Poll: Do you let Food sit in your esophagus? Or wash it down with liquids?

[NaNa 878]

I thought I would post this topic because it may help others and I wonder if others are still waiting for hours to drink after they have eaten their food.

Someone just made a post about not drinking up to a certain time after eating.

Just think about it, if you "wait" and NOT wash the food down, it is actually sitting in your esophagus, "stretching" it over time, we lap banders do not have a pouch -- like Bypass people do, although we have called it that in the past, the band actually makes a little area above the banded stomach which is actually the lower esophagus.

Well there is a LOT of misinformation going on now about not drinking and eating at the same time. When I got my band over 8 years ago, we were given the 30/30 rule to drink up to 30 minutes before a meal and not drink until after 30 minutes after we ate.

NOW -- based on new evidence that MANY lap band surgeons and nutritionist are not aware of is waiting to drink IS NOT ADVISABLE - BUT CAN IN FACT CAUSE LAP BAND COMPLICATIONS.

Could this be why the lap band complication rate in the US is so high? Could be, there is evidence by the most skilled lap band surgeon who created the green zone that waiting to drink will actually CAUSE esophageal dilation because the food must be washed through each time we eat and NOT sit in the esophagus causing to stretch, FOOD should always pass through the band and not sit for hours or days inside esophagus.

Also I do find that if I eat and drink with my new band, I still get satisfied. Also if we can't drink right after taking a bit of food without vomiting the band is too tight, food and liquids should always go past the band.

Please read this article on this subject in its entirely, I also gave this article to my own surgeon for him to review it because MANY US surgeons follow the Green zone chart to prevent complications with the band.

One of the key lessons learned from Burton’s studies was that each bite of food should pass across the band completely before another bite is swallowed. There is no pouch or small stomach above the band and there should never be food sitting there waiting.

http://bariatrictime...1/#comment-2133

Gastric Banding and the Fine Art of Eating

[Daliaha 78]

My Doctor told me To drink up until I eat, and then wait an hour,

The food is in my stomach, (not a pouch but an area the size of 2 chicken nuggets.. my doctors words not mine)and not my esophagus. If it was I would feel stuck, and drink to get it unstuck..

The stuck feeling hurts.

But I think it eventually goes to what your doctor told you. Your Doctors rules are for you not everyone. You wouldn't share your Meds with someone else.. why share advise they give?

Just my 2cents.

-Debbi

[2muchfun 8,927]

There is more than one technique for placing the band and some doctors place the band lower than others which does create a pouch. I've seen numerous fluoroscopic photos on this site and others that document a dilated pouch and of course, a dilated esophagus.

To answer your question, I sometimes drink with my meals. It depends on how my band is behaving on a particular day and what kind of food I'm eating. And I do follow O'Brien's 1 minute rule(sometimes cheating to 30 seconds).

[CaGottaBand 498]

I drink with my meals, even though I was told not too. I still feel satisfied off small amounts of food and I'm still losing weight. I don't like the idea of food waiting to go down into my stomach.

So, yes, I break my surgeon's rule on a daily basis.

[NaNa 878]

There is more than one technique for placing the band and some doctors place the band lower than others which does create a pouch. I've seen numerous fluoroscopic photos on this site and others that document a dilated pouch and of course, a dilated esophagus.

To answer your question, I sometimes drink with my meals. It depends on how my band is behaving on a particular day and what kind of food I'm eating. And I do follow O'Brien's 1 minute rule(sometimes cheating to 30 seconds).

I know the band is placed in "different" positions on each person and everyone will have different experiences based on how their surgeons placed their band.

SOME SURGEONS DO PLACE THE BAND WRONG -- I've known many that say they can't eat most solid food and vomit daily, however I've had 2 lap bands and I've always been able to eat solid food WITHOUT vomiting with both bands as long as I was in the green zone, and my older 4cc band was "high pressured" and very tight out of the gate.

