mattinfll

I felt the same way as you do. But I have no choice but to have my band out because it is causing an issue which could cause me to develop a severe gastric bleed (I've already had one, lost half my blood and was in the hospital for a week). After a year of diagnostic tests, we discovered it was an issue with band slippage (due to dilation of upper pouch, which I must take responsibility for, too) creating blood vessels inside my stomach around the lower side of band. Anyway, since it must come out - I was left with: do I revise to sleeve or just have the band out. My gastroenterologist doctor is fully supportive of the revision. Part of me is worried that I'll just stretch again and cause more problems. Part of me is worried that with no restriction I will gain even more weight. In the end, I decided to do the revision. My insurance does not cover bariatric at all, so I am off to Mexico in 2 weeks. By the way, my best friend just had his out a few months ago (no revision) and is struggling with the new found freedom of once again being able to eat anything he wants. But his doctor and my doctors all agree - everyone who has a band will likely have to have it out at some point due to a complication.

I am 7 1/2 years into my band and it is being removed and revised to the sleeve in about 2 weeks. It was great the first 2 years. I lost 90 pounds of the 110 I wanted to lose. Then came the GERD and vomiting, then issues with dilation of the upper pouch (which I of course am likely responsible for, too), which causes food waste to be trapped in the upper pouch, and then recently a gastric bleed from the band slipping down and causing a blood vessel inside the stomach to pop (likely from a violent vomit from food stuck), which caused me to lose half my blood and spend a week in the hospital. I got so paranoid about vomiting after the blood loss incident, that I was just eating mushy food that was high calorie and most of the weight is back. After 2 endoscopies, CT Scans with contrast and Pillcam video of my entire upper bowel, my gastroenterologist said he wanted it out of me asap due to the risk of another bleeding episode. I have been advised by doctors involved that it just seems like everyone who has the band will need to have it out at some point. My gastro doctor is a very respected guy in his field and sees no issues in a revision in same surgery since there's no evidence of erosion. But of course, every one is different. My insurance will not cover bariatric so I am off to Mexico.

I am 7 1/2 years into my band and it is being removed and revised to the sleeve in about 2 weeks. It was great the first 2 years, then GERD and vomiting, then issues with dilation of the upper pouch (which I of course am likely responsible for, too), which causes food waste to be trapped in the upper pouch, and then recently a gastric bleed from the band slipping down and causing a blood vessel to pop, which caused me to lose half my blood and spend a week in the hospital. My gastroenterologist said he wanted it out of me asap due to the risk of another bleeding episode. I have been advised by doctors involved that it just seems like everyone who has the band will need to have it out at some point. My insurance will not cover bariatric so I am off to Mexico. $18,000 here to remove band. $4500 in Mexico to remove and revise to sleeve.

My doctor explained it to me today - the nerve in that area of the diaphragm runs in such a way that pain is reflected/referred up into the left shoulder. He siad it goes away over time. I have only had some light pain a few times since the second week, but everyone is different of course.

Just had my follow up with my US doctor. He said they would have just stitched it up. You cannot do the NF repair and then place a band. He said if someone had an NF repair eariler, they would have to undo the "wrap" to place the band. He said the greatest danger to affecting the repair over time is from not taking care of your band - as in overeating and stretching out the stoma, which will add presure to the diaphragm. I had been worried about physical activity or even going to the bathroom causing problems, and he said not to worry about that at all. When he looked at my post-op xray, he said he saw no evidence of mesh repair, so he was even more sure it was just a stitch up repair. Thankfully he also said I had a good band placement.

I have been doing research on this and found this post, and maybe someone new can weigh in on this (no pun intended). I woke up from surgery (4 weeks ago) and was told they repaired a very large hiatal hernia (never knew I had one). So I have been wondering exactly how it was repaired. (my surgery was in Mexico) The NF technique is talked about a lot, but I don't see how you could wrap the stomach AND place a band effectively, so I am guessing they just stitched up the loose opening. But I keep wondering if those stitches can open up again and then what? Wouldn't my new little pouch end up being the part that goes through again? I have my first follow-up appointment with a local bariatric surgeon who has agreed to do my fills next week, so I guess I will be asking.

Finally - now I know why I am still having the shoulder pain 4 weeks out. I had a HUGE (as they put it) hiatal hernia repaired during surgery. Never knew I had one, and did not have symptoms. It has made recovery longer, but I thought it was really strange that I was still having shoulder pain now. Thanks to all of you, I get it now, and I will stop worrying about it. Mine has only been intense a few times - usually it is fairly low level and comes and goes, coming on when I have eaten something that is causing me a little distress.

I woke up from surgery to find out I had a very large hiatal hernia that they repaired. They said it was huge. I swear I never knew, and frankly I don't think I ever had any symptoms. Sure, every once in a *great* while I would get heartburn, but it seemed normal since it was after really over indulging or eating something really spicy. But if I got hearburn once a year, that was a lot. Anyway, I guess I am glad it is repaired but it has made my recovery from surgery (4 weeks now) harder, and I have more heartburn and reflux since surgery. Although that is starting to get better. On the upside, I haven't wanted to eat much so my initial weight loss has been very good with 30 pounds gone since I started my pre-op diet.

Thanks for all the comments. I am actually going to have my first orientation appointment with my doctor this coming week, and still wait to have my first fill in week 6, which is two weeks from now. Since this doctor is not the doctor who did my lap band (I was banded in Mexico), I want him to look at my x-ray and chat with him and then we can decide if I am going to need fluoro for the first fill or not. Plus I can get a US doctor's take on the post-op process. I think I will be fine either way with or without the fluoro, but want to feel comfortable about it. My main concern is not the amount of the fill but the doctor not "missing" the port and accidentally causing a leak in the tubing.

So am I the only person who has had a problem with Peanut Butter? I tried some on my third weekend after surgery and was very careful to have only a small amount and made sure it was the stirrable extra creamy kind, and some got stuck. But it did not come back up, it just stayed there and I had pain for a good 24 hours from irritating everything. Since then I have read lots of post-op food "don'ts" and it seems peanut butter is on a lot of "don't" lists. But I guess everyone is different.

I have searched before posting and am not finding anything on point - so had my band done in Mexico three weeks ago. I have lost 18 pounds since surgery, although most of that was the first 10 days when I felt just awful and nauseous. I am still eating mushy foods and liquids and have not tried solids yet. I have found a doctor with good reviews who will do my fills at a reasonable price near my house. But they do not do fluoro unless there is some extenuating circumstance. Or I can drive 4 hours to a Fills Center USA that has fluoro. I hear several people say you don't really need fluoro. I have a chest x-ray of my barium swallow the day after surgery showing my band and port placement. My best friend has had 4 fills and never even knew there was a fluro option and has had no problems. Any advice? Thanks, Matt

Hi there - I was banded July 3rd in Cancun Mexico by dr. verboonen. The first week was hell, because they also had to repair a hiatal hernia I never knew I had, which caused more nausea and reflux. Now I am settling in to it. I've lost 28 pounds since I started my pre-op diet 10 days before the surgery. Now I am trying to figure out where to do my first fill (in August). Dr Perez in Fort lauderdale has reasonable prices, but they do not do fluroscopy. To get fluoroscopy, I have to go to Fills Center USA in St. Petersburg... Anyway, any info on fills doctors is appreciated. I am somewhat limited since many of them will not take Mexico patients. Matt Fort Lauderdale

Thanks. My mother in law is bringing me some broth this afternoon. Hopefully I will have good luck with it. It does feel like some of this is from being hungry. Although I do not want to eat anything and I have lost 22 pounds since I started my preop diet.