

I will add a wrinkle.....

The device industry has not received the same scrutiny that the pharma industry has in terms of interactions with physicians, including lucrative interactions that might encourage a surgeon to use one product over another for reasons other than clearly demonstrated superiority. Often being a 'consultant' means that you have been wined and dined and trained in a gorgeous locale, then paid handsomely to 'educate' others, in an attempt to entice you to use a given product over a competitors product. I would be sure to ask my surgeon not only which product he prefers, but why. Conflicts of interest run amok, nowadays much more so with devices than with pharmaceuticals.

I am disturbed that someone saw fit to 'out' rockbandster by revealing his/her place of employment and professional role there. While the poster may be annoying, I think we all have the right to expect personal privacy on this site.

And I do have an MD after my name.

I agree 100% with susan1961. The only person violating HIPPA is the moderator as she is outing a patients information without his or her consent.

Regardless if you agree or disagree with someone's posts, it is very unprofessional to attempt to besmirch someone because you don't like what they wrote on a public forum.

The terms and conditions on this site clearly state that all information is kept private and that confidentiality has been compromised.

I agree 100% with susan1961. The only person violating HIPPA is the moderator as she is outing a patients information without his or her consent.

Regardless if you agree or disagree with someone's posts, it is very unprofessional to attempt to besmirch someone because you don't like what they wrote on a public forum.

The terms and conditions on this site clearly state that all information is kept private and that confidentiality has been compromised.

I don't know, I'm kind of fascinated that a surgeon would come to a forum and be drawn to this thread of all threads for their very first post in support of a person that has previously inferred fake credentials to support and bolster his opinion. All the while giving out biased, one sided information. Do you see that as curious as I do?

Amazing, this same surgeon signs up the *very* day the poster in question leaves while using the same exact incorrect grammar as the poster who left.

Usually when surgeons come here they are sure to give out their name, office address, business hours, phone number, etc.

Welcome back to the forum.

I am disturbed that someone saw fit to 'out' rockbandster by revealing his/her place of employment and professional role there. While the poster may be annoying, I think we all have the right to expect personal privacy on this site.

And I do have an MD after my name.

Not really, the info obtained was obtained by the posters own posts.

I agree 100% with susan1961. The only person violating HIPPA is the moderator as she is outing a patients information without his or her consent.

Regardless if you agree or disagree with someone's posts, it is very unprofessional to attempt to besmirch someone because you don't like what they wrote on a public forum.

The terms and conditions on this site clearly state that all information is kept private and that confidentiality has been compromised.

Uh......SurgMd....are you implying you are a surgeon? No reason, except that you seem to be a little foggy on the HIPPA concept.....susan1961 is way more on the money here. Loss of personal privacy, maybe. HIPAA violation, no.

I have to agree that no HIPAA violation occurred. HIPAA protects the patient not the orderlies.

WASA... right on the money!

There is no HIPPA violation here. HIPPA is to protect the patient, in this case, the patient is the one who posted about their own medical case.

SurgMD1, we noticed you have the same IP address as Rockbandster, coincidence???

HIPAA Clarification-

We have sort of started implying that anyone who knows anything about a person is bound by HIPAA. Not true. HIPAA exists only to prevent heath care professionals from releasing information about patients. Inasmuch as Susan is not functioning as a healthcare provider in her role as a moderator, and inasmuch as ROcky was not her patient, she cannot possibly have violated HIPAA (I have no idea whether she is in healthcare in her day job-doesn't matter).

Whether she violated his confidentiality is another matter, but Rocky all but begged us to find out who he was, and he dropped so many clues along the way that it's hard to fault her.

And for those who wonder, I am a hospital chaplain, have been for almost ten years, have two masters degrees, and am a board certified chaplain and a national certified counselor. And I do a HIPAA inservice every year as part of continued employment and teach HIPAA to interns and students at my hospital. All this not to toot my own horn, but just to show that I'm not afraid for you to know how I know what I'm talking about.

SurgMD1, we noticed you have the same IP address as Rockbandster, coincidence???

LOL!!!!

Another clueless know it all!

I love it.

(Yea, I'm a geek and proud of it)

Just to be clear I'm referring to rocky not Susan!

"Rockbandster" (and his various incarnations) was touting his medical training as proof that he knew what he was talking about when disagreeing with other posters, and worse yet, when adamantly disagreeing with their surgeons.

It's one thing to come on a message board where 100s of people are looking for other's opinions, and give a layman's opinion, and quite another when someone comes on and says, and I'm quoting RB, "I'm right, and you're wrong," and then attempts to back up his argument by saying he's a quasi expert in the field because he's worked extensively with Lap Band patients. At that point, it's either step and give your credentials (as many on this board generously have), or shut up. I, for one, am very grateful for the posters and moderators who pushed this point. It's also not as if his name and adress was published; it was only his occupation.