Gastric band - Beware

simpywimpy

I think if the band wasnt fitted correctly it would have created problems earlier than the 5 month mark. Did this happen when you had your first fill ? How were you between the first fill and January when you were ill?

How soon after that fill did you start to feel ill?
What were the symptoms?
A piece of meat that was not chewed properly is likely to cause pain and sickness but wouldnt necessarily cause a shift in the band.

Did the surgeon not explain that any further treatments would cost you again?
Quite a few people don't factor the aftercare into the cost of the procedure and it can be quite high.

As for the notes, I suggest you either contact a solicitor and get them to contact the surgeon or write a letter and send it recorded delivery rather than by email and copy it to the head of the Spire hospital and/or BUPA itself. Give them 14 days in which to reply.

Anyone can do a fill/adjustment after training so a dietician or nurse can do so safely. However, I do feel that the access to emergency advice was very poor and if you were unable to drink you should have had the band emptied straight away ie asap.

Rather than pay out for the band replacing/moving could you afford to get a second opinion? You will probably pay £100-150 for a consultation and a separate cost for an xray to check the position.

What height are you? I also think that at 18 stone you were probably borderline suitable but again, it goes on your personal circumstances etc and each case is different.

An excellent website is www.wlsinfo.org where there is a small fee to join I think but loads of advice and people who have had the same thing done

Tauntongirl

If gastrictbanderdisaster had been an athlete and injured herself whilst training and was treated privately, but botched, would you have all been so judgemental if the NHS had stepped in to rectify it? I don't think so somehow. Extraordinary how people become experts and legislators on matters that they know very little about.

The very best of luck to you gastrictbanderdisaster I really hope you find a satisfactory solution to this problem.

Pennylane

Hi Tauntongirl. From what I'm reading the OP should have some comeback on the private hospital. Have you asked your GP/health authority/citizens advice OP?

I also agree with the people who are saying that this op and indeed other surgical ops for weight reduction should only be used as a very last resort on morbidly obese people.

If people can afford it, you will find a private hospital who will be more than happy to do it for you. I don't agree with this and there are big concerns about it. There have been several progs on TV to this effect.
Even the NHS are doing these ops on much smaller people now and this is not what was intended.

There is also evidence that people are eating more & gaining weight in order to get their BMI high enough so they can't be refused an op. How mad is this and where will it all end?

Cobbetts

If people can afford it, you will find a private hospital who will be more than happy to do it for you. I don't agree with this and there are big concerns about it. There have been several progs on TV to this effect.
Even the NHS are doing these ops on much smaller people now and this is not what was intended.

There is also evidence that people are eating more & gaining weight in order to get their BMI high enough so they can't be refused an op. How mad is this and where will it all end?[/QUOTE]


It seems that there are a great number of replies from people who really don't know very much about weight loss surgery. If you go to The British Obesity Surgery Patients Association - type the initials in capitals into your search engine, I am not allowed to quote them in this thread - you will find the criteria that each area's PCT sets down for this surgery, some as high as 60 BMI, in my area it is 40 and with co-morbidities it is 35, which incidentally in most instances of NHS ops is why they agree to the funding. I know of a lady who went to her PCT for funding and her BMI was 55 and the told her to re-apply when it was 60, she was very upset because she didn't want to get any heavier but the PCT was almost telling her to do so if she wanted the operation. It is not black and white why people put on weight there are all sorts of reasons under active thyroid is one, immobility is another and so on, the same could be said for extremely thin people. The illness of anorexia and bulimia is accepted but obesity is scorned by saying it their own fault. So before you judge look into the facts and get them right!:mad: