Bands eroded, slipped or still successful bands?

[Big-D 0]

What caused the lap band to do this?

What did you feel like when it happened and did you lap band doctor diagnose this or was it your regular physician?

[Less2Luv 0]

Kinda weird how it all came about and a lil grose too. I started feeling really bad every afternoon back in the summer of last year. By November I was throwing up every afternoon and evening, it would start out as air, awful amounts of air with alot of pressure behind it then turn into dry heaves. I went to my regular dr, the PA seen me and did a xray which showed a large gas pocket under my left rib. I let it go at that but never got better. Gas X, Maalox etc made it worse. FINALLY in January they did an upper GI on me and found the lapband errosion. He had gone completely into my stomach and made a 2inch long by about 1 inch wide tear or whole in my stomach. They did the surgery to remove the lapband, I came out of surgery with an NG tube for 3 days and finally got to go home the 4th day. It was horrible. They dont know what caused it. My lapband dr said he had never seen one do the way mine did. It still took me almost 3 weeks before I was not throwing up anymore. I was beginning to wonder if it was going to be a permanent thing.

[Big-D 0]

But you're good now?

Are you gaining weight?

[Less2Luv 0]

Yes I am good now. Gained about 20 pounds back. I thought oh I have eaten this way for 6 years it will be easy to keep the weight off if I just keep eating the same way. UMMMM NO NOT SO EASY I like food and dont have much wheelpower at all. The band for me was a life savor at the time. I lost over 100 lbs which improved my health ALOT.

[mrsteacher 0]

I had to have my band removed. I wasn't having complications, however for some reason the nerves in my upper part of my stomach didn't tell my brain I was full. I don't know. I could eat as much as I could before the band, even when I was at max fill. I have a friend who is doing well, but I eat with her every day at lunch and she can still eat more than I can. I have never been a big eater, so maybe my normal full was the same a lapband full. I only had the band for 6 mo. I have lost 35 pounds, but that was due to the strict diets that go along pre and post op.

The surgeon is a little baffled because of the lack of restriction, but was told that if he moved the band down an inch or so, the nerves would register fullness. I went back in for an adjustment, but was sad when I woke up to find that they had to remove it because I have an artery that leads to the liver too close to the stomach. Oh well, my next step is to make sure that I am not insulin resistent. I don't eat a lot and exercise 4-5 times a week hard (~600-700 calories burned each time.) I take synthroid daily. I am now back to being frustrated and feel like there is no hope again. UUGGHH!

[Lillyanne_M 0]

22 months post-op and doing pretty good. I still have 30 pounds to go. I did have to have my port sewn back down because it came loose and flipped, but no problems with the band itself.

I am at maximum restriction, meaning as full as i can get and still eat. I can't eat anything solid before about 11 am, and then I still have to be careful at lunch. By dinnertime, I'm fine, but there are things I can't eat at all, including:

-any beef unless it's ground or super super tender like fillet mignon

-plain chicken breast

- bread, unless it's toasted and in the later part of the day - I usually stick to whole wheat crackers if I want something like that.

-pasta - sometimes gets stuck, sometimes not (I usually just avoid it)

-rice sometimes yes, sometimes no (ditto)

Also, I'm really tight in the week before my monthlies, so I have to watch it then, too.

Sometimes it really sucks - especially when I have to hop up and run to the bathroom to PB in the middle of a meal - but if this is what I have to do to be thinner, I'll do it.

[Corliss 0]

22 months post-op and doing pretty good. I still have 30 pounds to go. I did have to have my port sewn back down because it came loose and flipped, but no problems with the band itself.

I am at maximum restriction, meaning as full as i can get and still eat. I can't eat anything solid before about 11 am, and then I still have to be careful at lunch. By dinnertime, I'm fine, but there are things I can't eat at all, including:

-any beef unless it's ground or super super tender like fillet mignon

-plain chicken breast

- bread, unless it's toasted and in the later part of the day - I usually stick to whole wheat crackers if I want something like that.

-pasta - sometimes gets stuck, sometimes not (I usually just avoid it)

-rice sometimes yes, sometimes no (ditto)

Also, I'm really tight in the week before my monthlies, so I have to watch it then, too.

