Most patients come back faithfully in their first year.  The fall off is after the second year. We have done a number of  lap VSG and placed bands over them later.  Slips and erosions are very rare.  Fills are a great time to discuss what the patient is doing -- we use it for education.

I get no compensation from Allergan -- none.  I have been given a dinner or two -- but I would rather be at home than a dinner with corporate types.  So I have no association with Allergan -- I am sure they would like me to be, but I think if someone comes up with a better band -- then I will use that one. I did go to their Total Care Forum -- since it involves being someone who takes care of every part of the patient -- which I strongly believe in. I don't think there were many surgeons who did more DS than I did -- I love the operation.  But as with any operation --  you have to take care of yourself-- which is why I wrote the book "Weight Loss Surgery: A lighter look at a heavy subject." And, by the way -- we get less for the band than we ever did for the DS -- .  The issue isn't money -- it is we can never predict which patients will take care of themselves and which will not.  They all promise -- then they disappear.  Anyway - -enough of this -- to be clear -- I am not now, nor have I ever received any compensation from Allergan -- not how I roll

Thank you for your comments. First, we have done a number of revisions of band over DS and have had great success with them.  When the DS stops working well it is the stomach that has enlarged (something DS surgeons have known about for a while).  We use to respond to this by removing more stomach -- but now we palce a band over, and this works quite nicely. Second, I still follow up all of my patients who have had the DS, and would love it if more of them would come back and see me -- or at least email us and let us know they are ok and get the labs done.  We always follow our patients -- and will until the last coronary artery clogs.  Further, some DS patients continue to come to the support groups -- although their numbers are small. I am not certain who  your friend is -- but the only patients we do not see in our office are those who have gone out of the country for their DS.  One of the casualties of modern healthcare is that malpractice insurers forbid us from seeing those patients -- we can continue to see the patients who we have seen and established, but cannot take new out-of-country patients.  So, if your friend needs a revision to a band-- we would have to see her in consultation and discuss it. Not something we take lightly -- but something we do.  But - to be clear -- I want to hear from my patients -- and want to keep in touch -- and we email and attempt to get a hold of them often -- but of the 300 plus we did in 2003 I only saw two in the office in 2007.  Did hear from two by email.   So-- if any of my patients are out there -- please get your labs done and please email us at least to let us know how you are doing. our office email is: [email protected] Terry Simpson MD FACS