What should I do ?

Hi Everyone,

   I got banded in 2002, did good lost 100 #    in 2006 I started having pain. After an ER visit I found out my band was broke. The tube came disconnected from the port. It took me a year to get it fixed and traveling back to wis from Az to get it done.  Before it was fixed I was experiencing episodes of what I call herniating. If I coughed, stretched wrong, got constipated, or sneezed. I would experience terrible pain at the port which I had to stand up and press on, with hopes it would stop. It eventually does but then the area is extremely sore. So when I got the tubing fixed, they replaced my port with a smaller port. But after 6 weeks out of surgery, I returned to AZ. the herniating as I call it started again. So I went to the doctor to get a fill, first after the fix, and I explained to the fill nurse about the port problem. she said it sounds like it is laying on a nerve. She suggested I get a consult from the doc to do a revision, at the time I had Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, unfortunately I couldn't make the appt because of the high copay, so I had to wait to reschedule. Then I receive a bill in the mail for a $500 acquisition fee, required for all new patients. Mind you I had seen this doc  in 07, was never charged the fee, but I come back in 10 and now they want it. I don't have the $500   I was working,  63 of us got laid off in the school district, but I was limited on hours so I really didn't make much when I was working.  So now I have no job, no money, no insurance, and a docs office who wont see me unless I have $500.  It is getting worse, in the last month the port is constantly bothering me, and painful. Now my left side and under my ribs is in pain everyday all day. My left side and arm keep going numb, I feel terrible.  It is casuing pain in my back as well.  I dont know what to do,  I AM STUCK with this band on my stomach and no way to get it out. If I go to the ER they will xray or whatever and then tell me to see a bariatric doc  UGH   I CANT   What can I do ?  I keep looking for lawsuits over this piece of crap *&%$#@     I regret getting the band  and shouldnt of let the nutritionist talk me into it  when I was set on the bypass to begin with.  I just wrote a letter to my doctor pleading and asking for help.  Some doctors have been known to do free work and I am praying he is one who will. After all they do care about the patient and not just the money right ?   LOL  right       Anyone know what I can do ?   Anyone know of any lawsuits going ?   Thank you  Sue

Do you still have insurance?  If so you might need to see if you are covered to get it removed.  If not,  see if you can due to the medical need.  I went thru the port pain.  When they got in there to remove it, it was encapsulate in scare tissue.  They had to cut it out and then remove the scare tissue capsule.  This had attached to stuff in there and would pull when I moved.

My insurance had a once in a lifetime WLS clause but after a verbal appeal I was able to get OK'ed to have the band removed.  I had documentation to show the non stop problems the last 18 months and 2.5 years of problems altogether.  It is to bad you couldn't have had it removed instead of repaired.  Also look for another surgeon if possible.

Good luck and keep us updated.

If you join the failed band group you can learn all about the left are issues.

Yeah thats half the problem   no insurance   lost job with school district   no insurance

That's ruff!  Some others here are going thru the same.  Some are saving for removal and some are waiting for SS to kick in.  My heart hurts for you.  I understand your pain.

The problem really isn't the surgeon fee, the problem is the hospital cost.  That is the bulk of the cost, not the surgeon.  Even if the surgeon did do surgery for free that still leaves $5,000 - $10,000 in hospital costs.  :o(

Hi Sue, sorry you're suffering like this.  Like ldb said its the hospital costs that add up, but if it has to come out, you can deal with that later.  Please, if nothing else, get to the ER at a local teaching hospital that has a bariatrics department and stay there until they take care of you.  You can deal with the $$$$ later.  Your pain could be a number of things including erosion, infection...best of luck to you!🍀

Sadly, that doesn't work anymore.  If the band is not causing a loss of life or limb hospitals don't do surgery without insurance or the surgery being pre paid.  It is considered elective if it is not an immediate threat to her life.

There is a surgeon in Mexico that does band removals at hospital cost only, his work is free to people in the OPs position but that is still going to be more money than she has right now. :o(

Hi there,

First of all, sorry that you are in this situation. I've been there and I know how bad it sucks. Like you, I was also laid off lost insurance and couldn't afford to go see my dr. After years of enduring horrible acid reflux, pain, and gaining back most of the weight I lost, I applied for medi-cal through the state. One of the first things I did was ask my PCP for a referral to someone who does bariatric surgery. As luck would have it, before my first appointment I ended up in the ER with horrible pain and not being able to swallow even saliva. In the hospital they diagnosed a slip. They called my surgeon and he agreed to see me free of charge that following day. His idea was if I presented to the ER that he practiced at, he could take out my band and bill my medi-cal.

Luckily right before I decided to go trhough with that, I convinced my new employer to add me early to the policy and now, 3 months later I am preparing to have surgery next week to remove my band and convert to a bypass.

Check with your state or county and see if they offer any state funded programs like that that will at least allow you to be checked out and see whats going on. Your other option is to go to a local ER that is bound to help you whether or not you can pay. But I would leave that as a last choice because they will likely end up billing you if you dont qualify for any financial aid programs but you also dont want to mess around with this too long.

I hope you are able to find a solution and get the help you need. = )

Kayla

I am applying for insurance October 1st  but it wont kick in til Jan 2014 the way I understand the new obama thing. Arizna took the money so we will see. Also Are any of you ladies on facebook ?  we have a couple groups on there for people who have had problems and removals revisions. we are currently working on gettin info to the FDA about this crappy band.  Please join us if you can.  Sue     https://www.facebook.com/groups/FailedBands/     https://www.facebook.com/groups/446977285389347/    https://www.facebook.com/groups/726675237347622/