Help me understand, please.

Excuse my French, but OMFG!!! Your orginial Doctor was such an A-HOLE!! 

I can't believe what you went through, and I admire how much strength you must have to have survived this!!! 

I am so sorry you had to endure this, but I am elated to see you're healthier with the proper procedure for you.  

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I hope this is a lesson to many here.

 What a horrible experience.  I'm a so glad that you are better and still hang around here and share it.  When I read this I am so thankful for my surgeon.  He is the best. 

I am a retired RN and when I was  working in a hospital years ago, there  were 2 MDs who did many gastric bypasses and butchered most of them. I saw several die while I worked there. Many coming in and out of the hospita numerouns times and ending up w/gaping wounds and/or dying. I swore I would never have weight surgery no matter what. Well, fast forward 30 years and I read about the new surgeries that were out and knew if I did not have wls, I would soon be in a w/c forever. I investigated all of the options and decided the band was the one w/the least complications and could be reversed. The sleeve was not an option as medicare did not pay for them. I had a band placed 11/10.
 
I have lost 80lbs and have 35 to go. I know that if I have problems , it is because I did not chew enough, did not take enought time to eat, or ate too much. I know I have an excellant MD and support staff. But, I know there are MDs out there like the ones I worked w/years ago. Thankfully those MDs are long gone. Choosing a good MD is as important as choosing the procedure. No one MD or no one procedure is a perfect fit for everyone.

EVERY SURGERY DONE FOR ANY REASON CAN HAVE COMPLICATIONS! How many have died having open heart procedures? Would anyone not have surgery if your heart was that bad just because there is not a 100% success rate.

Most people having wls are not in the best shape or health. Most of us got there by abusing our bodies to began with. We are not all going to heal perfectly or have a effortless recovery. I think  there are way too many people looking for the easy way out and projecting their anger on others when that does not happen.

I am plateued and know it is becaause I am no****ching my diet as closely as I should and not getting the exercise I need to get. If I get some slime, it is because I did not eat slowly or overate. I would not ever blame my MD or say the band is worthless. It is just a tool like every other procedure and for me it was rignt.

 
For a nurse you should know better than to say you will only have problems with a man made device in your body if you don't follow rules.  You should know better.  I am a nurse, with an active license.

Another issue, yes.  The band is the safest surgery.  The sleeve carries about 0.5% additional risk over the band.  But long term, something I would expect a nurse to realize, the sleeve has a fraction of the long term risks and complications over the band.

Tisk tisk...

I'm so sorry that you had to experience that. I had a negative experience with my band doctor-- though not nearly as severe as yours-- so when my band slipped I went to another doctor. The doctor that performed the revision (Dr. Shayani) trained the other doctor and was supposed to perform my initial surgery. It took 18 months to get insurance approval, and he'd left the hospital to open his own practice.

I'm curious who the surgeon was in Chicago *****moved your band. Are you a Chicagoan? I had a hard time finding a surgeon, aside from my current surgeon, who had performed a lot of banding procedures. It was six or seven years ago when I was researching it. I'm happy with my current surgeon and not anticipating another surgery (knock on wood) but just curious.

I've been thinking a lot lately whether I'd get the band again if I had it to do over again. I do have mixed feelings, but I would do it over again. Now, my complications were nothing compared to yours-- it sounds like physician negligence too-- so I definitely see your point of view.

Were you back to normal once the band was removed?

I think when someone is passionate about their feelings/opinions, others who oppose that position view it as a personal attack. While in some cases it’s true, most times it’s not. Think of it as politics/religion. There are times when people will agree 100% with their affiliation’s position just BECAUSE … (yes I ended it there). And if you’re not with that affiliation, you may think they are “crack-pots"

I firmly try to be tolerant of another’s position. As I say, I don’t care how right I am, or wrong you are, I will defend you (please know I AM JOKING WITH THE RIGHT/WRONG comment).

