after having a lap band for three years I somehow had become bulimic then I began vomiting black liquid (blood) and couldn’t drink water or even ice. At this time i was a patient in a mental health unit where three gp checks said i was fine but then had a seizure in my sleep and was in a coma for days. after an endoscopy they told me my band had slipped and tangled and two hours later I was in surgery again having the band removed. I also had to have a blood transfusion. I wouldn’t eat for two weeks afterwards for fear of putting on weight. My worst fears have come true and eleven months later have gained back 25 of the 50kg I had lost, making all the pain and effort a complete waste of time and mentally I am right back where I started- depressed and loathing myself. I am considering trying the surgery a second time.

In the same boat as a lot of you it looks like. Originally banded in 2003, tube came loose from port, fixed in June 2003. Band erroded through my stomach in Jan 2009, emergency surgery and 3 days in hospital, new band placement in Nov 09, NOW the band has slipped. I am having horrible pain in the upper left chest/shoulder area (heart problems ruled out) and Acid Reflux so severe I have aspirated several times which has caused damage to my right lung. I go to the surgeon today to find out what the next step is. After reading all of the comments I believe I will opt to just have it removed rather than just moved if that is an option. Thoughts and prayer s to you all!!

Had lapband in 2002, two fills port leaked . Allergan wants me pay upfront send port to determine if defective or doctor error . Doctor wants money to revise , I have to pay hospital . Dr lied at siminar knew new port would be out in 2 months and promised would be no out of pocket if a problem occurred. wish i only got that in writing . Had pain in port site was in hospital 3 days they could not find problem .now i feel a bad spasm under my ribs feels as it may be pressing my stomach up . sometimes feel pain in stomach like it is squeezing . what are erosion symptoms ? lLAWSUIT ? I AM IN IF ONE STARTS !!! I DON,T HAVE MONEY TO REMOVE IT ALL I WANT IS THEM TO PAY TO REMOVE IT . OBVIOUSLY IT IS DANGEROUS AND NOT MANY DOCTORS KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRODUCT . AND MOST GASTRIC DOCTORS WON,T FIX ANOTHER SURGEONS PATIENT. ANY LAWYER OUT THERE WHO TAKES THESE CASES PLEASE CONTACT ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello bandsers! what a blow right? We got tird of being fat so we thought we were doing ssomethg about it…well its been 4.5 years for me first 3.5 years great a lil vomitin i thought was normal (nopeeee) it wasnt had a dilated esphogus has fluid removed back to normal gained like 25 pounds of weight back…stayed ufilled almost a year..only diff is i have a awesome doctor and team. I have never ben able to have more than 5cc n my band all elase looks good on ct scans xrays etc. Jus notices yesterday back pain(/) not sure why but had fill last week…im payin closer attention now to all big and small things…kinda flt like gas but not sure…God bless u guys and im praying 4 everyone… although its been challenging i am foreva changed food will never be my demon again! Im declaring it even if i have to get this band out im gonna fight to be fit and for my life be encouraged!

I received the band in 2005. I kept having problems with adjustments, as I vomited a lot, felt lousy, and lost most of my hair. I went back to my MD, who encouraged me to have the band emptied instead of a removal. He assured me this would be safe. After another year, I began having severe abdominal pains that felt like being stabbed with a hot ice pick. I was unable to attend work because of the pain. I had no clue what this was and had made visits to several hospitals to no avail. No one seemed to know what the problem was. One particular MD even thought it was psychosymatic. Finally, I went to an “urgent care” facility and it was found that the band had corroded, broken, and a piece of it was floating around in my abdominal cavity. At this point I went back to my gastro MD who removed the band. However, until this day I have problems with the muscle in the area where the port was implanted. I get very severe muscle spasms which bring me to tears because they are so painful. I lost a lot of time from work and lost money as a result of lost time. I feel so violated, but have not found anyone to plead my case…

I had lap band surgery in June 2009 and everything was fine for the first 5 months but I started having problems in December. I couldn’t even hold water down. After spending night in the hospital in March 2011 they determined that my band had slipped down a little bit but since nothing was blocked they gave me a fill and sent me home the next day. Things just got worse after that I was back and forth to the dr. office every couple of weeks throwing up and complaining of pain. In August 2011 the dr removed all of my fluid and I still don’t have fluid in my band today. I had lost about 50 pounds in the first 6 months that I had the band but I have gained 40 of that back over the last 2 years. This past week or so my chest has been hurting and the middle of my back when I asked the dr about this before he said it had nothing to do with my lap band. I can’t get comfortable at night and it feels like I have this weight sitting on my chest. Does anyone know what could be causing this pain. I plan on having the band removed first of next year. It has caused me more pain and trouble and it was not worth it.

