luckyme

I am 4 days out of plastics - BL/BA, extended abdominoplasty with lateral thigh lift and lots of lipo. I had my band doc take out 0.5 cc before surgery and I'm glad I did. I had 5 1/2 hours of surgery with 7 liters of IV fluids. Can we say puffy? I was afraid I'd be too tight and would need an emergency unfill. Not a trip I'd want to make after that much surgery. I still have no appetite, but having no problems with pills or eating. I've haven't needed any oral pain meds. I had pain pumps in until last night and I only have a little brief pain if I cough. The pills I'm taking are regular meds, Vitamins and Iron as I lost a lot of blood with the surgery. If and when I need my 0.5 cc back, I'll go and get it. After this experience, I'd recommend getting a little Fluid out for a major surgery. I'm currently at 1.5 cc in a 4.0 cc band. Good luck with your surgery. Luckyme 274/155 5'8" 1/31/05

Hi all, I'm planning an extended abdominoplasty next month. I have a standard port. It doesn't stick out now, but I'm worried that it will be noticable after PS. The port is located on the left between waist and ribs and about 1 - 2" from center. Did you have the port changed to low-profile or did your PS move it? I'm going to talk to both my PS and band surgeon about this and will ask my band surgeon if it is possible to get a low profile port to replace the standard one. So what has your experience been with your port? If you kept the standard port did it stick out after surgery? Do wish you'd had it changed? Thanks, Lucky 1/31/05 274/151 5'8"

Thanks, I'm going to see if my band surgeon can get me a low profile port for my PS to change out if both are agreeable. I talked to the Inamed rep and right now the port can only be sold to a facility that does banding. He said that he it trying to work on getting the policy changed so they can sell replacement ports to plastic surgeons. So, if they both agree, the challange will be to see if there is any way to get the port through my band hospital to take with me to the PS. I'm doubtful that they will sell me the port to be implanted elsewhere. My surgeon is at the ASBS conference this week so I won't be able to find out until next week. On my initial consult, my PS thought he could "pad" the port so it wouldn't be visible. In reality, its not a big deal as I don't plan on showing my midriff much, I've NEVER worn a bikini, but I guess I'll be able to. It just would be nice to get the best result possible. Lucky

Thanks Pat and Chickie. If you can't see it at 108 I'll check one more thing to obsess over off my list. Pat, I looked at some of your other posts and it looked like you were able to go back to work at 2 - 3 weeks. That is also reassuring as so far, I'm having trouble getting as much time off as I want. Were you able to stand up straight and work a full day? I tend to recover quickly, I was back at work full time 2 weeks after an abdominal hysterectomy. But I here stories of people not being able to go back for one month or more. Lucky

WOWIE! Thank you for posting. I had my first consult yesterday, so I'm getting excited. My PS said I wouldn't need implents with my lift and I'd end up with a B. I'm tall and wide. I want breasts like yours.... I want cleavage. I know you don't have implants, but you confirmed that I want them. Yea, I've got thigh issues too..... no easy answers there. I figure bigger boobs will distract from the thighs. Lucky 5'8" 1/31/05 274/150

Have you had a recent UGI or flouroscopy? Unless you have, you might be too tight without knowing it. The reason I ask is that last summer I had a small fill and started having reflux. I did not notice any increased restriction, in fact I felt I could eat more. After a month, I had the extra fill removed and the reflux resolved. I continued to feel like I didn't have good restriction and was gaining so I had a tiny fill a couple of months ago. No reflux this time, but no additional restriction, so I had an upper GI. THe UGI showed a huge esophageal dilatation, caused by being too tight. In retrospect this had probably been going on for about a year. The food was stretching out my esophagus rather than giving me a full feeling. I had all the fill removed, repeated the UGI last week. It showed that my esophagus was completely back to normal. I got a small re-fill yesterday. SO unless you've had x-rays, you could be too tight with out knowing it. I was. I thought I was OK because I never PB'd. I've come to the conclusion that I can't let my band do most of the work anymore. I'm going with a looser fill, limiting portions, exercise and continuing the ongoing work of improving my diet and behaviors. Even without a tight fill, I have less hunger that I did before banding, so I'm working that to my advantage. Even if you don't look too tight on flouro, you may have to back off on fill. Aspiration is dangerous. I resisted the idea of having fill removed for a long time, but found that I can eat heathier when looser. I had to make a BIG change in my thinking. I've actually re-lost almost all of the weight I regained in the last 6 months. I've done it by eating solid Protein, more fresh fruits and vegetables, limiting simple carbs, fried foods, and increasing cardio. I hope you can find a way to get your symptoms resolved while keeping your band working for you. Don't jeopordize your health by allowing the aspiration to continue. Kami 5'8" 1/31/05 274/155/153

