5 Years In And My Band Has Slipped :(

[tammyj 15]

My slip was detected on Feb 6th. I knew that something was wrong the day before that. I felt uncomfortable, could barely eat or drink anything, and felt what I thought was gas pains. When this happens I usually walk around for a little awhile until it passes, but this time it did not pass. After 24 hours I still felt horrible. What really alarmed me was a sharp pain on the left side near my port that would not go away. After being banded for 5 years I have become very familiar with my band and my reactions to it. I know what it feels like if I am too tight, if I overeat, if I am bloated, or if my stomach is just irritated. This was totally different so I waisted no time and high-tailed it to the doctor's office the next day. All the Fluid was taken out and the pain immediately went away...thank goodness, but something still didn't feel right. I was sent for X-ray and was not surprised when I was told that my band was not in the right position. I was also told that it was a significant slip that would most likely require surgery, but they would wait 6 weeks to do another upper GI.

Luckily, I felt fine after the Fluid was removed. Fast forward to the next 6 weeks...the first couple of weeks I felt like I still had restriction and experienced that unusual sharp pain again on my left side when eating solids, but after a couple of weeks all that went away. My appetite began to increase considerably and I could eat way too much for my liking. I feel like I am constantly thinking about food again and craving foods I haven't wanted in years. I do not want to live the life of a chronic dieter obsessing about my weight, but that's what it feels like now. This is why I know that I NEED my band!!!! My second upper GI is in two days. I am hoping that the unfill and 6 week rest has fixed the problem. At the same time I do believe that if my band has re-positioned itself and is filled again I will more than likely experience another slip. So In a way, I am ok with having a surgical revision as well.

If anyone is curious, I have the small 4 cc band that is not made anymore. I had so may problems with fills and unfills that I just gave up having my band adjusted. I have not had a fill since Oct 2010 and I was filled to 2cc when my band slipped.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

i'm so sorry this has happened to you. You have done such a great job with your band.

Can they tell what caused the slippage? Will insurance pay for the revision? I'm courious because i don't have the same insurance that i had when i got my band and my new insurance doesn't cover WLS.

I completely understand about the food cravings..... i had all my fill removed 4 1/2 weeks ago when i got my Tummy Tuck and i feel like all the "bad" stuff is call my name.... Chris, come eat me while you can....lol The other day i ate a hot dog with bun from sonic... OMG it was so good. and i ate pizza with the crust... this has got to stop...

Please keep us posted ...

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

My band slip was cured by a complete unfill. I had another complete unfill 4 weeks ago to treat a dilated esophagus, and I feel the same as you. Suddenly foods that I'd lost interest in are invading me again...I feel like my food demons are having a wild party in my brain. Some foods that had been tasting bland to me taste fabulous again. It's definitely showing me how my band had been doing for me (and that I was taking for granted).

I also have the old 4 cc Lap-Band, which I think is still manufactured but sold only in Mexico. I haven't had much trouble getting fills that are manageable. I'm not sure it's been proven that having one slip predisposes you to another one, but I understand you feeling that way. My current surgeon did tell me that (in her opinion), the 4 cc band is too small and too tight, even without fill in it. Now she won't re-fill my band, and as much as I love the band, I've decided to revise to the sleeve (fortunately, my insurance will cover the revision). From what I've learned so far, the sleeve eliminates physical hunger but doesn't provide the early satiety or appetite suppression I've experienced with my band.

If I were you, I'd be tempted to revise to a bigger band, probably the Realize rather than the Lap-Band.

Good luck! I hope you get good news at your next upper GI.

Jean

[tammyj 15]

Thanks ladies I appreciate the support.

Bayougirl, did your surgeon say why he needed to unfill your band for your tummytuck? My PS did not unfill my band before my Tummy Tuck surgery...he said it wasn't necessary. Since it is not clear as to what caused my band to slip I am wondering if the tt surgery had anything to do with it. My band slipped 4 months post tt surgery. My insurance will pay for the lapband revision so I am grateful for that.

