Getting plicated tomorrow

[silverwhitemoon 0]

I'm new to this site. Here's my story. It's rather long so I'll try to keep it short.

In June of '07 I was banded - self-pay. I lost about 50 pounds, putting me about 60 pounds shy of my goal weight. Then, at the end of '08 I got pregnant, got unfilled and had a baby in '09. Later, when I finished nursing him after about six months, I went back in to get a fill. The doc couldn't find my port. He said it had flipped and scheduled me for a port revision. Well, the port hadn't flipped at all, it had shifted. IF he had he done a xray to find it , I could have avoided surgery and not had to pay two thousand dollars. So, then after that, I went back, had it filled and then had the worst reflux/heartburn ever - doc said it was too tight - took out a little - no luck - then got nausea and vomiting. The doc looked at it on fluoroscope -said it's a small slip and unfilled me and told me to come back in a month to look at it again. Went back later and no change- so Doc says it has to come out and that it can't be filled. The funny thing is he just recently hired a doctor who specializes in revisions so he would be glad to take out my band and give me some other kind of surgery. Of course, it would cost several thousand dollars more. Since I was having no problems at all with my unfilled band, I decided to wait until the summer (I'm a teacher.), when I would have more time to deal with this.

After the mistake with the "port revision" I was skeptical and went for a second opinion to see if I could keep my band. So, I scheduled an appt with a different doc and about a week before my appt with him, I started having tight restricition and reflux, even though my band is unfilled and I haven't had any problems for about a year. He told me that I have a "massive" hiatal hernia and that it needs to be fixed.

So, tomorrow the doctor will be removing the band, fixing the hernia, giving me a plication and putting the band back on. He said the plication would greatly reduce the chance of any slips and he'd be able to do it laproscopically. And, it's all covered by insurance because it's a hernia repair.

I'm excited by the chance to start losing weight again. I've been unfilled for so long it will be nice to have restriction again. I'm also interested to see if I can eat and then just get full without the burping and food getting stuck or having to cough it up. But - I am worried about the lack of long-term studies on this surgery. I'm worried that if I have gastro problems later I will have a hard time finding a doctor that will want to deal with my folded up stomach and the scar tissue? I'm worried about the pain from this procedure. Is there any pain during or after eating after healing - say - after about 4 weeks? I'm also worried about constricting my stomach too much, possible blocking blood flow - first with the stitches and then with the band.

The doc seems very excited about this, though - the plication with the band. He was the one who suggested the plication - not me - I was just happy that I was going to get to keep my band. He assured me that it is safe - and reversible, if necessary. I don't care if it's reversible or not - I just want permanent weight loss - with no complications. How is it possible that this is reversible?!? I can see being able to reverse it soon after the surgery - but once the scar tissue forms, it has to be very difficult - if not impossible to reverse.

-Anne

[mednar 26]

Hi Anne - For me there was no physical pain except coming out of the anesthesia the day of the surgery. They gave me pain meds once I'd completely come out of the sedation, and that was pretty much it for me. I had liquid pain meds to take as needed. I was on Clear liquids for a week after the surgery with no pain. Then pudding/instant potatoes, etc for a week. No pain at all for me during that process.

However, I had significant nausea for 3-4 days, regardless of an empty stomach or having had something to drink. That was with a nausea patch behind my ear, oral nausea meds, and this weird Bracelet that mildly shocked the skin on my wrist every few seconds. I think it was to designed to "distract" you from the nausea or stimulate some nausea acupressure point or something. It might have helped a little, but I won't be buying stock in the company anytime soon. That was over in 3-4 days though and other than the slowly fading scars on my stomach, that was the extent of my discomfort (other than being careful not to lie on my stomach too soon).

I'm also a teacher and am glad to have had the time to recover. Hope that helps to some degree.

[DonnaC 0]

wow sounds like you have gone through alot with your band. I would really take a close look at your doc though. First it's pretty hard to lose a port - and they can go in and reposition it - I had that done under a local - no biggie. I did not realize they would reband you at the same time they remove a band due to scar tissue. My doc does not recommend that. I know it depends on the doc but I would think you would need time to have the stomach heal before putting a new band in place. The plication is another story - I am getting my band removed and plication as a revision - (unless they find too much scar tissue) - but I would suggest you at least talk to another doc if possible about this...that's alot of change for one surgery...Good luck...let us know. I will have my plication on Friday and be posting most likely again on Sat...with pics...lol...I am sure that will be pretty.D

[Jenn 27]

Hi. I am also a band 2 plication patient. I was banded in 2001. I had a new band placed and the plication done in february 2011. I do not ever plan to fill my band but it is there just in case. I have a follow up appointment with my doctor next week and I'm looking forward to officially being weighed in on his scale.< /p>

I am also a teacher and had a hard time scheduling fills with the band. I am very pleased with my plication so far.

Good luck to you and KUP!

[chowchows 100]

Congrats, Anne! Would you mind telling us who your doc is? I didn't have a band previously, but had a hiatal hernia and I wondered, before I scheduled in Mexico, if any doctor would do WLS while they were in there fixing the hernia and just bill me for the 'above and beyond' part of the WLS (my insurance covers nothing for WLS).

[silverwhitemoon 0]

He's Dr. Cywes in Jacksonville, FL

Congrats, Anne! Would you mind telling us who your doc is? I didn't have a band previously, but had a hiatal hernia and I wondered, before I scheduled in Mexico, if any doctor would do WLS while they were in there fixing the hernia and just bill me for the 'above and beyond' part of the WLS (my insurance covers nothing for WLS).

[chowchows 100]

He's Dr. Cywes in Jacksonville, FL

That's very close to me...maybe I should have pushed this avenue. Oh well, it's good to know there's someone near me that knows what I have going on inside me!

[FatToPhat 83]

I'm new to this site. Here's my story. It's rather long so I'll try to keep it short.

In June of '07 I was banded - self-pay. I lost about 50 pounds, putting me about 60 pounds shy of my goal weight. Then, at the end of '08 I got pregnant, got unfilled and had a baby in '09. Later, when I finished nursing him after about six months, I went back in to get a fill. The doc couldn't find my port. He said it had flipped and scheduled me for a port revision. Well, the port hadn't flipped at all, it had shifted. IF he had he done a xray to find it , I could have avoided surgery and not had to pay two thousand dollars. So, then after that, I went back, had it filled and then had the worst reflux/heartburn ever - doc said it was too tight - took out a little - no luck - then got nausea and vomiting. The doc looked at it on fluoroscope -said it's a small slip and unfilled me and told me to come back in a month to look at it again. Went back later and no change- so Doc says it has to come out and that it can't be filled. The funny thing is he just recently hired a doctor who specializes in revisions so he would be glad to take out my band and give me some other kind of surgery. Of course, it would cost several thousand dollars more. Since I was having no problems at all with my unfilled band, I decided to wait until the summer (I'm a teacher.), when I would have more time to deal with this.

After the mistake with the "port revision" I was skeptical and went for a second opinion to see if I could keep my band. So, I scheduled an appt with a different doc and about a week before my appt with him, I started having tight restricition and reflux, even though my band is unfilled and I haven't had any problems for about a year. He told me that I have a "massive" hiatal hernia and that it needs to be fixed.

So, tomorrow the doctor will be removing the band, fixing the hernia, giving me a plication and putting the band back on. He said the plication would greatly reduce the chance of any slips and he'd be able to do it laproscopically. And, it's all covered by insurance because it's a hernia repair.

I'm excited by the chance to start losing weight again. I've been unfilled for so long it will be nice to have restriction again. I'm also interested to see if I can eat and then just get full without the burping and food getting stuck or having to cough it up. But - I am worried about the lack of long-term studies on this surgery. I'm worried that if I have gastro problems later I will have a hard time finding a doctor that will want to deal with my folded up stomach and the scar tissue? I'm worried about the pain from this procedure. Is there any pain during or after eating after healing - say - after about 4 weeks? I'm also worried about constricting my stomach too much, possible blocking blood flow - first with the stitches and then with the band.

