bandednomore

I wanted to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers. I've started Protonix and another medication that is supposed to aid in the digestion process, something similar to Reglan without all of the awful side effects. I'm jealous of all of you who still have your band, keep it checked regularly...I wish I had!

Hello I've not posted here for over 1 year, but this morning I received an email from lapbandtalk and decided that everyone should know about gastroparesis, my result of an eroded band! I had the band put on by Dr. Lopez in TJ Feb.03, it was removed because of severe erosion March 05. Shortly after having the band removed I started having pain with anything I ate. I thought it was just my stomach healing from the removal. It only got worse over time, I went to see a gasto. dr. December 05..they did many tests that included a endoscopy, colonoscopy, cat-scan, ultrasound, they decided I should have my gallbladder out, after it was removed the pain was worse. My mom and I went to Scottsdale Mayo clinic, after again many tests, they did an emptying test and concluded my stomach is not digesting food, it is taking hours upon hours to move anything thru my stomach. The erosion and/or the removal process permanetly damaged my stomach nerves. I just want people who are thinking of having the band or that have the band but have mild complications to realize what can happen. There is nothing they do for Gastroparesis, I was prescribed a medication that will speed up the digestion process...there is a 30% chance of getting Parkinsons. I have a 4 & 6 yr. old, I cannot risk getting such a terrible disease. The pain is sometimes horrid, I feel my stomach is coming out of my chest, burning, knawing pain for hours and hours. PLEASE be careful, the band I know is reversable.....the condition is not!!!!

Hi babs in tx, Your absolutly right, more complications will surface with time. I just thought I would let people know about the newest one I'm aware of....which is my gastroparesis. It sounds like you are doing great with the band and I hope that this complication or at least the result of my complication is rarely experienced. I'm not hear to fight or yell at anyone, nu sho has made it seem that way.....she is the craziest one I've come in contact with on a lapband forum. When I was researching the band myself years ago on Spotlight Health, I wanted to know any and all information I could about the band...good and bad. I want people to know that erosion is usually o.k, you will bounce back, but if it goes for to long or the damage is extensive, nerve damage is possible....gastroparesis. Best wishes to you, and good luck in the future with your band.

momof4, I feel refreshed to hear your post. I was angry inside reading what newsho posted. I'm not trying to scare people, just make them aware. I'm glad the majority here understands my goal posting here about my condition caused by the band. She is just a bad seed in my book, and now well forgotten. Thank you for your thoughts!

I feel refreshed knowing that you are the only one on this site that came back with such inconsiderate, rude, ignorant, uninformed comments. What more concrete evidence are you searching for, I spent 5 days at Scottsdale Mayo clinic where I was finally diagnoed with Gastroparesis. I never insulted one person except the doctor who told someone not to worry about this, he had never heard of this condition being related to erosion. He's performed only 400 surgeries, I understand why he hasn't heard of it yet. I have so many more things to say but I'm wasting my time with a personality type like yourself. Your looking for controversy and thank god you're not the majortiy view on this website or people would never come back for help, advice, to express themselves, to inform, etc. if your on the other end.

I don't even know if I should reply to your post, your comments are ridiculous. I had zero health problems before the band...ZERO! In the endoscopy pictures it showed my band partly inside my stomach, yes I did see the pictures. I had no symptoms of this happening. It took Dr. Lopez about 5 hours to remove the band, that tells how tangled it was within my stomach. Did you read about Gastroparesis, have you researched this condition? I think you would understand it better and realize it happens because of surgical trama to the stomach. Do you think the 5 hours it took the doctor to remove my band had anything to do with it?? Why are you so afraid to hear of a new complication, this is why I did not come here to post for so long. I've been dealing with this for over 1 year. I understand it is scary to think of a new complication that could possibly be from the band, but I am living truth that this can happen. Yes, it may be rare, but it did happen and people have the right to know about it without someone like you or Dr. C telling them not to worry about it. We put something foreign in our body around one of our most important organs and we expect nothing to ever go wrong??? Did you read that I loved my band it was the most wonderful thing I ever did for my self, I lost my 75lbs and felt fabulous. I would get it back on if I was able. I just want people to know that getting your band checked regularly is very important. Why is this so wrong to let people know. If you or someone else does not want to believe me or maybe your in denial that the band can cause such a serious condition...that is fine with me. I did my part in trying to educate the bandsters on this site.

