Dr. C: Gastroparesis?

[*JASMINE* 1]

Good Morning Dr. C,

I recently read a post regarding this condition and became very concerned about the possibility of ending up with a permanent complication if my band would ever to erode. This is the first I've heard of this condition being caused by the band. How common is this?

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=25007

Reading this post made me want to run to my doctor just to have my band checked. It's been less than a year since my band has been checked via fluro and I am not experiencing any problems (other than paranoya from reading this post). I do not plan on getting anymore fills. In your opinion, is it necessary to have our bands checked, more than once a year?

Thanks so much for your help:).

[Trace Curry 1]

I have never seengastroparesis from any band-related complication. I think it would be pretty uncommon so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Dr. C

Cincinnati, Ohio

www.TheBandDoctor.com 877.442.BAND

DISCLAIMER: I am not your surgeon, any comments made by me are not meant to be taken as medical advice, just general guidelines. Contact your surgeon about your specific problem!

Good Morning Dr. C,

I recently read a post regarding this condition and became very concerned about the possibility of ending up with a permanent complication if my band would ever to erode. This is the first I've heard of this condition being caused by the band. How common is this?

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=25007

Reading this post made me want to run to my doctor just to have my band checked. It's been less than a year since my band has been checked via fluro and I am not experiencing any problems (other than paranoya from reading this post). I do not plan on getting anymore fills. In your opinion, is it necessary to have our bands checked, more than once a year?

Thanks so much for your help:).

[bandednomore 0]

I don't know who this Dr. C is, and I don't care after reading his post. I will tell you that any complication from the band should be knowledge given to all pre-op patients, as well as current bandsters. Telling people not to lose sleep over it is telling me is uneducated about the risks of having a band. It may not be as common as other risks, but it is still a risk from erosion which alot of people are getting. If not being able to eat meals, having terrible pain in your chest from chewing gum, not being able to walk long distances because of the excess scar tissue, terrible stomach pain that stops me from taking care of my children, working, and sleeping, does not cause Dr. C to lose sleep, I suggest you guys find someone else to direct your concerns and questions to.

I hope that none of his patients experience this complication, because it sounds like they will be out of luck getting any help from him!

[Trace Curry 1]

All I was saying is that I've been doing this for a few years and have done 400 bands and have yet to see it. Nor have I ever heard it discussed in any of the zillions of conferences I have attended, so I would characterize it as rare. Therefore, for the average patient who has no symptoms of the problem (which would accurately represent the lady who asked me the question) I wouldn't lay awake at night worrying about getting it. In no way was I implying that it would not be a serious problem for the rare patient who gets it.

It is impossible to warn a patient about every possible complication of a procedure, I'm sure there are some band-related complications that we have even yet to learn about.

Dr. C

Cincinnati, Ohio

www.TheBandDoctor.com 877.442.BAND

DISCLAIMER: I am not your surgeon, any comments made by me are not meant to be taken as medical advice, just general guidelines. Contact your surgeon about your specific problem!

[NewSho 20]

BandedNoMore - Nobody is discounting the seriousness of your condition. But coming here and slinging insults toward those who are saying that we're sorry for what happened to you, but maybe it's not band related.

Just maybe consider it, please.

I've been banded since the dawn of LapBand time (well in the U.S.) anyway, and I have yet to hear any link to Gastroparesis and banding. My surgeon has done thousands (yes, correct - he was banding long before some other doctors knew what an LapBand was) and he completely shrugged off a band link to this disease. He's never heard of it, or seen evidence of a link.

I've met hundreds and hundreds of other Bandsters and have examined (or it feels like I've experienced) just about every band-related complication. This is serious - but we don't know your case is band-related yet. With such a new type of surgical technology, i know how easy to see correlations, even when they possibly don't exist.

I realize that PreOp and Newbie Bandsters have concerns about slippage, and erosion - but I just can't see Ringing the Alarm because of a possibly single instance of this rather rare disease.