I had my lap band 5 years ago, I am wondering if anyone is having similar issues first off all my lap band doesn’t work anymore. two i have pain in my chest arms and neck all the time. i am not sure but i am guessing that is coming from my band. I have been to the doctors to many times but all my lap works are normal. i just feel so stressed out. i want the lap band out.

I also had the lap band done in 2002 by a doctor I thought was reputable and at the end of the day turned out to be a huge quack. After about one year (and 65 lbs lost) I started having major issues, constant vomiting, a constant crick in my neck every time I ate. AFter a few tests it was noted that my band had slipped drastically. I called the doctor all set to have surgery again to have it repaired. He told me to show up at his hospital and tell them that I had an emergency, they would call him, he’d repair it and insurance would pay. He said this was the only way it could be done. I sat in the hospital for hours. He never came, the hospital staff began to question me as though I was a felon. Apparently his “suggestion” was unethical and he had done it before to “Help” patients with the emergency filed with insurance. He not only didn’t show up his nurse kept “training” me on what to say from the hospital and that he would be there. He never came despite my becoming angrier and more upset. Being a single mom to a then 4 year old, I panicked. I had to call around everywher to find a reputable surgeon who would help me fix this. Every lap band doctor treated me like a leper because this was “someone else’s work” and the liability to help a panicked anxiety ridden woman was just too much. I finally stumbled upon an angel of a doctor. I went into surgery to have the band fixed. Laying on the gurney right before I was taken into surgery this kind doctor looked me in the face and said “Are you sure you want to fix this? There’s a 50% chance that once your band has slipped, it will slip again and you’ll be here for a third surgery.” THinking of my panic attack over this and the precious kiddo I needed to be around to raise, I said NO. Take it out. I thank God that I didn’t have the erosion and awful issues some of you have. Now I attend Crossfit 4 times a week and while I still struggle on my weight loss journey I know I’m healthier than I ever was with the band in me. God bless you all with the trouble you’ve had. Incidentally one of my relatives also had the lapband and near died before they took it out of him.

Wow. i hate to hear so many bad stories here. I had my band done and it went very well. There was a period that i was spitting up black gue-ish material, but i called the dr down in fort lauderdale and he was able to remove some fluid from band and all was well. Every now and then it comes back, but other then that i have no complaint. I recently had my band flipped because my 12 month son jumped on my abdomen while i was sleeping and that cause leakage and a flip! Ouch!.. Just had surgery to have it flipped and Dr put in some fluid during surgery but not a whole lot.. FUnny thing is – it feels like a normal amount that i normally get. So will see how it goes this week!

I had my surgery in Oct 2005. I got pregnant in Feb 2006, but my surgeon left the band tight and said if the baby wasn’t getting enough nutrients they would loosen the band. That didn’t happen…in the last year I have decided to go back on the plan with a different surgeon…I’ve had 3 fills in a year. I lost about 100 lbs all together…but in the last 3 months I have put on 30 lbs and I’ve been throwing up every meal. And it hurts to do so…my whole body is in pain. I saw my surgeon again last week and he’s agreed to a conversion surgery, we are waiting for my insurance to see if they will cover it, but he told me it could possibly be two surgeries…b/c he won’t know what shape my stomach is in until he opens me up. After reading and from him telling me that this band may have caused stomach erosion…how can Allergan still be selling them. I know there are newer ones on the market and I have a first gen one.

It will be six years next months since I had my lap band inserted, things went very wrong on day two when it was found that my band was so tight that it had occluded my esophagus this required emergency surgery. Following the second surgery things seemed to go well and I lost 30kgs. Then the nightmare began pain, vomiting and terrible diarrhea. I thought my band had slipped the surgeon thought otherwise. A year later I was finally proved correct, my band had slipped this meant more surgery. Not to mention more bills. I wonder why it is that surgeons don’t guarantee their work even in part? Since the last operation I have lost count of the number of times my band has been filled emptied half filled and the excuses that I have received from one doctor/surgeon after another. I think from my medical bills the number must be getting close to 100. Each and every time my band is played with its like listening to an old fashioned cash register go chink as the Dr’s make more and more money from my increasing discomfort and problems. What no-one has offered to do is take any responsibility for my problems. I complain and am told my options are removal or gastric stapling more expensive surgery. When I was first offered the surgery which I paid for myself I was told that my hypertension would be a thing of the past and that I would avoid many of the problems that went with being over weight. My BP remains high my medication is unchanged. What I wasn’t told were the risks and the side effects. Looking back I don’t think my consent was informed although I could have done more to check but I wanted to believe but it hasn’t. My advice to anyone thinking about this surgery is progress with caution there are very real downsides and the risks are very real.

