main lapband board for me...too much bashing

Ok, I have tired to read posts on this board and would love to hook up with other lap band RI'ers. Unfortunately you all may not realize this, but at this point, the only surgeon that does lapband is Dieter Pohl. I find him to be incredible!!!! I don't come on this board to cut down other surgeons, why must you, over and over again and again. Yes, believe it or not lapband surgery is in fact an outpatient surgery!!!!!! Most patients need to stay one night as I did because of sleep apnea, not for any other reason. This surgery is very much different than RNY. While I'm happy that people have found surgeons that would take them and do the procedure they want and when they want it, I have found Dr. Pohl to be wonderful and I don't appreciate him being bashed on a regular basis. Just because he did not feel you were ready for surgery, or felt that you can go home after an outpatient surgery does not mean you need to constantly bring him up in a negative way. I'll be sticking to the main lapband board and leave all of this cutting down of "my hero" to all of you. Sorry but I am so angry with these posts and I have had it. so long and best of luck to all of you Norma

norma, i'm really sorry that one post hurt your feelings so much. i can understand why it would. Every surgeon is as different as every patient. sometimes they just don't fit together nicely, for whatever reason. Lord knows I know. The very first Doctor I met back in 2001, was Dr. Malcom Robinson of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. One of the best surgeon's around.. and I couldn't stand him. He came in the room, didn't introduce himself, didn't talk to me, just talked to his assistant, asked her if I was a candidate.. she said yes, and he said fine, sign her up and then left. It was awful to feel like just another number. Maybe other people would have been fine being treated like this.. but I wasn't - and that's my right. No one can invalidate my feelings. i would definitely encourage you to keep contact with the lapband board, because most of us here have had RNY. now, i only say that for your own benefit, because it would be an easier way to get answers to your questions from people who have been there. unfortuantely, most of us here have not. but, i'd also like to encourage you to stick around here and not let one person's issues with your surgeon, get in the way of another opportunity for local support. everyone has the right to voice their opinion.. thank god you have the right to ignore it, right? take care and hope to see you back! kristen

Hi Norma, Its been a week since i had my lap band surgery and im doing great i couldnt be any happier that i made the rigth choice, i could have stayed overnight but i choose to go home as well Dr. Pohl said if everything went well i could. My husband is having his lap band surgery in the morning and he does not want to stay either. The bashing has bothered me too.

First and fore most as a resident of the United States of America and having not only my father serve time in war but my grandfather as well, I am entitled to and will have my own opinions of things I believe in and do not believe in. This is a right not only I have but we all have as freedom loving Americans. With that said, my words are "MY" feelings, how "I" feel about something. I'm in no way trying to sway anyone one way or another or trying to "cut down your hero" as you put it. I was not pleased with the way I was talked "at" like I was an idiot by "your hero". I was not happy with the fact that he did not ask me one question, not one pertaining to how long I had been learning about surgery, why I wanted to have surgery, or what I knew about surgery. No he looked at my weight and my miss measured height and flat out said "I will not do surgery on you". As far as he was concerned my bmi was 38 and with out asking me one question I was referred off to a nutritionist. He then asked if I still wanted him to tell me about the surgery. Like I was going to say no? I have been learning about this surgery now for I want to say about 4 years there wasn't much he could tell me that I didn't know already but I was hoping he'd change his mind if I just stayed in that damn room long enough. It didn't happen, I wanted to put my head down and cry but I held it in. I beat cancer, but was I going to beat this weight? It wasn't looking like it... My sister-in-law, my husbands sister had her surgery with him and loves him as a surgeon but as a person she feels the same as I do. She had a horrific experience at Roger Williams Hospital with her care. They gave her regular food her first day up from surgery (Thank GOD she was smart enough to say HAY I'm not supposed to have this people!!) Her second day she was violently vomiting blood and had blood in her stool and nobody could tell her why. To this day they nobody seems to know what happened. Then there is my husband, who also had a not so great experience with him also. Sooo with that said, if "MY" yes "MY" opinion was based on one persons experience then I'd say maybe it was me, maybe I just didn't give him a fair shake, but three people in the same family having similar experiences can't be a flook. Ya know Some like Coke, some like Pepsi Some like Nike, some like Reebok Some like summer, some like winter We all don't have to like the same things, But be grateful we do have choices, Others would give their lives to have choices we have, Embrace the differences and except them for what they are Choices.... And nothing more......... NaDene

You seem very bitter. Such a shame. Of course you can have your opinion, but you have brought this up several times and to me it seems as though you have not gotten past your bad experience. If you are happy with your present surgeon, then get over Dr. Pohl. It seems to me that you are trying very hard to sway as many people as possible against him. I find this very unfortunate. There is nothing wrong at all with you stating your opinion, but when it gets sarcastic and non-stop it seems to be an issue you truly need to deal with and move on. Why not just be happy for your husband and all of the changes and challenges it brings. Why is such a positive for your husband and you turned into a hit against someone else. Sorry, but I feel that you really need to address that. That being said, this board is dominated by RNY people and I am a lap band person. I will stick with that board. I would simply like people in RI to know that I as well as countless others to not agree with you and feel that you are taking it way too far. Sincerely, Norma