ktiggerama

I got my band 5/31/2004, I have never had problems with it very seldom something would get stuck because I wasn't paying attention to something I was eating or I ate too large of a piece dof food. My question to other banisters is how many people that have had to have theirs removed? I started having problems aboiut. 1 1/2 months ago. It started with a tightness in my chest and food started getting stuck a and therew was some vomiting happening as soon as I ate. I went to my surgeon and he took out 2 cc's of a 4 cc band. In 2 weeks I went back on July 3rd for an endoscopy, as soon as he did it I had to have emergency surgery. Dr. Fegelman said I had a very badly eroded band. He told me that he had attended seminar recently and they were saying as much as 80% of banisters have been getting erosion. Mine was eroded in my stomach and my insurance did not cover the first surgery. Is there anyone out there that has had a eroded band? I have never had such pain,my surgeon said it is some from the gas but mostly from the erosion in my stomach. The worst part is a night because you cannot get comfortable to sleep. I have been off work for almost 1 week now and it doesn't look like I will be going back soon. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks, Kim

Hi Nancy, I didn't know it was eroding. It first started with chest pains, and I felt sick even putting anything in my mouth but nothing would come up. I went to a cardiologist and he said it was not my heart, but he suggested I see my lapband surgeon. I went to him and he ordered a barium swallow. I asked the technician what he saw and he said it looked complicated, I knew that wasn't good. My surgeons office called me the next day and set up an endoscopy for July 3rd 2012, he did the endoscopy and from there did emergency surgery because it had eroded through my esophagus into my stomach. Went home the next day and 6 days later with 10 pounds of poison from the peritonitis was back in the hospital in critical condition. What a long journey, but things are much better now....

Oh I forgot about the surgeon. He no longer does surgery anymore. He was a top lapband surgeon in my area decided to go work at a research job. He was an excellent surgeon.

It took almost a year for my stomach to heal. I had terrible intestinal issues along with not feeling well at all, but that may have been from the peritonitis I had. I was off work for 2 months, went home from hospital on IV antibiotics and anti fungal drip. Also on a Pic line for 1 month. Wasn't aloud to have food or water for 1 month. Only aloud to suck on ice chips. I feel much better after the year has passed, but still afraid of gaining weight. I am doing nothing as far as dieting. I am trying to eat like I did when I had the band. One good thing is that I have a wheat allergy, so no breads, cookies or cakes unless they are gluten free. I just wish I had known about band erosion before hand. I knew about slippage and not eating right and getting stuck, but nothing prepared me for what happened.

Well it has been 16 months since my band was removed and $100,00.00 later I have no band and no sleeve. After almost dying from an eroded band, my surgeon said no to weight loss surgery. I have gained 10 pounds back which terrifies me, but at least I'm alive. The band was not what the company said it would be.

I got my band 5/31/2006, I have never had problems with it very seldom something would get stuck because I wasn't paying attention to something I was eating or I ate too large of a piece of food.. My question to other bandsters is how many people that have had to have theirs removed? I started having problems about 1 1/2 months ago. It started with a tightness in my chest and food started getting stuck a lot and there was some vomiting happening as soon as I ate. I went to my surgeon and he took out 2 cc's of a 4 cc band. In 2 weeks I went back on July 3rd for an endoscopy, as soon as he did it I had to have emergency surgery. Dr. Fegelman said I had a very badly eroded band. He told me that he had attended seminar recently and they were saying as much as 80% of bandsters have been getting erosion. Mine was eroded in my stomach and my insurance did not cover the first surgery, so I doubt it will cover this surgery. Is there anyone out there that has had a eroded band? I have never had such pain,my surgeon said it is some from the gas but mostly from the erosion in my stomach. The worst part is at night because you cannot get comfortable to sleep. I have been off work for almost 1 week now and it doesn't look like I will be going back soon. I would appreciate any feedback. Oh and by the way I lost 64 pounds with my band. Thanks, Kim

Carla, I am feeling much better, but am still see a specialist. I have not gained any weight back, which I am happy. My doctor said it will take months to heal from all the damage that was caused. I still have stomach issues, things do not digest well. I too was having tightness in my chest and then vomiting started when I found out my band had eroded. I loved my band and was a big advocate of it, but now after almost dying I cannot say that anymore. What's is sad that Allergan should have told us this 6 years ago that the band could erode and potentially kill you. Hope everyone else that had this happen is well.

Oh my....that is exactly what happened to me. I got my band 5/31/2006!and I started having problems a few months ago. It felt like I had pressure or like I had to burp. Started eating different foods, nothing it was getting worse. I went back to my surgeon and he took 1 cc out of my band I have a 4 cc band. He told me to give it a week and see how it went. I went back and he only put a 1/2 cc back in the band. He told me the next step would be an endoscopy, and that when he told me that he had just attended a seminar and they were told that the bannds had up to an 85% chance in of erosion in some studies. Well pain got no better, so I was scheduled for an endoscopy on July 3rd 2012, before I went under he aked me if it was eroded he wanted to take it out, so I woke up with no lap band. It had eroded into my esophagus and stomach. The pain is also unbearable. I am on pain meds, antibiotics, anti fungal meds, stool softeners. I have had 2 c-sections and did not have this much pain. The bad part about this is that I was Self pay 6 years ago. I am not now and am waiting to see if my insurance will consider paying for this surgery. And I will not say anything snarky, because I also did everything I was told to do and look what happen to me. Sure I am scared about gaining weight, but right now I just want to be outta pain. Hope you are doing better

That's why I got on here. I was up in agony at 12:30 am and started googling some more. I just hate feeling like I have no control. Also 2 months ago, I kept feeling a tightness in my chest like I needed to burp but could not, but I will tell you one thing I have had NO appetite since the removal or taste buds. I'm so glad I found someone going through the same thing as well. Tomorrow starts a new day, and I hope with less pain. Please stay in contact, and like I said if anything starts getting worse, request surgery sooner

That's how mine started, with chest pain....I even went to my cardiologist because I thought it was my heart that was on May 9th. He is actually the one that told me to go back and see Dr Fegelman. Mine was getting to the point where if I took a bite of anything I would have to run and vomit, but the odd thing is nothing came up except thick saliva. When Dr Fegelman did my endoscopy last week he said there were 2 small grapes stuck in there. The chest pain was terrible before the surgery. I was tired all the time and had no clue my band had eroded. If you start getting more pain, don't delay, because post surgery from this is terrible. Take care

Hi Kim.....I feel for you, I had never gained any of my weight back or had any problems with heartburn or vomiting until 2 months ago. Yes my erosion was too bad and Dr Fegelman had to immediately take it out. He said if I wanted to we can discuss the sleeve in 8 months. Has yours eroded into your stomach yet? I am on pain meds, gas-x, antibiotics and some kind of anti fungal med. I also have a 4cc band made by Allergan which another person on here said the 4 cc bands had been recalled. I am just hoping and praying my insurance covers this. Good luck with yours and keep me posted. I hope you don't have the pain I am having.

Yes it was the Allergan band, thanks so much for the info. I will check this out.

Thanks for replying....don't get me wrong, I loved they'band until I had to,have it scraped out. It worked for me like nothing else had, but i thought it would surely last longer than 6 years.