Band Placed Too High, Recurring Pneumonia....anyone Else??

[sleeve_sister 110]

I was banded two years ago. The day of my surgery I came home,sat down and my incision opened up, no biggy I worked in a hospital I just went and steristripped it back together. A month later, I went for my first fill and my port (not band) was flipped. So I had the port revised. Moving on, my husband was banded two months after me and lost 73 lbs with no problems (stupid men!). I lost 24 lbs total (18 prior to surgery) and I was stricter than my husband. About a year ago, I had kidney stones and had a stent placed. After surgery I couldn't even swallow a sip of Water. I went to dr and he took out 2cc's leaving me with 3. I never bothered going back because I had restriction and was frustrated at my weight loss (or lack thereof) compared to my husbands. For the last 6 months I have experienced shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. I went to ER on a holiday weekend they treated it as an asthma attack and sent me in my way. Pulmonologist tells me to continue using inhalers religiously (as if I already wasn't) and gives me steriod pack, and one week recently when pulmo was out of town I went to my PCP who tells me it's post viral and there's nothing I can do about it. (btw, at this point I've gained all my weight back and some!). So, disgusted with what theyve portrayed as my weight to be the contributing factor, I schedule an appt with a Bariatric surgeon who was recommended by a friend (the surgeon who did my band is not a Bariatric surgeon, just a surgeon who does Lap Bands.). Before I can get into see him in addition to the sob, wheezing, coughing that I'm still experiencing, i notice that my port has moved, I can feel the port but not the access, and I went from having so much restriction that I went from having to eat fulls and about 3 days before appt was in clears because that's all I could tolerate. Making this long story shorter, in just 2 days after my appt and all the tests he ran, I have an ulcer where my band is, I have a hole in my stomach from one of the sutures that punctured it when the band was placed, my band was placed too high contributing to the lack of weight loss AND the pneumonia I have from aspirating food (pulmo says I will continue getting pneumonia if it's not removed) So, I have to have my band removed ASAP (after pneumonia clears) he will repair the hole and any others that he couldn't see with egd and ct and once my stomach heals from that surgery I will be getting a gastric sleeve! Anyone else have these probs? I really wanted to have the revision in one surgery but my BS doesn't recommend it even without the issues. Sooo here I go on another journey!!

[ready4changein2011 70]

Sorry you have had all of this distress but when thinking about the sleeve all I can say is if you do develop problems its not reversible. Thats what steered me away from that surgery but the decision is yours its your body. I have not experienced none of the problems you are having but wish you luck on your decision.

[Cocoabean 430]

Hello and welcome. I have heard of bands being placed too high. Very sorry for your troubles.

At this point in my WLS life, I would not hesitate to revise to another procedure were it warranted. I know that without some surgical intervention the weight would come right back on and I'd be back on the road to diabetes. I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol before surgery. I am sure those would be back as well.

Is it possible to reposition your band to where it needs to be, or is it too late for that due to the damage done?

I wish you all the best with this difficult decision. Feel better soon!

[tgb 10]

Thanks for sharing you story, it sounds like you've been thru band hell. I hope you get break with the sleeve. I would do it if I was in your situation. Maybe they can use the side with the ulcer and holes to sleeve off. Better luck in your next journey.

[FLHgal 68]

wow.. you have had your share of problems...

make the best decision for your well being....

try not to compare to your hubby....MEN

Good Luck and take good care of yourself physically as well as emotionally.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Wow I'm so sorry you went through this, it's simply awful. I hate to say it, but I'd be holding your original surgeon accountable for this. He's the one that placed it too high, resulting in all the other problems. It's awful that now you're suffering for his mistakes.

Best wishes to you, I hope it all works out in your best interest.

[Toddy 758]

If I ever develop problems with my band, I wouldn't hesitate to do the sleeve.

