greenfrog

Morning BG. my last narrative was a bit waffley as I had just come home from hospital so I probably didn't explain myself well. On day three post op when I first had the band fitted, and I was still on fluids and in bed, I experienced extreme pain just below my sternum. It was constant (15mins) and enough to double me over. Suddenly I felt something release and the pain went immediately. After I was then able to eat any size meal (the same as prior to the op). What had hap pended is the band positioned slightly down the stomach defining a small pouch had moved up to sit on top of the stomach, the base of the oesophagus. I'm not sure why it happened and my surgeon has not shed any light on the matter. The surgeon described the lesions as a ''cement'. Apparently when any band is fitted it is natural for the body to try and cement it in place (or reject it). Lesions were also described to me as scarring. However in my case the lesions grew prolifically, they do stop growing when the body has accepted the band and it does help to keep the band in place. However to remove any band, after a length of time, it is the lesions that cause the problem. In my case a second key hole op to move the band down into position was unsuccessful due to the work (and risk) caused by the lesions. Hence I needed a laparotomy. Hope this helps, we are not all the same but there are similarities to our journeys. Bye for now. Sarah

Hi Everyone (especially 1SkinnyChick). I have just been discharged from hospital this evening having had a revision of gastric band via laparotomy and feeling very good considering. A few people contacted me about their experiences and opinions about my problem with having a band which moved upwards sitting on the oesphagus and the build up of lesions which meant the band could not be repositioned using key hole surgery. The outcome being I decided to have the laparotomy (the big scar from below bra line to above belly button) and take the risk associated with having the band repositioned. The surgeon reluctantly did it free of charge. The reason why I decided not to live with the band situated at the base of the oesophagus and by adjusting fills as and when, were as follows: 1) I'd paid for an op that never happened. The surgeon fobbed me off for many months which lead to the build up of the lesions, so I suppose I was a bit angry with him for causing the problem. My advice here is don't delay, every week means the lesions build up and make any revision / replacement op more of a risk and less likely to succeed. 2) Many people in our position said their surgeons had discouraged repositioning (probably for their own reasons) and encouraged them to find a fill 'sweet-spot'. So they could live with a restriction and continue to lose weight. From what I was told this weight loss would be temporary (and with me it was). We learn to eat around the band. I for example do not like chocolate but as it is easy to get hold of I found I was eating more of this as I was hungry and its convenient and didn't block. Hence my weight rose. 3) I found that the only way I could manage my weight with the band high was a method of eating foods which got stuck (I had 7mls fill therefore a mouth full of bread would do it) this then caused pain and vomitting to release the blockage. This was becoming awkward, not very healthy in the long term, and was getting me down. 4) Over the past 8 months since I had the band fitted my appetite has never changed. This is why I wanted a band in first place...that feeling of being full. The surgeon was pessimistic about the success of the op, harping on about risk to liver, spleen and high probability that it would not be successful, I felt he was trying to dissuade me so I decided to trust my instinct and go ahead. I had a revision via laparotomy on Monday. He could not reposition the exiting band due to need to cut away the lesions to gain access, so he removed it and put a new one in. He said it was easier than expected. I definitely ruled out a gastric by-pass. I am still very causion that it may slip again but for some reason I think the surgoen may have done a better job this time, so it wont, but I am taking no chances. Today for the first time I felt what they called a restriction. I had a scoop of sorbet and 100mls of Soup and I was genuinely full. My feeling is don't delay. I let my surgeon 'delay', by the time I went to have it repositioned via key hole surgery it was too late, the lesions were too established, hence I needed the big op. I may at least be thin but my belly daning days are over due to scars!!!! It could have been alot worse so I'm happy. Hope this helps. Off to bed now with my painkillers. Good luck Sarah.

Hello, I have just found this site and have just posted a thread around the same thing as yourself. Although I did start with a pouch the band slipped upwards and the rest of my experience is the same as yours. Did you get a second opinion. If so I would be really pleased to hear about it? Greenfrog.

Hello all, I have just found this website and could do with some no-nonsense advice from people who know and have experienced gastric-band slippage. I am in Wales (UK) and paid a lot of money for a gastric band to be fitted. After the third day I was in acute pain for about 20 mins, which then ceased. Over the next 8 weeks I had 2 fills but with no restriction felt at all. The surgeon was quite sharp, stating I was eating around the band and therefore not losing weight ie. eating chocolate which I wasn't. The upshot was he didn't listen to me nor my dietician. Some 10 weeks post-op, my surgeon arranged for a barium meal, which indictaed the band had slipped upwards. It is now sitting on top of my stomach around the base of my oesphagus. He arranged for me to undergo another keyhole op (free of charge to me) to put the band back in place. This was unsuccessful; as over the weeks I had formed adhesions around my band, perfectly normal - I was told, which helps to hold it in place. However the band could not be moved under key hole. The surgeon is not giving my any firm direction and to be honest I don't have much faith in him. To have it moved and put in the correct position will be major lapascopic surgery (yet more scarring). Currently he has put 7mls fill in. This causes me to wretch frequently even if I eat soft foods. Bascially I am on fluids and pureed foods and have lost around 1st. in the past 4 weeks. My apetite is the same but the pain, when food gets stuck, does serve to reduce my hunger. The dietician is concerned about Vitamin deficiency long term. The surgeon has given me 2 options. 1) to keep teh band where it is and he is not aware of any adverse longterm health effects this may have. or 2) Laparscopic surgery to put it back in place. There is limited undertanding of gastric bands over here, as yet...Has anyone been in or know of someone who has been in a similiar situation.If so, what did they do....I appreciate any information you may have as I have to make the decision before Christmas. Thanks ps I am inspire by some of the major weight loss some people are achieving through gastric bands.