2nd Lap Band Surgery
Has anyone had the lap band (or Realize Band) put in and taken out and a 2nd band put in...not because of slippage, but for other reasons?
At 250lb, I had my first lap band surgery in April 2012. My surgeon was Beth A. Schrope, I had an awful experience and had the band removed after less than 6 weeks of having it put in. While her office was nice and she worked out of a good hospital, the 6+ month process before the surgery was sorely lacking in their effort to prepare their patients for what was to come. They sent me to a psychiatrist for "release" and after a 1/2 hour, someone who had never seen me before, said I was fine to have the surgery. No prep, meds, therapy, support groups or anything to help me deal with the psychological impact that having such a life changing surgery would have on my life.
I left the hospital without a follow up appt at her office and with instructions to start eating yogurt 2 days after surgery. Needless to say, I couldn't get the yogurt in and immediately starting vomiting. I called the doctor's office and told them of my reaction and they reacted like it's no big deal. For the next 2 weeks, the only thing I could keep down were medicine cup sized portions of iced tea. I don't know how I had the energy to do anything after 2 weeks pre-surgery liquid diet and 2 weeks post surgery iced tea diet. My only follow up appt at the doc was to tell her to take it out, which she did 2 weeks later. I felt as if she had inserted a shoe or hair brush in my body...that's how foreign the band felt. With no post surgery support, I felt like a ship with no port.
Since then, I've gained more weight, despite being off and on weigh****chers, joining the gym and trying trim spa, etc. I've been doing research for a new doctor and have found Dr. Anthony Pucci who works out of Englewood Hospital. His practice is rated a Center for Bariatric Excellence, but then, so was Dr. Shrope's. His office is not as modern and sleek as Dr. Shrope, but at my first consultation, he gave me more info on what to expect for a 2nd try at the band, than Dr. Shrope's did the entire 6 months of my pre-surgery prep.
I tell this story for several reasons...
1. Has anyone used Dr. Anthony Puc****nglewood) for their surgery and what was your experience like?
2. Has anyone had the band put in, taken out and tried a 2nd time? If so, did it work? He mentioned possible complications and I'm weighing the risks.
3. Has anyone had their surgery at Englewood Hospital and what was your experience like?
4. Dr. Pucci said that he doesn't require the 2 week pre-surgery liquid diet to "shrink the liver" unless the patient is severely morbidly obese, but my first surgeon did require it (and I was 10lbs lighter than I am now)...is this normal?
I appreciate any feedback that you might have, as I'm really excited to try again and I'm in a much better state of mind after this first consultation. But before I get too invested, I want to be sure that I've selected the right Doc this go around.
Thanks.
Well, it didn't work because of a series of unfortunate events...my surgeon did not prepare me properly for my "after" surgery recovery...they sent me home and told me to eat yogurt 2 days after surgery. When I was throwing up the yogurt, they acted like I was crazy, so I lived on medicine cups of iced tea for the 10 days after the surgery. I was mentally a total mess and the psych eval that they had me do before surgery was with someone I had never met, nevermind, not my regular psych doc. I never got to the stage where they were to "fill" the band and had it taken out after 6 or so weeks. I was depressed and unmedicated, so my post surgery mindset was clouded.
My new doc did tell me about the sleeve, but I don't want anything done that isn't reversible if for any reason I want it taken out...mental or physical reasons. I'm in a much better place mentally and my new doc told me more at my first visit than my first doc ever told me in the 9 month road to surgery.
