slipped bands experiences

flower · October 6, 2006

From someone who has had actually had a slipped band what where your symptoms in detail. Just wanted to know because I think I have one please respond

housecatgirl · October 6, 2006

I haven't but you can do a search to see who has. From what I remember you are either so tight you can't keep your own spit down or loose as a goose and can eat everything in site.

Alexandra · October 6, 2006

Flower, you can't diagnose a slip by yourself. If you're having problems you must see a doctor to find out what's going on.

Twice in my banded time I've had symptoms that led my doctor to suspect a slip, but neither time was that really the problem. I was having severe reflux, heartburn, and over time an inability to eat anything except really soft foods. For me it wasn't that I was so dramatically tight all the time--there were occasions where I could eat relatively normally--but almost everything I ate gave me heartburn. Reflux at night was almost a regular occurrence.

Ultimately, both times, I didn't have a slip at all but my esophagus was irritated and swollen. Adjusting my fill downward (to make my band looser) fixed the problem both times. My band is still in precisely the right position.

So don't leap to conclusions--go find out for real what's happening!

lyndalafe · October 9, 2006

I am sure the level of slips can be different and the severity; but here is my story. I have been one of those people who has been filled and unfilled so many times in the past year (11/17/05 - my surgery date) that I have lost track. I will go and get a good fill and then will be fine for a week or even a month....good restriction and then bam! can't eat....go to liquids but no matter within 3 to 4 days start with severe reflux and then run back and get an unfill....then they would send me to do a barium swallow to see if I have a slip and nope all looks okay....and then the cycle repeats month after month.

Well the last time I got a fill - it took exactly one week to the day to all the sudden not be able to eat anything.....so started the liquids and soft stuff again....and by Sat. afternoon started with severe pain in my back, could not keep Water down.....called doctor and he was out of town and told me to see if I could hold on until Monday so he could do a barium swallow while having one of these attacks! Well by nite I knew there was no way I could hang on....cause would get really bad pain and then have to throw up this dark brown metallic tasting stuff and then pain went away...just to return 2 hrs later and the same deal - vomitting up strange stuff...so I got scared and went to emergency room at around 9 pm and after several hours with people who had no idea what to do with me....(I kept telling them they just needed to remove the fill???duh) well they ran a series of X-rays (had me drink what little I could of disgusting stuff that I threw up of course)........then finally about 1 a.m. they talked to my doctor and he explained to them how to remove my fill. Instant relief. However, took those Xrays to my Doctor 2 weeks later and he said aha! you have a slip??? What happens is that when I get unfilled band goes back into place so they can't detect it....then I'll get another fill and it happens again! But unless they can do an X-ray or barium swallow while you are having the problem, they might not see it.

Right now have a slightly less fill..........and we're going to wait and see. I might have to have band reattached properly....he said looks like some of the stitches came lose?

carol134 · October 9, 2006

I am sure the level of slips can be different and the severity; but here is my story. I have been one of those people who has been filled and unfilled so many times in the past year (11/17/05 - my surgery date) that I have lost track. I will go and get a good fill and then will be fine for a week or even a month....good restriction and then bam! can't eat....go to liquids but no matter within 3 to 4 days start with severe reflux and then run back and get an unfill....then they would send me to do a barium swallow to see if I have a slip and nope all looks okay....and then the cycle repeats month after month.
Well the last time I got a fill - it took exactly one week to the day to all the sudden not be able to eat anything.....so started the liquids and soft stuff again....and by Sat. afternoon started with severe pain in my back, could not keep Water down.....called doctor and he was out of town and told me to see if I could hold on until Monday so he could do a barium swallow while having one of these attacks! Well by nite I knew there was no way I could hang on....cause would get really bad pain and then have to throw up this dark brown metallic tasting stuff and then pain went away...just to return 2 hrs later and the same deal - vomitting up strange stuff...so I got scared and went to emergency room at around 9 pm and after several hours with people who had no idea what to do with me....(I kept telling them they just needed to remove the fill???duh) well they ran a series of X-rays (had me drink what little I could of disgusting stuff that I threw up of course)........then finally about 1 a.m. they talked to my doctor and he explained to them how to remove my fill. Instant relief. However, took those Xrays to my Doctor 2 weeks later and he said aha! you have a slip??? What happens is that when I get unfilled band goes back into place so they can't detect it....then I'll get another fill and it happens again! But unless they can do an X-ray or barium swallow while you are having the problem, they might not see it.

Right now have a slightly less fill..........and we're going to wait and see. I might have to have band reattached properly....he said looks like some of the stitches came lose?

That was very informing, please let me know what happened to you, as I find this sort of thing a huge problem with people and would like to stay informed the issues are.