So there IS EVIDENCE of many people having esophageal dilation from letting the food sit in the esophagus too long and in fact if done over many years it can actually cause a "second stomach" in the lower esophagus.

So please DON'T confuse others by saying "there is actually a pouch" when IT IS NOT. AND LAP BANDERS SHOULD NOT HAVE A POUCH-- THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT YOUR SURGEON SAYS.

[NaNa 878]

I drink with my meals, even though I was told not too. I still feel satisfied off small amounts of food and I'm still losing weight. I don't like the idea of food waiting to go down into my stomach.

So, yes, I break my surgeon's rule on a daily basis.

I think breaking your surgeons rules ARE THE RIGHT THING TO DO -- IF YOU DON'T WANT LONG TERM COMPLICATIONS.

I think a lot lap banders ARE MISLEAD --- I've come to realize that WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DRINK WITH OUR MEALS to push the food through from the esophagus into the stomach...I THINK MOST US SURGEONS ARE MISLEADING THEIR PATIENTS -- into a dilated esophagus.

[NaNa 878]

My Doctor told me To drink up until I eat, and then wait an hour,

The food is in my stomach, (not a pouch but an area the size of 2 chicken nuggets.. my doctors words not mine)and not my esophagus. If it was I would feel stuck, and drink to get it unstuck..

The stuck feeling hurts.

But I think it eventually goes to what your doctor told you. Your Doctors rules are for you not everyone. You wouldn't share your Meds with someone else.. why share advise they give?

Just my 2cents.

-Debbi

My first surgeon's office told me that too over 8 years ago -- and THAT WAS WRONG INFORMATION FOR ME -- HENCE why I have a brand new lap band and new surgeon today.

[Daliaha 78]

So please DON'T confuse others by saying "their is actually a pouch" when IT IS NOT. AND LAP BANDERS SHOULD NOT HAVE A POUCH-- THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT YOUR SURGEON SAYS.

Ok.. 2 question..

1-what do you call the area above the Lapband on the stomach and Below the esophagus? I think that is what the issue is here?

2- Why get a LapBand if you are going to wash the food thru the band to bottom of stomach, each time you eat.? its suppose to give you a full feeling. The full feeling switchs are on the top of the stomach, which is why you leave the food sit in the top part of stomach for a while. so you feel fuller longer.

Food in the esophagus hurts. anyone who leaves food here should have issues.

-Debbi

[NaNa 878]

Ok.. 2 question..

1-what do you call the area above the Lapband on the stomach and Below the esophagus? I think that is what the issue is here?

2- Why get a LapBand if you are going to wash the food thru the band to bottom of stomach, each time you eat.? its suppose to give you a full feeling. The full feeling switchs are on the top of the stomach, which is why you leave the food sit in the top part of stomach for a while. so you feel fuller longer.

Food in the esophagus hurts. anyone who leaves food here should have issues.

-Debbi

Debbie,,

That area just above the band is called the lower esophagus, which if food sits there all the time can damage and stretch your esophagus, THE AREA ABOVE THE BAND IS NOT THE STOMACH, but the esophagus -- THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF PROPER BAND INSTALLATION.

This photo is curiosity of the surgeon who created the Green zone, and depicts the esophagus being stretched with food sitting there for long periods of time -- which many US surgeons follow to prevent long term band complications.

Edited to add:

Many BAD lap band surgeons follow gastric bypass rules, of the Pouch which WE DO NOT HAVE, and have the patient follow Bypass rules of not eating and drinking at the same time.

You can still lose weight with a proper adjusted band with drinking and eating, if your band is adjusted properly.

Here is a link to the dilated esophagus

http://bariatrictime...ads/obrien4.jpg

[2muchfun 8,927]

So please DON'T confuse others by saying "there is actually a pouch" when IT IS NOT. AND LAP BANDERS SHOULD NOT HAVE A POUCH-- THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT YOUR SURGEON SAYS.

