debrat262

Nancy is right. I was completely unaware of my erosion, I just thought I was due for a fill. But it was an overnight feeling of unrestriction, which my doctor says is never a good thing. Do you have a fever? The pain in the band area could be an infection. Debra Banded 5/21/04 Unbanded 11/18/06

The Vertical Gastric Sleeve (VGS) is WLS that removes a large portion of the stomach, including the portion that produces the hunger hormones. The remaining stomach is 2 - 4 oz and shaped like a small banana or "sleeve". It is restrictive rather than malabsorptive. Since nothing is rerouted like in the bypass, the stomach functions normally - it's just smaller. Unlike the band, it is not reversible.

Good luck this weekend. I get my band removed by Dr. V on November 18th, and the gastric sleeve on December 30th. Oh boy, News Years Eve in a hospital in Tijuana. That will be a new year to remember. At least my fiance is very understanding and supportive. I know how heartbreaking it is to have an eroded band that has to be taken out. And the double whammy of the financial burden! I had saved up for the first surgery, but the second will be a loan. They suggested another band, but I don't think I could face another erosion if that were to happen, and a possible 3rd surgery! As understanding as my fiance is, I don't think he would support a 3rd surgery, not to mention the financial implications. The gastric sleeve is a restrictive surgery (no malabsorption) by removing part of the stomach, including the part that produces the hunger hormone. Because I'm hormonally challenged to begin with (thyroid and female), I think this is the surgery for me. But it is not reversible like the band. I don't know about the fill at surgery causing the erosion. I don't think anyone knows exactly what causes it. My was fine 8 months ago when I went to a U.S. doctor for a fill. It was a pretty tight fill but it helped me to lose the last 20 pounds. Maybe that caused my erosion. Who knows. Will you have the band removed endoscopically?

My band eroded after 2 1/2 years and reaching my goal of 140. I'm up 11 pounds in just over a month. I chose the Verticle Gastric Sleeve after band removal because I just could not go through another possible erosion in the future. The doctor was at first reluctant to do the VGS due to my weight, but I provided my before and after photos and he had no problem after that. Forget about insurance though. I'm completely self pay.

I would encourage your sister to get the band if she's gaining weight. My sister had bypass 3 1/2 years ago and she's doing mostly well. She hasn't gained any weight but she's a little tired most of the time. She really needs to be more diligent with taking Vitamins and getting B12 injections. However I have heard of people who have gotten the band after bypass. The reason is that the body adapts and starts absorbing more in the later years. And my sister can eat sugar now too, which she never could before. Sometimes she has to make an effort to get back on the program. Some bypass people just need the band to do that. My philosophy is to use whatever tools you need to achieve your goals. I don't beat myself up anymore, I just blame it on the "defect" I was born with.

Bettina, As soon as I lost restriction I started gaining weight (11 pounds so far). I'm positive that I will just gain all the weight back if I don't get another WLS performed. If I was able to keep the weight off on my own, I would have done it years ago. I refer to it as my defective hunger hormones syndrome. The doctors were a little hesitant about performing another WLS when I'm at my normal weight, but I provided my before and after photos and asked them if I had to get fat again first. It was no brainer. I've read about other doctors who will do WLS after a band removal without waiting for the patient to balloon up again. Like I said, I looked into getting rebanded, and I just didn't want to live in fear of erosion for the next 3 years. I want one last WLS, and one only. The Gastric Sleeve is a relatively new procedure.

When I found out my band had eroded, I was heartbroken. I was the lapband poster child and did everything I could to be successful, reaching my goal of 140 2 1/2 years later. It turns out I'm one of those special people in the 1% category of band erosion. After researching all my options, I decided to go with the gastric sleeve - Drs. V and Ponce do this surgery. I just didn't think I could handle another heartbreak/band erosion. I'm gritting my teeth, waiting for removal and gastric sleeve surgery. Nothing like a complete unfill to remind me what it's like to be hungry all the time again. I had no symptions of erosion other than I felt no restriction and thought I just needed a fill. The difference was that it was an overnight transition rather than a gradual loss of restriction. When I told my U.S. doctor this before the flouroscope, he said an overnight change is never a good thing. He thought I sprung a leak until we watched the contrast Fluid flow around the band rather than through it. Good luck this week with your removal.