I had this surgery in 2007. I had problems almost immedicately. I met my surgeon at his office at night many times because i was unable to hold down even clear fluid…realzing he refused to admit something was wrong i tried to go to another surgeon…he would not see me because another surgeon had done the proceedure. In 2010 I lost myjob and health insurance. Since it took me a while to gain employment and get back on my feet a bill for ninety dollars from my surgeon got behind. I received a letter from my surgeo saying he was “firing me from is practice” because of the past due bill. I throw up almost every day of my life…often without eating anything. Since no health insurance,and no doctor i had to go to the local hospital that will charge you based on your income…over and over again they woulod treat the nasuea and send me home.i lost mt next job because i kept getting sick and having to go back to the hospital… I have thrown up blood. I am often anemic. In the emergency room over a year ago they removed all of the fluid from my band . I still cannot eat hardly anything ( less than a one year old child) I throw up so much , its miserable,,, i have severe pain in my left side, and around the port. after reading this, I believe my bad has probably eroded….ive been sick so long, i hate it. Ive lost a hundred pounds, but feel like a freak,,,if it werent for my kids I woulod wish I was dead…Im so tired of throwing up…guess I need to go back to the hospital and get some more test run…hope this wont cause me to lose my current job

banded in 2009, had regular fills 1st year but always had problems with vomiting & getting “stuck”. My employer changed insurance companies in 2010 and the new insurance does not cover anything to do with weight loss surgery some I am screwed. Figured I could live with the complications as I avoided certain foods and tried to “eat around” the band. Stayed this way for about 2 years. about 2-4 mo. ago, started getting severe heartburn & stomach, chest & back pain perodically. Regualar doc put me on Prilosic. Works sometimes but still get symptoms along this naseau & vomiting. Finally went back to surgeon on my dime. (200.00 a visit) He said band could have slipped but took all fluid out of band and scheduled an upper GI with orders to go back to him after upper GI. (All on my dime) Still having pain, heartburn & naseua. All this for 25llbs lost. (highest lost was 30-35 lbs) The surgeon seems very concerned which leads me to believe there are other patients of his suffering. Will update after upper GI & Dr visit. Allergen, u suck!! Don’t have this procedure done!!. Wife had gastric bypass done, lost 100lbs and is doing well. If it is the allergen band causing my problems, I want to pursue legal action recover my costs

My brother just had this procedure done 3 weeks ago and is now back in the hospital. He was vomiting and has severe pain in his upper abdomen and right side.Took him to the ER where they did CAT scan and ultrasound that came back normal…but after redding all of everyones posts I am led to believe its something to do with this procedure.

I had lap band surgery and after my first day home, I KNEW something was wrong. Had to go back to the hospital, to find out that the band was too tight. Barely anything was going through. Before going in for a second surgery to have it removed, the Dr came to talk to me. He could see that I had been vomiting red liquid into a container – I showed him !! So then, after being wheeled down to the OR, I spoke with the anesthesiologist. He told me that I needed a tube down my throat during surgery, in case I vomited. I heard the Dr tell him that I didn’t need it, that nothing was going through because of the band. So guess what happened ?? I vomited during surgery and my STOMACH CONTENTS went into my lungs. Instant Pneumonia, spiking high temps, my heart was going crazy. Ended up on a ventilator for two days, scared to death and thinking I wouldn’t be going home to my family. Because I had surgery to try to BETTER MYSELF, I could have died !!!! I saw a lawyer. He read my medical notes and said that it said I vomited before my surgery. REALLY ?! So HOW did he go in and remove the band of I had already vomited ?! Makes no sense. And rhe head of the ICU told me I vomited DURING surgery !! I don’t want money from this bastard. I want his license so he can’t hurt anyone else again. I am SO depressed. I am at my all time highest weight and absolutely miserable. I went through a year of appointments and meetings and preparation and planning for my new life. And look at me now…

I had the lap ban 2008 I had lost 120lbs I was the happiest women on the earth cause I had been over weight all my life, I was doing things I never ever thought I could do, then it 2011 I found out I have a leak the place in Beverly Hills that I went to to have it done no long takes cash, So they would not help me, I was 170lb went I found out I have the leak , I now am 230lbs I wish I would have never ever had this done! It is bad being fat but when you become thin and everyone around you is so happy and proud of you, and then to become fat again its like you don’t want to even leave your house, I am so depressed and unhappy with myself.

