Endoscope revealed no restriction with Realize Lap Band

[AnnieMae 0]

I had my Realize band placed in September 2008. I had an endoscopy last month by my GI doctor primarily for esophageal dilatation. After the procedure he informed me that he could not detect any restriction with my band at all. How is this possible? I have very little "wiggle" room left in my band and am almost at my fill limit and yet I have gained back nearly half of the 30 pounds I lost in the first 3 months after my band placement. I see my LAP-BAND® surgeon Friday July 2 and I am once again afraid to get on the scale. It is true that I am eating too much but that is simply because I am hungry! I have never ever felt restriction and am so depressed about gaining this weight back. I think I have become obsessed with food which makes losing even more difficult for me. The funny thing is if I eat too fast or take too large a bite I will either vomit or need to stop until the food goes down. How in heck can I have no restriction and yet get food stuck??? What the heck is going on?? Any ideas would be appreciated!

PS: Even though I am eating too much I am seeing a behavioral therapist and I am exercising routinely.

[emjay 8]

Is it possible that you have a leakage? Not to knock the GI but is he/she qualified to say that you have no restriction? I would explain some of what you say. It "sounds" like you have some, but maybe not enough. Can you doc take out all the Fluid and see how much is in there for sure?

[sharon2u 0]

I just had this done on Monday just the standard Upper GI with the barium. I am fine and so is the band. I requested to have this done becuase I seen a new Dr. not the one that did my band. Several months after my last fill I developed night reflux and coughing. So I went to see the new Dr. this is what he told me and mind you I did not yet have the barium test at that time. He told me that my band was too tight. He told me that I ahd a Mega Esophagus (dialited)he also told me that my esophagus is going to burst and that I could die it that happened. He also told me that my original surgeon would have to do my operation (revision) well scared me he did..so much that I was afraid to eat thinking that my esophagus could burst. How can a Dr. tell you all of that without even running the test to begin with (x-ray vision) I guess. Well he did take 1 cc out of my band. He also told me that I had a fill of 7 ccs in my band but in my medcial records from my original Dr. it stated that I had 5 1/4 ccs then on the date of the unfill as I call it he said I ahd 6 1/2 ccs well comone now which is t Dr.? I will not give any names to protect myself here but I really feel that this man has no right being a Bariatric Surgeon if he is only going to guess and assume that there is a problem when there is none at all. I had my Upper GI and well low and behold everything is fine. The contrast went right down, the esophagus is that of normal size. I ahd a wonderful conversation with the radiogogist that did the test and I have had so many that I can tell if something is not right and even he said he could not see a problem with the band or much less anything else. sorry to be so long winded here but it makes me very mad when someone cannot get the job done right.

[SuzanneG 1]

How can you get an endoscopy with Fluid in your band? Are you sure they didn't remove it first? I've had one since banding and they took all the Fluid out, did the endo, then put the fluid back in.

I'm having another one tomorrow, the doc took out all my fluid last Friday. I was having symptoms of being too tight one minute and I could eat like a lumber jack the next. I also had heartburn and nausea.

Both heartburn and nausea are symptoms of being too tight, but I've had fluro, pressure test (new way to test pressure in the band), and endo, all say my band placement is perfect and nothing looks out of place.

After doing some research on here, it almost looks to me like it could be a slip. Some folks say your band can slip in and out of place, so that it appears fine during tests but slip out of place randomly.

Why did your doc order the endo to begin with? What kind of problems were you having?

I'll be very curious to see what they do wtih me. My doc kept telling me my band was loose, but I was PBing on Soup, yet starving. Bad combo for sure.

BTW, as for fill room, I've heard they can fill your band to capacity and even a little beyond that, so hopefully they will be able to get you to correct restriction.

Let us know what they find out.