Band Bashing, really?

My surgeon (Kemmerling, Green Bay, WI) was THE WORST. He was "reputable" and had Jesus fish all over his office. I'm ashamed I fell for the phony "nice doctor" facade. The man is cruel, negligent and as far as I'm concerned, the devil.

After I came out of the operating room, in agony, seriously, in absolutely the worst pain I've ever felt in my life, he pinned me down on a table, shoved an Ng tube up my nose without lubrication, tearing my nostril, and spit in my face while doing it. He said, "I'm putting an Ng tube in, it's gonna hurt and you're NOT gonna like it." And then he noticed that I also got my period during all this. (I was in so much pain and begging him to help me that my period was the least of my worries, honestly.) He looked at me, all disgusted, parked me in a hallway of the hospital to sit and bleed from my nose and my vagina... and a nurse found me and took me to my room. She was horrified and kept apologizing profusely to me.

I don't remember the ride home. I couldn't hold my head up at all. All I remember is my head hitting the window of the car every time I'd pass out from pain. I don't remember the first week or so after banding. I crawled to the bathroom, I cried morning, noon and night. I had the stabbing left shoulder pain as well as severe abdominal pain, nonstop.

For months, I begged my surgeon to help me. I had such immense, horrible pain, I didn't know what to do with myself. The last straw was the day my friend drove me to my appointment and sat with me in the doctor's office. The surgeon was extremely irritated she was with me and asked WHY I brought her along. I told him that I was in too much pain to even think straight, much less drive. He sat with his arms crossed, glaring at us both. I asked him yet again to help me. I hadn't had a bowel movement in close to 2 weeks, seriously. I could barely stand at that point. And he told me to "get a hobby." That I was "too attached to this pain," whatever that's supposed to mean. I fired him and found a doctor who was a pioneer in the field of bariatrics (Dr. Santiago Horgan, who saved my life. He and his fellow, Dr. Michael Baptista were a godsend.) 

He did a fluoroscopy Xray and said, verbatim, "What the **** did they DO to you?!" He told me I was about a day from dying and he needed to operate immediately. My stomach had twisted into a Figure 8, my intestines were kinked, I was full of **** and I had JUST been in my "surgeon's" office days earlier... and he did NOTHING. It took a 5 minute fluoroscopy to show what was wrong with me. I wasted months of my life asking-no, BEGGING- Kemmerling to help me. I think he simply wanted me to "go away." Because God knows, he certainly didn't lift a finger to actually HELP.

Who knows... maybe I'd have had a better banding experience if I'd chosen a different surgeon. It couldn't have been much worse or I wouldn't be alive today.

ALL I can say is OMG!  I sure hope you reported him here and legally

Oh, I TRIED, believe me. Unfortunately, after all the damage the band did to me, I was in chronic pain every single day, I lost my job, and all our money went to paying exorbitant medical bills. Even WITH insurance, it was ridiculous. I traveled from East Central WI to Chicago constantly... pain clinics, the surgeon who helpd me (and continued to try to help me, to no avail) and I just ended up broke and exhausted. (We're facing foreclosure now because we never caught up and my hubby got 'furloughed' from his job a couple of years ago. We started out behind and became even more 'behinder'! )

I contacted numerous attorneys. And you know what no one tells you, but it's important to know? Surgeons have all the protection in the world. They have medical malpractice insurance, they make more money... therefore, if you're not independently wealthy, you're kinda screwed. I had 2 expert witnesses willing to testify. They were disgusted completely by the first surgeon. BUT, in order to file a suit, I needed roughly $12,000. Up front.  And I didn't have it. I tried to save it, but you know how THAT goes when you're already behind in everything. I was truly just worn out down to my soul after all this. And I had planned to keep fighting and I just couldn't do it anymore. So, Dr. Dread continues on his merry way, no one's the wiser about what he's really like... and I'm here, alive (and happy about it)... but still a little pissed about the injustice of it.

I do believe that what goes around comes around, however.

Thank you for your kindness.

 Well said!

