would like to share this experi. (lap band)

Hello everyone, I wanted to share this experience with you. I went to a seminar a few weeks ago. During the seminar (with only 2 people in attendance) the doctor spoke about all the wls options. Since there were only  TWO of us he asked which surgery we were interested in. The gentleman wanted RNY and I sleeve. As he spoke I was flipping through the brochure,in which didn't have the sleeve's information it in it.... and so it went... As time progressed, I realized that he was more interested in the other persons RNY request,as to the sleeve. He also spoke so wonderfully about the lap band. I said to myself,Gee aren't there like more than 40 percent of lap banders freekin miserable or glad to get rid of the thing. Where has this surgeon been? Then he said it... He said, almost all of the lap band failures are due to people having them put in and taking off with them . They just aren't coming in to the appt's for checkin's, he can almost guarantee it. Huh???? I knew this wasnt the place for me. Wouldn't want a doc that says ignorant things like that pokin holes  in me. Needless to say I was riding...
At the end of the seminar i spoke with the coordinator about what my research entailed, and she also said, "oh noo lap bands are great. most of the patients who have them, love them".
 It truely doesn't hurt to research the heck out of things before going into seminars and such .Read ...read...read.

I agree, and usually it's the band mill surgeons only bash the patient for band failures. Like a patient has any control over slips/erosion/esophageal dilation when the band is filled by those surgeons etc etc etc. Bands are money makers, fills/unfills, second and third surgeries and so on. Sleeve no maintenance, no fills, no unfills, easy in and out operation, and great results ! ! ! I've had both so I've been on both sides of this one.

Great job on your research ! ! !

exactly...it's a money maker. they know for a period of time  the patients will be back time and time again. Shame.

Wow, thank goodness you have taken the time to educate yourself! I feel bad for people who go to those seminars and take the doctor's word for it. Scary thought!

Lindsey

 yes, it is scary,very...ugh

Glad to see you run awy from this jerk! He wouldn't talk that way if he actually DID follow up with his band patients cause there''s a whole lot of us unhappy bandsters out there!

Yup... would love to see him locked in a room with failed banded patients,he would switch his story quicker than a fox.

My surgeon's office still does the band, but I don't know how much longer they will - at seminar they keep making these statements abou long term side effects and the presence of a piece of medical equipment in your body post surgery that can fail, etc, etc. Essentially, they try to talk you out of it, not into it. My surgeon was very negative on the band in our first consult, and the other surgeon, who I met with once due to my surgeon being out of the office unexpectedly, told me frankly he wished he could convert all his bands to sleeves.

They'll do it, if a patient is set on it, but like I said I wonder for how much longer.

I found out a co-worker in another department was having the band on the day of his surgery. Wish I had known in advance, I would have had a "chat" with him - he's not the type who would have gone online and really read up.

Is there another practice near you?

Thats soo sweet you would have had a chat with him had you known.From what I had read the band is awful especially the part where most of  the patients can't even get  and veggies down and other healthly food. Truely defeats the purpose. I hope the band goes bye for good. I went to another seminar at another place and I schedualed my consult for the end of next month. It's with Dr. Roslin who seems to be extremely pro DS and and Sleeve. I went to the other bariatric place first because it's closer to home,but heck, now I don't mind the extra commute into the city.

It sure is! I've been to my surgeon's office 4X over the past year. Each time the waiting room was packed with patients there for "band fills" and the wait was over 2 hours. How do I know? Because they have a sign-in sheet for band fills and a sign in sheet for non band fills. Plus I had to wait 2 hours for my VSG appointment! ...Craig