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Anne wrote:
I hope and pray this NEVER NEVER happens to
anyone else. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW, I thought the lap band was
completely safe!
When I was in a coma they took out the lap band,
reversed an 8000.00 tummy tuck and now my abdomen is extended as if I
am 9 months pregnant. I am facing more surgeries in the near
future
Thanks for your concern and getting this out to
other people. It destroyed my life, I hope it never happens to
anyone else.
Please! My story also needs to get told! I am
44 years old and a single mother with a 14 year old daughter.
I had a lap band placed in 2004. The band didn't
give me severe problems. I just never lost any weight with
it. When they would give me a fill enough to cause some
restriction, I would gag. I was about 50 lbs overweight
when I got the band but I was chasing the American dream of
being 120 lbs.
In 2007, 3 years after my lap band was
placed, I decided to have a "tummy tuck" (abdominoplasty) at the
same time I got my hysterectomy. I had a lot of fibroid
tumors so they had to do my hysterectomy as open surgery
(instead of keyhole).
The surgeon I had
selected for this was one of the top surgeons in the area (my
uncle is in the medical field so I knew who was good etc).
After they did the hysterectomy, then a highly recommended
plastic surgeon did my tummy tuck.
Following this
surgery, I had nothing but trouble. The incision refused to heal
and finally they had to insert a pigskin to hold in my bowels. I
also needed a skin graft to fix the gaping hole I had in my
abdomen.
The pain never stopped but got worse and worse.
Five months later, I had horrible abdominal pain and was
hospitalized for 3 days . They told me I was being a cry baby
and it was normal to have abdominal pain due to bowel
obstructions after these procedures. I lived with terrible
abdominal pain and went on complete liquid or nothing for up to
1 week and the pain would ease.
By Feb 2009 the
pain had not subsided and so I was rushed to hospital. I woke up
3 days later with my whole abdomen open! Someone didn't do
something right and the lap band wrapped up into my intestines.
I found out later when they did the "tummy tuck", they
disarranged the lap band and I got a twisted bowel with a bowel
obstruction. I was in a coma 3 days and it took two more
surgeries to fix it. 1 hour more and I would have died,
Being told by doctors that I am going to be written up in
medical journals because I was the only one in 25 yrs of lap
band surgery whose intestines moved??? I am still not put back
together and have a hole in my front from between my breasts to
my bikini line, twelve inches wide!!! I live with constant pain.
My intestines are still being held in with the pig skin and I
have to wear a tight girdle around my middle. I had a nurse for
almost 3 months.
This all has destroyed my life, I can't
work because the pain is so severe and I feel bad about my looks
- to me I look like a freak!!! Not to mention, all the medical
bills.
People need to be aware this can and will happen
again! I am a single mom whose life has been destroyed and now
have to go for my 4th surgery. I am hoping to go to the Mayo
Clinic because I AM HORRIFIED of the docs in my area.
Anne T. of Illinois |
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