PAMMIE

BBUCK THINK ABOUT JOINING US SUNDAY OCT 8 AT SOUTHCENTER

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS WHEN THE FDA APPROVED THE MINI PORT? I'M NOT SURE IF I KNOW WHAT A RAPIDPORT IS. P000008/S008 2/2/06 180-Day LAP-BAND

BUMP FROM LAST WEEK

US CUSTOMS IS ALWAYS A CLICK AWAY IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ANSWERED ALSO THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE WEB SITE. JUST KEEP THEM BOOKMARKED http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/ http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

WELL WHO DRINKS FOR NUTRITIONAL VALUE? LOL

YEAH, I'D LIKE TO VENT: I'M EATING SOLIDS AND NOT LOSING WEIGHT NOW LOL HANG IN THERE, YOU'RE CLOSE!!!

I DID WANT TO SAY THAT ABOUT A MONTH OR SO BEFORE I WAS BANDED, I EMAILED INAMED AND THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO MAIL ME, FREE OF CHARGE, A LIVESTRONG TYPE BRACELET. IT'S DARK GREEN IN COLOR AND SAYS " I'M WITH THE BAND" LAP-BAND SYSTEM AND THE INAMED LOGO ON IT.

THIS HAS COME UP SEVERAL TIMES ON OTHER BOARDS. PERSONALLY I WON'T BE GETTING THE MEDICAL BRACELET. IF SOMETHING IS THAT IMPORTANT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN AN EMERGENCY, GO FOR IT, I'LL DEAL WITH BAND ISSUES AFTERWARDS.

WELCOME RAIN!!! I'LL START WITH ANSWERING A FEW THEN LET SOMEONE ELSE CHIME IN AS I'M STILL LEARNING AS I GO HERE. I HAD A BMI OF 31.7 WHEN I WENT IN. TOTAL COST FOR SURGERY WITHOUT AIRFARE WAS 8,500. I'VE FOUND A LOCAL PLACE TO GET FILLS DONE BUT I'M GOING BACK TO MEXICO FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL AS I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE THERE. MY HUBBY WORKS FOR AN AIRLINE SO FLIGHTS BACK DOWN, AREN'T A PROBLEM. WHERE ARE YOU AT? I'M FAIRLY NEW INTO THIS BUT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY FRUITS OR VEGGIES SO FAR GOOD LUCK TO YOU, IT'S A BIG DECISION BUT ONE I'D MAKE AGAIN IN A HEART BEAT

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT STOMACH EROSION AND HOW IT PERTAINS TO THE LAPBAND? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS, OTHER THEN EROSION OF THE LINING OF THE STOMACH FROM AN ULCER. SO STOMACH EROSION IS CAUSED BY HAVING YOUR BAND TO TIGHT? THANKS FOR ANY INFORMATION OR WEB SITES I CAN GET INFORMATION FROM

THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF THIS. CAN YOU PLEASE POST WHERE THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM? HERE IS WHAT DR ORTIZ HAS TO SAY ON EROSION: Dear Friends and Colleagues: After receiving numerous calls and email regarding the latest speculations about erosions on the boards I feel obliged to post some facts that should be of some relief and informative at the same time. There are very few reliable sources out there on Gastric Banding complications except the series that are published in the medical literature. My colleagues that post on these forums will agree that my team and I are considered one of the foremost authorities in gastric banding complications and treatments in the world and as such our intention is that our ongoing research results in a safer gastric banding procedure for everybody. Folks, Lets start out by doing the math. Band erosions are not increasing as one would think. They have actually diminished noticeably in the past number of years. What is increasing is the number of patients having the procedure along with the ability to communicate this fact through forums such as this one. A surgeon that has performed 100 procedures may have 1% erosion, which is equivalent to 1 patient. While a surgeon with 3000 procedures under his belt will have 30 erosions, but this still represents 1%. Also the awareness of it's existence has prompted us to look for them purposely through endoscopic studies. We now recommend that every band patient gets an upper endoscopy around 18 months after the surgery. For a surgeon to know exactly how many of his patients bands have eroded he would have to scope them all. Endoscopy is the only way to prove an erosion since some erosions are asymptomatic early on. Erosions are unfortunate adverse reactions of gastric banding. They are also poorly understood. The term erosion has been popularized recently in the literature as one of the complications of gastric banding. It suggests the wearing out of the gastric wall, but the actual process seems to be more of a foreign body reaction where the body tries to eliminate the implant. Erosions are not new and it has been known for decades and reported in the medical literature that various materials near the stomach or intestine can slowly penetrate the wall and ultimately be eliminated through it. Implants, sutures, staples, mesh, rings, tubing, cloth and metal all have readily penetrated the gut. Though the actual process is not fully understood we do know the following: - Most bands erode from the outer edge of the implant into the stomach. Sometimes it is the tubing and not the band that penetrates the gut. This would discard the suggestion that bands that are too tight erode. (Conversely we now know that bands that are too tight actually slip more often) - Surgical technique is similar around the world. Most surgeons in the US and the rest of the world learned the technique from a handful of international surgeons who proctored them. In turn these surgeons have perfected the technique and the principles of band placement remain the same around the world. - Erosions can coexist with an infection process. Even though it would seem that the infection can start at the port and then ultimately cause an erosion, our recent studies have detected mircopenetrations of the stomach at the initial stages of the erosion (soon to be published data) then most likely stomach bacteria tract down though the tubing to the port and contaminate it. Again these ongoing studies will shed new light on the process and hopefully someday will totally eliminate the risk of gastric penetration. - Erosion is not selective of one band or another. Sooner or later every brand of gastric band has been reported to erode. - Latin bands do not erode more frequently. For one the implant used comes exactly from the same company and are made of the exact same materials. Contrary to a controversial post recently published in a forum, responsible surgeons performing gastric banding in Mexico have a comprehensive follow-up protocol. Fluoroscopy and Endoscopy is routinely performed which means that we detect the erosions more efficiently and earlier when present. - When an erosion is detected the band should removed. This gives the stomach time to heal and in given time receive a new band. It is the patient's responsibility to tell the doctor of his or her symptoms. The sooner it is detected the better the chances of performing a laparoscopic and uneventful surgery with a quick recovery. - We also stress the importance of follow-up. Most erosions have no symptoms early on, so a routine checkup with your doctor is always the best option. NO NEED TO PANIC, erosions are still a rare occurrence, but if present when detected and treated early on the outcome is benign in nature. You will all agree that gastric banding has touched hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. It is the safest weight-loss procedure but unfortunately no procedure is free of complications. Even though erosion rate is very low, it still exists. When present it should be detected and treated promptly. The earlier it is treated the better the outcome. In some cases patients have actually received a second band after a brief period of recovery and thus having the benefit of restriction and weight-loss again. The only source of reliable medical advice is your doctor. Other sources of information only lead to speculation, anxiety and worst of all delay in treatment if needed. If you are to go out of the country for surgery, select a responsible surgeon that offers follow-up. Ask if he will always be available (my patients can reach me in a moments notice, they all have my cell#) Don't be enticed to go to the cheapest, usually they go hand in hand with poor to no follow-up. You must be able to trust the doctor you have chosen. We as Surgeons also have our official Internet forums where we exchange knowledge with each other having only your best interests in mind. Remember, ultimately it is your success that results in our success. My best wishes to all, Respectfully Ariel Ortiz Lagardere

ANYONE ELSE? IS ANYONE USING THE OCC FOR FILLS? I'LL CALL TOMORROW AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

MY PORT IS ALSO A BIT SORE BUT EVERYDAY JUST SEEMS TO GET BETTER AND BETTER. BANDED AUG 17 EVERY MORNING AND EVENING I PUT A LITTLE NEOSPORIN ON THE INCISIONS, JUST BECAUSE.

WOO HOO!!! SEE YOU AT THE GAME TOM!!!