I think your post is very important because it serves as a warning to thoroughly vet your surgeon! Of course complications can happen even when you've got a great bariatric surgeon, but I think they are dramatically lessened! I know a lot of people go out of the country for this procedure and I'm very curious what happens when they have a complication and where they go for the near constant maintenance that is required especially in the beginning.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

It'd be hard to match a saga like yours. I haven't heard many like it. It's ridiculous that your troubles were allowed to go on so long without appropriate treatment, but right now I think getting that band out of you is priority #1. I had my band removed recently because of damage that my band and/or reflux had caused my esophagus. Like you, I was told that aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs was a serious risk for pneumonia. Like you, I wanted to revise to the sleeve in the same procedure as my band removal, but it didn't happen because of a stricture at the base of my esophagus. When I went for my 2-week post-op visit, my surgeon said that I can have the sleeve revision eventually, when the stricture is fixed, but that the scar tissue I have from my band and other abdominal surgeries will make it a challenge (but not impossible). In your case, I think that waiting a while and letting your poor innards heal and rest would be the best course of action.

Good luck!

[sleeve_sister 110]

Thank you all for your well wishes! I have thought about the risks of another WLS and believe that doing something outways my risks of doing nothing. I'm 4"11 and 264, I got up to 273. That is ridiculous in itself, but I think my biggest message here is choose your surgeon wisely. I had great insurance through the hospital I worked at and went to the orientation of a Bariatric group affiliated with the hospital, I was working on my 6 mths of weight management, and saving for the $500 I needed just for an appt when I found out the surgeon who did my surgery through a co worker. All I had to pay was my $30 copay and the copay for the psych eval as that's all my insurance required. Sounded great! Especially with two of us getting it. You get what you pay for I guess. My husband had a different surgeon, I recommended two people who also had the procedure, one who used the same surgeon as myself and the other used the other in the practice. One has done great and the other has had nothing but problems (I'm sure you can figure out who's who.). As far as the sleeve goes, my Bariatric surgeon prefers the sleeve over bypass as myself. Because (this his "because").....there's no malabsorption issues, the risk of hernia or bowel issues are minimal if any compaired to bypass, and you can stretch your stomach with any WLS but with the sleeve they use the portion of you stomach that doesn't stretch much. So, your chances of successful weight loss and keeping it off are much greater than with any other WLS. The downside....it's only been out for 6 or so years and there's no data making it harder to get approval for insurance. However, unlike the other insurance I had who only allows 1 WLS, my insurance will approve the sleeve as long as my bmi is over 50, I'm at 53. Moving on, once I get the sleeve...my chances of getting an ulcer are just as anyone with a normal stomach, the risk of the sleeve is leakage however, my surgeon prefers to do the revision in two surgeries to decrease those chances, and whether he's done it in two or one, he has never had a patient have a leak. I'm very excited to be able to live life again. I feel like a prisoner in my own home. My husband and I were hit by a drunk driver in our way home from our honeymoon (6yrs ago today) and I have been disabled for a little over a year now due to my injuries. I know weight loss will give me my life back. I also have two kids who need more from me than I currently can give. Again, doing something is better than doing nothing at all!

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Again, I'm sorry that you've had to go through this, but it sounds to me like you have your head on straight and I have the feeling that you're going to beat this. And I agree, doing something is better than doing nothing at all. I'd rather make a bad decision than no decision.

[Jessyca 0]

I had lapband surgery in 3/08. I had pneumonia three times from the lapband. I don't think mine is placed too high or anything but I can't really tolerate any fill. Even with a small fill I would vomit Water. My port is always sore, I lost about 50 pounds and gained it all back and then some. They found nothing wrong with the lapband and recommended I just have it removed. I finally got health insurance but have to wait a year for a pre-existing condition clause. It's as if I didn't have surgery at all. While I had no serious complications, I am very disappointed that it didn't work for me. I'm glad to see it works for most though!

[sleeve_sister 110]

I had my band removed Tuesday. I can breathe!!! The removal was definately more recovery than the placement. I was shopping two days after band and this time it took me until today, four days post op, to feel like a human again. My sleeve is scheduled for October as my stomach needs time to heal.