The doc seems very excited about this, though - the plication with the band. He was the one who suggested the plication - not me - I was just happy that I was going to get to keep my band. He assured me that it is safe - and reversible, if necessary. I don't care if it's reversible or not - I just want permanent weight loss - with no complications. How is it possible that this is reversible?!? I can see being able to reverse it soon after the surgery - but once the scar tissue forms, it has to be very difficult - if not impossible to reverse.

-Anne

Good luck tomorrow, Anne!

[silverwhitemoon 0]

I had surgery on Thursday. It went well. The doctor took off the band, repaired the hiatal hernia, put a new band back on and did the plication. I was in a lot of pain right afterwards and now I'm still uncomfortable and the gas is pretty bad. The surgery took longer than expected because the hernia was worse than he had thought. He knew that it was a "massive" hernia based on what he saw on the xray - but - my stomach had gone completely through the hernia and was in my chest!! It took him a while to bring it back to the right place and repair the hernia. Still, he was able to do it laproscopically. I'm so glad I didn't wait any longer than I did to get this fixed.

So, now I'll just rest and recover.

-Anne

[Jenn 27]

Anne

Wow! I'm glad to hear that you made it through surgery and are recovering nicely. Start walking slowly to help ease the gas pain. Hope you feel better soon. Kup

[P.S.S. 4]

Hi Anne - For me there was no physical pain except coming out of the anesthesia the day of the surgery. They gave me pain meds once I'd completely come out of the sedation, and that was pretty much it for me. I had liquid pain meds to take as needed. I was on Clear liquids for a week after the surgery with no pain. Then pudding/instant potatoes, etc for a week. No pain at all for me during that process.

However, I had significant nausea for 3-4 days, regardless of an empty stomach or having had something to drink. That was with a nausea patch behind my ear, oral nausea meds, and this weird Bracelet that mildly shocked the skin on my wrist every few seconds. I think it was to designed to "distract" you from the nausea or stimulate some nausea acupressure point or something. It might have helped a little, but I won't be buying stock in the company anytime soon. That was over in 3-4 days though and other than the slowly fading scars on my stomach, that was the extent of my discomfort (other than being careful not to lie on my stomach too soon).

I'm also a teacher and am glad to have had the time to recover. Hope that helps to some degree.

[P.S.S. 4]

Hi Anne-

You have quite the story! Whew! I am chronicling my journey through the bariatric jungle on my blog. I would love to have you visit. I want to interview and add other peoples experience as well!

http://morethenonereason.blogspot.com/

[eurogirl40 35]

Hi Anne ,How are things with you? lets us know.

[silverwhitemoon 0]

Hi Anne ,How are things with you? lets us know.

Thanks for asking....I"m doing ok. I haven't lost a lot of weight because my new doc hasn't put in a very big fill. I have lost some, though - about 10 pounds. He's going slowly and I haven't returned to get another fill in a while because he makes me wait for two hours after my appt time before seeing me and then I get a lecture for about 20 minutes - no, I'm not exaggerating - about how I'm addicted to carbs and I must eat less than 30 grams of carbs a day if I ever hope to lose weight. It's a long story - but the man is absolutely OBSESSED with living la vida low-carb and thinks carbs are of the devil -and- that I am his willing servant if I ever let even one gram of the wretched stuff touch my lips. (Whatever, dude. Not all carbs are the same. It's not like I got fat eating apples, kwim? And they are full of carbs. It's the carb/fat combo you got to look out for - it's not the apples, it's the apple pie)

I'm wating for a day off to go see him again. I can't work all day with petulant teenagers all day and then go sit in his waiting room for two hours and then listen to a lecture that I've heard at least a dozen times before. Nope. Can't. I'm wating for christmas break to go for another fill.

Then, maybe I'll see better weight loss.