Re: New Member - Walt Lindstrom

[Guest guest]

Welcome Walter!

I found your web site before I had the lapband. I printed all the info and

gave to Greenstein's assistant Rabner. I don't think she read it but I did

and found it helpful. Thank you.

[Guest guest]

Hi Walter,

Welcome to the bandsters. What an honour to have you with us. You might

recall, we had a chat a few months ago during one of your online

presentations on obesity surgery.

You mentioned that you work closely with BioEnterics (the manufacturers

of the LapBand). Is there any news on the results of the clinical trial?

Do you know when and if the LapBand will be approved in the USA?

kind regards

Barbara (aka as Brioletta)

> New Member - Walt Lindstrom

>

>

>

> Hi folks.....My name is Walter Lindstrom and I've just joined this

> list. I

> had a roux-en y gastric bypass 4 years ago, not a LapBand or AGB, but

> I have a

> serious professional interest in the subject. My practice is the

> Obesity Law

> & Advocacy Center (www.obesitylaw.com) based in San Diego, California

> and I've

> formed a non-profit group called the International Obesity Surgery

> Support

> Group (IOSSG) (www.iossg.org) and have dedicated my personal and

> professional

> life to making obesity surgery more accepted and accessible throughout

> the

> world. That mission is the entire function of IOSSG, of which I am

> the

> Executive Director. I work closely with BioEnterics on these issues

> and just

> found out about this list today. I hope you won't mind if I

> participate....even if I share a different procedure. Any objections?

> Hope

> not. Thanks for being here. Walter Lindstrom

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> --

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Walter! Nice to hear from you again. My only concern would be that you

mention you work closely with Bioenterics. There are some " Bandsters " who are

having problems with their bands and who talk very freely in this group. Will

we still have (and I know this is an illusion on the internet) the illusion of

privacy as far as discussing how will feel about Bioenterics and the band?

I know this sounds silly, but I have had quite severe complications with my

band, and although I have worked as a legal secretary doing insurance defense

for 20 years and would never sue anyone, especially my doctor who I feel is a

very fine doctor, I do feel there are some serious problems with slippage with

these bands and I would like to feel like I can speak freely with people who ask

me about my true experience with the band. I am one of the oldest " bandsters "

in the U.S. (have had the band in the longest of anyone in this group) and

people often ask me to be very candid. I would feel a little tongue-tied if I

felt my verbal (e-mail) recitations of my experience with the adjustable

laparascopic gastric band would go straight back to BioEnterics. I feel it is

good surgery, but like the " angelchick " band used for many years by surgeons,

there are some real problems with slippage of this band that need to be

addressed. I just don't want to be the one to do it -- I'm not a crusader --

although I do want to be able to tell people very honestly what results are like

after almost 2 years with this band.

It is nice to see you on the group though -- you have been such a wonderful help

to so many people and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Who knows, if I

try to talk my doctor into converting to a roux-en-y bypass, I may need your

help myself with my insurance company (since they covered the band 100%)!

God bless,

Kit

>>> Atty4obese@...> 08/18 6:01 PM >>>

Hi folks.....My name is Walter Lindstrom and I've just joined this list. I

had a roux-en y gastric bypass 4 years ago, not a LapBand or AGB, but I have a

serious professional interest in the subject. My practice is the Obesity Law

& Advocacy Center (www.obesitylaw.com) based in San Diego, California and I've

formed a non-profit group called the International Obesity Surgery Support

Group (IOSSG) (www.iossg.org) and have dedicated my personal and professional

life to making obesity surgery more accepted and accessible throughout the

world. That mission is the entire function of IOSSG, of which I am the

Executive Director. I work closely with BioEnterics on these issues and just

found out about this list today. I hope you won't mind if I

participate....even if I share a different procedure. Any objections? Hope

not. Thanks for being here. Walter Lindstrom

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/98 9:33:11 PM Pacific Daylight Time, SandBlood@...

writes:

<< Welcome Walter!

I found your web site before I had the lapband. I printed all the info and

gave to Greenstein's assistant Rabner. I don't think she read it but I did

and found it helpful. Thank you. >>

I'm glad it helped....how are you doing with ol' Greenstein and the gang?

Walter

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/19/98 4:07:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Barbara.Young-

Hetzel@... writes:

<< You mentioned that you work closely with BioEnterics (the manufacturers

of the LapBand). Is there any news on the results of the clinical trial?

Do you know when and if the LapBand will be approved in the USA? >>

The trial is proceeding on schedule but the FDA approval process takes so much

time...I think the timeline is 18-36 months.....although I'm sure the company

is trying to seek appropriate ways to reduce that.

[Guest guest]

You ask " how am I doing with Greenstein and the gang? "

Typically I would suppose. I had an aversion to him the first time I met him.

However I believed he was a good surgeon and this was the proceedure I

preferred. So I went ahead. I was to have my gallblader out at the same time.

During surgery he droppd a gallstone and closed me up instead of doing the

lapband for fear of infection. Three weeks later I came back for the lapband.

I was was not really prepared to go through another surgery so quick but the

timing was my choice. I had some complications and Greenstein was really

terrific. He is very present if you are in trouble and you could not be in

better hands then. However, since then he is totally indifferent and frankly

uninterested. I just had my first adjustment on August 2nd. I haven't lost

any weight yet, though I lost twenty pounds preparing and going through the

surgery. I am beginning to change the food I eat. I have 1.5cc and I may not

feel a lot of restriction until the next adjustment.

Welcome and thanks for asking.