Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 625
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I began to reply to this question with a simple one-word answer: yes.
But that would be a little unfair. The question is simple. For some, though, the answer is not.
On one level, I DEEPLY regret my decision to have the LAP-BAND® installed. For me, it was a life-threatening, mind-numbingingly disgusting experience that consumed several years of my life, left me in poor health for a long period, left me with tons of hospital bills, kept me from working full-time for several years, and the experience almost killed me at least a couple of times..….the list goes on.
However, it’s not as simple as just saying that I regret my LAP-BAND® experience. I regret the Lap-band® PORTION of my experience, but it was part of an overall experience that ultimately led me to a much higher level of health and fitness than I would otherwise have had. So, I have come to see it as an ugly side trip on an, overall, beneficial journey. Of course, the side trip was very, very ugly. The LAP-BAND® Port popped out of my stomach at one point, left a dripping, oozing hole that would not heal, parts of the band that SHOULD have been removed in a second surgery were not, and ultimately burrowed INSIDE of my colon, requiring more surgery. It was a long and nasty experience, and I won’t recount it all here.
I recognize and acknowledge the fact that my experience with the LAP-BAND® was atypical. Most people have a pretty good experience with the LAP-BAND®. It’s not always successful to the degree that people want it to be, but that can be a result of many factors. Many people do NOT follow the protocol laid out by the Surgeon. Some people try and eat the same way they did prior to having the LAP-BAND® installed, and then wonder why the band isn’t working. Some people think that the band will be doing ALL the work – WRONG. Some Surgeon’s office teams don’t provide particularly good instructions. Some Surgeons are inexperienced and simply do a lousy job (mine).
There are plenty of people who have the band installed, get one or two fills, and simply lose the weight they need to, with little or no problem. I am THRILLED for those people. I couldn’t be happier. You will see many of them posting on this board. BUT, some of them make it seem like it works that way for everyone. And it does NOT work that way for everyone. There ARE problems, for many, many people. Some people have died as a result of LAP-BAND® complications. And for some, it just simply does NOT work, for a variety of reasons. The Surgeon who removed my LAP-BAND® told me on several occasions that he felt that the band would be removed from the market within a few years because of increasing problems and complications. He should know, because he specializes in correcting problems with the band. Do I think it will be removed from the market? Probably not, because in spite of the problems that many people have, it has saved many lives, and improved the quality of many others. I do, however, think that some SURGEONS should be removed from the market. J. Also, the LAP-BAND® (and other Weight Loss Surgeries) have become a HUGE business. It’s an INDUSTRY now, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the pockets of members of the AMA, which is an enormously powerful lobby. No, there’s just too much money involved for it to go away. And, there has been so much benefit to many people.
In my case, I had a hack surgeon: “Dr.” Theodore Kahlili at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. I know that there are people on this board that have had success with “Dr.” Khalili, but that was NOT my experience. In my case, I believe he was incompetent….SEVERAL times. And when something goes wrong with your band, just watch him run. I would have been better off having the guy that cuts my Sushi install my LAP-BAND®. He was also arrogant…VERY arrogant. I recognize that Surgeons are human, and they can make mistakes. But, they need to stand up and be accountable when they do. That is why when I make a post on this board I will almost ALWAYS make the strong suggestion that you choose your surgeon CAREFULLY….your life may depend on it.
Of course, life is a series of experiences that combine to make us who we are. This means good experiences, bad experiences, wonderful relationships, bad relationships; it all adds up to create a total life experience. My LAP-BAND® experience was one small element of my life that grew to become a very significant part of my life for several years.
So, while the question itself is quite simple (“do you regret having your LAP-BAND®”), the answer (for some) is not. We are all unique. Our physiology is different. Our mental states are all different. We are going to have DIFFERENT outcomes. When I reverse-engineer my entire lap-band® experience, I see areas where I could have affected the outcome in a more positive manner. Like choosing a surgeon that was qualified to handle something more than a butter knife. There were other areas in which I made mistakes as well. But, I had never had a LAP-BAND® before. And frankly, I was not told very much about it by my “Surgeon’s” office. And when I had my band installed, there were not the resources available online that there are today, such as this forum.
So, yes, I regret the LAP-BAND®, and I regret my choice of surgeon, but I do not regret the overall experience that I have had over the last several years. I have learned much about health, nutrition, our Medical system, Insurance companies, lawyers, Human nature, and MYSELF. I wish I did not have to have gone through what I went through, but something tells me that it was for a reason. There were things I needed to learn. And learn I did.
“The Journey is the Reward”.
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