I have to have a minior surgery under general anesthesia, and was told all my fluid must be taking out for any surgery. What would happen, if I or anyone was in a accident, and could not tell the hospital about the band? Just wondering what the affects could be.

Well, any xrays would show the band, but someone who was totally ignorant might not know what they're seeing. And if you had abdominal injuries, the tubing could be severed or otehr things happen accidentally.

I carry a card I was given at my surgeon's office, everybody who knows me knows I have the band...and some people even wear a medical alert for the lap band..

I have to have a minior surgery under general anesthesia, and was told all my fluid must be taking out for any surgery. What would happen, if I or anyone was in a accident, and could not tell the hospital about the band? Just wondering what the affects could be.

I was told to get a medical alert bracelet saying that I was a Lap Band patient, I never have. I was told that if I was in the need to be intubated, they could really do quite a bit of damage if they don't know the band is in there.

Do you hae a bracelet? I wonder how many people do.

No, I never got one either! I've only seen a couple of people post that they have one. I have the wallet card and I have considered putting in my cellphone "Lap Band" and putting my Doc's phone number in -- I've been told to have "ICE" in my cellphone with an emergency contact phone number and I've done that already.

I was in a pretty serious car accident just about 2 months after banding. I took a pretty hard hit from the airbag across my midriff and was bruising from that and the seat belt by the time the ambulance got to the scene (also broke some bones in my left hand and tore some ligaments). I refused to go to the emergency room because they were going to take me to the hospital with the biggest trauma center which is also that hospital most of medicaid and uninsured go to and I figured there was like NO chance of seeing a doctor who knew anything about a lap band. So I went to my lap band doc and a hand surgeon the next morning. I was fine regarding my band, and the hand surgeon took care of my hand. But I figured worst case, I just wouldn't be able to eat or drink that night. Maybe not the right approach, but it worked. I just couldn't quite imagine trying to tell a doctor how to even begin to see if there was anything wrong related to my band.

I had surgery after the band and they never touched it. They never took any fluid out or anything. I was told by my Doctor that it depends on the doctor doing the surgery. If your in an accident the ER doctors should see your scares as small as they are and know that you had some type of bypass surgery. My doctor said the surgery is so commom now that the doctors recongize the scares.