My Lap Band caused Esophageal Cancer

[Tweety39 0]

I now have my appointed to have band removed. Not happy about it. I have lost 100+ lbs I'm so scared of gaining the weight back. Losing all that weight has changed my life, in so many ways. Plus I'm afraid of going for the surgery. I hated the way I felt after the band went in,. How did any of you felt after?

[Shoshanna 98]

My deepest sympathy to all who are experiencing pain and suffering. Thank you for sharing your experiences and gving the rest of us a heads up to possible problems.

[hoosierpoms 0]

My thoughts and prayers are with you!! I hope you beat this thing!!! How scary

[DizzyLizzy 21]

My doctor did explain this possible problem to me prior to surgery, that is why he has always been so concerned with if I've had reflux or not. He won't give you fills and will take Fluid out when his patients have reflux.

When I initially started having reflux, which I found out was due to me eating too much, stretching my pouch, which titled my band (although my doctor says reflux is often a sign of simply being too tight becuause, I've read, the food doesn't go through properly and does extra work and create extra acid to break the food down) I too just thought I was hungry, so I ate more and more and more. Eating actually made it feel better, while I was eating. It was after I ate that was the problem. And then it got to the point where unless I was sitting or standing up, I couldn't keep anything down. Fortunately I didn't put up with it for too long, and went to the doctor and they took my Fluid out and I haven't had a problem with reflux since.

But, I can see how it would create leasions around the band area. Because the acid will come up and just sit in your pouch where the food should be sitting, and acid burns your cells, which cause your cells to change creating cancer. So, it all makes sense. It's just another thing you have to watch out for. The band as with any surgery or diet has tons of complications that can result, that why they say do them under the advice of a physician.

I hope you recover well and soon. Glad you put this out there so that people will take any changes with their band, or health period more seiously and see their doctor right away instead of thinking, "oh, it's nothing!"

[Annette Corrado 39]

updates anyone??

[pjlewis 1]

I have actually had issues with my lapband, weight loss, food getting stuck, throwing up daily, and now dealing with all of the testing related to erosion and/or Barrett's complications. I was never told what "full" would feel like, not like an alien wanting to pop out of my chest, gag reflex and bolting to the restroom. I wasn't told that I wouldn't know what food would trigger it or when it would happen. I was told my insurance would cover follow up visits but it didn't. It started in 2008 and I am here now. Back at my original weight, having only lost 35 lbs originally, being approved for removal and sleeve revision only to find out that even with insurance, my portion would be around $13,000. I am considering a lawsuit for the initial cost, removal and any treatment that will come from what I am also facing. I hope your treatment works well and you get better asap.

[SugarHollowGirl 1]

i recently heard about the connection between Es. Cancer and the lap band. This disturbed me greatly because no one told me anything except that I was the last person to receive it, and any questions as to why were put off. Now I understand WHY they always asked about reflux. I would not have done something that would possibly give me cancer as I am already a survivor. So a couple weeks ago, in the morning I was awoken with this horrendous pain in the middle of my chest as if the back of my esophagus was being pulled through, having a bad back I thought it was this. I took my meds and it went away. It happened the other day and I woke right up and took my meds and went back to sleep. When it happened again this morning I became even more concerned, but pulled all my pillows up and slept sitting up and it went away, but I'm getting really concerned, has anyone else that then was diagnosed with something wrong with their esophagus had these symptoms?

[summerset 5,265]

It sounds like reflux which can cause esophagitis. Have it checked out.

[SugarHollowGirl 1]

does reflux happen hrs and hrs after a meal? I had a drink of milk and small cookie before bed but have also had this happen without having a midnight snack and it's come on all of a sudden

[summerset 5,265]

Reflux can happen at any time. I had my band removed because of reflux and esophagus issues. Still having some problems, but it's a 1000% better than with the band (that was completely unfilled for a year, btw).

[Sherlene 0]

On 6/18/2011 at 3:25 AM, Rockin' Robyn said:

Haven't been on in a while, and hate to be a downer. I used to get on here to motivate and cheer people on. I had my band placed almost 6 years ago. I initially lost 170 pounds in the first year. I had never heard of or been informed that the band could cause cancer! I have no family history, and am only 37 years old. I have had my band inflated and deflated numerous times over the years, but never experienced true esophageal reflux or heartburn. Over the past year, I kept having what I thought were hunger pains in my stomach. I would then eat something and the pain would go away. I never correlated the pain to being an acid issue, as it didn't really come before/after meals..it would occur at all different times of the day. I just assumed my band was too loose and I needed another fill at some point to get rid of the hunger pains. I have gained a large amount of my weight back, due to eating when my stomach hurts.

Then about a month ago, I went to my family practice doctor because I was having pretty severe abdominal pain over my liver area, and I had already had my gallbladder removed. Eventually, I was referred to a GI doctor who performed an EGD (or a scope of my upper esophagus and stomach). He found what I can only describe as looking like blisters (aka lesions) and polyps all throughout my lower esophagus. He took biopsies of the area and told me results would be back in 2 weeks. I just received a phone call yesterday that the results were high grade dysplasia (aka the cells that occur right before full blown cancer). He wants to see me asap and refer me to a specialist/talk about the treatment plan. I am now planning on going to mayo clinic to have an experimental ablation procedure done where the cells are burned off.

I say all this because now doing research, I am finding articles on line from as recent as December of 2010 on "Barrett's esophagus: a late complication of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding." I can't believe it! Wondering what I have done to myself, and all for what?? The articles are saying that they have now associated the band with pre-cancerous cellular changes in the esophagus due to the band squeezing the stomach and causing acid to sit there and in some people seep up into the lower esophagus. Remember, I have never had the typical heartburn or typical symptoms of GERD. I used to say to people, even after multiple complications post op (such as port infection and removal, herniated tubing through my abdominal wall, and gallbladder removal) that no matter all the complications, I would do it over and over again. Now I'm not so sure....Cancer is a whole different ball game.

Just venting, and hoping that if anyone else does a search on either esophageal cancer with the band or Barretts esophagus with the band I can let them know that there are others out there going through the same thing.

I hope you are OK I am going through this at this time waiting on my biopsy.

[Tamie 18]

I am just 9 years out and all of the sudden have developed heartburn. It’s really bad at night and causes me to throw up in my sleep ( clear Fluid that tastes like bile) and I wake choking. Even if I’m sitting up.


Tamie
2009
256/150

[cat lady 10]

I was banded in 2011 and developed afib...a heart rhyhm problem. Wondering if this is related to digestion and the vagus nerve being affected. Anyone else had afib after bing banded