Hi, I've been unfilled for the last month for a hugely dilated esophagus. We discussed partial unfill/liquids vs. total unfill/regular diet. I went for the total unfill. Yesterday, I had my repeat UGI. My esoghagus is totally back to normal. I've also lost a few pounds and much to my amazement I haven't had major hunger problems. I've lost weight because I've actually been able to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, replacing all simple carbs and soft foods, and othewise kept my portions the same. I also upped my cardio. I have an appointment for a re-fill next week. I'm relieved that I haven't done permanant damage, but I'm ambivilant about adding Fluid back as I've been doing so well unfilled. Just having the band in place gives me good hunger control. I never got my pre-banding hunger monster back. When I decided that I wasn't going to be able to let the band do all the work for me, my attitude towards eating changed. However, I don't completely trust myself to keep these changes for the long term. So, I will probably try a moderate fill. I hadn't PB'd in about a year (probably the same time I'd been dilating from being too tight), had only occasional reflux, and had no soft or hard stops, so I'd been self-limiting my portions to apx 1 cup prior to finding out I was too-tight/dilated. Good luck with your unfill. Lucky 1/31/05 274/153 5'8"

Hi, I posted this thread. I tried a number of changes in my eating to resolve my reflux without success. I finally gave in and had my last fill backed out a month after getting it as I was about to go out of town. Reflux gone. I still feel I can eat more than I should be able to on some days, but overall my pouch seems to be working much better. I'm working harder at limiting my portion size even if I don't feel "full." I still should get in for a flouro one of these days. Right now, I'm having no problems, I've lost a a total of 10 lbs since that last fill, several after the unfill. I've decided I'm at goal as my upper body is getting too thin, guess I'll always have thick thighs. I actually PB'd for the first time in about 6 months last week after absentmindedly eating too much. I was relieved that I PB'd, but don't plan on pushing my limit again. Reflux = unfill is now one of my rules. Lucky 01/31/06 274/153 goal at 5'8"

I'm sorry for what you went through and how you were treated. I'm sure I will be flamed for what I am about to say, but it is not attacking you, just meant to point out problems with obtaining band care, so that we can all think about how to get the care we need if we have a band problem. One of my concerns about having a band is the potential need for having an emergency unfill. Most ER's WILL NOT know how to do this, WILL NOT have a band surgeon on call, and WILL NOT have the correct needle. Most ER doc's (as well as other non-banding docs) don't really know what a lap-band is and don't have a clue about how to help a patient with a band problem. The reality is that the percentage of the population that is banded is still miniscule and it is not practical for ER docs to be trained on the band. The needle that is needed to safely access the port is a long, straight Huber tipped needle. I believe it is only available through Inamed. It is not the same as a port-a-cath access needle which is short and bent at a right angle so it can be left in the port comfortably during a long chemo infusion. Chemo ports are on the upper chest and right under the skin. Chemo needles would be too short to reach most lap-band ports. Regular needles do not have the special tip and can permantly damage the port membrane causing it to leak. ER doctors are not trained to access lap-band ports. Surgeons who do not place bands are not trained to access lap-band ports. Primary care doctors are not trained to access lap-band ports. The only doctors who are routinely trained to access lap-band ports are lap-band surgeons. The other possibility would be to ask for an interventional radiologist. They are trained to access anything with long needles. However, they are NOT required to come in to do this at night or during a weekend unless it is an IMMEDIATE life threat. How do I know this? I have a relative who is an ER doctor, have discussed with him and asked him to check the current versions of the leading Emergency Medicine textbooks and there is not even a reference to the lap band in any of these texts in their thousands of pages. I'm not saying that your care was appropriate, just that this is a problem that does not have a simple solution if you are not near your lap band surgeon. You were still treated horribly. I've often worried about how I would get help if if had a problem and was out of town. I've been tempted to ask my surgeon for a needle to keep with me in case of emergency, so I could try to talk an ER doctor though the procedure. I don't know the answer to needing an unfill when you are away from your surgeon or fill doctor. It would be interesting to hear what Inamed recommends in a situation like this. This will become a more common problem as more and more people are banded. I just don't see this becoming a standard ER procedure. Have you tried talking to Inamed about this situation for their recommendations? The ER is obligated to provide stabilizing care, not to solve your band problem. Stabilizing care would include labs, IV fluids, and making sure that you do not have a condition that requires emergency surgery. There have been a few cases where a band has slipped so badly that it cuts off the blood supply to the stomach and that situation would need emergency surgery. If this needed to be done at a hospital without a band surgeon, it is possible that the band would have to be removed by a general surgeon and it might have to be done as open surgery. Not to frighten everyone more, but if the hospital has a band surgeon who is not on call for general surgery and is not your surgeon, he/she can refuse to see you when called by the ER. Other than stabilizing you for immediate life threats, it is not the ER's responsibility to solve your band problem. Medical liability is a complex area, but unless you were permanantly harmed, you have no legal recourse. You should certainly let the hospital administration know if you feel you received poor/rude treatment. I'm going to talk to my surgeon next time I see him about what I should do if in a similar situation while out of town. I've been thinking about this after a recent trip to Europe and having some anxiety about trying to get help in an non-English speaking country if I had a problem with my band. I wonder if Inamed has a 24 hour 800 # that ER doctors can call for advice if faced with a band problem. I encourage everyone to discuss with their surgeon how to get an emergency unfill while away from their surgeon's area. Lucky 1/31/05 274/153 at goal