I had the first lap band surgery December 2010. Everything went well for about 7 months then I began vomiting on a daily bases. I go in to see the doctor and he would just open and the follow month put fluid back in the band. He would roll his eyes at me everytime I came in complaining that it was hurting and I was vomiting daily. It did not matter if it was food or liquids. He would always tell me I was doing something wrong. He would continue to open and close. I went back in one visit told him that I was vomiting stuff that looked like coffee. He open the band up and a month later scheduled scope and told me everything was normal. A month later I was unable to drink or eat but continue to go to work and go to the gym thinking well if the doctor is saying its in my head I must just keep going. Until one day, I went to the gym and came home went to say something to my boyfriend and passed out. Waking up on the floor throwing up black coffee stuff. Continue to throw up and my boyfriend took me to the er. After 8 hours, I found out my band had slipped. They sent me home with medication. I said, “hello, I can’t eat or drink how am I going to take medication?” The doctor informed me to contact the my doctor who did the lap band surgery. I called him for several days and informed them the band had slipped and I continue to vomit the black coffee stuff and unable eat and drink. To this day he has not called me to follow up and it happen march 2011. To find out he lost his license to practice in that hospital even though his office was there. After, suffering for 3 more days my bother n law informed another doctor about what was happening. He said to get to the er now and he will be there. I went to a different er he told me to go to and the following day I went into surgery. My band had slipped and instead of 1 pouch I had 3 pouches and scar tissue covered all 3 pouches and the stomach. I had tears all the way down my throat. He changed my band. I thank him for saving my life because he said if I went another day or 2 I could have died. Now it’s been over a year and I’m vomiting again. I have appointment schedule to discuss the vomiting. I am now defiencies in B-12, Vitamin D and other things. I stay tired and no one can understand why. I never had any problems with my health before this but being over weight. I am not sure where to go from here.

I had the lap band surgery Aug 2005 lost 60 pounds that first year, then it slowed down. Followed all their rules so no problems with the vomiting. I had adjustments for the next few years but nothing seem to be working started gaining weight back. So in May 2011 decided to get gastric bypass, only to find out that the 1 1/2 hour surgery took 4 1/2 hours and they couldn’t do the bypass as my band had eroded and caused a whole and infection in my stomach, that the doctor said had I not gone in then I would most likely have been dead in a month. The overnight stay turned into four days. I had been feeling extremely exhausted and fatigued thought it was from the weight gain, but it wasn’t it was the infection draining my system as it was fighting the infection. No pre-op testing detected the infection so that is why it could have killed me. Then Aug 2011 had to have gall bladder surgery. Finally in Oct 2011 had the bypass and things have been great. Had I know erosion was a real threat I would have gone the bypass way instead first. They only stressed slippage. Something needs to be done. The scare of being that close to death is not something I would wish on anyone.

I had my lapband done in 0ct 2008 and i have been hospitalized a few times due to ongoing complications..it was either too tight or too loose..I was consistently vomiting everytime I ate..It got to the point that I become deathly sick and was hospitalized due to acid erosion in my throat from vomiting so much.When I was in the hospital my husband begged them to remove it but they refused saying my ins wouldnt pay for it..all they would do was empty the band.My stomach is constintly sore and the area around my port sight always hurts!

I have had the same issue but the band almost killed me its time to get a class action going Im working out the details right i will keep every one posted

I have had my band since 2006. I have never had pain or problems of that nature, but I only lost about 25 lbs where I should have lost about 50. I have gained about 6 back. I have never been able to eat properly. If I try to eat a meal with my family (of course I eat very small portions) I very often have to go throw up in the middle of it, unless I have a couple glasses of wine ahead of time since it is a relaxant.) I tried the fills a couple of times but couldn’t eat anything at all after those so I have a tiny bit of fill. My diet sucks. I don’t eat properly because I have no interest in food. It’s hard for me to grocery shop because I have no appetite. All I care about eating is light snack food like saltines which I have learned to eat with a spoonful of cottage cheese with a slice of cucumber or red bell pepper, or a thin piece of deli turkey, etc. The saltines or any other type of cracker usually goes down well.. I can’t load up on those either. I absolutely cannot eat all day or I throw it up. I can only eat about 6pm. Most of the time I forget about eating at all. I own a business so I’m very busy and don’t think about food. I not getting good nutrition and it’s very necessary to take vitamins which I forget to take 90% of the time. Loss of memory could be a nutritional deficiency. I would like to have the band taken out but am scared to because I’m afraid I gain even the 25lbs back or more. However, three or four times I have almost chocked to death in the middle of night having been awakened by food and liquid that backed up into my throat from the pouch that had not actually passed through the band. I am wondering what it will be like for me when I’m old, maybe suffering with a little dementia and forget that I can’t eat. I do it now. Sometimes when I get hungry I eat too fast even though I’m trying not to. The surgery did basically make my diabetes disappear within two weeks and I had to quit taking my diabetes medications. Also the loss of a mere 25 lbs helped my energy level and ability to get around. For those of you who had the band removed…did you gain a lot of weight back, and what was your appetite like? Did you go back to cravings and over eating? Please respond here so I can see your answers.