I'm sorry to hear some people have had a negative experience with banding...so far mine has been nothing but great!  I am coming up to my one year on Sunday, May 13th- I am currently down almost 70 pounds.  Has it been work?  Absolutely!  But the band helps keep me on track.  I can't overeat.  I'm happy to say I have never been sick or thrown up in the last year.  I chew my meals properly and take small bites.  I don't get food stuck as many people talk about.  I have had the uncomfortable feeling of something too big once and swore I would not do that again...and I haven't! I can eat "normal" food.  I get a feeling of being full and know when to stop.  I feel as though I have reached my "green zone".  The support I get from my clinic has been amazing.  I'm in Canada and so had to pay for my surgery out of pocket.  My clinic is Thinlife Surgical Weight Loss in Sudbury, ON.  I have had sessions with a nutrition counsellor and personal trainer over the course of the year as part of our program.  We also have Group Support meetings monthly and an online component.  All of the support has been great to help keep me on track! 

Thank you all for all the information!
First of all, we had a great surgeon, he was very upfront about the risks, benefits, etc. His receptionist also had the surgery and is almost 2 years out and has lost over 115 pounds.
She has been a wealth of information for us as well!
We also had to go thru 6 weeks of tests, nutrition and exercise counseling and had to be on the OptiFast diet 2 weeks pre-surgery.
Both myself and my husband are still able to eat most foods.
I have the most difficulty with doughy bread, chicken breast and white sticky rice.
So, I have my bread toasted, eat dark meat poultry and minute rice or brown rice.
Thankfully we have had no problems with veggies raw or cooked!
And yes, we have been doing it on our own with Weigh****cher's and exercise, all the band has done is prevent us from over eating.
Weigh****cher's is keeping us eating healthy and quite honestly, my biggest motivation for exercise is to try to avoid too much loose skin!
I am hoping that things continue to go well for us.
Prior to surgery my husband almost lost his left leg below the knee due to diabetic complications and his A1C was through the roof, I have asthma and type 2 diabetes, since surgery our health has improved dramatically.
My heart really goes out to those of you who are having difficulties.
I know 5 people who have had the gastric bypass and 3 of them are having alot of medical problems post surgery, I know 3 people who have had the lap-band, 2 have done great and have both lost over 100 pounds, the third still can't control her eating and has lost 55 pounds and has gained it all back due to snacking all day
So, as I said in an earlier post, for myself and my husband it is just a tool to help us stick to a good weight loss plan and exercise program, not a quick fix.

Here's some good advice, blaming someone for their band problem...who would do this? My Response: Sorry to hear about your dilation...but weren't you WARNED on this board about being too tight too long? This is not a told you so response...but this is nothing new....LONG TERM PROBLEMS CAN BE AVOIDED....Remember many vets used to preach the dangers of keeping TOO TIGHT FILL FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME? and the discussion used to be talked about constantly on THIS BOARD...did you listen to other veteran bandsters? I DID..and I don't have any problems with my esophagus. Your surgeon don't know how tight your band is...and ONLY believe what YOU TELL THEM....your surgeon may have been extremely qualified but if you tell him you can eat solid food with no problems and don't vomit often, they usually believe you, even if your band is too tight...fluro don't always pick up too tight fills either....it's up to YOU ....there are charts of proper fill levels any time you start experiencing frequent adverse symptoms you have to report it to your surgeon before it's too late and damage is done.  Lap Band * 9/30/2005 * 4cc 10ml band, currently 2.6cc of saline, lost 130 pounds. To date, no hospitalizations or major complications, still have all original parts. I am grateful for my health.

She also stated that the Australia studies show a big difference than the USA.  She said our way of life here isn’t a good match for the band.

I truly wish the people posting here would have been here posting when I was researching.

My Doc doing the Pych Elav sent me to OH and another site to research and get info from those that had already been there done that. 99% of what I read here was sunshine and roses. I really could have used sound real expectations.

I am willing to talk with any one that would like to hear it. I wouldn't tell you just what you want to hear. I had many people contact me and a couple other banders when I was going thru the process. I can't find the others here now, I know one has been un-banded.

I asked the NP at my center yesterday, a center of excellence, how many banders had succeeded.  First she asked me what I meant by success.  My terms where at least three year out and still banded with some lose.  She said at least 50% where unbanded by three years and of the 50% still banded many aren’t yet to 3 years.  She couldn’t say if any of those still banded where having issues or any weight loss.I asked why they are still banding than.  She said there are people that don’t want to commit to any permanent change to the body and want the option to reverse.  I asked how you can do a total reversal if the band causes permanent damage.  She shrugged, she sees it all but, nobody is going to listen to just a nurse.