Thanks for sharing your experience Jean. Having more problems is what I am afraid of if I keep the same band. Is your dialated esophogus issue possibly related to the previous band slip? I understand your point about the 4cc band being too small for some people, but I actually thought it was the perfect size for me. I always thought the bigger bands would be too big for me. I have lots of questions for my surgeon regarding the different bands as well as the gastric sleeve procedure. I plan to have answers by the end of this week so I have some idea of how I want to proceed.

Thanks again ladies!

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Thanks for sharing your experience Jean. Having more problems is what I am afraid of if I keep the same band. Is your dialated esophogus issue possibly related to the previous band slip? I understand your point about the 4cc band being too small for some people, but I actually thought it was the perfect size for me. I always thought the bigger bands would be too big for me. I have lots of questions for my surgeon regarding the different bands as well as the gastric sleeve procedure. I plan to have answers by the end of this week so I have some idea of how I want to proceed.

Thanks again ladies!

We're not sure if the dilation and slip are related. Maybe, but they happened 2 years apart. My original bariatric surgeon lost his medical license due to substance abuse problems, and sometimes when talking with my current surgeon I get the sense that she's hinting that he didn't do a good job placing my band in the first place. We'll never know for sure.

I always thought my 4 cc band was perfect for me too. I have the feeling there are newly-recognized problems with the size of the 4 cc band, no matter who the patient is. A surgeon who spoke at last year's ASMBS said that the long-term effect of the band is to create a high-pressure system that can put too much stress on the esophagus, resulting in dilation and motility issues. He didn't specifically mention the 4 cc Lap-Band, but since it's the one that's been in place in American patients the longest, I have to wonder if it's the #1 culprit.

My understand of the design of the Realize band is that the inner "pillow" is continuous rather than baffled, so that it distributes pressure more evenly. But I don't know that much about the Realize band, so I suggest that you ask your surgeon about it. You can add that to your long list of questions!

Jean

[tammyj 15]

Jean your information has been very helpful...thanks so much!

[Humming Bird 275]

Thank you for posting. I'm sure this topic is on the minds of many bandsters even if we have not had complicaition. I wish the best for you.

[tammyj 15]

Thank you for posting. I'm sure this topic is on the minds of many bandsters even if we have not had complicaition. I wish the best for you.

Thank you!

[elcee 3,341]

I am off to see my Dr this afternoon. I ended up in emergency 10 days ago after a bad stuck, vomiting and then reflux so bad that i could not lie down. They took out 4ml and left me with 2ml.They also did a CT and the Dr that looked at it told me that it looked as though everything was fine although he is not an expert.

I can definitely feel the difference. I sometimes think it is like having no band but it must be having some effect as when I went out for my daughters Birthday last week I was satisfied with a burger patty and some (way too many) chips, I did not attempt the bun. It is amazing though how fast I am eating now that I can and how at the end of a meal I am still hungry and could easily eat more. I did take advantage this morning and had a yummy toasted hot X bun for Breakfast as I know they will be back off the menu if I get filled again.

So fingers crossed that everything is OK.

Jean sorry to hear about your problems and that you are having to revise. I am sure that some people must be gloating ovr that piece of info.

Tammy hope your problem gets sorted out and that no further intervention is required.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Jean sorry to hear about your problems and that you are having to revise. I am sure that some people must be gloating ovr that piece of info.

Oh yes, plenty of gloating going on, making me wonder once again how some people can get so much pleasure out of other people's misfortune.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

Thanks ladies I appreciate the support.

Bayougirl, did your surgeon say why he needed to unfill your band for your tummytuck? My PS did not unfill my band before my Tummy Tuck surgery...he said it wasn't necessary. Since it is not clear as to what caused my band to slip I am wondering if the tt surgery had anything to do with it. My band slipped 4 months post tt surgery. My insurance will pay for the lapband revision so I am grateful for that.

Thanks for sharing your experience Jean. Having more problems is what I am afraid of if I keep the same band. Is your dialated esophogus issue possibly related to the previous band slip? I understand your point about the 4cc band being too small for some people, but I actually thought it was the perfect size for me. I always thought the bigger bands would be too big for me. I have lots of questions for my surgeon regarding the different bands as well as the gastric sleeve procedure. I plan to have answers by the end of this week so I have some idea of how I want to proceed.

