NEED SUPPORT: Trying To Decide If I Should Have a Revision

[NeenBand 7]

Hi all,

It's been a while since last post.

I was banded in 2006 so I'm going to make a long story short.

I have not lost any weight with my band. Some of it's my fault and some of it is because the band didn't work with my anatomy or something is wrong with it. The after care with my first surgeon wasn't that great. I had no fills for many, many months due to insurance issues.

So...after I moved to a different town a few years ago, I found a great new surgeon who really took me under his wing. Fills every 6 weeks. I started to lose weight Then in December...I started to really work out a lot, weight was starting to slowly drop, then my band just felt like it "opened up." I could eat anything, didn't have to chew, taking in two cups of food under 15 mins. They have tried to fill me and it wasn't tightening. They also felt a lot of resistance and pressure in my port. Now they can't even draw saline OUT and are reluctant to put saline in. It could get too tight and they would have no way of unfilling.

So after bariums and xrays, all seems fine with the band and pouch. They think it may be the port, the tubing or a leak. Doctor says instead of just replacing the port, let's replace the whole thing with Realize band, especially since the old band doesn't seem to work great for me. He said he has seen it work better for some people who have had issues with the old.

They have me scheduled for March 1st and I'm really scared and not sure if I should do it.

Pros:

I could finally lose this weight if it's my band. I'm starting to get high blood pressure due to my family history and weight.They want me on meds for it.

I have a hianal hernia they can fix while in there.

I can't lose weight on my own. I know this, that is why I risked the first surgery. Could I finally get to my goal now??? Maybe?? Perhaps?? That would be awesome and very important to my life.

Cons:

I don't do well under anesthesia.It takes me a while to climb out of the fog of it and I get really sick. Back in 2000 I had a surgery that they had trouble waking me up and kept me overnight. So I'm really scared. Really scared.

Other than not losing weight and having no fills, I have had no issues with my old band. No slips, no issues. It's just kind of sitting there. Maybe I should just leave it alone.

What if it's my body and this new band doesn't work either? All of the surgery and the risks for nothing.

Really need some support on this. I'm about ready to cancel, but I go back and forth. My friends and family don't know how to advise me, so I thought you wonderful folks would be the best to bounce this off on.

Thank you.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I'm very sorry you're going through all this.

Since you were banded in 2006, do you have a 4cc band? If so, that could be a big part of your problem. Unfortunately a lot of people with 4cc bands have ended up with issues. If that is the case, you may notice a huge (positive) difference by going to one of the newer, bigger bands that are now used.

At the end of the day you have to do what's best for you.

What is your doctor's opinion?

[Holly Dolly 575]

I would say the risks for not having the surgery outweigh getting a new one. I would say take a chance on the second time being the charm!

[cheryl2586 3,053]

First of all anesthesia has come a long way since 2000 and 2006. Its not like it used to be. Secondly if this band is really messed up then get it fixed. Why not? What do you have to really lose? A day of being in a fog is not necessarily such a horrible thing it wont last forever however I doubt you will go through that again. If your true desire is to finally lose weight then I think taking a second chance would be worth the risks. Think about what will happen to you if you don't take the risk.

[Sojourner 2,446]

I also am sorry to read that you have been experiencing difficulties with your band. The age of your band does make me wonder what fill capacity it has. The outdated 4cc bands are no longer used in the US because of the rate of post op problems with them.

As others have already written, many advances have been made with anesthesia, and informing the anesthesiologist ahead of time of your prior history can avoid issues with this procedure.

From what you have written, you do seem to be motivated to move forward with reaching your weight loss goals. And you also have a good grasp of some of the barriers you have faced with your present band.

Ultimately, this decision has to be yours. Part of your decision should include what your future will likely include without the loss of excess weight. There are many healthy people who are overweight, yet over time the orthopedic and other medical issues will increase as risk factors. That factor is what made my decision easier for me.

Best wishes...

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

Do what you feel is right for you. You sound very motivated, and as other have stated the procedures have changed since 2006. It has to be something you want and are willing to commit to, though. You already should know fr om your earlier experience it is a lifestyle change, not a diet.

[jmont 13]

Hi all' date='

It's been a while since last post.

I was banded in 2006 so I'm going to make a long story short.

I have not lost any weight with my band. Some of it's my fault and some of it is because the band didn't work with my anatomy or something is wrong with it. The after care with my first surgeon wasn't that great. I had no fills for many, many months due to insurance issues.

