KINGFISH1

Thanks for your good wishes - best of luck to you as well. Marion

I was banded in May 2005 and have had limited success, and always had difficulty getting any good restriction. I was resigned to the fact that I was a 'band failure' as my surgeon put it - filled to the max with no restriction after more than 20 fills and unfills. In May this year I was admitted to hospital after experiencing high temperatures and incredible pain and swelling around the abdominal area, in the region of my port. I had been feeling off colour for some time. My surgeon was away at the time so I entrusted my care to the local hospital, where most doctors knew nothing about the band. I was treated for a severe infection with IV antibiotics, and after day six was discharged from the hospital. CT scans, ultrasound and xrays revealed nothing apart from a small pocket of Fluid. In July I went back to my surgeon for my last fill which took me to 6cc's in my 4cc Inamed band, and within days an abscess had formed above my port. The abscess is no longer infected but continues to discharge constantly. My doctor uttered the words "possible band erosion", and we waited for approval to get a scope done. I had the gastroscopy done two days ago, and have lovely images in living colour of my eroded band. The picture also clearly showed that the locking mechanism on my band was open - which could been the major contributor to the erosion. So now, the band has to come out - and there will be a delay of several months before I can investigate more weight loss surgery. I am so grateful that I know now why I have not been feeling well, why I had a really hard time losing weight and best of all, that it wasn't my fault. I will be very interested to know whether the band was faulty, or whether it was not locked correctly. I remember asking the question about how secure bands were before my surgery and was told they "NEVER" came undone. I am so looking forward to recovering my good health again, and hope that my surgeon has learned something valuable from my experience. Namely, that if a patient is filled to the max, suffers no reflux and feels no restriction after a reasonable period of time, that it needs to be investigated further. I wish I had been more assertive much sooner! Cheers Marion

Hi Real Deal. The band is a fantastic tool and I am sure you will do very well with it. I still have regular contact with my banded friends and all of them have done well with it, some have lost all the weight and are at goal. While complications do happen, many of them have a solution. Feeling a little depressed after surgery is not uncommon because your body has been through a rough time with surgery. Please don't worry yourself by looking at things that could go wrong, it will probably never happen. Best of luck with your band, I am sure you will do very well with it. Marion

Hi Nicole Here is a link to the vertical sleeve gastrectomy messageboard which is one of the obesity help forums. There are lots of 'old timers' there, and you will seldom read about problems related to the sleeve compared with lap bands or RNY surgeries. While I am only a few weeks out, I am already totally in love with my sleeve, it has freed me from my obsessive overeating, and the weight is coming off easily. No more fills and unfills, or complications ever again. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG) Best of luck in your research. Marion

Well, it was a long time coming but I finally had a revision to a sleeve on August 5th. It took my surgeon 4 hours to work through all the adhesions and scarring that remained after my band removal in October 07. I regained much of the weight that I had lost with the band while I waited for a decision as to when a revision would be done, and I became very depressed during that time because I felt I had no control over my situation. When the agency that normally covers treatment injuries here in NZ declined my application, my surgeon immediately stepped forward and arranged for the new surgery at no cost, which was a huge relief. I have had a pain free recovery and finally have my life back again. Best of all, I can finally lay to rest all the anxiety and despair of the last three years, and move forward again. My weight is dropping off again, I finally know what restriction feels like and I can't keep the smile off my face. So to all of those who like me, were not destined to keep their bands, there is a solution, so don't give up! Marion:smile:

Hi Marie, Whatever happens, there can be a good outcome for you. I had my band removed in Oct 07 because of erosion and nearly 3 weeks ago had a revision to a sleeve. I regained nearly all the weight I had lost with my band, and suddenly have control again and that is the best feeling, I feel liberated again! There were several on the forum who had problems with their bands after having lost most of their excess weight, and still had revisions as relative lightweights like you. Best of luck - it will be good to have a definitive answer as to what is going on with you. Marion:smile:

Glad I am not alone with my dreams. I was addicted to carbs and now there is no room for them. I can't believe the shift there has been in my thinking (while I am awake) since I have been home, but I also know from old timers that dangerous eating can creep back if vigilance is not maintained. One day at a time!