Thanks again ladies!

Of course you and i have talked about this but i will share with everyone else in case they are wondering the same thing...

He told me the reason he removes all the fill is because of the swelling in the stomach area. He's in there cutting and pulling and moving things around. In fact my port is now right above my navel. it was further up and to my left. He said the added swelling against the band will sometimes create more restriction and you will not be able to eat or drink with out discomfort. He did have a bad experience with a patient that refused to allow him to remove her fill and she ended up in the hospital dehydrated. I just wish he could put it all back in.... this would save me some money.... but he can't. Pulling it all out when the port is right in front of you and after when it's hidden under the skin is two different things.

I see now were he was coming from because the two weeks after i did fill like i had fill in my band.... but as the swelling goes down the hungrier i get. Going Friday for my check up... 5 1/2 weeks... so ready to stop wearing this compression garment. think i will wear a girdle for a little bit more..just in case

[tammyj 15]

Well I just returned from having having my second upper GI and my band is still in the wrong position so revision surgery is inevitable I am waiting for my surgeon to review the x-ray to make a final determination. I can't wait to talk to him to find out when, what, and how all this is going to happen. I am feeling a little anxious right now. I am not looking forward to having another surgery, but I know that everything will be okay afterward.

Elcee I went through the same thing you are going through during my second year. My first year was perfect...no problems whatsoever. Then out of the blue I started having acid reflux at night. I would wake up out of my sleep choking on gross acidy saliva. I was fine during the day and could eat normally, but the acid reflux would happen every single night if I tried to lay down flat. I had not had a fill in almost a year when this started happening so I did not understand how I could possibly be too tight. My restriction level was perfect as it had been for the past year, but I still decided to have a slight unfill to see if it would fix the problem and so I could sleep like a normal person. The unfill stopped the acid reflux, but at the same time I had less restriction and therefore started gaining some weight back. After gaining back 20lbs and going back and forth to the doctor having fills and unfills trying to get back to the restriction that I needed to start losing again I got so frustrated and just gave up. I never went back for another fill. I still had 2cc in my band and left it at that. That was in Oct 2010. I lost the last 40lbs on my own so to speak by working out...HARD!!! Since I truly believe my ordeal was the works of a "slipping" not slipped band I advise you to please be careful. Another symptom to look out for is heartburn. Even though the acid reflux was resolved I started having occasional heartburn. Not often and not severe...I would take a prevacid once or twice a week to control the bouts, but since my band has been completely unfilled for the last 6 weeks the heartburn is completely gone. I really hope your issue gets resolved quickly. May I ask what kind/size band do you have?

Jean who and why would anyone gloat about you having to revise??

Bayougirl I was given the okay to wear a stage 2 garment like Flexees or Spanx at my 2 week follow-up. I still wore my compression garment at night until about 4 weeks. Your PS will probably give you the okay soon.

[elcee 3,341]

Thanks Tammy

I have a 10ml Allergan lapband. The reflux does concern me as I have read so many stories on here about people who have issues. It seems really strange that my band is not tight, that I can eat almost anything yet sometimes at night it becomes an issue. i think it may be from an undiagnosed hernia but I am not sure.When I went to the Dr yesterday he said that the reason I had the really bad reflux after the vomiting is that there was probably still something obstructing the stoma and that this caused the issues. He did say that the reflux that I had been experiencing prior to this may have indicated that the stomach had moved slightly previously so I understand what you say about the stomach "slipping" but not being slipped.

It seems that for some reason there may be a very fine line between just right and too much.

He gave me 2ml back yesterday and wants to see me again in 4 weeks. I can tell there is some difference as this morning is the first morning in ages that I haven't felt it necessary to get up and have a couple of Cookies with my morning cuppa!

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Jean who and why would anyone gloat about you having to revise??

Band-bashers like Formerlyfluffy seem to feel that karma is biting me in the butt.

[tammyj 15]

Good Luck Elcee!

Jean I haven't been very active on this site so I don't know who she is but I can recall one particular member awhile back who constantly make negative comments about everything. Those types of people are usually very miserable in their own personal lives.