hmarko

Should add i have been messed up due to hiatal hernia/pouch dilation/slight slip this past year so we had to do complete unfills for 3 weeks and start over after the 2nd time around we decided there is a problem. Its a different feeling than the band working the right way - you never get stuck; but you get bad reflux. The tighter the worse the reflux but meanwhile i can still eat a ton (like the pizza for example) very bizarre; or chinese food noodles etc.

Hi Karebear: No I have worked well w/ my doctor so never thought about leaving and they are really one of the tops in their fields and yes you can die from too tight or get slips. What happens when you get too tight is you eat around it and maybe you are doing that to some degree already? Do you go thru your diet w/ him - he may be seeing that and assuming your on the tighter side because of it too. I am not the best example to ask about meal choices but when I was properly adjusted I would eat some fish and usually have no room for more. Or salads. I've been messed up for the last year and my eating habits have slipped. My pouch got dilated so I actually was able to have two slices of pizza and be overtight at the same time (mind you I did that 3 times in one month not daily) but this is what happens when you start running tight. My slip/hernia either happened due to being way too tight and thinking i can deal w/ it or a fall from my horse a few months after we will never know. Well I learned to not go there again the hard way - i couldn't take 3 bites w/o feeling the pressure way too tight. After that i ran into problems and it hasn't been the same. I NEVER PB'ed or slimed after this and this should have been a sign to me that something was wrong - the tight would show up in night reflux (I guess all that is a sign of pouch dilation). Live and learn - Revisions are no fun. So be careful. Can you try and eat some salmon w/ salad or veggies and see how you feel - those would move thru the band slower than what you described which might almost be a slider food? is 4-6 oz keeping u full for 4 hours? Or dark meat chicken? I was always ok w/ chicken breast lived on it a lot. One of my favorite things (in fact the takeout place is across the street and I can smell it i am STARVING as I am on full liquids after surgery!). I kinda learned my lesson on too tight so in a way I'm glad we did the plication and my doc knows that I ran too tight as well so she put in a control against that - that will teach me. Because I'm about 31 BMI or whatever my ticker says I am; it was not black and white to do surgery they don't like to do revisions. BUT at the same time I was still having fatty liver; and elevation of liver enzymes and a few dr's told me to lose more weight so that drove this decision a lot. Plus due to the complication i would not have been ever to have my band tight again so these things all happen from too tight.. Try and work w/ it some more there is no magic here it is work for us. You do need to be comfortable w/ you dr. Do they have a nutritionist in office or does anyone closer to you have that available?

Theresa I just had it done on April 9. I already had a lap band in 09 and lost a max of 72 lbs; this had to get revised due to a suspected hiatal hernia. To be honest the biggest focus of the conversation w/ my surgeon preop was whether to do the revision or not at all as I had already lost 60 lbs; with 30 lbs more to go. I stalled out last year because of this issue that needed correcting. We spent an hour discussing that and literally once I decided after being given the two options, she said she would also put two pleats in my stomach and showed me on the model in the office. She didn't really ask me if I wanted it, and I left it to her as well. But a revision is a different story than putting a new band in because you are already dealing with something that failed to work, so in a way there is a need to get more aggressive too if you want success. She was clear that this was in experimental stages but she spent more time discussing risks to a liver biopsy than the plication; and felt confident that the plication was a brilliant solution. My decision was whether to proceed w/ surgery; once that decision was made my surgeon took the best option to ensure success the second time around given my particular situation. I also had a liver biopsy and the replacement of a band is worse than putting a brand new one in but I felt 40 times worse this time than my first surgery. I am told its because of the adhesions and scar tissue they need to remove, when putting in a replacement band (and they couldn't reposition it due to the scarring so it became a bigger deal). The plication does seem to cause more cramping after the procedure and I suspect that is the cause of my still swollen tummy or maybe it is the liver biopsy don't know. On the bright site from what I am reading the phenomenon of bandster hell (that period when you are still too loose for the band to work) doesn't happen. I am almost a week out now; and I'm fine on protein shakes and soup but that could be due to swelling as well. It seems interesting but would I do it right now if I were putting a new lap band in? not sure its highly experimental. I've got two additional incision as they were able to do SILS w/ me the first time but this time they had to make the two incisions (not sure what drove that - was it due to revisions being more complex or the plication). just giving you as much info but I'm curious to hear what your doc is saying.

Thanks gingy - the Water weight is starting to come off slowly (did you know a gallon of IV's weights 8 lbs LOL I have some tummy cramps - the gas factor is better this time around overall (I had the left shoulder thing for weeks the first time - its gone after days this time); my abs are better this time around though the pain the first night was horrendous as I mentioned. They may not have done anything w/ the port which means my abs won't be totally shot too - feels like it. I think i may be ready to be on mushies soon starting to feel hungrier (we do liquids for 10 days). YES if a month out w/ no fills (which you have not had yet if i recall) you are full it is totally the plication! COOL! That is what I figured would happen! Fascinating stuff. Yea mine was tougher cuz of the revision mainly as they have to deal w/ scar tissue and get rid of it so its more invasive. The hernia i had last time too; the liver biopsy was unrelated to this but a great oppty to get it for other issues I've had (that would cause some ouchiness and the plication itself which is the cramping you experienced and I'm having now - when does that stop???) Having said that it is Day 6 and I feel like i am reaching a turning point of less pain.

Yes Dr Ren. WIll definitely keep you guys posted. The one thing i know is that I am in good hands and they are a great team over there - so whatever I'm faced w/ they can address. Will be interesting to see how it goes. I'm hopeful - and i'm happy they found a problem to fix as well and she was happy about that too cuz on the xrays it wasn't exactly black and white; the clinical signs did support a hiatal hernia - i still can't figure out what is the diff b/t that and a slip have to ask on my follow up. she said there was a slip too 'it was subtle' and the films are 2 d. Just goes to show how impt that communication is w/ the dr. Pretty incredible really.

