Gastric band has a hole in it.

Robbed_2

Silvercar I dont know if they would refund the money, its not a risk I am willing to take, because who can say they would tell me the truth. Up to now they dont seem like a reputable or fair company. They should be offering the cost of the surgery and the new band I think.

They know damn well I cant have their new band without paying for surgery, and my surgeon will not entertain this, he wants paying again, after all he did his job.

The Spire only guarantee their operations for one month, so beware people!!

These professional people dont seem to care they just want their money.

Simpywimpy, I am actually a member of WLSinfo, the charge to join is £15 per annum.

I also belong to Minimins which is the same sort of forum.

No...the actual hole is not in the tubing, that would have been easy to repair, the hole has been proven to be in the actual band, by 2 surgeons.

I hadnt had a 'fill' for 18 months, as it seemed tight enough, I couldnt eat so many things, if it had been any tighter it would maybe have been liquids only.

But there again as a bandster yourself, you know it changes from day to day.

I do appreciate all your interest and replies, I can never get enough .

I am very interested in having the op done abroad, I will have to get round the husband for that, maybe after Christmas he will soften up a little. I am not holding my breath though.

I will not advise the manufacturer that I am going public about this, they have had their chance I have sent many emails to them, only to be refused over and over.

I think now is the time to show them that I am not going to shut up and go away.:mad:


EDIT: I have just sent my story to Watchdog via their site.

Mutter_2

Robbed, even if Watchdog used your story, it get's you no further to having a new band fitted. In fact it could even antagonize the manufacturers who offered the replacement.
Have you tried a no win no fee group. Found this one http://www.5r1claims.co.uk/medical_negligence_claim.html?gclid=CJmjxvLeuJcCFQHilAodC1g0Rw

I don't know anything about them and I dare say there are lots similar.
It's free to enquire though, if they say "no chance" at least you know not to follow that route.

ETA. You may also want to remove the manufacturers name from your posts, it would be a shame if they withdrew their offer due to bad publicity from you.

Robbed_2

I did write a reply, but must have forgotten to press 'post reply'

Mutter I think you are right, I have removed the manufacturers name, thank you for the advice.

I do have a firm of lawyers on my case, they are in discussion as to whether I would be a risk on the 'no win no fee' atm.

But i will certainly follow your link. many thanx.

EDIT: I have looked at the website, and dont think its applicable, my case is not medical negligence, its faulty goods, but thank you anyway for trying to help.

Mutter_2

Good luck with it Robbed. Will be interested in the outcome.
ETA Could the manufacture be negligent though, they may have supplied a defective band.?

Robbed_2

My surgeon arranged for me to have a contrast study that cost me £269 the doctor injected coloured fluid into my port quite a few times and then took a lot of pictures, The actual procedure took about 30 minutes and was very painful. I was left very sore and bruised in the port area.

He then advised me that the hole was in the actual band. he sent the xray/scan pictures to my surgeon who then also confirmed that the leakage was coming from the actual band.

The only way the band could have got this hole in, is either the surgeon did it whilst implanting it or it was faulty to start with.

I will keep you posted and thank you for your interest.

Robbed_2

I have decided the only way I am going to get this sorted is if I get a loan.

Now I have to do a lot of research.

And




To you all

Beki

hi,

could your band be one of the faulty batch? i'm not sure what year that was... but quite a few of the bands beginning with the letter 'H' (don't want to write the name incase it gets me into trouble!) were part of a faulty batch one year.

have you written to the manufacturers about this? really hope you get some joy! good luck

i'm a member of wlsinfo too, btw

xxxx

gastricbanddisaster

I would like to sympathise with you and let you know of my short ordeal with my gastric band.

