Scar tissue- lap band to sleeve revision in Mexico

Hi, 

I have been reading and reading but haven't found any answers for my situation...I had the lap band in 2003 (laproscopic)  and went from 300 down to 201lb...i maintained this until 2008 when my band slipped.  My surgeon did not discuss with me any revision options and nor did I have an opportunity to look into it since i was in the hospital.  He ended up removing the band and he performed the surgery OPEN.  There was no explanation as to why this was done.

I started to regain the weight back immediately.  About 6 months later i was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed a mastectomy.  Of course they could not rebuild my breast because of my weight. I fell back into old coping patterns and found my self at the end of treatment weighing 280lbs again.

I have been looking into WLS again.  The wait lists in Canada are long so i have been looking into different centers in Mexico.  I keep getting told because i had the lap band removed OPEN; that there would be scar tissue and this increases the cost of the surgery which i get and accept.

What i am seeking is learning more about people's experience around the scar tissue from having previous open surgeries..were you able to have the revision surgery done laproscopically? were there more complications?  is there anyone reading this that was denied surgery becasuse of scar tissue?

also, on another note i noticed that the center in Mexico that i have been in contact with is barely  mentioned anywhere on any discussion board even though the surgeon is well known....i understand they have reputations to protect but i also want to do my own due diligence and properly research this.  do the surgeons (or the company's they employ) get to scrub their names from these discussion boards as well?  becuase i noticed my surgions name was not even on the long list i was presented with upon registering for this board...

thanks so much everyone!

I

 

I'm not familiar with the open surgery and scar tissue issues but I can tell you they were full of crap about reconstruction on your breast I was well over 300 lbs and had reconstruction after breast cancer!

As for the surgeon listings they are paid for by the surgeons and yes they can absolutely have bad reports erased from their records at least on here they can. Not really fair is it when you are trying to research a doctor. Who is the surgeon you are looking at because there are a few that are down right deadly and have killed people because of their incompetence and some aren't even docs. Make sure they are in a hospital and not just some strip mall (so called) doc. There are some very excellent ones there too so make sure you ask around on the boards especially the forums of the surgery you want to revise to. Ask on those forums and folks there can tell you who are good docs. Good luck there have been alot of us that got screwed with the band!

Hi,

They said i was too heavy to get the reconstruction so it is my goal to get some of this weight off so i can have the reconstruction done.  

The doctor i am booked with is Dr Ortiz at the OCC in Mexico...i heard he is good....is this correct? he isnt in a mall but he is in a 'center'...but apparently it is called a center of excellence which means the operating room is above and beyond standards in USA or Canada...i hope that is right...

i was going to book with a dr joya in peurto vallarta who operates out of a hospital...but becuase of my previous surgeries his fee's really had no end in sight...i was looking at over 10,000...potentially more if they had to open me up.

who did you use?

 

 

 

 

 

Can't answer about the scare tissue, sorry.  I would recommend you go to the board for your area in Canada, you don't say which or I'd give you the link.  Also go over and check out the Mexico boards.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/mexico/

You can read a lot about the best and worse ones there.  Who are you looking at I did a lot of research when my insurance said I couldn't get a revision and while I was fighting them.

Hi,

Im from BC...i will check out to see what forums there are for us...the doctor i was checking with is dr ortiz with the OCC in Mexico.  i have heard good things...

 

 

BC;

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/BC/

The ONLY negative I heard is Dr Ortiz is his prices are higher due to his high advertising cost.  As a surgeon he is suppose to be really good.

Good luck with your surgery!

I would love to find out how you did that with ins company. I have been fighting mine for almost 2 yrs.
Thanks
Lynn

Hi,

Can you give me some information regarding the Dr. Ortiz and is he highly recommended?

Ok as for the scar tissue, I've had several surgeries in the past 6 months, the second part of the second one was open( started lapro ended open) I then 10 weeks later had my third surgery which was lapro- my open scar in no way interfered with that surgery, is there anyway you could have misunderstood what they meant, as in the scar tissue you have from the Lapband ( no matter how it was removed) is the scar tissue they are talking about NOT your open scar.

the Lapband generally causes a lot of adhesions(scar tissue) and that's what makes it harder for surgeons when they are going in to do a revision, are you going rny or sleeve? I would clarify what scar tissue they are referring to for your own knowledge and also because if it is the open scar they are talking about I personally if it were me would want to know how that even comes into play.

as for your surgeon can't help you there I'm in Australia and know nothing about surgeons in Mexico- good luck