I can totally relate to what everyone on here. Is going through. I was banded 9. 2007. Very painful and wasn’t working. called went to see dr. Told himof heart palpitastions and pain in chest etc. Took xray said I needed fill..wrong…pain and papitations got worse. Have no ins now but did at the time. Paid cash coz they said ins needeed more info and they would help get it paid. Never happened and pain and being miserable lasted 4 years. Small weight los but weak and no energy. Hadto go to er at least two times by ambulance.in pain and scared no help or answers from drs. Said I must bee doing somehing wrong. Fell very very ill. Started to drastically lose weight. Family dr said 114 is too low needs to take it off. Few days later had it taken out by same dr. Max time should have been four hours I was in from 9n in the am until late into the night. Trying to stabilize me after surgery and couldn’t. Called for ambulance to take me to hospital. Stayed 4 days with no ins wanted to come home due to no ins. Still suffering from a hernia as big as an orange. Almost lost my life. Never any warning that any of this could happen. Just safw safe and reversible…I want to sue. Anyone have any info on an attorney doing civil action..help.

So, why isn’t there a class action lawsuit against Allergan over this horrible device? I can’t find evidence of one. I am banded. My family routinely watches me run to the bathroom to vomit during meals. While there were warnings about vomiting, nothing I signed suggested that I might have to stay away from certain types of food altogether. Nothing I signed indicated that on some days of the month I would be able to swallow, and on other days I would vomit the same items eaten the same way. Its a nightmare of a surgery. The failure rate is unacceptable. Those of us who know this have an obligation to protect others from what we have experienced. I am horrified that they are trying to approve this surgery for teens.

I am so happy I stumbled onto this website. I was banded Feb 2010 and haven’t lost a pound. Before the surgery I was a happy overweight woman, a mom,wife and friend. Now I am a mess I feel like such a failure I am sick all the time. It feels like I am being stabbed in the chest, and now the heartburn is keeping me up at night. I was always a healthy eater but I liked good food too much. I now am a vegan thanks to forks over knives. I keep going to my doctor who thinks I am a liar. He rolls his eyes at me when I tell him my complications. Even the nurse practitioner thinks something is wrong with my band. I did a barrium sallow and my band is not in the correct place but since I don’t have any obstruction my doctor doesn’t act to concerned . Great so now he wants to do an endoscopy. But in the mean time I have to choke down carafate 4 times a day with pepcid just to be some what comfortable. I am happy for the people who have success with their bands. I wish everyday that mine worked but no such luck. Its comforting to know I am not alone. I forgot to mention it feels like my insides are going to fall out so I am now resorting to wearing compression garments. As I wait for the doctor to decide his next move. I cry everyday when I used to smile. My husband tries to help but there is nothing he can do. If it wasn’t for my kids and husband I feel like dying everyday. This band has destroyed my insides as well as my spirit. My doctor basically could care less, he got his 27,000. Everything at his office is so screwy. He told me that I wasn’t losing because I wasn’t coming in enough. The nurse told me I needed to come in just a couple times a year for adjustments. I think I have gone to his office 15 to 20 times. Complaining of vomiting and pain. What else can I do. I wish I could reach out and hug every single person here who is suffering. Because that’s what it is suffering.

I had lap band on 4-18-12. No fills I had an appt to have a fill, with another surgeon, not the one that performed the surgery as I had surgery out of my state. Found out today, I have a port infection and the whole system has to come out.. Now, have head no fills..so the infection he suspects is from the time of surgery and mighr be a performation(micro) that occured during surgery and the infection has now worked its way down the tubing to the port site….Nice.. He wants to remove the lap band as soon as possible….I have no fevers or chills, just a redness around the port.. How can this happen with no fillbeing done?? It seems to me to be a surgical infection…

Had the lap band placed in May 2006. It was four years of living hell, throwing up, trips to the emergency room and finally, a doctor out it Phoenix researched and seen my band had slipped, it was in a life-threatening position. It was removed April 13, 2012 in emergency surgery.

UI had the lapband done in may of 2009. Everything went well for almost two years. In 2011, I began complaining of throwing up while laying down and could not hold anything down. After several trips to the emergency room for dehydration the surgeon said it was not from the band and it was acid reflux. However, that problem soon went away once I stopped getting fills. I noticed I was eating more and putting my weight back on and felt nothing in the band to help. I fought with the surgeon and center as they only allowed two hours one day a week for me to see that surgeon and could not transfer doctors. I finally called in to work because I was having intense pain where the port was. He saw me and tried to give me a fill. All the saline went inside and I was able to still drink an entire bottle of water. We did a barium test and found it was leaking at the port. And here is when hell began. This was in Nov of 2011 and they knew I was losing insurance at the end of Nov. The center made no effort to get me in and said it was not important. By Jan. I was seeing the emergency room often. They said the Jan 14th that it was erosion from the stomach that was causing me to cough of blood. Jan 16 they just gave me pain pills to deal with it. My surgeon was notified and he did not come see me or help me. Now, Starting April 23, I have been in intense and extreme pain from my belly button down. I have sharp spasms that feel like I am sitting on knives and hurts to move. I can no longer work and I have no insurance. The surgeon will not help me and said I had to pay for the procedure up front before anything can be done. I went to the er three times in two weeks and found by ct scan that the tubing has discontinued from the port and is blindly ending in my pelvic area causing infection and severe pain. Yet, even with all this information, no one is willing to help me. I am 26 and can not file a lawsuit cause no one will listen and I have no insurance to get it removed because the insurance I am payinf for refuses to cover it even though it is now medically needed. If anyone has any suggestions, please contact me.