Lapbandtalk was my favourite site before I had the sleeve, I lived on the complications board because it was there that others who also had unlocked bands found me and I was finally not alone anymore. It kept me sane while I was waiting for a solution. This new VSG forum is great and will stand alongside the OH VSG board as a place I will visit often. Last night I dreamed of chocolate cake and running out to my car with a plate of it. It will just be a dream for a long while yet, because my head is now getting round to realising that I need good calories high in protein, and that empty calories are a waste of time. The best thing is that I FINALLY know what all my band friends were talking about - real restriction! Yes!!!!! Marion

Great to see your post and to read you have continued to do so well. My sleeve is only 4 days old....... I was banded over 3 years ago but had it removed last year, following heaps of problems. Anyway, I can finally lay that to rest and rejoice in the decision I have made! Marion

Hi there - great to see this new forum has been started for us! I am into my 4th day post op and am doing well - no pain or discomfort at all, but it is sure making me think alot more about my food choices and getting Water in, esp in these early days. I am a revision and had the surgery over 9 months after having my band removed following a severe erosion. My surgeon did a brilliant job, it took 4 hours to get it all finished because there lots of tidying up to do, but he was determined to give me an excellent result, and that's what I have got. Roll on the next weeks so that I learn how to drive this thing! Cheers Marion:thumbup:

A friend of mine was exactly the same as you - was doing well and suddenly lost all restriction. She went back for two fills, and little was left in her band, so she was booked in for surgery to replace the port or tubing. Turned out the leak was actually in the saline chamber inside the band, so what was supposed to be a quick 15 minutes fix turned into a 3 hour surgery to remove the old band and put in another one. Don't be fobbed off by your doctor if you don't feel any restriction, if it was there and now it isn't it needs to be investigated further. Good luck Marion

Hey, it is good to know that it is going to be sorted out for you and if you have a little bit of restriction now, hopefully it will last until Monday. Take care Marion

Was the fluid still in your band? This happened to a friend a few weeks ago. She went from good restriction to nothing and it had been several months since the last fill. She had a fill and still nothing. Turned out her band was not holding fluid so indicated a leak either from the port tubing or there is a chance that the tubing has disconnected from the port. The second option has happened to three people I know who all had the Swedish bands. Good that you are having it checked out - best of luck

Good for you about saying how you felt and I hope you get the support you need - keep us posted Marion

I know of two people that this has happened to and they both had the same make of band. In their case the surgeon sorted it out for them, but I also recall a rep from the company attending the second surgery.I wonder if you could have the same band! Is it maybe worth contacting the manufacturer and get some info from them. All the best

I am posting on behalf of a friend, who is six months out from being banded and has gained 5kg (11lbs) since she started out. She did all her research before going ahead with banding and was assured that after her surgery she would not feel any hunger in the early days and that fills would eventually kick in when the hunger returned. Within hours after her surgery she experienced hunger pangs (I have never heard of others that I know experiencing this) and this is something that has stayed with her constantly. In her words she feels like she is 'starving all the time"She has all but given up hope that it will ever work for her because she is constantly thinking about food. She has had weekly fills since the beginning of the year and 2 unfills. Currently she has 10.035cc in her band and can eat anything - bread sandwiches, steak, salads etc without difficulty - in fact she can eat a meal in 10 minutes and an hour later the head hunger is back and she is looking for food again. But if she drinks too quickly, liquids will come back up - but not the food. 10.1ccs (which is only 0.065ccs more, is too tight and she is unable to swallow liquids. She said that before her weight loss surgery she used to fast, but even then, she has never experienced the all consuming hunger and obsession with food that she has now. She is at a loss as to what to do now........ she understands that the band is a tool, but she has never felt like she has come near to the sweet spot and doesn't believe she will ever find it. Here's hoping that someone may have had a similar experience and can share their experience. Marion

