Problem

[Maraskin 0]

I was banded almost two years ago, and never had any control nor fills. Ten days after surgery I have had constant pain in the port area and after almost a year the port was removed becouse my body rejected it. After that I felt I can eat without limits and two days ago, on my initiative, I went to gastroscopy and there is ni trace of my band. I'm thinking of pressing the charges against the hospital, due to the lack of care.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

You can not see the band from a endoscopy. That only shows the inside of your stomach and the band is on the outside of your stomach. You would have to have an xray or cat scan to see your band.

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

If I am reading this correctly, your expectation was that the band stayed around the stomach, and only the port was to be removed? But if you had no control with the band, why would you want to keep the apparatus inside of you, especially if there was no mechanism to control it (either fill or unfill)? This seems like a contradiction

Also, I am thinking of the lapband as an apparatus. This is a close system piece of equipment. Meaning, there is nowhere to simply unscrew one part from another. In essence it's one piece. So I can't even think of how they would just remove the port.

You have to remember, that surgeons can only do what is FDA approved. If it is not permissable to keep a band inside (in parts) that it has not been tested for, that is the surgeons license if he acts otherwise.

Again, I am not sure what the expectation was, or even the longterm goal of having a uninflated ineffective band?

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

Technically the scope would see the stoma and upper pouch formation. This is another great example of why you wouldn't have a band w/out a port because in some procedures (placing an OG tube, endoscopy etc) they usually deflate the band in order for these apparatus' to pass through the stoma.

But further diagnostics would need to be performed as cheryl implied. But again, what are you looking for?

[JOANNE M HOLL 388]

My insurance company requires a follow up on all bands covered by their policies. Can you discuss the problem with your bariatric center that your surgeon represents? I don't understand why you would sue them. . . .

[NaNa 878]

I was banded almost two years ago, and never had any control nor fills. Ten days after surgery I have had constant pain in the port area and after almost a year the port was removed becouse my body rejected it. After that I felt I can eat without limits and two days ago, on my initiative, I went to gastroscopy and there is ni trace of my band. I'm thinking of pressing the charges against the hospital, due to the lack of care.

If you had your port removed, how did you expect the band to keep you in the green zone? if you say you can now eat without limits, the lap band does not work unless it can be filled, if you can't adjust it, then it is useless.

Also as you lose weight the band will loosen up for many and if you have no port to inject saline into how did you expect to have the band help you with your portions?

Are you in the US? This really does not sound like something a surgeon in the US would do, because they know that a band without a port is useless, if there are port issues, they either fix it or remove the band if your body rejects the port, tubing or lap band system.

I have heard in the past where some people had the port removed (temporarily) if there was infection and the surgeon would remove the port (hoping) that with aggressive antibiotics that the infection would clear up and they can eventually put back in a new port, but from I've seen over the years, that rarely works, and the band has to be eventually removed.

If you had a EGD or gastroscopy this would only tell if there is band migration inside the stomach, aka..erosion or hernias, ulcers, gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach or duodenum

If there is no band at all, an Upper GI would tell whether the band is still around your stomach, and you would be able to see this for yourself with an Upper Gi series.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Technically the scope would see the stoma and upper pouch formation. This is another great example of why you wouldn't have a band w/out a port because in some procedures (placing an OG tube, endoscopy etc) they usually deflate the band in order for these apparatus' to pass through the stoma.

But further diagnostics would need to be performed as cheryl implied. But again, what are you looking for?

That is not true. My gastro doctor did an endoscopy on me and he showed me the pictures of my stomach. There is no pouch shown. He said the only way they could tell I have a band is by seeing it in an xray. The stoma has to be pretty tight in order for you to see that there is a pouch there.

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

That is not true. My gastro doctor did an endoscopy on me and he showed me the pictures of my stomach. There is no pouch shown. He said the only way they could tell I have a band is by seeing it in an xray. The stoma has to be pretty tight in order for you to see that there is a pouch there.

Right, if the lapband is restricted it would see it if one is formed. That's all I am inferring. For instance, I am in the green and have had my band for 4 yrs. Surely as they pass the scope they would appreciate an upper pouch and stoma. But most of us are not walking around with bands that are wide open. That's all

[NaNa 878]

If I am reading this correctly, your expectation was that the band stayed around the stomach, and only the port was to be removed? But if you had no control with the band, why would you want to keep the apparatus inside of you, especially if there was no mechanism to control it (either fill or unfill)? This seems like a contradiction

Also, I am thinking of the lapband as an apparatus. This is a close system piece of equipment. Meaning, there is nowhere to simply unscrew one part from another. In essence it's one piece. So I can't even think of how they would just remove the port.

You have to remember, that surgeons can only do what is FDA approved. If it is not permissable to keep a band inside (in parts) that it has not been tested for, that is the surgeons license if he acts otherwise.

Again, I am not sure what the expectation was, or even the longterm goal of having a uninflated ineffective band?

FYI...Surgeons have removed ports for many lap banders if they have a port infection, so yes it is done all the time -- or the port can be switched out if it is defective for a new one, hopefully you've heard of port replacements? And the port can be removed and separated FROM the lap band.

When I got my new band replaced, my new surgeon WAS going to leave my old port in (4cc band), since there was nothing wrong with it, but decided to remove it along with the entire lap band system to have all parts of the AP band match including the lap band reservoir, tubing and port.

So yes, the port can be detached from the lap band.

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

good to know

[Maraskin 0]

I live in agony for the last two years, I opted for band becouse I thought that this was the best way for solving my problem, and i have paid a lot since our insurance is not covering the costs of the surgery. The only only great thing is that i have found this forum so i can check everithing, and i see that no one was left on his own to deal with the band. My firts year was marked by the port infection and terrible pain, and they have removed it only when it came out, and today, almost two years after the surgery the weight that i lost is minimal, only 20kg. The hispital in which i was operated is not scheduling controlls, and the gastroscopy was performed in one of the local health centers again becouse i wanted to prove that something is wrong. In my opinion, the only way out is to claim my money back, since no fills, checks, endoscopy, x - ray was made in two years. I remember when my port was removed, although i'm not a doctor, i have asked if they should make a control of the band, and they didn't. I'm scheduled for 10th october to resolve this issue, but i think that i will be again left on my own. I'm curentlly bchecking which other clinics exist in the region, South East Europe, that will be able to monitor my condition in the future. What else can i do?

[Maraskin 0]

You can not see the band from a endoscopy. That only shows the inside of your stomach and the band is on the outside of your stomach. You would have to have an xray or cat scan to see your band.

You're right, but you can see two stomacks, double volumen