AnnieLou

Hi Helen, Yes I am home now from my 3/28 surgery. I was in the hospital for 6 days. I get my staples out tomorrow 4/8. Should I say 'ouch' for all 30 something of them coming out? LOL. Mentally I feel pretty good, maybe a little slower on the uptake than usual. But physically I must say I am very sore and hurting strong yet. But that is to be expected. I can't sleep in bed yet, because it is too painful to rollover because it pulls to much on my belly at this point yet, and I don't need the extra pain. So I get comfy in my bedroom recliner which is very comfortable actually. I am looking forward to the day when I can sleep in my bed again and have the strength in my belly muscles to roll over well. I admit I am very weak yet. And I get up and walk around as many times a day as I can to get some strenth, but must admit any little chore tires me out quickly. (When you are age 57, it takes longer to recover from surgery than someone 20 or 30 years younger). But I must be patient and let myself heal. I want to be successful at my weight loss, even though it is going to take longer than usual to recover. My Doctor says it probably will take a good 6 weeks to get back up to fairly full speed again. :-? Annie Lou

PACIFICNW Maybe it is the way I am reading your post, but it comes across like you seem to doubt my banding surgery experience. I only posted my experience so others would really think about their surgery and make sure this is something they really wanted and to consider everything good, bad, and everything in between including risks and complications, because it is not like they are impossible to happen. I am not angry about my situation at all, and have a positive outlook on my weight loss journey in spite of having to go through it a harder way. I thank God I was in an experienced facility so that when this complication arose, they were able to save me, and still put in my band. I assure you, I only posted my surgery story for the benefit of others. If you are in disbelief, well that is yours and yours alone to deal with. Annie Lou

No, Darlene, this is Hershey Pa. Bye

Oh, I am sorry. I did not realize this Forum was just for Dr. Ortiz. I won't bother you all anymore, after I reply. I will just lurk and read about others experiences. I have heard nothing but good things about Dr. Ortiz. Sorry

Actually my surgeon was not inexperienced at all. He has done hundreds of banding surgeries. This hospital is world renowned, actually the artificial heart was invented here. Their Bariatric department is one of those "Centers of Excellence". Believe me, I checked his credentials out thoroughly before hand. But you are informed of risks and complications that can happen during this surgery many times before hand. We all have the attitude that 'oh well things like that happen to other people', just like horrible car accidents or plane crashes. But sometimes they happen to you......and this was my experience. So all I am saying is, pay close attention when your surgeon or his team tells you of these risks before you sign your papers, and consider if you are ready and willing to handle it. I look at it this way, .... if my surgeon WAS very inexperienced, I would not be alive to tell you my experience. He told me in all his years of surgery, I am the only patient that this has happened during surgery. Annie Lou

My band was done in the USA in Pennsylvania at a World renowned Medical Center that has a Bariatric Center of Excellence Rating. Thanks for all the well wishes, and God Bless You all. Annie Lou

I was baned 3/28/08. Remember your surgeon or practitioner telling you about the risks of lap band surgery? Well, I do too, but never thought that I would be one of the 1% of people that it would happen too. But they Do happen let me assure you. I went into the operatiing room about 11 am. The next thing I remember is being taking to my room and looking at a clock and seeing it was 6pm in the evening! That should have told me something right there. I was very groggy, but a hospital staff told me that my surgery was finished but my procedure went a 'little different' than expected. They then told me that I had "Open" surgery. The told me there was a complication in the operating room, and when the surgeon got all the instruments in me and started my proceedure, my spleen was nicked. (Remember...we were all told this could happen). I was very groggy and really doped up at that time but also knew I was attached to a lot of instruments also that seemed a little strange. Well I slept then, and later woke up. When I woke up, I started feeling my body and then the realization sunk in what they had told me about my "Open" surgery. I had an incision from my breasts down to my belly button all stapled together along with all the other 4 incisions. I had tubes in my arms....tubes in my nose....and felt stiches along my jugular vein on the right side of my neck! Then I was scared and confused. I had a morphine pump also. Well, to make a long story short...after I got in my right mind to understand things...here is what happened. When they got inside me, my spleen was nicked in the process of moving my liver to install the band. When your spleen is nicked or cut....you can bleed to death very quickly. It is a fact. I started to bleed to death, and that is why all the tubes in my arms, and my jugular vein was opened up for a blood transfusion because I lost so much blood. I have almost 40 metal staples in my belly after being sewn together from my lap band surgery. I am lucky to be alive. Yes mistakes can happen in any surgery, and did with mine. So don't ever take that little 'possible complication' lecture lightly when you are going through the pre-op process of getting your band. Complications are a fact that can happen to 1% of patients, and I was one of them. Now I plan to recover from this and go on and do what I planned to do with my band. It is just going to take me much longer to recover from my "open" lap band Major Surgery proceedure than it would have the minimally invasive original lap band surgery. I hope having my surgery will eventually start my journey to weight loss. Annie Lou Banded 3/28/08