Hi I'm still researching having the band. I read somewhere and the Dr talked about it at the seminar about if you have an Autoimmune connective disorder the makers of the band say you shouldn't have the band placed in you. The Dr said they do it still all the time that the patient just needs to be aware.
Anyone know why this is I have Sjogren's which is that type of disease it's in the same family as like lupus. I haven't been able to talk to anyone from the Dr's office yet as the seminar was just last Saturday. I'll also ask my regular Dr. But was wondering if anyone knew. Thanks for any info.
I've been researching as well, as I have an autoimmune disease that hasn't yet been diagnosed, but is damaging my nose, sinuses, and lungs (initially Wegener's granulomatosis was suspected, but the progression has not been typical of Wegener's so it was ruled out. Vasculitis is still suspected, but not confirmed. My family history is unknown as I was adopted as an infant).
From what I've read on the subject, it seems there are two main concerns. That the lapband can worsen autoimmune disease, possibly because of the silicone. This seems a little sketchy, as it's been compared to breast implants, but the type of silicone is different, and there is no possibility of silicone leakage because the band is solid silicon not liquid. The second being that autoimmune disease will increase the chances of the body rejecting the band (causing inflammation, infection...)
I am very prone to staph and fungal infections already, and inflammation as well. My sinuses often inflame to the point you can actually see the swelling on the outside of my face. This worries me, because I don't know if that kind of inflammation could or would occur around the band. My primary care doctor doesn't recommend it, but I was referred to a rheumatologist who really pushed surgery (either bypass or lapband). I tend toward vitamin D and sodium deficiencies already, and bypass terifies me because I'm already so prone to vitamin deficiencies. The lapband worries me as well, and the rheumatologists dismissive "deal with complications if/when they occur," didn't really reassure me.
I had a root canal that kept infecting, and the dentist said it was because my body was treating the tooth (after the nerve was killed) as a foreign object. The infection actually bored through the bone in my lower jaw. It wasn't a large area of damage, just a wormlike hole that the dentist could show me on the x-ray, but if my body didn't recognize it's own tooth, I can't imagine what it will do with a real foreign object.
"We can deal with complications if and when they occur," just didn't reassure me enough to consider surgery at this point. It has given me a bit more motivation to continue to attempt it through diet and exercise, but I haven't ruled it out. Before I would have the surgery though, I would want to talk to the surgeon about his/her experience with autoimmune patients, and want to talk to autoimmune patients who had the surgery as well (possibly through the local support group). I'd especially want to hear from people who had complications, not just those who had none, because I really suspect that with my history there's a really good chance that I would have complications and I'd want to know what to expect.
I know that isn't much help, and I'm anxious to hear from anyone who knows more.
It's not that they go against it because it is just a suggestion by the company I guess and at the seminar they said it just depends on the case and what our primary dr and the surgeon think if they should do it or not. I have not talked personally to the surgeon yet.
I've never seen it worded as "a suggestion," but rather it's usually worded pretty strongly, such as the following, pulled from the LAP-Band website
The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if ........ You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.
____________
That doesn't sound like a suggestion at all. It sounds like doctors ignoring the advice of the manufacturer. Is there good reason for them to ignore it? Maybe, but I'd like to know what it is. If there is research on the long-term effects of WLS surgery for autoimmune patients, I've not seen it.
I do think that there is a perception among some doctors and some patients that obesity is a fate, in itself, so much worse than death, that patients have nothing to lose. If a patient feels that way, and is willing to take any risk, no matter how great, that is one thing, but if a doctor assumes that and presents it in that way to patients, that is completely another matter.
A doctor may be willing to take risks with my life, that I am not. That's why I need to know what the risks are, not just "I've done it once, twice, a dozen times before and nothing bad happened - that I'm aware of."