Thanks for your thoughts Sarah The thing is - head hunger feels like real hunger if you are banded AND there is no restriction at all. My own band has been removed because of complications and all my pre band behaviours have returned with a vengeance. Some of my banded friends (very successful with their weight loss) also exhibit the same behaviours if they lose their fill even marginally. I used to fast occasionally too - because after a day, the desire for food left me, but as soon as I started eating it didn't take long before - whammo - out of control again! My friend got tired of fasting and was hoping to find that banding would suppress her appetite and assist with weight loss, like it has for thousands of successful bandsters. As for psychological help - she never had any issues that most of us haven't had, that is until she realised that her journey since being banded was an up hill battle. Right now she is feeling very depressed because she has spent a huge amount of money and gained 11lbs. She plans to have it investigated more thoroughly soon. Marion

Hi Banded 905 Most of my bandit friends were done about 3 years ago and nearly all of them have the 4cc band (as I did). Two of them with 4cc bands did not find 'restriction' until one had 5.5ccs and the other was 5.95ccs. One has lost 80lbs and the other 130lbs. Our surgeon did say that it was safe to go over the 4cc fill level and he was happy to go up to 6ccs. It could be that your band still needs adjustment upwards. Marion

The gas story was one I could relate to during the time I was banded although I did not suffer from the diarrhea. It began in the early days when one of the first fills I had clamped the band very tightly around my stomach. When my fill giver heard/saw my reaction he immediately released some of the fill until I was comfortable, but later in the day my abdomen swelled up so much that I could hardly walk without pain and I seriously thought about having to go to hospital. It was only in the wee hours of the morning that I started to get rid of the gas. The worst thing was, passing the gas was so loud and forceful that I thought I would wake the whole household. From then on there were just days, probably once every ten to fourteen days where my belly just blew up to the point where I had to unbutton my jeans. It was always uncomfortable (although never as bad as the first time), but I learned to live with it because I knew relief would come when when I went to bed at night and lay on my side. When my band was removed nearly six months ago, the swollen tummy and forceful explosions of gas subsided to "normal"! So I think that there could be something that is going on for some people that relates to the band and not necessarily the food that they eat, but in my own case, I don't know whether the gradual erosion of the band over a couple of years had something to do with the symptoms I was feeling. I have been interested in reading your comments Wheetsin that some who have had eroded bands have eventually had new bands placed and done well. I have just read tmazgal's post and am very happy that it is working well the second time around. When I asked around on some other forums last year about rebanding following erosion, I only got a couple of responses, one said she was warned against it opted for a sleeve and the other one had the experience of the second band also eroding and she finally had the sleeve done., This is why I dismissed rebanding completely at the time although my surgeon said it could be done. My thoughts were that if I was one of the few with an unlocked band, it would be just my luck to have some other complication like a slip, and that I would be worrying about what could happen for years to come. I have an appointment with my surgeon on the 10th April to discuss my options and to hopefully book a date. The way I have struggled over the last couple of months has shown me that I want to regain my energy and once again be free of the burden of obsessing about my inability to lose weight on my own. I want to find the "New Me" again - because she is temporarily absent without leave. I will keep you updated! Marion

Hi SElaine I am sorry that you have also had such a difficult time - you may have read indigo-oceans post further back - her band was also unlocked but fortunately hers was investigated very early on because she could never find restriction. She did not suffer from band erosion and it was able to be fixed for her at no cost. I posted an update on my progress on her thread! My recovery went well, it will be five months on the 19th March since I had my band removed, and while the health issues involved with the erosion and infection have been resolved, I am again carrying much more weight, have no more willpower than before I had my band put in and I am again at risk of the other health issues that prompted me to have band surgery in the first place. I will definitely have another surgery - because the struggle to even just maintain my weight is just too difficult. I hope I will have a sleeve done within the next 3 months - I would not risk another band after reading a post from someone whose second band also eroded. That is not a risk I want to take. I also paid cash, and now my surgeon has applied to have the new surgery covered by an agency here in New Zealand that covers medical treatment injuries. There are no guarantees however, and if it is not covered then I expect my surgeon to make it happen for me because it was his mistake. Make sure that you ask to keep your band when you have it removed.... because it will make it clear to you and your surgeon (assuming you still have contact) what caused the failure. It will either be a defective band or a lapse by the surgeon when the band was installed. In either case - someone has a responsibility to look after you and if you choose to forgo another surgery, I feel you should be compensated. I wish you well, and hope that you will be looked after as soon as possible because while your eroded band is still in your body you will not be feeling great. Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes for you! Marion