I had the lap band placed in 2008 all went well ok had lots of vomiting and always could feel the band…then 10 months later I developed severe right upper quadrant pain prompting my surgeon to take out my gallbladder…pain continued off and on as well as the nausea and vomiting and fills and unfills then in 2011 I developed the most horriable right upper quad pain I can imagine surgeon sent me to ER and after many meds was sent home. Had a scope done reports came back normal…finally pain and vomiting continued my surgeon removed the band…I still continue to vomit everything I eat or drink at times prompting me to have IV fluids…surgeon has abandoned me and finally seeing a specialist at UNMC states he suspects it is damage from the band of course not sure what can be done to help me. I originally lost 60-70 pds with the band to gain most back…I have now lost post band removal over a 100 pds in a short time. Did say the band had adhered to my liver…funny band is gone and no more right upper quadrant pain….I hate the band it ruined my life!!!!!

I originally posted on 12/27/2011. I had the lap band removed on 10/20/2011 and still have not healed completely. 2 of my wounds are not closed, but they are closing – albeit slowly. My total weight loss from the surgery recovery is now 51 lbs. I am never without pain in my abdominal area. I keep hoping that I am healing and it will be ok eventually. Some days it is worse than others, and the good days are what keep me going. I did call a few lawyers who said the only way it would be worth suing would be a class action law suit. With what I’ve read here, it seems like an eventuality. Does anyone know of a case going on?

Alice, My Allergan lapband tubing also cracked — near the band itself. I had my band removed (and revised to VSG) the day after you did, on Feb 9, 2012. The hospital where I had it removed is saying that they will not release the band to me, or anyone else. Even if they did release the band to me, I believe it would be unwise to send it to Allergan. They would then have all of the leverage, and could say/not say anything they wanted regarding the condition of the lapband. They would have total control. And as kind as they seem to be on the phone, I believe they would not be so kind when it comes down to issuing a check for reimbursement. (I was also a cash pay). Sadly, I may have no choice but to contact a lawyer to get things sorted out with Allergan.

I ONLY HAD THE LAP BAND FOR ABOUT 4MONTHS AFTER MY SECOND FILL I HAD SO MUCH PAIN . I WENT TO THE DOCTOR HAD A UPPER GI . i HAD TO GO BACK INTO SURGERY TO HAVE IT REMOVED I WENT TO SO MUCH PAIN . WHEN I HAD TO STAY EXTRA DAY WHEN I GOT THE LAP BAND I NEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT.

Have any of you sought legal advice? After 21/2 years my lapband perforated my stomach with excessive stomach pain and sepsis. Long story, but 6 weeks in the hospital mostly in intensive care. I am sad that Allergan continues to sell these to unsuspecting people.

I had Lap band surgery 11/06. Self pay $14000.00. Everything went well for 3 months when I started to get fills. The second fill caused pain in my chest. I was assured it could not be the band. I couldn’t hold down very few bites at a time. By March I went in and had all fluid removed to see if pain would ease up. It did. Next month I got a fill with a fluoroscope and no pain. End of month chest pain was back and my surgeon assured me again it was not the band. I went to my GP and had a chest x-ray that showed a shadow. My GP put me on heavy antibiotics thinking it was pneumonia. 2 weeks later I was feeling better and losing weight. Another month and another fill and the pain started coming back. I had a upper GI endo with no stomach erosion. I suffered with it for a while then back to my GP. Another x-ray still shadow, another 4 week round of high power antibiotics. I was never convinced it was pneumonia. I got to feeling better but was not losing weight. I had only lost 30 lbs in 8 months. Pain was coming back centered center of breast bone. I was seeing my surgeon every month and complaining, NOT THE BAND. I planned a vacation and before leaving I went back to GP. I was afraid the “pneumonia” was coming back . He once again gave me meds and sent me on my vacation. We drove 6 hours and spent the night before hitting the road again. That morning I couldn’t stand straight pain was bad. After we arrived at our destination I was worse and went to bed for 2 days, meds were not working. The 3rd day I went to a walking Urgent Care, white blood cell count was off the chart, chest x-ray was black. This Dr sent me to local ER to get Cat scan. After waiting 7 hrs, Dr shook his head and gave me more meds and pain pills. My husband wanted me to fly home. But all the Dr’s had assured me everything was okay. I was deathly ill. So we left for home. I contacted my Surgeon tell the whole story. No help. I went to see my GP he called my Gastro Dr. in the same building and sent me up. My stomach was distended and swollen. She set up a Cat Scan. The lady administering the Cat Scan made me stay on the table because I was so ill, she told me I needed a surgeon stat. I called my lap band surgeon and he couldn’t believe it. I had to get a copy of my Scan for him. He set up surgery for the next day late. I begged him to let me got to the hospital that afternoon, I felt like I was dying and I was. I had peritonitis. I got to the hospital and was put on IV antibiotics and had a 4 hour surgery the next afternoon. My Dr said I was so full of infection that he could not see to find the lap band. He even referred to it as cottage cheese and pus. He had to clean me out, I already had scar tissue forming. I was in the hospital over a week, hardly remember some days. It took over a month to recover during this time I lost about 20 lbs. My Dr never said how I could get an infection in there. There were only 2 ways, surgery and fluid injection.