My response was a bit passionate, and I don't mean to say that the lap-band isn't right for you - just that I (personally) would need straighter answers from doctors than I've been able to get so far. Speaking to a surgeon who had specific answers could change my mind. If you talk to your primary care doctor and the surgeon and are satisfied with their answers and opinions, and are ready to proceed - then it's an appropriate choice for you.
I consider surgeons ignoring the autoimmune warning equivalent to "off-label" medication prescription (drugs prescribed for other uses than they were intended for by the creators). It's not a horrible thing in itself, but I think it's important for doctor and patient to understand the reasons and the risks in making an exception. Several of my medications are "off-label" prescriptions, for example, because until recently no drugs were created or tested for use for fibromyalgia, so all drugs to treat it were off-label. Specifically, I take Provigil on special occasions (say an out-of-town wedding) to decrease fatigue caused by the fibromyalgia. It's not what the drug was intended for, but it's been found to be useful for some fibromyalgia patients (some take it periodically, others daily). I decided not to take it daily because there's some evidence that it might lose effectiveness over time if taken regularly. If I were still working, I might have made a different choice, as it possibly could have allowed me to continue working, even if only temporarily. I probably would have done almost anything not to have to go on disability. But, since I found the drug after I already was on disablity, long-term functioning is my first priority. When I was working though I would have done almost anything to be able to keep working.
With medical issues like drugs and surgery, no one can tell you what risks you should be willing (or not willing) to take, but you should have access to the information so you can make an informed decision.
Oh I didn't take offense I completely understood what you were saying. And I believe your right about it I'm not going to take a chance on hurting my sjogren's so I wont make a decision till I talk to my primary and to the surgeon I'm in the very beginning stages so It's just research right now. I appreciate people who have opinions and like to give information so being passionate is not a problem!!
I just wanted to make it clear that I don't necessarily know what I'm talking about on this subject. I'm very much on the same page as you are right now. Considering weight loss surgery as an option, and yet trying to get all the facts. It's just very frustrating that there are alot more opinions available than facts, even from doctors. I want statistics and worst case scenarios. I want to know about patients that are the most like me. Ideally from double-blind research, but even a doctor's personal experience, if they have had alot of patients with my specific concerns, but I want a little more reassurance than a doctor saying "I'm not concerned."
Maybe I wouldn't be so paranoid, if I didn't have so many experiences of doctors completely ignoring what I tell them about what I know about my body. Like how susceptible I am to staph infections. It's all well-and-good that a doctor believes that he can help me through complications if they arise, but he isn't the one who has had a staph-infection that became life-threatening, requiring 3 months of antibiotics, including injections - just from a simple "boo-boo" of a scratch on my knee. I had to have a breast biopsy several years ago, and the surgeon removed a fatty tumor. I had told the surgeon that I would like antibiotics after surgery as a precaution because of my susceptibility to infection. He didn't feel they were necessary and didn't prescribe them... until my first post-op visit when there were some signs of the wound already infecting. And he said something really profound like "Wow, you really are susceptible to staph, aren't you?" (Because the tape bandages hadn't even been removed yet as I wasn't supposed to change the first dressing myself - he assumed that my prior susceptibility to staph was hygeine related, that I wasn't cleaning wounds properly).
It's hard to overcome bad doctor experiences. It makes me respect the good doctors even more, but it makes it harder for me to trust a doctor I haven't built up a relationship with.
I'm not hugely trusting of dr's either I had a problem with my thyroid for 15 years and kept telling them and finally it was diagnosed this year. And it's still not fully straightened out.
Hi,
I have Lupus, i had the band put in 4 years ago after a series of tests.
I havent had any problems with it except i havent lost weight,
well i did, but only when the band was so tight i could only have fluids.
I was hoping it would be the "magic" cure,
how wrong was i ????
All i would say is Research, research , research,
speak to as many people who it hasnt worked for as you do people who are happy with it.........they are just as many that it hasnt worked for, so keep that in mind,
Regards
Honey
Autoimmune connective disorders-band
