Hmmm Whats this?

Aug 04, 2012

 Hello my friends!

Okay..I pulled up some more papers on lap band and looked specifically at the manufacture Allergan,  subpoena of the manufacture Allergen and statical data on erosion rates and other complications related to the band it's self.

Found some interesting stuff...

1. Allergan started out as a eye care company..they produce a lot of drugs such as lumigan, restatis and lacti-lube...I think I give at least one of these a day to a patient...

2. They also produce lattise..for thicker eye lashes..this isn't a big surprise because this happens with lumigan...it can also turn your eyes brown..it usually goes away when you stop using it ( so I have been told)...BUT they also make Botox, breast implants ( great use for all that extra saline HA! ) and the lap band.

3. the 1-800- get thin campaign in LA where 5 patients died during..was sponsored...by allergan.. But I will say Allergan later refused to provide bands to the clinic where the patients died...bad surgeon perhaps?  Allergan is notorious for it's aggressive advertising campaigns...for example.... lattise was promoted by Broke Shields and Claire Danes who were pushing it all over the television....all day......every channel.......ugh. 

4.  I also found this article
http://archsurg.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1107072 

long story short....

151 people were asked about their bands that were placed between 1994 and 1997. 
22 % had minor complications such as hernia, port infection ( i think this is major..can we say sepsis)  and disconnection.
39% had major complications such as pouch dilation, band slippage/erosion/infection and or intolerance.
59.8% had another surgery related to a complication. 

over all , "1 out of 3...had a complication that required more surgery."..( I Can say 50% of Americans are male if I ask two people, one female one male)

okay first things first...these patients had the operation in the 90's...over 10 years ago..techniques, products and knowledge of WLS has changed....that being said, I am not to happy with the small number of participants in this study...151 isn't very many. I respect this article and yes the findings should raise an eye to research a broader population with more modern techniques/products...

oh like this one...
http://www.sciencedirect.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/science/article/pii/S0022480409007380 


So the US congress sees this and goes hmmmm...lets look into this more...which is always good..ya know....because....well...they regulate...stuff...right?? 


onward.. I am still not to hot about the idea of plastic or it's biologically safe equivalent wrapped around my gut....What about scar tissue...necrossis....strictures????   i can't imagine having a port for the rest of my life is good......is it sewn onto the muscle wall??? if so when I get all buffed and develop my 6 pack is it going to get damaged??? sooo many questions...
Quite frankly I don't want to keep this 'thing' in for the next 70 years...

BUT 

I DO NOT want to deal with the digestion issues or dumping or nutritional malice of the RNY.  I don't want to drop 100 pounds in 6 months...that's just not safe...at least I don't feel comfortable about it, at what point will my body say...OMG we can't process this fat fast enough onto the muscle!?

I am so confused right now..I don't  think this may be the way I want to go ..simply because I am so uncomfortable with the 'foreign object' aspect of it.  so I started looking again and found something called a gastric sleeve... never gave it much attention before thinking it was  'stomach stapling' ..well I was wrong (it can happen).  This does not reroute your digestive system so you still absorb the nutrients normally, and yes even digest at the same rate...it does reduce your stomach by 75% but it also removes the area of t he stomach that releases the chemical that partly tells you  'I'm empty..fill me'. 

I am hoping that Dr. kole can go over t his with me. It was briefly touched on at the seminar as well. 

ahh Dr. kole.. so I looked into him as well ( as everyone should but you would be amazed how many do not)  glowing bedside reviews. That's wonderful but the RN in me wants infection rates, M& M cases lol. Any dirt out there???? lol.  Nothing on the state license board so..that's good. 

Well 2 more days and hopefully I can get some answers
Amy~

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