I think you need to investigate this further Debbie - either your band is too big or it could be that your band is not locked properly which is what happened to me. I had so many fills, they lasted maybe a few days and then nothing. I didn't have a leak, and my surgeon told me I was probably a band failure because with up to 8cc in my 4cc band I had no real restriction. I could still eat salad, meat and sometimes bread and sometimes I felt a little blocked and would pb but this was a rare occurence. I would actually get excited with a pb because I knew that I must have some restriction. To cut a long story short, I had a gastroscopy done last year in September and the pictures showed that my band was open and had eroded into my stomach which meant a surgery to remove the band. If only I had not sat on the fence for so long and if only my doctor had suggested to me that we explore why my band was not working, then it may have been possible to fix it before it eroded. Indigo-ocean has posted recently and has had her band redone after it was found that it was unlocked too. I don't think it is possible for you to stretch your pouch and not have the food backing up towards your throat. My band friends suggested that may have happened to me because I never felt the restriction that they did. It is better to know for sure Debbie so that you can have peace of mind. Best of luck Marion Best of luck - please check it out further

Hi there - Regarding locking mechanism failure - I have copied and pasted my original post dated 19/09/07 so that I can add the follow up since I had my band removed due to erosion. ..................Quote "I was banded in May 2005 and have had limited success, and always had difficulty getting any good restriction. I was resigned to the fact that I was a 'band failure' as my surgeon put it - filled to the max with no restriction after more than 20 fills and unfills. In May this year I was admitted to hospital after experiencing high temperatures and incredible pain and swelling around the abdominal area, in the region of my port. I had been feeling off colour for some time. My surgeon was away at the time so I entrusted my care to the local hospital, where most doctors knew nothing about the band. I was treated for a severe infection with IV antibiotics, and after day six was discharged from the hospital. CT scans, ultrasound and xrays revealed nothing apart from a small pocket of Fluid. In July I went back to my surgeon for my last fill which took me to 6cc's in my 4cc Inamed band, and within days an abscess had formed above my port. The abscess is no longer infected but continues to discharge constantly. My doctor uttered the words "possible band erosion", and we waited for approval to get a scope done. I had the gastroscopy done two days ago, and have lovely images in living colour of my eroded band. The picture also clearly showed that the locking mechanism on my band was open - which could been the major contributor to the erosion. So now, the band has to come out - and there will be a delay of several months before I can investigate more weight loss surgery. I am so grateful that I know now why I have not been feeling well, why I had a really hard time losing weight and best of all, that it wasn't my fault. I will be very interested to know whether the band was faulty, or whether it was not locked correctly. I remember asking the question about how secure bands were before my surgery and was told they "NEVER" came undone. I am so looking forward to recovering my good health again, and hope that my surgeon has learned something valuable from my experience. Namely, that if a patient is filled to the max, suffers no reflux and feels no restriction after a reasonable period of time, that it needs to be investigated further. I wish I had been more assertive much sooner!" Unquote................................ Before my surgery on 19th October 07 - I asked that it be recorded in my notes that my band be given to me, which it was. The surgery knocked me around, and was a long 3 hour procedure because it took such a long time to repair the damage. Following the surgery, when I asked my surgeon to confirm that the band was unlocked, he at first said that it had been closed which really upset me. I was too ill to question him any further and after 3 days in hospital I came home with my band in its container. It looked revolting, and was colored a dark brown from where it had been affected by gastric fluids inside my stomach, and of course still covered in slime from the operation. About a week after my op I finally steeled myself to clean the band up and have a closer look because I wanted to know if I had a defective band or if my surgeon was at fault. To cut a long story short, there was no way that the locking mechanism could have come undone by itself because I tested it out myself. When it was locked properly there was no way the band could be opened without brute force! This involved grasping the band in one hand close to the locking lug and then forcing it apart with the other hand by leveraging the locking lug out of the hole. When I had the post op visit to my surgeon, I confronted him again and he conceded that the band had not been locked properly and apologised for not acknowleging it sooner. I am now four and a half months out from my band removal and in six weeks I will be healed enough to consider another surgery. I am waiting to see if my claim for a new surgery will be accepted as a continuation of my treatment injury here in New Zealand and if it isn't, then I will be looking at my surgeon to cover the costs. It has been a constant struggle to keep my weight in check, but I have regained my health back again and that has been what I am most grateful for. Marion

