So....
on 5/29/12 4:04 am, edited 5/29/12 4:07 am
If that is the case I need to start brushing off my old files from my previous surgeons office
Based on these attorney we can.....NOW this is interesting.....
http://www.schmidtlaw.com/lap-band-complications/
Lap Band Complications
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Please note, The Schmidt Firm, LLP is no longer accepting Lap Band claims. If you feel that you may have a potential case, we urge you to locate another law firm adequately suited to handle your claim.
Lap Band complications can range from mildly annoying to deadly. Common Lap Band complications include stomach pouch expansion, band slippage, and erosion of the band into internal organs. Vomiting is also common, and can lead to damage to the esophagus. Lap Band Pneumonia is caused by getting food and/or fluids in the lungs when the Lap Band is too tight. If you have suffered a serious Lap Band complication, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering, medical expenses, lost income, and other damages.
What You Can Do & How a Lap Band Lawsuit Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Lap Band injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by the Lap Band, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Lap Band lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Lap Band Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Lap Band Slippage
A serious, common Lap Band complication is Lap Band slippage. This occurs when stomach tissue slips upward through the Lap Band, causing a bulge above the band. It is caused by accidentally overeating, which stretches the stomach and pulls tissue forward through the band. Normally, when a Lap Band is in a correct position in the upper stomach, it forms a walnut-sized pouch. If the Lap Band slips, this walnut-sized pouch may become significantly bigger, and the Lap Band constricts the middle of the stomach, which is a serious problem.
When a person suffers this Lap Band complication, they often know right away. They suffer acid reflux and their stomach pouch can fit more food than normal. Lap Band slippage may also be accompanied by nausea and difficulty eating. The only way to know is to visit a doctor and undergo tests.
Mild cases may be cured by simply deflating the band. In more serious cases, a doctor will need to perform an additional surgery to remove the Lap Band. In extreme cases, the stomach within or above the band may die. A person who suffers this complication will need the Lap Band removed, and surgery to remove dead stomach tissue.
Lap Band Erosion
Lap Band Erosion is a common Lap Band complication that occurs when the band eats through the stomach wall and into the stomach. Bacteria from the stomach cause an infection, which travels along the tube. A person with Lap Band erosion might notice pain or redness near the injection port. They may also be able to eat more than before, because the band is growing into the stomach wall and no longer restricting food. Often, the first sign of Lap Band erosion is weight gain, hunger, or symptoms of infection.
If a person suffers this Lap Band complication, they will often need additional surgery to have the device removed. Unlike the non-invasive surgery that was probably used to place the band around the stomach, removing a band that has eroded into the stomach is a much more difficult procedure that must involve opening the abdomen.
Lap Band and Esophageal Dilation
Esophageal Dilation occurs when a person eats more food than their stomach pouch can hold, and the food backs up into the esophagus. When it occurs repeatedly, the food rests in the lower esophagus, and then slowly slides down into the stomach. Over time, this stretches the esophagus.
Lap Band and Stretched Stomach Pouch
A Stretched Stomach Pouch, similar to esophageal dilation, is a complication that occurs when a person consumes more food than their stomach can hold. This Lap Band complication can cause discomfort, vomiting, and in some cases, band slippage. Without other complications, a stretched stomach is not an emergency situation. However, a person with a stretched stomach is more likely to suffer from band slippage, which is a serious complication. If the stomach is severely stretched, a person will need a re-operation to have the Lap Band removed.
Lap Band and Pneumonia
An article published in the Lancet in December 2011 focused on late complications in patients with a Lap Band. One long-term complication of the Lap Band is aspiration pneumonia, a pneumonia that occurs when a person repeatedly breathes fluid and/or food into their lungs. The risk of aspiration pneumonia is higher for people with the Lap Band.
The article describes the case of a 49 year-old women had had a 4 month history of night sweats, and persistent coughing green and yellow sputum. She said she coughed while lying flat, particularly in the morning. She had the Lap Band for almost two years. Though she had a history of asthma, she did not respond to asthma treatment. Doctors suspected tuberculosis, but she repeatedly tested negative for tuberculosis, and her symptoms did not improve much with tuberculosis treatment.
Upon closer examination, doctors found that she had a lesion in her lungs, a stretched esophagus, and had been breathing fluids and/or food because her Lap Band was severely restricted.
What are the Risks of Lap Band surgery?
A study of Obesity Surgery published in 2006 found the following results:
- Between June 1997 and June 2003, Lap Band srugery was performed in 317 patients, 43 men and 274 women. Mean age was 38 years (19-69), mean weight was 119 kg (79-179), and mean BMI was 43.5 kg/m(2) (34-78). 97.8% of the patients were available for follow-up after 3 years, 88.2% after 5 years, and 81.5% after 7 years.