Lisah25, I do understand this is not common, I just want people to know that while my band was eroding, I had no symptoms. I could eat normally, no pain, I had lost all my weight, I felt like a million bucks. I would have not known about my erosion if I had not went to get a fill. It would have gotten worse and then it can be very dangerous. I just feel now that even if you are feeling normal with no reason to have your band checked....you still should. I think that now doctors know that this can happen they should at least let people know about it. Just trying to spread this information....I wish I would have known!

Gastroparesis is common with diabetics and people who have undergone stomach surgery. I had 75 lbs to lose the day I was banded, no health issues at all, no stomach problems at all....I never had heartburn once in my life. Every single one of my problems that lead to me being dianosed with Gastroparesis at Mayo clinic happend after the band was removed. I appreciate your thoughts, but researching gastroparesis and learning how it happens with the nerves being damaged, I do not believe anything else could have caused it....especially since I had zero problems before I was banded.

To any of you who read the post from Dr. C about this condition....he says not to lose any sleep over it. I don't know how many of you look to this doctor for support or help, but he sounds dangerous. This condition may not be as common as other complications, but if you experience like I have you will realize that it is serious and difficult to deal with. Please have your bands checked regularly, don't listen to doctors like him that take your money for the surgery and have little to no care about complications later.

I have not heard of this, are you seeing a doctor in town where you are getting your information? Thank you, I will look into this.

I don't know who this Dr. C is, and I don't care after reading his post. I will tell you that any complication from the band should be knowledge given to all pre-op patients, as well as current bandsters. Telling people not to lose sleep over it is telling me is uneducated about the risks of having a band. It may not be as common as other risks, but it is still a risk from erosion which alot of people are getting. If not being able to eat meals, having terrible pain in your chest from chewing gum, not being able to walk long distances because of the excess scar tissue, terrible stomach pain that stops me from taking care of my children, working, and sleeping, does not cause Dr. C to lose sleep, I suggest you guys find someone else to direct your concerns and questions to. I hope that none of his patients experience this complication, because it sounds like they will be out of luck getting any help from him!

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but what I'm dealing with now because of the eroded band is serious in my opinion. Permanent nerve damage is never something I dreamed of dealing with in deciding to get lap-band surgery, not to mention the excess amount of scar tissue that fills my abdomin because of the removal surgery!

I had zero problems while the band was on, I lost 75 lbs and felt GREAT! I was very thankful for the band at that time. I had no symptoms of erosion, I felt nothing, no pain, nothing. I went in for a fill and they saw on the x-ray the band had moved in towards my stomach. I had an endoscopy and they saw that almost the entire band was inside the stomach. The doctor was amazed I did not feel anything. My only suggestion is to have your bands checked regularly, even if you do not need a fill for awhile. If this was detected before it was so bad, I think the nerve damage would not have been so bad or maybe not even happened. It took Dr. Lopez about 40 minutes to put my band on, it took him 5 hours to take it out. That is how tangled it was with my stomach! Please read about Gastroparesis on the internet, it will tell you the about the condition, I would not want someone else to go thru this if it is at all avoidable.

Sorry I was unclear about the Parkinsons. Because the nervouse system is so complex, it has a nerve that leads to the brain, telling the stomach when you are hungry, full, or when the digestive system needs to start the digestive process. When you take Reglan, the medication to aid in Gastroparesis, it works with the brain, helping these nerves to fire properly, therefore, causing Parkinsons in 30% who take this drug. If I do not take Reglan, I have no risk at all of getting Parkinsons. Gastroparesis by itself only causes me severe pain and discomfort from eating or even drinking Water at times. Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts. I knew about erosion going into the Lapband, but no one ever told me the nerve damage you can get from the erosion or the process of taking the band out. Heidi Las Vegas, NV