I had the lap band placed 5/19/2008 and it was never filled initially due to adequate weight loss then due to persistent vomiting after the 1st revision. The first revision, 10/30/2008, was due to a suture the came loose and the port flipped so could not be accessed. The port was then sutured so tightly to the muscle fascia that I could not exercise or stand straight without a ripping pain. This caused persistent pain, hematoma, and recurrent bleeding each time it ripped (exercising or standing strainght upright). I suffered with this repeated injury, On 6/29/2009, I was rehospitalized for pain control and underwent another port revision into another part of my abdomen. the lap band eroded eventually, had persistent vomiting and I had the device removed 12/10/2010

Wow – what horror stories!! I thought it only happened to me….. I think my story is most like Connie Jo’s but with a better outcome. I had the lap band put on in 6/2007. I initially lost about 30 pounds and stayed there no matter what I did. I work out 5 days a week and eat healthy food In July 2011 I started having terrible pain on my upper left side -just below my breast. They put me on pain pills and I went through 2 months of tests. They finally spotted the lap band during an endoscopy because much of it was on the inside of my stomach along with a huge infection It was another month before the Dr could get me in, and I had surgery 10/20/2011 It was supposed to be 45 min outpatient surgery. I was under for 4 hours and spent 6 days in the hospital. The lap band was all tangled up in my stomach and the infection was huge. They also had to repair my stomach with tissue from my lg intestine I am still not 100% but am close. My wounds became infected and I had to have them re-opened. I’m healing from the inside out. I am fortunate enough to have decent insurance and have lost more weight from all of this than the lap band ! (42 lbs)

i’ve had the band since july 04 – it started leaking around may 11 – i’m regaining everything i lost – the band eroded into the stomach – i have costs involved /wthe bypass though not hundreds of thousands – does anyone know of a class action lawsuite against allergan for this junk allergan said they’d compensate me when i mentioned my costs involved for RX’s (xenical) etc

I had Lap Band surgery in 2007 and now I am dealing with nausea/vomitting/dizziness every day, all day because of it slipping. After three visits to the ER the Doctor and a Barium swallow, the Doctor advised me of it and removed the fluid. He then acted surprised that I still have these symptoms days later. I have no insurance and he provided no options to help me remove the thing. I just want to feel normal again and get this thing out of my body.

In July of 2007 I had lapband surgery, I didn’t loose alot of weight but kept plodding along. About 3 years ago I started having horrible pain, just to the right of my stomach, sometimes I would spasm in the same area, when the spasm would hit the pain was so bad, it would drop me to my knees. During the spasm I could see the tube from my band twisting and turning under my skin. My doctor said that was impossible, but I know what I saw. At first when I started having pain my doctor ordered a scan and said it was normal, from then on when I complained of pain (which was every office visit) he would ignore me, blow off my complaint or tell me it was in my head. One visit the doctor said I invented the pain so he would take the fluid out of my band so I could eat what I wanted! After 4 years of little success with the lapband I decided to have gastric by-pass surgery. That decision saved my life! Sept. 20, 2011 they did the surgery they found erosion and the band had twisted around my stomach cutting the circulation off to the lower part of my stomach, instead of pink healthy stomach tissue, mine was brown. When they removed the band my stomach started to get some circulation back and pink up some. The doctor said trying to sew a new gastric by-pass stomach was like sewing in mud, my stomach tissue was so damaged it was falling apart. The new stomach I have is about the size of a quarter because that is the only healthy tissue they could find. Before getting a band there needs to be an agreement between the patient, doctor and insurance company if the band is causing pain, or is not successfull after a certain time it needs to come out.