Karebear just saw you have trouble w/ chicken and bread and that makes me think maybe you are ok on your fill level and you are eating foods that may be easy to eat. Strip is high fat right? How about filet mignon? How about fish steaks salmon, any fish? Bread a lot of people differ - for me I'm too loose if i can eat bread if I can't i'm just right. You may be ok try some harder to eat foods - salads, dark meat chicken. If you tighten you will start going more to easier and easier foods (high calorie) if you end up too tight and fyi - i never really went past 5.9 cc's so don't focus on the number. everyone is different. Never actually had a baked potato while having the lap so can't compare on that one.

No I don't think they are doing it with most lap bands at all - it seems to be exception based right now but i'm guessing. I know that she personally had not done a lot at all (I can count on my hands basically and she does that many surgeries probably in 1-2 days). A little bit of blind faith here - and not how i operate but I do trust her (the decision to do the surgery was made jointly with a lot of input from me and her presenting the options and me deciding; but once the decision was made she worked out the details - she knew exactly what she wanted to do LOL I do trust her - she is one of the best in a big city full of top doctors. Maybe they do it on revisions or evaluate whether they should do this -probably case by case. But as they learn more w/ their patients they may be doing it more (or less!). I think in my case it was warranted. I could not be without unfills (could gain 3 lbs a week w/ a loose band); i needed to be tight to lose; and now that i think on it should i be prone to these hiatal hernias or get thrown off my horse again (again we don't know if that was it and i don't anticipate ever having another bad fall like that); and need to live w/ my band loosened this could be the answer. I mean the good thing is my surgeon has been seeing a lot of me since i've been banded so has been close to the situation where she could have made a good judgement call.

Hi Karebear 86 lbs is nothing to sneeze at! Great! Well my experience has left me more confused than ever cuz it was all so subtle! kinda freaky actually and I could have lived w/o the surgery if I could have been happy w/ the weightloss and not sure where she would have decided to keep me filled but probably less than where i was which to me meant i would probably regain everything over years and while I was a size 12 (was as low as a 10) - doctors wanted me to lose more weight due to other issues (fatty liver; etc). I agree you are able to eat too much and boy has this been a learning experience. I learned that you can eat too much and still be tight - thats esophagal dilation. The food is filled in ur pouch above the band. But let me ask u this are you where you want to be weight wise? If so it is probably ok. The tightness people live with is very personal decision Key note to take away is really pay attention to the heart burn and talk to your doctor about it (rather I should say acid reflux). My doc explained it beats up on the esophagus and makes it not work well. Another thing I learned - after weight loss it is not so uncommon to have a hiatal hernia come back - telling signs are going from yellow zone to red. (again w/ a very strong team helping me and me going in every 6 weeks or so it was not so blatantly obvious nor obvious in films where it was black and white). Slips - I fell off my horse and asked how do we know if it slipped - and usually there are big signs and something like constant throwing up or trauma would cause that. My fall was a fairly severe fall worse than any car accident and I considered myself lucky i didn't have anything seriously wrong - well needing surgery would qualify for seriously wrong if that is in fact what caused it. Do you throw up a lot? I think they described a subtle slip w/ me could have been from the horse fall or it could have been from nighttime reflux which would cause me to throw up. I had two periods where its been bad last year and just recently which resulted in the revision. My signs were that unfilled it looked normal on the film but filled it did not and it seemed like it would flop around when tightened; but in reality once they were in there they could see subtle slip (and i was unfilled going into the surgery completely). I bought what looks like a great book called bandwagon written by someone who is a bandster ( a fiction writer). For me even w/ all this medical support it often isn't so black and white. I had to really trust my surgeon and I don't know if i mentioned this but they did the new procedure on me as well Plication. Goodbye bandster hell and hunger even when unfilled - hope there aren't any long term negatives but w/ all of this i guess there are trade offs. I think it is so new not sure i would recommend it but my surgeons practice are all very experienced and in my situation it seemed to call for it (they are not doing that many of these or haven't yet i should say). Again trust here or foolish but I'll hope for the best. At some point I have to call on faith in things to work out for the best.

Hi Lastchance i'm still in the codeine haze (now its gone) but it didn't sink in that yours was undone - i can't even imagine how I would feel having TWO surgeries! That is way worse! Glad you are feeling better - i do think this plication stops what you are feeling re bandster hell but I don't know what the complications are from what i read they are what you had - it appears quick onset but i don't know. I was told it is low risk and didn't do my own research the decision was made fairly quick to go ahead and revise, but I do trust my surgeon - it was an hour of discussion b/t her me and the NP that looks after me too. Anyway regarding the pain they really didn't manage it as they should have so it got bad - I wasn't on any painkillers at all until it got really bad - then they added morphine and that did nothing but allow me to stop freaking out and calling the night nurse every hour; so they added percocet and toradol too after i freaked out and emailed my doc first thing Sunday AM. It basically got out of hand where w/ you it sounds like they were on top of it not waiting for you to ask. Also w/ me they didn't LET me get anything down for a full 24 hours nothing but ICE chips until the barium swallow which did go down much to my surprise. SO I was on icechips more or less 24 hours post op. Then i was able to drink Water and brother woo hoo.

yes this just happened to me - so how are you doing now - how do you like the plication? was this your first WLS? I just had a lap band revision and they did the plication as well. I am up 9 lbs and in fact i had to call them cuz they state that as a 'call your dr if....' but they DID discharge me 7 lbs heavier! Going to see my GP tomorrow how was your recovery?