Well indigo-ocean, you are the first one so far who has had the same experience as me, so maybe there are more out there too. I hope that you have success now that your band has been locked - if it is working for you the difference in your restriction should be huge and lasting. I am glad that you did not get to the stage of an erosion - best of luck. Marion

I had my band removed nearly 2 weeks ago and am still suffering from the dreaded shoulder tip pain. I understood that it had something to do with the gas that is used to inflate the abdominal cavity for laparoscopic operations, and that bubbles of gas find their way up to the highest point. When I had my band fitted in 2005 it took months for the shoulder tip pain to disappear. I will keep you posted when I am over the shoulder tip pain. Marion

Hi Tazza Nearly 2 weeks ago I had a band, that I had placed in May 2005, removed after I started having problems back in May when my health started to take a dive. I had virtually no restriction after being filled to the max and unfilled again a couple of times over the last 2 years. The early weight loss of 12kg resulted from the pre op and six weeks post op, and the next 5 kg I lost over a 2 years period. I had a leaky port replaced 3 months out, and then I waited and waited for that magical restriction that never really came. The only time I ever felt totally restricted was during a fill before I was six months out and that felt like the most intense uncomfortable pressure, until the fill was reduced again. Later that day I started to develop the most excruciating stomach pain and swelling, to the point where I found it uncomfortable to sit or stand and I seriously thought hospital was my only option. The pain was only relieved when I was able to constantly pass wind in the early hours of the next morning and when daybreak came I was ok again. To cut a long story short, I watched as all my banded friends lost huge amounts of weight over a two year period, and at the beginning of this year I had given up believing that I would ever feel what they did. I could eat most things, never had reflux, and hardly ever slimed or pbed, but I was basically only maintaining my weight loss. My surgeon told me I was one of the few that fell into the category of a band failure when I saw him for my last fill in June this year. Within a week after that fill, I developed an abscess on my abdomen, which led to a gastroscopy, which showed that my band had eroded and that the locking mechanism had failed - and lastly my band was removed on the 19th October. I had asked to keep my band so that I could see it for myself. The entire band was on the inside of my stomach up to the area where the tubing started, and the locking mechanism was mostly located outside my stomach. It was very easy to identify what was inside my stomach because that area of the band was stained dark brown with the constant wash of gastric acids, whereas what was outside the stomach remained white. My surgeon has not yet said that the locking mechanism had failed, in fact the day after the op I asked him if the band was open to which he replied that it was still in a tight circle. My choice of words was obviously incorrect but I was still in too much pain and in a fug to question him any further. If you get anything out of this, I would emphasise the importance of checking out why you do not have restriction at max fill level and don't give up on it. I wish I had done this myself 18 months ago when I first began to feel a sense of unease about the lack of effectiveness of my band. In my case, a scope would have shown that the band was wide open, it could have been addressed earlier and it may not have resulted in an erosion and the 3 hour surgery that resulted to tidy up the mess. Many of us trust our surgeons to the end and take their words as gospel but I believe that we can learn a lot more from other peoples experiences that often draw parallels with our own. Other peoples experiences can give us the push to investigate something that is not quite right and that is what support networks and forums are all about. Good luck. Marion