title: Mycobacterium Chelonae associated with rapid erosion of non-sutured laparoscopic gastric band.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To describe a case of rapidly eroded laparoscopic placed non-sutured gastric band secondary to Mycobacterium chelonae.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 65 year old male, who had undergone laparoscopic gastric banding two months prior for morbid obesity, presented to the clinic complaining of abdominal pain and night time fever of 4days duration. Urgent gastroscopy revealed eroded gastric band which was removed laparoscopically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  M. chelonae are not uncommon in Queensland. Although the mode of acquisition of infection remains unclear, it is suspected that human disease results from environmental exposure to dirty soil and water. The patient lives in rural Queensland and uses tank water which may be contaminated with M. chelonae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is imperative to consider environmentally acquired infection in patients with rapid erosion of non-sutured gastric band.
authors.affiliation: Sunnybank Obesity Centre and South East Queensland Surgery (SEQS) and Suite 9, McCullough Centre, 259 McCullough Street, Sunnybank, Queensland, Australia; Mayne Medical School, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; Faculty of Health and Social Science, Bolton University, Bolton, Lancashire, UK; School of Agricultural, Computational and Environmental Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: mmemon@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Muhammed Ashraf
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.affiliation: Sunnybank Obesity Centre and South East Queensland Surgery (SEQS) and Suite 9, McCullough Centre, 259 McCullough Street, Sunnybank, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: bmemon@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Breda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.affiliation: Greenslopes Clinical School, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: admin@whitby.com.au.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whitby
keywords: Complications; Eroded gastric band; Laparoscopic gastric banding; Obesity; Rapidly growing Mycobacterium