And to be frank, your initial comment about Parkinson's (which was a red flag that you maybe misunderstood the condition and its ramifications) really probably further unnecessarily alarmed and scared members of this Forum. I realize you came back and clarified it later, but please recognize that:

• You're a brand new poster
  
• All your posts have been about one thing
  
• Your attitude seems not reflective (like other folks who suffer complications) but downright antagonistic
  
• When other people present some different viewpoints, you go on attack.

All of these things make your posts seem less legitimate. In other words, should we consider the source? How do we know - you're a brand new member. Obviously this is an important enough issue to inspire you to join here and share information with us. Maybe as things further unfold in your medical case, and a course of treatment is better assessed for you - you'll be able to discuss this issue with more fairness and clarity.

[bandednomore 0]

I don't even know if I should reply to your post, your comments are ridiculous. I had zero health problems before the band...ZERO! In the endoscopy pictures it showed my band partly inside my stomach, yes I did see the pictures. I had no symptoms of this happening. It took Dr. Lopez about 5 hours to remove the band, that tells how tangled it was within my stomach. Did you read about Gastroparesis, have you researched this condition? I think you would understand it better and realize it happens because of surgical trama to the stomach. Do you think the 5 hours it took the doctor to remove my band had anything to do with it??

Why are you so afraid to hear of a new complication, this is why I did not come here to post for so long. I've been dealing with this for over 1 year. I understand it is scary to think of a new complication that could possibly be from the band, but I am living truth that this can happen. Yes, it may be rare, but it did happen and people have the right to know about it without someone like you or Dr. C telling them not to worry about it. We put something foreign in our body around one of our most important organs and we expect nothing to ever go wrong???

Did you read that I loved my band it was the most wonderful thing I ever did for my self, I lost my 75lbs and felt fabulous. I would get it back on if I was able. I just want people to know that getting your band checked regularly is very important. Why is this so wrong to let people know.

If you or someone else does not want to believe me or maybe your in denial that the band can cause such a serious condition...that is fine with me. I did my part in trying to educate the bandsters on this site.

[NewSho 20]

I don't even know if I should reply to your post, your comments are ridiculous.

Hmmm... that's exactly what I thought when I read your later posts.

If you or someone else does not want to believe me or maybe your in denial that the band can cause such a serious condition...

This is normally where I would tell you what an idiotic thing that is to say to me who probably knows more about band complications than anyone you know, including whoever told you that GastroParesis was caused (maybe you mean, aggravated? ) by your band. But I will simply strike your comments up to your ignorance of my own particular band history, and of the band itself.

We put something foreign in our body around one of our most important organs and we expect nothing to ever go wrong???

Oh we fully understand the risk of a foreign object. But we also understand the long-standing, long documented ramifications of being obese for years. So it's a calculated risk that most of us are taking.

that is fine with me. I did my part in trying to educate the bandsters on this site.

See, I don't know if you really intended to educate us. It sounds more like you intended to alarm us. If that was your intention - alarming people without giving them concrete evidence to back it up - then you succeeded.

cproblems with you coming to share your own experiences. But honestly, is that what you did? Instead you came in insulting us by saying we're uninformed, hurling insults at a surgeon who comes here to provide medical information about banding, and then getting yourself worked up because we simply told you that we hadn't heard about it.

On this note, I will end my participation in this and simply wish you good luck with your case.

[momof4 0]

Bandednomore,

I am glad that you posted your condition and the suspected cause of your gastroparesis. There are a lot of complications that people have that might not be "typical', but it doesn't mean that they ARE NOT caused by the band. There are several people on here, including me who have had other symptoms--similar to autoimmune disorders and after having the band removed, the symptoms disappeared. It doesn't mean that it was caused by the band, but it doesn't mean that it wasn't just because it isn't typical.

Unless someone is a doctor and has performed surgery and CARED for literally thousands of band patients, then I don't consider them an expert. Having a band for years doesn't make a person an expert because everyone's bodies are different and will react differently. You might be an expert on your own case, but not any body else's.:thankyou:

Best wishes to you,

Tricia H

[bandednomore 0]

I feel refreshed knowing that you are the only one on this site that came back with such inconsiderate, rude, ignorant, uninformed comments.

What more concrete evidence are you searching for, I spent 5 days at Scottsdale mayo clinic where I was finally diagnoed with Gastroparesis.