So...after I moved to a different town a few years ago, I found a great new surgeon who really took me under his wing. Fills every 6 weeks. I started to lose weight Then in December...I started to really work out a lot, weight was starting to slowly drop, then my band just felt like it "opened up." I could eat anything, didn't have to chew, taking in two cups of food under 15 mins. They have tried to fill me and it wasn't tightening. They also felt a lot of resistance and pressure in my port. Now they can't even draw saline OUT and are reluctant to put saline in. It could get too tight and they would have no way of unfilling.

So after bariums and xrays, all seems fine with the band and pouch. They think it may be the port, the tubing or a leak. Doctor says instead of just replacing the port, let's replace the whole thing with Realize band, especially since the old band doesn't seem to work great for me. He said he has seen it work better for some people who have had issues with the old.

They have me scheduled for March 1st and I'm really scared and not sure if I should do it.

Pros:

I could finally lose this weight if it's my band. I'm starting to get high blood pressure due to my family history and weight.They want me on meds for it.

I have a hianal hernia they can fix while in there.

I can't lose weight on my own. I know this, that is why I risked the first surgery. Could I finally get to my goal now??? Maybe?? Perhaps?? That would be awesome and very important to my life.

Cons:

I don't do well under anesthesia.It takes me a while to climb out of the fog of it and I get really sick. Back in 2000 I had a surgery that they had trouble waking me up and kept me overnight. So I'm really scared. Really scared.

Other than not losing weight and having no fills, I have had no issues with my old band. No slips, no issues. It's just kind of sitting there. Maybe I should just leave it alone.

What if it's my body and this new band doesn't work either? All of the surgery and the risks for nothing.

Really need some support on this. I'm about ready to cancel, but I go back and forth. My friends and family don't know how to advise me, so I thought you wonderful folks would be the best to bounce this off on.

Thank you. [/quote']

Wow you could be writing my exact story here!!! I have had my band for 7 years now and in a year lost 55kg and a couple of years in I started to really get into my exercise! I could not work out why I was gaining weight when I was working out so much! The same as you I had a hole in the cord that is attached to port and band in fact it had shredded! My doctor said with my band they did not make the cord long enough so I went back into surgery to have it fixed! I do not do well under anaesthetic either it takes me a while to come out and my blood pressure drops dangerously low! Which is what happen again with this surgery! I got back on track and the two year later I noticed I was starting to gain weight again the checked my band again I had no fill in it at all! So again last October I go back in to have it fixed I tell the dr this time I don't come out of anaesthetic very well so they upped my fluids but I still had to spend the night once again my blood pressure dropping too low! This time there was a small hole near the top where cord joins to port! Once again it's all fixed and I have lost 7.5 kg in 6 weeks plus I'm back to working out hard! They now put a thinker Fluid into my band to block up any sort of leaks!! I have been told if this happens again I will be having the whole banding system replaced! Which I will do! I don't know if you have to pay for your surgery to have this fixed but mine will be fixed at no cost as that is part of my conditions! I would suggest if there is nothing wrong with the band then leave it just have the port fixed and see how you go!! I hope this helps you!! I wish you all the best no matter what decision you make!

[NeenBand 7]

Hello and thank you for the thoughtful posts.

Can I just say never read through OH if your having issues because it will give you a panic attack. LOL

To be honest, I'm going back and forth and leaning to not having it revised.

I spent last night doing some research and I am reading that most long timers seem to have had to have multiple surgeries with the band. Surgery is dangerous and again, if it's elective it's something I avoid. If this thing must be operated on, then perhaps I will have it either taken out to avoid future surgeries or replaced.

But then again....losing this weight that is harming me is a lure. But there are no guarantees a new band will do that for me. I can eat about 1 1/2 -2 cups of food in 15 minutes.Can you folks do that? If you can than maybe it's time I really think that it's me, and no matter what I do, unless I get tough with my eating, nothing will work.

My surgeon said to replace the port I'd be under anesthesia anyway, so let's just replace the whole thing.. But I heard it can be a local. I'm going to ask him again.

Ugh. I just don't know. I am torn and confused and it shows.Later today I could change my mind and go for it for a healthy weight. I envy people who just do these types of things without much concern. Fear is a terrible thing.

[NeenBand 7]

I just got off the phone with the surgery coordinator who was rather exasperated with me, it seems. It was the first time I ever spoke with her. I understand she must schedule this stuff constantly, but there are real live beings here with concerns. It's not deciding on what vacation to take.

I wanted to ask her if we could replace the port under a local, and see where that got us first. She responded with "He wants to replace the entire thing" in a dismissive, impatient tone.

I told her I am leaning to canceling this surgery and need the perspective of my surgeon to help me make my decision.