Banded 1/31/05 274/153/153 5'8" age 53 previous size 26, now 10, hips 56" down to 39 1/2" I thought I wanted to get down to 140-145, but I have always carried most of my weight in my lower body. This morning while getting dressed I had to admit that my upper body is just getting too boney. I'd like thinner hips and thighs, but now it is time to be grateful for how far I've come, accept my size 10 hips and give up the size 6 fantasy. Plastics/lipo could probably take me down another size, but I don't have any hanging skin, and don't look bad in clothes, so I'm not planning a tummy tuck or other sculpting. I was a fairly slow loser, but consistant and no band or port problems. This is the first time in my life that I can say I don't want to lose any more weight. Does that make me "normal"? Being at goal is new concept for me and will be quite a transition. I don't anticipate having any problem maintaining this weight at my current fill level. Since being banded, I finally feel that I am in control of food rather than it being in control of me. Some days I can't decide which feels better, being thin or being free of the constant desire to eat with the subseqent guilt/shame. Luckyme

Hi Babs, I'm sorry you have to go through all this. I'm wondering if the doctor who fired you wasn't comfortable enough with his skills/experience to fix you correctly. Many doctors won't do procedures if they don't know with reasonable certainty that they will be successful (they are often worried about lawsuits if things don't go well). If that's that case, he may have done you a favor, BUT he should have referred you to someone who had the experience. Doctors don't want to take on a procedure, especially a revison of someone else's procedure that may be problematic. They do not want to "inherit" another doctor's problems. Unless a condition is immediatly life threatening, a doctor does not have to perform surgery on you. Large, experienced, bariatric practices decline to perform GB or Lap-band on a significant percentage of prospective patients when their medical conditions are too severe to feel that they can perfom the surgery with reasonable risks, patients who appear to be unstable, or who they feel will not be compliant. Many of these patients are the ones who need surgery most, but surgeons CAN select who they want to operate on if it is an elective procedure. I'm always concerned that if I move out of the area or experience a band problem when travelling, if I will be able to obtain appropriate care. The vast majority of hopsitals/surgeons are not doing the procedure. It's a lot different then needing a surgeon to get your appendix out. You deserve to get your very successful band back to working for you and to be able to live with out the daily anxiety of how to get it fixed. I hope you can find a way to get this done, so you can continue on your successful journey. Lucky

Hi Babs, I'm sorry you're facing this. I noticed you are in Texas. I'm not suggesting that you go to Mexico for surgery, but have you thought of getting an opinion from one of the very experienced surgeons there like Dr. Rumbaut? If I was in your situation, I might do that. (I was banded in the US, and feel I have the best band surgeon in my large metropolitan area. I trust him, but know that he just hasn't has as much experience as the better Mexican docs). Your posts have reminded me to treat my band more carefully. I had my last fill removed and am limiting my portion size to 1/2 to 1 cup whether I feel I can eat more or not. I want to keep my miracle band happy and safe. I'll be thinking of you and hope you get a resolution quickly. Lucky 1/31/05 274/154/145 5'8"

