NaNa

Wow, your situation is deep, hopefully, it is not financial. But your doctor should treat you as an urgent patient since you have an infection. You need see him or someone asap. Remember most folks who are able to control incisiion infections asap can keep their band, but if the infection spreads most have to have their bands removed. So this is URGENT. Take Care

Kristen, I feel I have perfect restriction, currently NO food that I cannot eat. I just recently got an small unfill. When I was too tight I could no longer eat any solids and meat was out of the question. I NEVER maintain a fill too tight to have foods I can no longer tolerate. Plus it is counter productive with no weight loss and you highly increase chances of band slips maintaining too tight fills. I just make sure I eat band friendly foods, like lean baked chicken and tuna most of the time and stay away from thick breads like burgers and fries. I have NEVER PB aka vomiting, since being banded. I can eat all foods, just in small amounts and I get full quick. Good Luck!

I am not Dr Sanchez patient but, I had the compression cuffs put on my legs the entire time I was in the hospital, my insurance paid for me to stay overnight and I did, and they were awesome! I loved the way they messaged my legs. I have not any blood clots but my mom had a history of them and passed away, so I guess I was a higher risk of developing clots, but I had a very smooth recovery and it has been smooth sailing with my band also so far.... Good Luck!

Hello, I am new to the forum, but I have had my band for almost 9 months now. I think I have pretty good restriction overall, I had my last fill in early May. For the last week I have been starving and eating more than I usually do. Normally I get full on small amounts of food. I am trying to figure out is my restriction slowly going away or is because of hormonal changes such as my monthly cycle due. I am currently pretty tight in the mornings, I usually gurgle mornings, but this morning I was able to eat food, like a couple slices of bacon and 1 egg and small portions of grits, I was starving...normally I don't do Breakfast...and yesterday I was able to eat about 2 pieces of baked chicken and a small portion of sweet potatoes and creamed spinach for dinner....by the way I don't PB, I do get the stuck feeling sometimes if I eat too quick, so I am wondering if I am due for another tweak in my current fill....any thoughts , I have never been overfilled and I want to avoid it, if possible...

Hello, I have been lurker on this site for sometime, I just recently decided to join and become an active member! and I just wanted to introduce myself, I have been banded for almost 9 months now and enjoying band life to fullest....:clap2:

Hello, I thought I would respond to your post, I rarely post, although I am not over 2 years post op so far it has been smooth sailing for me so far. Based on all my research of the band, MOST complications and problems with the band can be prevented. From what I hear band slippage is the MOST frequent problem for bandsters and also the MOST PREVENTED PROBLEM. With simply following the docs orders from post op, like full liquids, mushy food and transition to solids, and then trying to avoid too tight fills, which can GREATLY increase your daily risks of vomiting/PBing and simply avoiding problem foods and chewing your food very well before swallowing. My doc mentioned it is NEVER NORMAL to vomit with the lap band frequently, and if someone does, it is either because their band is just TOO TIGHT (which requres an emergency unfill), or their band has already slipped or they are simply just taking too big of bites on a restricted band which can plug up your esophagus, and these things are just common sense, but we all make mistakes as newbies and they should be learned from and not habit forming. I am almost 9 months out and have only slimed twice on watermelon and that could have been prevented, since I am usually tight in the mornings, but I wanted to push the evelope anyway, also, I have NEVER vomited since surgery. So as the others mentioned most bandster who are doing well don't post and it seems like a lot of folks are having problems. I eat normally at restaurants without ever vomiting, I just order what I feel will not give me a hard time and I usually take a doggy bag home.... Below are things that I received from an doctors office that may be helpful to you to identify and prevent problems with your band.... Good luck! AVOIDING COMPLICATIONS AFTER LAP-BAND SURGERY The most frequent, avoidable complications associated with the Lap-band are band slippage, stoma obstruction, esophagitis, and pouch dilation. These problems can be minimized with proper eating habits and close post-operative management and follow-up. It is important for our patients to have a better knowledge of these complications in order for them to identify the symptoms and receive proper treatment immediately. Band Slippage Band slippage, also known as gastric prolapse, is part of the gastric fundus moving through the band, resulting in the development of an overly large gastric pouch. This leads to excessive stomach tissue inside the band and obstruction between the upper pouch and lower stomach. It should be considered when patients who have had a normal postoperative evolution begin to experience changes in their eating ability (increased sense of restriction or obstruction). Typical symptoms are increased difficulty in swallowing solid or liquid food, vomiting, pain after eating that lasts more than a few hours and reflux. The first response should be to deflate the band and give proper hydration. A barium swallow should be performed to determine the position of the band and to make the diagnosis of prolapse. If, in fact, the band has slipped, the treatment is to remove or reposition the band through laparoscopic surgery. Stoma Obstruction It is defined as the obstruction of the passage of food from the gastric pouch to the rest of the stomach and it is usually caused by food obstruction Symptoms include pain while eating, chest pain after eating, inability to swallow solids (there is usually no problems when swallowing liquids) and nausea. This is diagnosed through an upper GI study where the obstruction is directly visualized. In these cases the band must be deflated and the patient should remain on a clear liquid diet until the symptoms have subsided. Pouch dilation This involves esophageal and gastric pouch reaction to restriction. It is associated with an overinflated band in an overeating patient and it may lead to more serious complications such as band slippage The symptoms include lack of restriction after a tight fill. It is most commonly seen in patients that have a tendency to binge or eat large quantities of food disregarding the feeling of satiety. The treatment for this is to deflate the band for at least one month to give the esophagus a chance to go back to its normal size and after this has happened, start over with the fills gradually tightening the band and monitering the size of the pouch through upper GI studies. How to Avoid This? Before your surgery, you are instructed on how your eating habits must change. Chewing your food properly, eating slowly and avoiding the foods your body does not tolerate decreases the possibility of vomiting which is the main cause of band slippage.

