Pancreatitis after lap band surgery

[Kelly K. 0]

I had an unusual experience after Lap Band surgery that not even my surgeon can figure out. Please read my story and tell me if anyone has had this experience and what the outcome was.

I was banded on April 18, 2011. Surgery went well without any complications. By 11:30am I was on my way home. I took a short 2 hr nap once I arrived home but had an extremely hard time moving around. I would lie down and get stuck because the pain was so unbearable. By that evening my back was hurting so bad I could not get comfortable at all. I also kept having hot flashes where I would actually start sweating. And I was unable to drink anything besides Water without getting extremely nauseous. The back pain would keep getting worse over the next few days. After speaking with a nurse at the surgery clinic on Wednesday afternoon they instructed me to come see them the next day if my back pain did not get better. Later that evening I took a shower and was shocked at how horrible the shower made me feel. It actually felt like someone was stabbing me in the back everytime the Water would hit my back. A few hours later I checked my temperature and found I had a low grade fever. No longer feeling like I could wait until the next day I went to my local emergency room. After running a few tests they found that my Duodenum and Pancreas was inflamed. They contacted my surgeon and fearing my Pancreas had been lacerated during surgery I was transferred to a hospital across town where my surgeon was affiliated. To make a long story shorter I was in the hospital until Sunday night 04-24-11. During my stay I was put on strong antibiotics and pain killers and had tons of test done including Xrays, multiple CT Scans, EGD and an ultrasound. They did not find a laceration but I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. My surgeon along with a Internal medicine and Gastroenterology DR there at the hospital cannot explain why this happened. They said there is not reason why my pancreas would act up like this as I do not have Gallstones and I do not drink alcohol.

Has anyone else come up with Pancreatitis after Lap-Band surgery? And if so, have you had to have the band removed or did everything turn out ok for you?

[Cary 0]

I had an unusual experience after Lap Band surgery that not even my surgeon can figure out. Please read my story and tell me if anyone has had this experience and what the outcome was.

I was banded on April 18, 2011. Surgery went well without any complications. By 11:30am I was on my way home. I took a short 2 hr nap once I arrived home but had an extremely hard time moving around. I would lie down and get stuck because the pain was so unbearable. By that evening my back was hurting so bad I could not get comfortable at all. I also kept having hot flashes where I would actually start sweating. And I was unable to drink anything besides Water without getting extremely nauseous. The back pain would keep getting worse over the next few days. After speaking with a nurse at the surgery clinic on Wednesday afternoon they instructed me to come see them the next day if my back pain did not get better. Later that evening I took a shower and was shocked at how horrible the shower made me feel. It actually felt like someone was stabbing me in the back everytime the Water would hit my back. A few hours later I checked my temperature and found I had a low grade fever. No longer feeling like I could wait until the next day I went to my local emergency room. After running a few tests they found that my Duodenum and Pancreas was inflamed. They contacted my surgeon and fearing my Pancreas had been lacerated during surgery I was transferred to a hospital across town where my surgeon was affiliated. To make a long story shorter I was in the hospital until Sunday night 04-24-11. During my stay I was put on strong antibiotics and pain killers and had tons of test done including Xrays, multiple CT Scans, EGD and an ultrasound. They did not find a laceration but I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. My surgeon along with a Internal medicine and Gastroenterology DR there at the hospital cannot explain why this happened. They said there is not reason why my pancreas would act up like this as I do not have Gallstones and I do not drink alcohol.

Has anyone else come up with Pancreatitis after Lap-Band surgery? And if so, have you had to have the band removed or did everything turn out ok for you?

[Cary 0]

Oh My! Your sypmtoms sound so similar to my husbands. He did NOT have lap band surgery, but he had two other surgeries. One on his kidney in 2009 and one very minor surgery for a melanoma on his arm in April 2011. The first surgery he was supposed to be in the hospital for three days; he had nearly fatal complications and was in hospital for 30 days. The second he's been in the hospital over 3 months. Almost lost him again. Ended up with necoratizing hemorrhagic pancreatitis. 10 surgeries. We are zeroing in on Januvia which he took for Diabetes 2. Do you take anything like that? Also could be the anesthesia or pain meds. Hopefully we canwork together and find a common denominator....

[K1Smiles 2]

I currently going through this now. ER just sent me home with pancreatitis diagnosis. I was banded on Friday July 15th,2011. I am very concerned as this seems extremely dangerous!

[cat lady 10]

I currently going through this now. ER just sent me home with pancreatitis diagnosis. I was banded on Friday July 15th,2011. I am very concerned as this seems extremely dangerous!

Hope you are feeling better......what did they do for you. Are you on any medicine for pancreatitis? Is it related to the band?

[Kelly K. 0]

Thank you everyone who responded. I have not had pancreatitis again since being released from the hospital. However I do notice I have pain in my back around the same area sometimes after I eat. I noticed recently that Lapband.com is now listing pancreatits as a complication that less than 1% of lapband patients have. I know for a fact this was not on there when I had surgery because I searched and searched after I got out of the hospital and found nothing.