Sometimes it really sucks - especially when I have to hop up and run to the bathroom to PB in the middle of a meal - but if this is what I have to do to be thinner, I'll do it.

If you are being very careful and still having some fairly frequent pb, more than once a week, you might want to have just a fraction of a mL removed. I am on my second band and am coming up on restriction real slowly. My plan is to stop just short of the point you describe. If I get there, I am gonna get him to take me down just a hair. It can make all the difference. I can't risk loosing another band.

Good luck to ya. I need to drop another 50 myself, all of which I gained before rebanding.

Corliss

:thumbdown:

[Lillyanne_M 0]

If you are being very careful and still having some fairly frequent pb, more than once a week, you might want to have just a fraction of a mL removed. I am on my second band and am coming up on restriction real slowly. My plan is to stop just short of the point you describe. If I get there, I am gonna get him to take me down just a hair. It can make all the difference. I can't risk loosing another band.

Good luck to ya. I need to drop another 50 myself, all of which I gained before rebanding.

Corliss

:thumbdown:

Thanks :thumbup: I thought about it, but my band is kind of on a very fine line between almost no restriction and way too much. I don't PB more than once a week, but it sure sucks when I do! Sliming is the worst.

My problem is that even though the band keeps me from eating too much at one meal, it doesn't keep me from eating a bunch of small meals throughout the day, which is where the calories come from.

I'm doing good now- I'm staying at or below 1000 cal a day and I think I'll get to goal before the end of the year (fingers crossed!)

What happened with your first band?

[Susie313 0]

I was banded November 16, 2006 and have had a couple of problems--needed a slight unfill once and am dealing with heartburn. I've lost 131 pounds and still have about 40 to go. But it's not easy to drop the weight anymore and I'm struggling.

[vez 0]

i have had my band for 6.5 years and have not had any problems. This week i have been diagnosed with a slippage and this is the first time i can say i have ever had a problem. Time for a new band.

[Less2Luv 0]

Well I am giving in and having my band replaced. I am scheduled to have surgery a week from today, November 6th. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I hope things go better this time and I dont have to go through what I did with the last one. My surgeon said the bands today are made much better than they were when we got ours. I sure hope so. I have gained about 30 lbs back and it is worrying me. If I do it before the end of the year my insurance will pay 100%, i have met my deductible and out of pocket for the year so I am getting it done. I will let you all know how it goes. I am sure it will be fine!

God bless

Renee

[wanna be fit@40 0]

I was just banded 4 days ago, and I must say all these problems I have read here scare the hell out of me. I will say my dr automatically looks for haital hernias and repairs them on the spot, so I hope that is one thing in my favor. He said I had a large on and it would cause alot of problems down the road.Good luck to everyone and I pray I f]have no problems like I have just read.......

[kalamazoo 1]

I'm sure you will love your band and everything will be fine! There are many wonderful stories of success and no difficulties. Sometimes our problems are related to the physicians lack of knowledge or support or some unforeseen issue. Just listen to your body and follow all the instructions given. Good luck and enjoy your band!

[Big-D 0]

2 years and 1 1/2 months post op. No problems. I thought when I got sick (flu) last year, that I may have caused some slippage due to some heaving related to the flu, but I got x-rayed and they said everything looked good.

Feeling fine and holding at my current weight of 280 lbs. Still too much, but I'm 6'2" and before the band, I weighed 350 lbs. So dropping 70 lbs. has helped make life more enjoyable.

Is it worth the restrictions and the occaisional regurgitating of food? ? I would say yes. Once you know what foods you can handle, you'll be surprised how you naturally change your behavior. Although, I must be a glutton for punishment, because I tempt fate from time to time.

For me, barbeque is a problem, although I had some pulled pork the other night, and it went down fairly well.

[Cmstant 0]

I had band slippage and was given the option of a band revision or gastric sleeve... Not sure which way I want to go. I was told that revisions were not as successful as the original and also I've had my band since 05 and developed severe reflux because of the slip and wondering if I would continue to have the reflux if I go with the revision?