Thanks everyone for your expert advice, I always like to get another opinion on my fills, I have never been eager on fills and never got them unless I really really need them. I lose weight in spurts and everytime I lose a chunk of weight my restriction disappear :faint: .....and the flood gates open, but at the same time I don't want to be to tight, cause I know that can lead to problems and possible no or slow weight loss, I don't like to do liquid diets, I have tried that and some how high sodium soups never work for me....anyways thanks a bunch...

I am new to the forum, but I have had my band for almost 9 months now. I think I have pretty good restriction overall, I had my last fill in early May. For the last week I have been starving and eating more than I usually do. Normally I get full on small amounts of food. I am trying to figure out is my restriction slowly going away or is because of hormonal changes such as my monthly cycle due. I am currently pretty tight in the mornings, I usually gurgle mornings, but this morning I was able to eat food, like a couple slices of bacon and 1 egg and small portions of grits, I was starving...normally I don't do breakfast...and yesterday I was able to eat about 2 pieces of baked chicken and a small portion of sweet potatoes and creamed spinach for dinner....by the way I don't PB, I do get the stuck feeling sometimes if I eat too quick, so I am wondering if I am due for another tweak in my current fill....any thoughts , I have never been overfilled and I want to avoid it if possible..

I am new to the forum, but I have had my band for almost 9 months now. I think I have pretty good restriction overall, I had my last fill in early May. For the last week I have been starving and eating more than I usually do. Normally I get full on small amounts of food. I am trying to figure out is my restriction slowly going away or is because of hormonal changes such as my monthly cycle due. I am currently pretty tight in the mornings, I usually gurgle mornings, but this morning I was able to eat food, like a couple slices of bacon and 1 egg and small portions of grits, I was starving...normally I don't do breakfast...and yesterday I was able to eat about 2 pieces of baked chicken and a small portion of sweet potatoes and creamed spinach for dinner....by the way I don't PB, I do get the stuck feeling sometimes if I eat too quick, so I am wondering if I am due for another tweak in my current fill....any thoughts <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype>, I have never been overfilled and I want to avoid it if possible

Thanks Babs!!

Thanks Niche! I will try to wait it out to see if my appetite and hunger level..levels out, this band is so finicky sometimes, it hard to determine sometimes if the band and is loosening up. I just hate when I am hungry and can eat more, that scares me, because I can really do damage....

Thanks Shackdog!

Thanks neighbor!

Thanks Elizabeth!

Hello, The lap band can be just as effective as RNY, I started at 326 back in September of last year and now I am currently at 233 today. My doctor gave me an orientation on each procedure, and laid the TRUE FACTS down for each procedure and how they work. I was tempted at first to get RNY with the quick rapid weight loss, but as started to see a lot of folks who got this procedure and how they live daily, especially the ones who dump, they have to monitor daily food ingredients to make sure they don't get sick, and this is not ONLY SWEETS, but your every day carbs....I wanted my life to be as normal as possble without ANY sickness and potential long term debilitating health problems when I get older, SO, I decided on the band and I am very pleased with my results so far.....