- 105 (33.1%) of the patients developed late complications, including band erosion (9.5%), pouch dilatation/slippage (6.3%), and catheter- or port-related problems (7.6%).
- 21.7% required a major re-operation
- More than 40% failed to lose weight
- The failure rate increased from 13.2% after 18 months to 23.8% at 3 years, 31.5% at 5 years, and 36.9% at 7 years.
In conclusion, the researchers found that Lap Band appeared promising in the first years, but the results worsen significantly over time, despite improvements in technique. Only about 60% of the patients without major complication lost weight in the long term. Each year adds 3-4% to the major complication rate, which contributes to the total failure rate. With a nearly 40% 5-year failure rate, and a 43% 7-year success rate, the researchers recommend that Lap Band should no longer be considered as the procedure of choice for obesity. Until reliable selection criteria for patients at low risk for long-term complications are developed, other longer lasting procedures should be used.
Do I have a Lap Band Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Lap Band induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced a Lap Band complication, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Lap Band Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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on 5/29/12 4:19 am, edited 5/29/12 4:23 am
Now I need to dig a bit deep into this --coz I may be able to collect some BIG MONEY..for all my lap band fills and unfills and accidentally over eating -- Hell I just had to get some saline _ removed in Decemember for "accidently overeating"...
i am may seriously follow up with this.......
on 5/29/12 7:02 am
Anyone who thinks that you can over eat accidentally with the band is in denial. It's not even debatable.
If you chew your food into mush and take 20-30 minutes to eat, YOU WILL BE TOO FULL TO CONTINUE EATING. IF YOU OVER EAT IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO WILLPOWER OR SELF CONTROL, WHICH ISN'T A SHOCKER SINCE YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE ISSUES WITH FOOD TO BEGIN WITH, WHICH IS WHY YOU NEEDED WLS.
For me, it is all about my food choices. I have plenty of restriction if I try to eat more than a small amount of lean protein.
I could easily overeat soft, high caloric foods. I could drink 5 Starbucks frapps a day if I let myself.
My restriction has nothing to do with soft,liquidy foods.
on 5/29/12 11:54 pm
As for slider foods, aside from the fact that you won't lose weight, there is no damage caused to the band or the body due to the consumption of slider foods, because the band is unaffected by slider foods.
But if you have restriction, and you over eat dense foods (breads, pasta, proteins) and get sick and/or vomit and/or get stuck, you will do damage to yourself and the band.
That's a fact.
I'm not talking about people who "follow the rules" and the band malfunctions or their bodies simply cannot tolerate the band.
I'm talking about people like me, who currently have no issues. The band, so far, for me is a wonderful tool, but trust me, there are times when I could easily more than I should -and if I did, I would suffer the consequences. And if I did that enough times, I'm pretty sure the damage would be significant.
That pain is not worth those extra bites
on 5/30/12 12:03 am
I've been too tight a couple of times and I DID NOT EAT MASHED POTATOES...I dranked a protein shake, I pureed my tuna and veggies and I lost weight and exercise, although I did not keep my band too tight for a long time....there was ALTERNATIVES to dealing with a very restricted band..NOR DID I VOMIT....I ate soft healthy foods that were easy to go down....
if I wanted to eat more healthier solids ---that was simple - I just went to my surgeon and asked for some saline to be removed where I could eat more dense foods without issues....people NEED TO UNDERSTAND CLEARLY THAT THE BAND IS ADJUSTABLE and you have to work with the restriction until you get it right to fit your needs.
If people plan on getting the band -- they need to PLAN and BUDGET out for keeping up with fills and any needed unfills...that is just living with the band....you can't get around it...if you want to keep it.
on 5/30/12 1:01 am
Exactly. The band is HARD to adjust to (no pun intended) and truth be told, had I known just how hard it was going to be and just how much effort it was going to take, perhaps I would have chosen another surgery. HOWEVER.....
I knew it would require a lot of modification to my eating and lifestyle from the get-go. I went into this with my eyes wide open, but still the reality is different then what I thought I knew about it.
But once I got the band and really started to live with it and listen to it, I adjusted. If for no other reason, then out of necessity. After all, what are my options?
It's hard. I'm not going to lie. Some days are easier than others. But I'm lucky because I have a surgeon and his staff that are at my beck and call and they listen to me and I listen to them, and so far, I've been successful!!
I wish I better understood why there are days when the band is more tolerant than other days--but on those days when my band is being a ***** I stay out of her way. That's probably how my husband feels about me some days.....
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