Hope everything turns out fine.:girl_hug:

lyndalafe · October 9, 2006

Yes, think there are many of us that keep having this problem and just give up and have band removed....if the fill changes dramatically for no reason and you cannot eat or keep liquids down and you haven't eaten anything to cause a major PB, something else is wrong...either Hiatel Hernia or slip (that might be fixed by slight unfill).

tutuclvr · October 23, 2006

I am experienced with a slipped band. It slipped down to my small intestines and my surgeon said it was the worst slippage he had ever seen. My first symptom was not being able to keep anything down. Then I began to vomit black bile. They performed a complete unfill Christmas Eve 2005 thinking that it would reposition itself. I was hospitalized with the flu on New Year's Eve with a temp of 105 and vomitting, coughing, etc. My local hopsital released me too soon and Jan 6th I was hospitalized again with severe bronchitis and respiratory failure. By the end of January I believed I was better and went back to my surgeon for a small fill. The first thing I noticed was that everything soured on my stomach and I had severe reflux. I could only eat a few sips of Soup. Then I began vomitting again. Within 2 weeks my band had slipped to the point of emergency life-saving surgery. I went to my surgeon on a Thursday afternoon. He did a complete unfill and suspected a slippage and ordered an upper GI for the first available appointment which was the following Monday. I left his office and began vomitting clear slime. I called his office for anti-nausea medication and he was hesitant to prescribe it but did so after my insistance. He told me to go the ER if I continued to vomit but I laid on the bathroom floor all night (trying to save money) and vomitted and had dry heaves and major stomach pain radiating through to my back and shoulder blades. Friday morning at 8:00 A.M. I called his office and told them I could not keep down 1 drop of Water and was continuously vomitting slime, black bile or having dry heaves. They performed an emergency upper GI which confirmed the slippage and I was rushed into surgery. He told my family in the best case scenario I would be out of surgery in 30-45 minutes. In the worst case scenario I would be out of surgery in 1 to 1.5 hours. I was in surgery 3.5 hours. Apparently it created lesions all along my stomach down to my intestines and the lesions had to be repaired as well. He saved my band and repositioned it. My first lapband surgery was performed in Mexico and I'm not knocking Mexico or its surgeons. I had a wonderful experience in Mexico and was treated like a queen. I have no regrets but I have ended up paying for surgery twice (self-pay) and no, I cannot afford it. My US surgeon thinks that it was mounted too low to begin with and the illnesses with vomitting and coughing herniated my stomach above the band which caused the band to slip. The US surgeon positioned the band between 2 or 3 arteries, veins or something and wrapped it with mesh to prevent slippage in the future. I'm not a medical person so I don't really know what is located near or around the stomach. It is also stitched in several places including something near the diaphram (?? spelling) so I hiccup quite frequently after eating. He does this with all of his surgeries, not just mine. He took special care to try and prevent any future slippage and I am grateful. Hiccupping is a small price to pay for peace of mind. So even though the surgery in the US costs approximately $16K - $19K I would have come out cheaper having it done here to begin with. But again I have no regrets or anything negative to say about Mexico. We all do what we have to do. Everything is going great now but I've learned not to ignore any type of sinus drainage or nausea and to have the symptoms treated immediately. My M.D. is learning with me and knows to treat any minor illness of mine agressively and quickly... Antibiotics, anti-nausea, antihistamines all prescription strength. No questions asked. It is my fervent wish that none of you go through the experience of a slipped band.

babyjessica · October 23, 2006

Tutuclvr

I am so sorry for your experience but I glad everything is better. Thank God you have such good after care in the US. Sounds like you have a very good doctor for after care. You know because this surgery is new in the US (since 2001 or sometime around there) everyone has not seen everything that could possiblity happen. It is up to us to be observe what is going on and notify the MD as soon as possible and to stay on the MD if he is not that worried.

tutuclvr · October 23, 2006

Thanks, BabyJessica. I joined this group and posted in the hopes that I can spread the word to get medical treatment quickly for vomitting, nausea, coughing or sinus drainage. I was so anxious to lose weight that I did not want an unfill unless absolutely necessary. I know better now and urge all of you to seek medical attention, no matter how minor you think your symptoms are. I also still find myself asking my surgeon to give me a larger fill because I am losing only 1-2 lbs a week. He is adamant and does not budge, thank God!!! He says as long as I am losing weight, I do not need a fill. He is right, of course. Naturally, when I start to leave his office, I am irritated and then he does something nice like tells the cashier, not to charge me for the visit. What an Angel of a surgeon I have. I am blessed beyond belief!! Wishing you all continued good health.

scrubnurse · June 9, 2010

Flower, you can't diagnose a slip by yourself. If you're having problems you must see a doctor to find out what's going on.
Twice in my banded time I've had symptoms that led my doctor to suspect a slip, but neither time was that really the problem. I was having severe reflux, heartburn, and over time an inability to eat anything except really soft foods. For me it wasn't that I was so dramatically tight all the time--there were occasions where I could eat relatively normally--but almost everything I ate gave me heartburn. Reflux at night was almost a regular occurrence.

Ultimately, both times, I didn't have a slip at all but my esophagus was irritated and swollen. Adjusting my fill downward (to make my band looser) fixed the problem both times. My band is still in precisely the right position.

So don't leap to conclusions--go find out for real what's happening!

oh thanks this gives me hope!