I never insulted one person except the doctor who told someone not to worry about this, he had never heard of this condition being related to erosion. He's performed only 400 surgeries, I understand why he hasn't heard of it yet.

I have so many more things to say but I'm wasting my time with a personality type like yourself. Your looking for controversy and thank god you're not the majortiy view on this website or people would never come back for help, advice, to express themselves, to inform, etc. if your on the other end.

[Big girl banded 0]

Newsho... you rock. I promise to never try to cross you. You are obviously one smart and articulate woman.

Your comments are right on target, concise and correct. I agree with you.

[bandednomore 0]

momof4, I feel refreshed to hear your post. I was angry inside reading what newsho posted. I'm not trying to scare people, just make them aware. I'm glad the majority here understands my goal posting here about my condition caused by the band.

She is just a bad seed in my book, and now well forgotten.

Thank you for your thoughts!

[babsintx3 0]

Hi,

Banded no more:

To suggest that an asymptomatic person should stay up and worry about a rare complication (which we dont even know for sure was caused by the band, but probably was) is ridiculous. I believe that is the point that Dr. C is trying to make for the poster. When I had band problems, Dr. C took the time out of his busy schedule and got on the phone with me and also looked at my flouroscopy photos and he is NOT the person that banded me originally 3 1/2 years ago. Not many surgeons I know would take the time to spend with someone who is not their patient and even fewer ever post on the lapband boards. And although I am terribly sorry that this has happened to you. I am absolutely sure that as time goes on, more complications due to banding will surface, but I will not live my life worrying about all of them.

And before you go off on a tangent and beat the crap out of me for saying this, please know I have had my share of band complications which include reflux (when my band was too tight) pouch dilatation, esophagus dilation (from eating too much and not being aware of this) and regain as a result. The band is far from perfect and is actually quite barbaric when you consider that it is a restrictive device that limits food intake or you barf.!

The most important thing that the original poster needs to know is that if ain't broke, don't fix it. If you are not having problems, dont imagine them. It sounds like you are educated and that you know that there are complications and there could be future complications, but for the most part, most complications due not cause permanent damage . Even most patients that have eroded bands usually bounce back to normal.You should always be an advocate for your own post op care and a bi yearly endoscopy (if you have insurance since it is cost prohibitive for most) in my opinion will let you know all you need about pouch health. Even a flouroscopy would give you some ideas of what is going on in there.

Although none of my problems were permanently debilatating, I cant be sure that there isnt anything later that will result from the banding. But being morbidly obese, a smoker and not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without stopping three times was most certainly worse for my health than banding complications. Death was a worse option and I was heading that direction at 334 pounds.

Babs in TX

334/190 ish

[bandednomore 0]

Hi babs in tx,

Your absolutly right, more complications will surface with time. I just thought I would let people know about the newest one I'm aware of....which is my gastroparesis. It sounds like you are doing great with the band and I hope that this complication or at least the result of my complication is rarely experienced. I'm not hear to fight or yell at anyone, nu sho has made it seem that way.....she is the craziest one I've come in contact with on a lapband forum.

When I was researching the band myself years ago on Spotlight Health, I wanted to know any and all information I could about the band...good and bad. I want people to know that erosion is usually o.k, you will bounce back, but if it goes for to long or the damage is extensive, nerve damage is possible....gastroparesis. Best wishes to you, and good luck in the future with your band.

[Woodys 0]

Babs....your response was great. I think most of us "get" what Dr. C was inferring. My goodness....it was no different then telling someone that just read about coffee causing cancer not to lose sleep at night fretting over the one she had for Breakfast.

NewSho....I agree, you rock!

Carol

[ralheit 1]

I have to agree with most that we can't live our lives in fear expecting something to happen to us. I'm sure that everyone here feels terribly about what has happened to you and I for one am gratefule for your post. It gives us the ability to notice in advance any symptoms that might cause us to want to see our dr. But I'm very sorry that this became a negative debate. Thanks for the info and understand that although you have been through something terrible, we need to be aware, but not frigtened into wanting to remove our bands for something that may never happen to any of us.