I try to remind folks none of these operations are 100% success or failures. No one can come to these boards and show proof that one operation is. And when PERSONAL experiences are involved, one can’t argue true life experience vs. analytical data. Honestly I won’t care if 99 people have a positive result with using PRODUCT “A", if  I have a negative reaction I will let you know about it. Analogy (if you haven’t guess, I live and love analogies): If a open heart surgeon saves one life, but another patient dies – if you ask the family who’s life was saved, and they would say that Doctor is (literally) a LIFE SAVER, while the other family could say he’s a butcher. Who’s right and/or wrong?!?!?

People cannot go by what I say or what Maria F (and the reason I use her is because I consider a friend, and I know she won’t mind) as gospel. We’re different sides of the same coin. A person needs to get “information" from these boards, but do the additional research on their own, including the specific Doctor’s operation success rate and follow-up care record.  There are some Doctors who just do the operation, then don’t really care about the follow-up. It’s a shame, and sad, but reality. 

Folks please know if I don't agree with you, it's not personal. My view is my view, and yours is yours. No matter how wrong it is !!!!!

You mean like the people who have had bands for all of a year who tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, even though I had been banded and "debanded" before they'd ever even heard of the band?  That's a kick in the pants, I'll tell you. It is like a kindergartner telling a middle aged person how to do their taxes... or tie their shoes... it might be funny, but it's probably not correct.
They'd do themselves a favor by actually taking the time to at least listen to the people who have some experience in the matter. Then they can roll their eyes and say, "well, that won't happen to ME."  You know, the "usual." 

 
***And when PERSONAL experiences are involved, one can’t argue true life experience vs. analytical data. Honestly I won’t care if 99 people have a positive result with using PRODUCT “A", if  I have a negative reaction I will let you know about it.***

Oh, I don't think so.  I read a post you wrote a few days ago where you claimed that of all the people you know only 4 had actual band problems.  The rest, it was all the person's fault.  I don't believe you read the written word on these boards.

I hold to my statement of all the people I KNOW I only know 4 people PERSONALLY who had actual band failure. I am NOT discrediting the folks HERE. I am speaking people who I KNOW.

And the point I was trying to convey in that post (and I can gather very badly due to the reaction) is the difference of band failure and failure with the band failure. TO ME there is a major difference. One is no fault to the person because the device itself failed.. The other is claiming the band failed when in fact the person themselves did not follow the rules.

Since that post, and seeing all the other posts, you will see I know that band failure is a reality. I've always stated that and I will continue to do so. If one thinks that band failure isn't possible, then they don't know the facts.

I  hope my posts clearly show I I try to instill tolerance and understanding for one and all. I hate discourse, especially among bariatric siblings.

 
But Tom, when you claim there are only 4 people you know that had a band failure it really does provide a very different perspective of the truth.  You make it sound rare and it just isn't.  Why not include all the many people that have posted here to your personal stats as well?

Tell me something, if someone struggles to eat protein such as chicken, beef, and pork and they just can't, it doesn't go down and let's say the band is unfilled.  This is extremely common.  People get to the point where they just give up and don't want to battle the constant vomiting.  They finally cave and start eating ice cream and chips because those do go down and they regain anything they may have lost.  Do you consider that a band failure or a person failure?  The reason I ask is that this is what happens a majority of the time to people who don't lose.  These same people go on to get a a revision to a sleeve, also purely restrictive and they do well.  Why is that?

Sure, there are people that fail their bands.  One of my friends is one of them.  I know full well they exist.  There is a person posting on the f/b page for failed lap bands and she is totally in denial but the reality is, she failed the band.  Not the other way around.

I just think you might be blaming some people for band failures when in reality, it honestly is the fault of the band.  I am right there with you to a point.  I see people eating mashed potatoes because they can't eat protein.  I see them eating chips, ice cream, etc.  It's easy to sit back and say that if they can eat potatoes they can eat yogurt instead.  If they can eat chips they can eat dried veggies.  If they can eat ice cream they can drink a protein shake.  But you have to remember, these people have given up, they can't hack it anymore.  They DID try, but they don't want to fight anymore just to eat a meal.  I'm not so sure that is a person failure.  Not when they go on to revise to the sleeve and succeed.