pennreporter

My first band surgeon was horrible at the fills. They would poke you first to deaden area a little, pillow under small of back and push stomach out and they would remove all and then add it back in so they knew how much was in there. I had lots and lots of problems. Long story short second band surgeon including NP and bothe surgeons it's a breeze. Like other poster I just raise my feet up. Never a problem finding port and if I'm going for .25 cc that's all they add. They thought removing it all and then putting it back in was kind of silly. I know it's really awkward to tell your doc you'd like someone else to do it. I'd have a hard time doing that. Bad fils were just one of many things wrong with first surgeon. I guess cute doesn't equate to competent. Lol

Most fills the dr wants you doing soft food and liquids for the first day. Wouldn't have any removed until you see if it's just the swelling. 6cc is not a lot.

I agree that it would depend on why band is being removed. When my first band was removed it was because stomach and spleen were adhesed and because they had to separate them and use staples they removed band so no foreign object would be there. But I would think if you have no complications and you just think sleeve will be better it probably wouldn't be a problem all at once but I would sure want to know my surgeon's experience and success ratio. Surgeons here in pa love love the sleeve. If I could have done it all at once I would have but I also didn't know enough about the sleeve at that time

I had my first band about 3.5 years ago. Got down to goal almost but for six months a constant throwing up. They thought band had slipped. So they went back in and my stomach had adhesed to my spleen They had to remove band, separate stomach and spleen and stitch with 100 staples which according to surgery is not a lot. I was devastated. Had no idea the band might be removed. It took about 6-9 months of insurance company hoop jumping and finding a new surgeon. What a difference a more experienced surgeon made. The fills have always been a breeze. First surgeon fills were always problematic. Glad you're back on the road again. Even with my issues I'd do it all over again. Wait, I did do it all over. Lol. My daughter is a bander also.

I was plateaued for about nine months. Well, maybe not plateaued but just not working at it. Had just accepted 180 has my new norm. This summers went dairy free which emirates all the ice cream which I was in denial how much I ate, the cheeses and the half gallon of milk a week. Without changing anything else I dropped 16 lbs in 3 months. I'm working on going gluten free which isn't as hard because I can't really eat bread anyway.

on my second band and would do it again in a heart beat. First one failed but I think more of a surgeon failure. Went from 240 to 160 but throwing up all the time. Band removed and of course gained everything back over next six months. New surgeon, new hospital, new band. It's been a year and a half and close to 160 again. But for a year I hate very unhealthy, too many chips and ice cream. You know, all the things you're not supposed to eat. I maintained a steady 180 and just kind of accepted that. This summer I went dairy free and dropped 16 lbs in three months. I don't yo yo diet any more. My goal is 150. The dairy free has been great My daughter is a bander also. 100 lbs and reconstructive surgery for her. I still don't exercise as much as I should. Blood pressure is normal now with only 1 pill a day. Hoping I can go off cholesterol meds. No knee pain nor ankle pain nor apnea. No regrets except my choice of my first surgeon

Would be interested. I'm in tobyhanna but I work a lot in Scranton

I'm in the poconos and unfortunately don't have time to be a workout buddy struggling to find time to go two minutes to the gym. But glad to see someone else from the poconos on here

My daughter has reflux with her band also but it's such a small amount of fill that had to be removed to ease the reflux. My neighbor has the sleeve and it was only ever her choice. She wasn't a great dieter. It was tough without my band because I had basically thrown up for six months. So once band was out I was on a frenzy eating. But it sounds like you're starting off right mentally. Good luck and it will all be good

The complications of banding is why so many drs love gastric tony (sleeve). It doesn't have downsides of band or bypass. My dr thinks at some point it will be the primary surgery. Little scary but I think for some folks a necessity. My neighbor had one and has done wonderful. So sorry about your complications. It is a foreign body and some bodies want to reject anything. I had mine removed and later replaced but my stomach had adhesed to spleen and they had to remove band because again a foreign body would hinder healing process of staples. Good luck on your healing process

Oh please so don't worry. My daughters dr (one of the leading drs in us for banding) doesn't even put you on a preop diet just the night before. And post op was just a few days. He wants his patients adjusting to normal food as quickly as poss. As long as you didn't get jammed up I would think it just fine. Had you gone out and tried to eat a big ol ribeye maybe that would be diff. Lol

I'm 61 today. 3 yrs out from first band and one year from second one. Long story. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Still not at goal but not bands fault. I would do it at any age. My daughter and I are both banded which helps because we are our biggest support team.

Have you considered the sleeve? I would do that before a bypass. A friend is ten yrs out in bypass and they're starting to find serious health issues. Her dr was top dr at Nyu they're starting to do reversals now. But I had my band removed last yr because of some issues. Ins approved either band sleeve or bypass. Bypass for me was never an option. But I k we going in depending on what new dr found I coul end up w sleeve. Luckily he did the band. But bright has had great success w sleeve. Good luck. Oh when band was out I gained about half of my weight back because now I could eat without throwing up. Good luck

My ins co paid for what was supposed to be revision and ended up bein a removal and then approved the replacement of either band or sleeve and I was almost at goal weight. The argument is that it took the band to get you to your weight nd you would still need the band for maintenance. Now they may have approved mine because I think we all new surgeon 1st surgeon screwed up. My stomach was adhesed to my spleen which I believe was an inexperienced surgeon touching something w instruments he shouldn't. If they don't approve I would definitely appeal w or without an atty. but because it's a complication of first surf they usually will ok it.