After I spoke with her, unless something really comes through that changes my mind, I'm not going to have the revision. If something happens to the band (other than not working anymore) I will have it taken out. But of course, later today I'll probably tell myself to do the revision..and so on and so on! LOL

I am so happy for those who were able to achieve long term goals and success. Really. Kudos to you because I know to have surgery, we hit a wall. It was a last resort. But for me, after 7 years and no weight loss, it was unsuccessful. Not all the band's fault either. I mean, there is a reason I'm fat and if it was just about food,I wouldn't have a problem.

I would love to hear some success stories. Most of what i read are not. Then again, if people are not having an issue, they are out probably living their lives and not on forums? I could be wrong!

[lellow 1,713]

Hi Neenband,

I saw you post in the old-timers thread but I thought I'd reply here.

I had great success with the band. I lost a substantial amount of weight with it, it stopped me being hungry and I lived off very little food and was quite happy with that.

But 13 months ago, the band started leaking and despite two operations to fix it, but I'm still losing Fluid from it.

I won't lie. I was feeling very disheartened about it all and very disillusioned about the band. While I know that a full replacement of the band is next (or revision to sleeve) I felt like, yet again, it would lead to nothing.

But I figure I have to try again. I want to try again. Even though after each op I swelled up like a balloon and was in pain for weeks. I'd rather try again then not have it there at all. That's just me.

[NeenBand 7]

Thank you for taking the time to respond lellow. I was reading your story here last night. You look amazing. But I'm sorry your having this issue too.

May I ask you a question? How do you feel about going under anesthesia so often? And the prospect of having to do that again with being banded? For someone like me who is so sensitive to it, that scares me. It scares me that i chose something that requires numerous surgeries as an upkeep. If I had known that, I don't know if I would have done this, especially with the lack of results I have had.

My surgeon is on vacation so I told the snippy surgery coordinator that I need to speak with him. I'm going to tell him if he can fix the port under a local and sedation, then that's fine, otherwise I'm not going under anesthesia again. Not right now.

I am deciding on NOT to revise and just let this non working band sit here until it has to come out, which judging by the posts I read, is a "when" not an "if."

If I saw more long term success stories I'd think more on it, but I don't see them. I wish I did! And hey, if you folks can point me to some heartening long term stories, I'd be so grateful. Even then, my going under just scares me too much.

I'll let you know what he says when I speak with him.

[Scorpio Girl 88]

Thank you for taking the time to respond lellow. I was reading your story here last night. You look amazing. But I'm sorry your having this issue too.

May I ask you a question? How do you feel about going under anesthesia so often? And the prospect of having to do that again with being banded? For someone like me who is so sensitive to it, that scares me. It scares me that i chose something that requires numerous surgeries as an upkeep. If I had known that, I don't know if I would have done this, especially with the lack of results I have had.

My surgeon is on vacation so I told the snippy surgery coordinator that I need to speak with him. I'm going to tell him if he can fix the port under a local and sedation, then that's fine, otherwise I'm not going under anesthesia again. Not right now.

I am deciding on NOT to revise and just let this non working band sit here until it has to come out, which judging by the posts I read, is a "when" not an "if."

If I saw more long term success stories I'd think more on it, but I don't see them. I wish I did! And hey, if you folks can point me to some heartening long term stories, I'd be so grateful. Even then, my going under just scares me too much.

I'll let you know what he says when I speak with him.

You know, kids with chronic disease go under anesthesia often, for life threatening issues. Do what you have to do...

[jenc87 60]

im very sorry for all youve gone through if i was you and i was walking through ur shoes honestly i would do it bc in this life u only have one and u cant live it twice if ur un healthy i have my daughter that i did the surgery for bc i wanted to run with her to be here for as long as i could and then there was me to feel better about my self i have back issues due to weight so if ur scared i cant tell you not be scared but to have faith and hope for ur self and ur family the anethesia it has come along way but i would some research if u have problems waking up for me i would really decide in my mind and heart is it all worth all the risks ima bout to take i hope this helps keep us updated on how ur doing best of luck

[lellow 1,713]

Yes, going under scares me. I am angry that I'm looking at having to go through that, and the pain, and the healing all over again. But losing my ability to run, or swim, or travel scares me more. I've discovered a whole new life after losing the weight and I don't want to lose it.

[dolphintattoo 96]

I have found my surgeons office has a large group of long term bandsters who are happy to offer advice and mentoring, he has done over 1000 bands and will tell you that many of the longer term patients no longer attend support groups or online chats because its just everyday life for them at this point. He has provided me with a mentor who has 5 years of band experience. I find most online groups are populated by those of us new to the experience, those with complications looking to "warn" others and those who really really love to talk about the Lapband!