luvzpitbullz

Hello, I posted here way back when I had my surgery in 2006 but I haven't been back in years. I tried talking to some folks at OH.com but.... not too helpful there. Here's my story and question. I will try to make it short and sweet. I got banded in July, 2006 with the 10cc band. I lost 130 lbw in the first year and got down to a size 6 (from a 22!). I still love my band and I am happy with my decision to have it but the last few years have been bad to me. I lost my job and insurance about a year after having the band. I was able to self pay a few times to get into my doctor for check ups but after year 2 or 3, I could not afford to go back. In that time, I gained 70 lbs back and I have had horrible acid reflux with aspiration. I was recently able to get on the state funded insurance program and upon telling my PCP what was happening, she referred me to a local bariatric surgeon (not the same that did my surgery) I had to jump through a bunch of hoops with them to get in as an "adoption case" as they weren't the ones who performed my surgery and my appointment is today. This past weekend I ended up in the ER not being able to eat, drink or even swallow saliva. It was very all of the sudden and I hadn't even eaten anything that day, only had coffee. The ER I went to was clearly inept at handling band patients but by the guidance of my former surgeon, they did unfill me under flouroscopy and that is how we saw the slip. I think I already knew just going by my syptoms for the past 2-3 years and the weight gain and the increase in amount of food I can eat. The band is supposed to lay horizontal or point up towards the shoulder. Mine angles down towards my hip bone. They also found I have a hiatial (sp?) hernia. I did get in with my former surgeon and he said I definetly need surgery. He recommends transitioning to a bypass or sleeve but my insurance wont cover that and I don't have 25k lying aroung. He indicated that after repositioning, there is only a 50/50 chance that I will lose the weight again. That scares me. I am thinner and healthier than I was, but not where I want or need to be. At 5'8 and 224, I am considered obese now. So my question is, has anyone else had their band sugically re-positioned and still managed to lose weight as they did before? Or did you just continue to have problems? Im on my way to the other surgeon right now for his imput but any comments or sharing your experiences would really be helpful. Thanks so much! Kayla

Thank you both for your responses. I went to another dr today. This doc is obviously not a fan of the band and suggested I justtake it out. He had me do a barium swallow and then did a total unfill. He said if I just go on the liquid diet for two weeks, the slip will fix itself? Now I'm really confused. And scared to death that I am going to gain even more weight.