This is my theory based on the problems I've seen others have and some issues(reflux) after my most recent fill. I've been banded about a year and a half and I've noticed that my band doesn't work the same way it did before. Even with a tighter fill, I cannot depend on stop signals anymore, and I can definately eat more that I could earlier in my banding. I do plan to make an appointment with my doctor to discuss and to request an upper GI, and possible decrease in fill. Based on my experience, I think that when the pouch is stretched for a period of time, it becomes less able to contract and move food through the stoma. It becomes more likely to stretch with a tight fill and too large serving sizes. I used to consistenly be able to feel the very subtle peristaltic contraction and the slight "gurgle" of food going through my stoma. I lost that after my last fill (and intermittanly before). I was having non-acid reflux at night. I believe this was because my pouch wasn't contracting to squeeze the last of the food sludge and Water that gravity didn't take care of through the stoma. I backed off to fluids for a couple of days till I got my gurgle back, then started adding in 1/2 cup servings of solids. As long as I stick to small portions, I keep my "gurgle" and NO REFLUX. Yesterday, I had a couple of larger meals and lost the gurgle and had reflux again. What is different about this from earlier fills is that I couldn't eat more than 1/2 cup of food after earlier fills untill the fill loosened up. I expected to get back to more noticible "stop" signs after this fill, but I didn't. I just noticed that food seems to stay in my pouch longer. I do think that my pouch stretches more easily now and when it is stretched, it doesn't move food through effectively. Because I was able to eat more before this fill, I thought my band had loosened, it may be that I'd gradually stretched my pouch. I suspect that once it stretches, it will stretch more easily in the future. Another intersting aspect to this is that my last fill was 8 months before this one. I haven't PB'd in about 5 months. I'ts not that I'm trying to PB, just one of those things that would happen about once a month after a lapse in chewing or judgement. It was about the same time that I noticed I could start eating more. For me, it looks like I will have to stay with strictly measured portions and/or back off on the fill to prevent future problems. I'm down 120 lbs, at a normal BMI and only 10 lbs from my personal skinny goal. I don't want to risk long term problems with my band. BTW, my doc does fills without floro unless he has a problem accessing the port. Lucky (and I plan to stay that way)

Thanks for the feedback, I've only had one brief episode each of the last 2 nights. I think that limiting my portion sizes to 1/2 cup and at waiting at least 2 hours to drink after eating is helping. I'm going to give it a few more days to try to get down to zero episodes of reflux, before I call for an unfill. At least all the limitations I've put on myself for now are resulting in weight loss, so at least if I end up getting a little out, I'll feel like I've made some progress. It still bothers me that I don't get the stop signs like I did before, but It's been at least 6 months since I've had the "can't take another bite" feeling. No PB's though. It still makes me wonder if I'm a bit stretched. My doc talked about doing an upper GI 1 - 2 years after surgery (fills without flouro) so maybe it's time to get that done. I'm terrified of having a complete unfill, but sure don't want to risk long term problems with my band.

I had a small fill, 0.25cc a week ago. This was the first additional fill in 8 months for me, bringing me to a total of 2.5cc's in a 4 cc band. I don't feel like I am too tight as nothing is getting stuck, and I'm not feeling hard or soft stop signs, so I just stop after 1/2 to 1 cup of food. I haven't PB'd in al least 6 months. I got my appetitite control back which is what I was hoping to accomplish with this fill. As soon as I fall asleep at night, I wake up again with coughing and Fluid in my throat. No bitter taste like acid, but I can taste what I last ate, even if it was 6 or more hours ago. I'll wake up several times a night like this. I've tried drinking a lot of Water after my last meal. I'm avoiding caffeine and alcohol. I'm eating my last meal 5 - 6 hours before going to bed. I started taking Prevacid again. It sort of feels like there is some "sludge" remaining in my pouch that keeps fluids from going through the band when I lay flat. I really don't want this fill out as I was stuck at the same weight for over 3 months. I'm finally starting to see the scale move again, but I know that I can't allow myself to keep having reflux. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lucky 1/31/05 275/160/145

I was banded about 1 1/2 years ago. Down from 275 to 160 at 5'8". I've been stuck in a 5 lb range for 3 months. I wanted to lose another 10 - 20 lbs. Despite another fill 2 weeks ago, consistent exercise and about 1000 - 1200 cal a day, the scale just won't budge. My upper body is boney, but my lower body still has more "pudge" than I'd like (size 10 - 12). I'm delighted with the progress I've made, but miss my steady loss and just not ready to be "done". However, I'm starting to think that at age 53 this is as low as my body wants to go. I'm not too tight, so I may go for another fill in a couple of weeks. So do I give up my dream of a size 8 and be thankful for where I am? Is my goal unrealistic? I'm afraid that if I can't lose more, I'm on the verge of gaining again. I've been overweight since age 6, so this is thinner than I've ever been, but not as thin as I want to be. So how did you adjust to the transition time at the end of your loss either at or near your goal? I so loved seeing the scale drop regularly.

Where would you get the needles for fills presuming you had a family medical professional that could do them? The special fill needles my doc uses are not supposed to damage the port. My understanding is that regular needles could cause the port membrane to leak. Just wondering. Can you buy them from Inamed?