Calling The Band-Less: Hospital Stays for Band Removal

[dishdiva 5]

Hey everyone:

I was wondering, for those of you who have had your band removed...was it 23 hour outpatient or several days in-patient? I know everyone's situation was different, some emergency, others non-emegency. I'm meeting with my surgeon Monday and was curious about the length of hospital stay.

Thanks,

Elizabeth

[DeLarla 22]

Hmm, it's all really fuzzy but I think I stayed 2 nights. I arrived 4 p.m. and was operated on late that night. I slept there 2 nights then was realeased around noon the 3rd day.

Are you having your band removed, or is that a dumb question considering your thread? Have you eroded?

[donali 57]

Um... I think I was there 2 nights too. I'll have to double-check with my sis - she was there with me.

But my recovery was much quicker than after my banding - I drove us home, and was back to my old routine virtually instantly.

[La_madam 20]

I had it removed on a Monday and was released on a Wednesday

[Penni60 45]

Yup! Same here two nights in the hospital. And nothing about my surgery was considered outpatient. I was pretty much bounced back quicker from this surgery than I did the initial band placement.

[dishdiva 5]

Interesting...my Doc's office was indicating it might be two nights too. I wonder why a few of you bounced back better...think it was the longer hospital stay than when the band was first placed? I think it's interesting when you have a foreign device implanted, you're out in less than 24 hours. But take the same thing OUT, and it's a few nights.

Yes, I'm having mine out. I've just had huge problems with reflux, vomiting, etc. No fill. Slipped in 2004. Re-positioned in 2005. Had a barium swallow, but they couldn't tell if it slipped. Endoscopy did not show erosion...gastroenteroligist didn't know the band and couldn't say it slipped. To me, it looked too much like it did when it slipped last time. My body says something ain't right and I'm going with that. When I had my first slip, the band would move. Sometimes it would slip into place and I would be okay. Other times, out-of-position and difficulty getting food down and other symptoms. I'm having similar good days and bad days this go-round.

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep everyone posted on any surgery date.

[Anthony 1]

So I've been shopping around for band removals, as is my mother, who is getting hers removed as well. We have both been told by our doctor who implanted them that it is a simple procedure that can be performed as outpatients.

Other doctors have told me outpatient or overnight depending on current health. However, this depends on WHICH removal procedure is being performed.

I have been told that there are two procedures. The first, and least complicated is where the stitches are simply cut and the band is removed. This procedure is fast, but leaves bits of the stomach overlapped, since the stomach is essentially folded back on itself in order to stitch the band in. If you're not getting another band put in, you're probably having this.

The second procedure involves removing the band and then revising the "overlapped" stomach. This is much more complicated and risky than the first option, and will require a much longer recovery time. If your doctor is planning on rebanding you, he will probably be doing this at the time that the new band is going to be implanted. This "revision" is also performed before other gastric surgery conversions can take place.

[GeezerSue 7]

I was a revision to another surgery, so there is no way to know.

[wendyr 0]

Is it true that you still feel some restriction after the band is removed?

[Linda Harrison 0]

I had mine removed on Jan. 24th and stayed in the hospital 3 nights. The dr. originally said I would be there 2 nights, but he kept me an extra night because I had such a bad abscess and hole where the band had eroded was pretty significant. The operation took 5 hours so I guess he wanted to make sure all was good. He did a great job.

[Amanda 0]

Two nights, one before, one after. Recovery has been slower because I was soooo bruised and swollen. Retraumatizing the same tissue just five weeks after the original surgery was brutal. I was black and blue for weeks, and my body was so traumatized after the five weeks of constant pain and pressure that I burst into tears when they had trouble putting in the IV. Oh yeah, both arms were black and blue too!

[Infaith 1]

I had my band removed on a Thursday and flew home on Friday by myself.

Yes, I felt restriction for awhile, but then oops...nothing and now I'm way back up. Gonna fix that though-getting rebanded April 7th! WHOOWHEE!

[mom2babyrose97 0]

I had a post op port infection and had my band removed on day 5 after I got my port. I was hospitalized and on IV antibiotics Sunday night, found out Monday morning that I would have surgery on Monday afternoon. It ended up being Monday night at around 7pm, so I ended up having to stay overnight. I think the reason that people 'bounced back' so quickly after having it removed is b/c you have nothing foreign anymore. No port pain, no stomach pain (at least I didn't) etc etc. Of course, after both of my port infection surgeries and band removal I ended up with big holes in my abdomen that I've had the wound vac on, so it's not like everything was miraculously better for me upon removal. First hole took 3 months on the vac and this one is a month and a half and counting. Second hole was on the opposite side of my abdomen and a much smaller hole, so I don't know why it's taking so darn long! The depth is almost the same as it was 6 weeks ago :welldone2:

[Amanda 0]

Erin, You really went through it didn't you. Two questions: What is a wound vac and did you have to pay for the three additional surgeries?

[mom2babyrose97 0]

Erin, You really went through it didn't you. Two questions: What is a wound VAX and did you have to pay for the three additional surgeries?

A wound vac is literally a vacuum. Because my ports were infected, he wasn't able to just stitch them up and call them good. I had/have a big, deep, hole all the way to where the port was stitched in and where he removed all the infected tissue around it. My first one was like 4 inches deep and the 2nd was only a little over 2 inches. That's still a long way when you're watching something disappear into you! Anyway, they cut this foam stuff into the same rough dimensions as the hole and pack it into the hole using a Qtip. Then they attach a vacuum type thing on top. All of the drainage is sucked through the foam and into a canister through about 3-4 feet of tubing (which I keep shoved into my pocket). The vac itself weighs about 10 lbs and I'm just growing to loath it after 5 months of it!! I can't even get up to pee in the middle of the night without unplugging it from the wall and taking it with me. I asked my Dr. yesterday if I could just get rid of the vac and pack my wound. It's supposed to help wounds heal up to 1/3 faster than just packing, but at least for me it's still a very long, slow process. I just want to be able to move around freely again, even if I do have a hole, KWIM?

Yes, I've been billed for the 3 follow-up surgeries. Actually, my Insurance has been billed. The wound vac, supplies, and nurses who come to my home 3X/week runs about $9000/month. With the 4 surgeries, labs, wound vac, etc etc my Insurance has been billed over $150,000 and counting:faint: I'm SO grateful for Insurance, and can't imagine where I would be if I DIDN'T have it!