What Happens When Band Slips?

[tonyann 8]

Hi every,i have been banded 1 month today! have lost 20 lbs !i get my first fill 14th of this month, i have been reading the forms and topics and their are some that talk about band slipage what happens if it slips?

Thxs Tonyann

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

First, congrats on your weight loss!

The band can slip up onto the esophagus or further down onto the stomach as a result of a failed suture, vomiting, coughing, overeating, failure to follow the post-op eating progression (liquids, mushies, solids), stomach dilation, overfilling of the band, and/or an untreated/undiagnosed hiatal hernia.

Symptoms of a band slip include: vomiting, heartburn, acid reflux, foaming, chest pain, left shoulder pain, difficulty swallowing. The symptoms may be intermittent or continuous. Symptoms may develop gradually or occur suddenly.

Diagnosis of a band slip is usually based on the patient's symptoms and an upper GI study (barium swallow).

Treatment of a band slip is usually a complete unfill and rest period, followed by slow, incremental re-filling of the band, plus discontinuation of the behavior(s) (such as overeating) that caused the slip. Some band slips require surgery to reposition and resuture the band to the stomach.

A band slip is not a medical emergency unless the patient is unable to swallow Clear Liquids, but it does require prompt attention to prevent the problem from worsening. The longer you leave it, the harder it'll be to fix.

[tonyann 8]

thanks jean for the great info

tonyann