Contrary to your own belief, you do not know everything there is to know regarding placement of the band and if this constitutes a pouch by my surgeon or any other surgeon. I respectfully disagree that there is no pouch 100% of the time. For you to make such a claim is foolish at best.

tmf

[NaNa 878]

Contrary to your own belief, you do not know everything there is to know regarding placement of the band and if this constitutes a pouch by my surgeon or any other surgeon. I respectfully disagree that there is no pouch 100% of the time. For you to make such a claim is foolish at best.

tmf

This is nothing out of my mouth, but by the surgeon who created the green zone...just wanted to let you know that. The article is attached in my first post, please read though it.

Many US surgeons follow the Green zone chart and fill protocols to prevent lap band complications, sure some US surgeons don't follow this, but I can't argue that the US has a very high complication rate.

[ChicagoRose 650]

I think breaking your surgeons rules ARE THE RIGHT THING TO DO -- IF YOU DON'T WANT LONG TERM COMPLICATIONS.

I think a lot lap banders ARE MISLEAD --- I've come to realize that WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DRINK WITH OUR MEALS to push the food through from the esophagus into the stomach...I THINK MOST US SURGEONS ARE MISLEADING THEIR PATIENTS -- into a dilated esophagus.

Hmmm....personally I'm not sure if this is appropriate advice to give. Interesting article, that's for sure, but to have online members disregard their SURGEONS and follow your unsolicited advice is asking for trouble if you ask me. Thank you for your opinion, because it is just that, your opinion, but anyone that choses to change their habits based on one article from an unreliable source has fate in their own hands.

If you are eating the recommended amounts of food, and following the protocol given to you by your surgical team, the percentage of problems is greatly reduced. No one's food should be sitting in their esophagus for days, and many of us have been advised to drink after about 30 minutes to aid in the digestion process.

Good luck to you.

[Daliaha 78]

Debbie,,

That area just above the band is called the lower esophagus, which if food sits there all the time can damage and stretch your esophagus, THE AREA ABOVE THE BAND IS NOT THE STOMACH, but the esophagus -- THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF PROPER BAND INSTALLATION.

This photo is curiosity of the surgeon who created the Green zone, and depicts the esophagus being stretched with food sitting there for long periods of time -- which many US surgeons follow to prevent long term band complications.

Edited to add:

Many BAD lap band surgeons follow gastric bypass rules, of the Pouch which WE DO NOT HAVE, and have the patient follow Bypass rules of not eating and drinking at the same time.

You can still lose weight with a proper adjusted band with drinking and eating, if your band is adjusted properly.

My band is on my stomach. Below the esophagus , and below the Lower esophageal sphincter.

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-esophagus

Here is what a picture looks like of where a lap band should be.. and note in picture they even call it a pouch.

http://www.glorysurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/lap-band.jpg

I'm sorry you had issues, and had to get re-banded, and you found information helpful to you. But its not a catch-all for everyone.

Also you never answered my 2nd question..

2- Why get a LapBand if you are going to wash the food thru the band to bottom of stomach, each time you eat.? its suppose to give you a full feeling. The full feeling switchs are on the top of the stomach, which is why you leave the food sit in the top part of stomach for a while. so you feel fuller longer.

-Debbi

[terrydumont46 1,954]

all i know is , if i drink with a meal i will spit up my food. i have to wait until the food goes into my stomach. if your food isn't flowing and empting the "pouch" effortlessly than you are to full on your band. or you have eaten to big of a bite. or didn't chew enough for the food to fit through the band.

[Sharpie 3,306]

Not trying to be mean here but Really? When does the advice on here contradict your own Dr.? I was told to refrain from drinking with my meals by my Surgeon.. he is very experienced has had a tremendous success rate and has tons of patients who are successful.. If he tells me to stand on my head and sing yankee doodle that is what I am doing.. New people to this site must get confused on a daily basis by all the so called experts.. It's okay to give general tips but telling people that it's okay to do something even when they were advised not to is reckless..