I had a gastric band fitted in August 2008. I paid £6,995.00 myself. At the time the surgeon said about taking out insurance which was an extra £1,500.00.
I did not take it out as I (wrongly) assumed that the surgery was covered for a year.
All was going well until January 2009 and I became really ill. I went back to Spire Murrayfield on the Wirral and had the band de-filled. The next day I returned to have a barium meal and they did not charge me for this, so at this point I still did not know that I was not covered. The band had not slipped and was still in place, which was a relief!
It was left deflated for a few weeks and I went back and started to have the band refilled.
In March I went back to have a second fill and they (in my opinion) put too much in, as soon as I got home the pain started and it went on like this for a few days. It was severe by Sunday as I had sat up all night in severe pain. I called the emergency numbers that I had been given only to be told that the person who'se phone it was no longer worked for Gravitas! I trawled the internet and could not find any other number. I eventually called the hospital itself and was given a different mobile number. I rang this and was told that someone would call me back. The male nures that I had spoken to earlier called and said that I should not have had his number and to take 2 teaspoons of water every 10 mins to stop dehydration. They said that they would call me back later. It was nearly 5 pm when they called and said that they would send someone to see me at the hospital. The dietition deflated the band again.
The next day I went back for a barium meal, they charged me £300.66 and explained that the band had slipped which was causing the severe pain. They wanted between £3000.00 and £4000.00 to take me to theatre to debuckle the band and stop the pain. I did not have this but luckily the NHS doctor was there and arranged for me to go in to the local hospital that day. The band is still in place and can be reused so why will it cost me more to have it repositioned?
I was so severley dehydrated they could not opperate till the next day!
I went back to Spire about 4 weeks later and the Surgeon told me that they could do nothing and it would cost me £9000.00 to have it rectified!
He also told me to go to WEIGHT WATCHERS OR TAKE SLIMMING TABLETS.
I was so distressed I have done nothing but cry.
T sum it all up I have paid £7295.66 and have put on most of the weight that I lost.
The surgeon DID NOT explain the insurance in enough detail, and as I tried to explain to him the gastric band was for LIFE NOT FOR 6 MONTHS.
If any one has any suggestions please let me know as I am now BROKE AS WELL AS OVERWEIGHT!!!
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR JAVED AT ARROWE PARK HOSPITAL FOR HIS CARE IN PUTTING MY HEALTH ABOVE MONEY.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please contact me if you have any ideas.

tori_x

Hi,

I am after some advice!
I had a gastric band privately fitted in may 2009 and paid £6500. i never seemed to have the fills right as it was either too tight or too loose.
I went over my aftercare period of a year and explained to my dr that I couldnt afford to extend and had got myself into debt after having paid for the op myself.
My dr said that he would extend my aftercare free of charge until I had got to my ideal weight and was not keen on referring me to have my aftercare in the nhs like i had originally requested. I thought it was something i was doing wrong and was able to eat a lot more than i expected.
In august 2010 i realised that something was really not right with the band as after fills i was soon feeling very hungry and like i had no restriction at all. i waited until march 2011 to have a fill done under x ray with the contrast liquid. my dr pushed this through for free as i explained to him that i was in serious debt and had no way of funding. it was soon realised that i had a crack in the tubing from the port to the band. I then waited for another 4 months and was then told that allergen, the manufacturer of the band werent willing to accept liability as i fell into the percentage that they allowed for failure. i was told that the hospital that i had the op in would be able to let me have an op at a reduced rate of £800 (which i didnt have) my dr said to me that he would do the operation for nothing. allergen wanted me to fund an op to have the tubing removed, for my dr to send the broken tubing off to them for them to examine and then if they felt it was a manufacturing fault, they would reimburse for the removal and fund another op to have it replaced. my dr felt this would be futile and said that an op to mend the tubing would be best.
At the beginning of August, I was taken ill to hospital after going a week of not being able to keep food or drink down. I ended up in hospital for 1 week and having a drip inserted for dehydration. I had to endure an endoscopy and a barium swallow, which showed that the band was extremely tight, thus causing the sickness. I had an operation on the 6th day of being in hospital, the tubing was removed and replaced. i was told that fragments of the tubing had travelled and that fluid was getting into the band, but unable to get out which was why the band had got too tight. I am now having to take tablets twice everyday to help with excess acid and reflux, which i didnt have before having the band in place. I have had to endure medical procedures and a general anaesthetic to have the problem rectified. I am thankful that the operation was done via nhs, however never thought for one moment that i would have to go through what i have to get to where i am now. i am having to have a pureed diet for 3 months to also rectify my pouch dilation as a result of the tightness and hopefully it can start to work with me as aposed to against me which it has been for the past 2 half years.

I am now thinking about taking this further, however have no idea where to start. I would appreciate some advice.

Thank you for reading my long winded story, I really do feel very alone on this matter and feel for everyone suffering as a result of taking what would be a positive step towards a new life.

Tori

NickyBat

All of you need to get together and contact watchdog.