Lap Band Erosion :(

[smallfutures3 2]

Wanted to share my story so others were at least aware. I got the lap band in June 2010 after trying several diets and researching the band and the gbp. I felt the band was for me. After I got my band I didn't need a fill for more than 6 mos and lost 104lbs with just the band on. Then I went for regularly monthly checkups to look for weight loss and if I needed a fill or not. 2 years ago I had such a bad pain in my left shoulder area that I thought I was having a heart attack. I went to the ER and after seeing X-rays they sent me to my surgeon because my band had slipped. No real reason was given just that "it happens". I ended up having an endoscopy to make sure no erosion was present. The pictures were fine my surgeon told me. It went downhill fast from there. I went on a "band holiday" and removed all solution. I was still restricted as though I had the same amount of solution. Then eating things that I could eat (which were very little) became hard to eat and I would spend the entire day throwing up. This went on for about a year and a half and I met some new people at my new job who had the band and were only able to eat junk food (ice cream, Cookies, etc). They would still get sick after that. They showed me how I didn't want to live the rest of my life but soon I realized that your body has to have food and you will eat anything you can keep down to purely survive. That's where I ended up and felt I had failed the band. I made an appt with a surgeon out of town with plans to just remove the band and have nothing else done. The PA talked to me a little bit and then sent in one of their employees who had the similar situation as I did and her Dr's (the surgeons where she worked) saw her throwing up on a daily basis and knew something needed to be done. She went through all of the hoops and finally 6 mos later she got the call she could have surgery. When they went in they found scar tissue under the band that continued to thicken which would cause her passage to narrow. They had to cut through it and she moved on. I decided I was going to convert to the gastric sleeve and began my steps to do so. One of the steps (like with the lap band) is to have an endoscopy. When I come out and could remember the Dr told me that my band had eroded through my esophagus and would need to be removed ASAP. I just had the surgery last Monday and when in there he also found the scar tissue growing under my band and said he didn't want to cut through it with all of the other trauma my esophagus had been through and that it would eventually go back to where it should be. The scar tissue cannot be seen on X-ray or even the endoscopy so you won't know if that's what's going on with you unless you have surgery. I now have to wait 4-6 months to heal and then we can talk about the conversion. I'm on a liquid diet for 2 weeks and then soft foods for 2 weeks and then slowly introduce solid foods. My advice to all is if you are having any problems whatsoever with throwing up or not being able to eat....you have not failed the band but it has failed you. I regained 35 of the weight lost but am now dropping pretty steady. If you are having prob elms with your band go see your Dr and demand at least an X-ray to see if it shows any signs of slipping or erosion. I had no symptoms other than weight regain so it doesn't have to be a clear physical reason but I will wonder forever how bad would I have got if I didn't explore other options. Please take care of yourself!!

[2muchfun 8,927]

Are you going to seek the sleeve once you heal?

[smallfutures3 2]

I am on the books to receive the sleeve in 4-6 months but I am going to see how well I can do on my own first. Coming back from this surgery has not been an easy "bounce back" and to know that I would be putting my body through a similar painful procedure I just haven't decided if I will for sure go through with it or not.