I was banded in 2008 and lost almost 100 lbs the first year, put about half of that back on since. Started having severe upper-GI pain and had endoscopy which revealed lap-band erosion. After emergency surgery, doctor said this was by far the worst he’d ever seen, lap-band was 80% inside my stomach. Doctor who performed the explantation (removal of lap-band) was same doc who put it in & he no longer does lap-banding because of all the complications. Come on! With all the problems of this device you would think FDA would review & pull it off the market!!

I had lap band surgery in 2008, only required 1 fill. Then in late 2009 and 2010 started to where I could not eat anything, kept having test done, and nothing finally became so sick to where fluids would no longer stay with me. Was hospitalized for sever dehydration and found out that the lap band had eroded into my stomach. I spent 8 days in hospital after removal for the half dollar size hole in my stomach to close up. Now we are in 2011 and I still cannot eat after the removal, only to find out that my stomach will not excrete the food because the removal of the band or the erosion tore my vagus nerve which is needed for the emptying of the food. I am a mess!

I had lapband surgery 10/09…I started having extreme diarrhea and notified the surgeon that did my surgery. He acted like that was normal. I was late to work and having problems every where I went. Then we found my port was turned and I had to have a 2nd surgery 12/09 and 1 week to the day after that, I was passing bloodclots rectally at my job and almost passed out in the bathroom. I called him and he was so rude and told me it had nothing to do with the lapband I must have had something else going on already. I was perfectly healthy except for for a dead thyroid(which no one told me could be a problem because it is an autoimmune disease) and a little high blood pressure. But I found out after the surgery since my Grandmother had Lupus I was not a good candidate for this surgery between my autoimmune disease and hers also. No one very talked about that at all. I got so sick I ended up in the hosptial twice and now they are saying I have Crohn’s Disease. I have to take IV Therapy every 8 weeks and Chemo injections every week. My health is ruined. I am 52 yrs old and in diapers and since the medications are not working so well now the GI dr says he might have to remove my colon. This has been nothing short of a nightmare. What was supposed to help my life has destroyed it. There is much more to my story but I would like to see if this has happened to anyone else. I personally know a lady from my church that went to the same surgeon as me and ended up almosy dying with pancreatitis. Of course the dr denies that was lapband issues also. I am running out of time to do a lawsuit and I need help. I LITERALLY OWE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR MY MEDICAL BILLS…MY CREDIT IS RUINED AND MY LIFE IS TERRIBLE NOW. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP. THANK YOU.

I have had my lap band since 2004 and have had no complications. I have not made my goal weight, but I have made incredible changes. I no longer need my blood pressure meds, my cholesterol is lower now than when I was 19yrs old! The only reason I have not made goal is because I have not made the right food choices. I love sugar! The band is only a tool. Fortunately I have not had any complications with slips,erosions, etc. I am happy with my lap band and continue in my journey of ideal weight and healthy living. start weight 247/now 190

Additional comments:Removal was done due to slippage. In and out of dr’s on iron and b12 supplements-levels are dangerously low. It was an Allergen Lap-Band-I made pathology give it to me!

I had lap band In December 2004 and lost almost 100 lbs but I continued to vomit almost daily through out the time I had it. in Aug, 2009 I became very sick and went through several test over the next couple of months when they discovered that my band had eroded into my stomach (including the buckle.) In March of 2010 my eye doctor diagnosed me with dry macular degeneration with a retina specialist stating that he believed it was due to he lack of nutrients my body recieved while I had my lap band. I am 45 years old and have a disease that people have in there 70’s & 80’s. Is there anyone else out there having these problems? Is there anything I can do? I completely beleived in the lap -band & until now I would have had it re-done if it could be done without it becoming erodded again but now they are saying I could lose my central vision within five years. I am a Mom of 4 and I was a school bus driver until April of 2010 when my night vision became to bad to feel safe with all of those lives in my bus. I am a hobby artist, decorator, & photographer and I feel like my vision makes me everything that I am & now due to my lap-band, I am only going be an overweight, blind…..what?

i had lapband surgery in dec. 2008. that next year i fell and tore my port loose.i called allergan and asked them if this was common?no.then i went to the gastro who did it.he wasnt in,so i seen his assoc.he said no port is in tact.but i was having a lot of pain.also a rep from allergan called my gastro.so he was pissed off at me.he examined me.said yes,its ripped loose.i told him i was in pain.he didnt care.sx schedule was over a month.yet i felt the port bunching up and stabbing me.i ended up in the er.so now dr. is off the roof with anger.he did the repair.cont.

I had lapband surgery on february of 2009 is been a nightmare now iI need to remove my band and the insurance refused to pay for it. I dont know what to do. My band is eroted among other things is no longer working for the had to empty my band …