I HAD WHITE WINE THE DAY AFTER SURGERY DR MIRANDA SAID I COULD TRY A BEER, OFF TAP IN 6 MONTHS AND SEE HOW IT GOES

What is a slipped Band, and what causes it? There are two types of slippage; anterior and posterior. This refers to whether the front or back side of the stomach slips. There is something else called concentric pouch dilation, but this is not the same as slippage. Slippage or prolapse is when the stomach slides up through the Band, making the pouch bigger. If this happens the Band usually becomes too tight, and patients experience symptoms of reflux (heartburn) as well as nausea and vomiting. This is because the amount of stomach being

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2225.html

I'M IN, I'LL CHECK WITH SANDY TO SEE IF SHE'D LIKE TO GO. WE'LL JUST BE GETTING BACK FROM MX AFTER OUR FIRST FILL

WHAT DR ARE YOU USING IN AR? I'VE GOT A FRIEND LOOKING INTO GETTING BANDED BY A LOCAL DR. THERE COST: $8.500 PLUS YOUR AIRFARE

SO THERE REALLY ISSSSSSSSSS A CHICKEN GAL LOL I WAS BANDED AUG 17 AND WAS TOLD THE STORY. I THOUGHT MAYBE THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO SCARE THE CRAP OUT OF US, WHICH IT DID LOL GLAD EVERYTHINGS GOOD NOW

IT'S READY NOT HARD, LIKE I'M STAVED. IT'S MORE BORING I THOUGHT. JUST TO MUNCH, CRUNCH ON ANYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE

HAYLEY, YOU INSPIRE ME!!! THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!

KAREN, I'M SURE YOUR FINE. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND RELAX!!! I HAD MADE POTATO SOUP WITH ONIONS, CELERY, BACON, ETC. I THOUGHT OK I'LL BLEND IT AND DRINK IT. WELL I HAD BASICLY FLAVORED MASHED POTATOES AFTER I WAS DONE. I EAT IT AND ENJOYED EVERY BITE!!! IT HELD ME OVER FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO EAT, EAT YOUR DOING GREAT, TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME.

I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE OUT A LOAN NOR TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF "HOUSEHOLD FUNDS". THIS IS SOMETHING I WANTED TO PAY FOR FOR MEEEEE. I WORKED EXTRA HERE AND THERE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I HAD ALL BUT ABOUT A THOUSAND WHEN MY STEP MOM SHOWED UP WITH A 10K CHECK LOL WISH THAT WOULD HAPPEN EVERY WEEK

SURELY FOR A CHARGE? AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A BIT, YOU'RE RIGHT. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIDING IN A VAN WITH PEROPLE HAVING SURGERY OR PEOPLE GOING IN FOR A FILL? SAME PLACE, SAME DISTANCE. SURELY PEOPLE BANDED THE PREVIOUS DAY ARE GOING BACK TO THE AIRPORT LIKE WE ALL DID DOES THAT MEAN IF I'M GOING IN FOR A FILL AND NO ONE ELSE IS WITH ME, I RIDE IN THE VAN WITH THE DRIVER AND MYSELF? (LOL WOO HOO!!! LOL HE DID KEEP ME LAUGHING) WE DON'T WAIT FOR PEOPLE COMING IN FOR SURGERY SINCE "I" PAID FOR THE VAN RIDE? IF I FLY IN AND NEED A RIDE TO THE CLINIC, THEN TO THE HOTEL FOR A NIGHTS STAY, THEN BACK AGAIN TO THE AIRPORT WITH THE DRIVER THE NEXT DAY, DO I GO BACK TO THE AIRPORT WITH PERSONS THAT WERE JUST BANDED? WAIT FOR THEM? I COULD SEE IF THE DRIVER NEEDED TO TAKE THE FILL PERSON BACK TO THE AIRPORT AT A LATER TIME THAT AFTERNOON AS THAT WOULD BE AN EXTRA TRIP WITHOUT SURGERY PATIENTS AND THAT A ONE WAY CHARGE WOULD BE IN ORDER I'M SORRY, THIS JUST ISN'T COMPUTING, HELP ME OUT HERE day 26, no smokes, can ya tell yet?