Help - Post surgery problems

[caringhusband 0]

Hi all, my wife had a lap band surgery on Tuesday 27th.

She is STILL in the hospital and is currently nothing by mouth because she feels sick all the time.

She is at Beth Isreal Deaconess in Boston, MA.

The dr this morning told her that it may be because the band is too tight and they have to wait for the swelling to go down.

Anyone knows whats really going on?

:help:

[hollyberries 2]

Not sure what is happening with the band but I hope that she will feel better soon. It does take time for the swelling to go down and they are just airing on the side of caution. I am glad that she is staying in the hospital for them to monitor her. I hope that she will feel better soon.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[caringhusband 0]

From the way she is tonight back on IV taking meds for vomitting feelings.

Yesterday she felt prematurely full after 1 med cup of Protein drink in the hospital

I am scared. Shes becoming scared and upset and regretting having it done.

[Dave01 0]

Sorry to hear about this. Do you know if they put any fill in during her surgery? I have heard some doctors do this. Hopefully the swelling will go down and she will be home soon. If the band is really that tight, be sure she watches what she eats and follows the food plan set up by her doctor. You really want to take it easy with food for the first month. That is the real healing time and not time to worry about weight loss. Trust me, it will happen soon enough....Dave

[caringhusband 0]

Thanks for the concern. As far as I know it is empty of Fluid. That is schedule to be looked at during the first post op dr office meeting.

How long do you think the swelling could be? are we talking a stay in the hospital over some or all of the weekend??

[Dave01 0]

Just a guess on my part, but I would say a total of 3 or 4 days for the swelling to reduce. I remember mine being kinda swollen when I got banded, but not as much as your wifes. They will take good of her. I'm think they feel its easier to keep liquids going in while at the hospital and they can monitor how much she drinks/eats and what stays down. As for myself, I like doctors that are cautious.

[caringhusband 0]

Its tough to keep her encouraged, etc when I dont know these technical details.

She was expecting to be out yesterday and back to work at the end of next week.

I dont expect that for another week after that.

As for them taking care of her in the hospital than home I am glad, because I could not look after her, our 6yr old and my mental illness all at once.

As it is she is going to need to fend for herself once she comes home. I can do most but not everything.

[MamaT 0]

I was banded on 11/12 and expected to go home later that day. I was unable to keep anything down but kept attempting to drink. I went home on 11/15 but ended up back in the hospital less then 24 hours later due to dehydration.

Some people are more sensitve and swell more, my esophagus was swollen above the band. When I tried to drink my esophagus would spasm trying to pass the Fluid down to my stomach which in turn caused more swelling, my saliva wasnt even able to pass. I had an MRI and they could see that the band was on fine but I had serious swelling and any Fluid hitting it was causing problems. They put a tube down my nose (uncomfortable but at that point I was willing to do ANYTHING) and that kept fluid out of there and allowed the swelling to finally go down. 48 hours later I did a barium swallow and everything passed fine.

I too had serious regrets, no one is really prepared for complications. Please hang in there, she is where she needs to be for the best care and will be home soon enough. I finally feel back to normal and pleased with my decision (26 pounds down!) and it wont be long till she does.

[caringhusband 0]

Thanks MamaT, just what I needed to hear. I know it goes against her plans but when I go and encourage her today I am sure I will be better prepared to help her along.

Thanks

I will keep you posted.

[caringhusband 0]

Today I have been with my wife.

They moved her from nothing by mouth to phase one again around 10am, but a while later she was spitting it up.

She also mentioned to me that the dr may think there is 1 too many stiches somewhere inside which would need surgery on.

She is also taking IV anti vomitting meds.

All they can say is it will take its own sweet time to heal

[Candle 11]

Maybe the band is too small? There are different size bands ... do you know which one she got?

Have they done an xray and barium swallow? To make sure the band isn't too tight and that it's in the right place. Has she actually been throwing up or just nauseous?

Please keep us posted. I'm sending her good vibes!

[morningoasis811 1]

Hi, I have a similar story to MamaT

I went in for one night, home for one night, then back to the hospital for another 3 days before I could home again, all due to swelling, inflamation, and dehydration. I've been fine ever since.

I had my surgery on 10/25, was discharged and came home 10/26 at 8pm. In the hospital I was able to sip Water, but got really nautious when I started sipping the Lortab elixer (liquid Vicodan) before I left. It passed and they let me go home.

The next morning my husband went to pick up my Lortab RX, I took the first dose at 10am, felt ok but couldn't get any Water or protien down, just felt too full and nautious. Then I took the second dose at 3pm, as soon as the RX hit my stomach I started throwing up (lots of liquid) very scary. Called the surgery team, they said take it easy, don't force the liquids, switch to childrens chewable Tylenol for pain. I was fine all day, sipping little liquids. I took the tylenol at 2am and started throwing up all over again. At that time I called the surgeons again, I was told to go to the ER.

I got to the ER on 10/27 (Sun) at 2am, got hooked up on IV's for fluids and morphin, I was super dehydrated and in a lot of pain. I was checked in later that afternoon to my own room at 3:30 and stayed on IV fluids with NO liquids down my throat. I was able to go home on 10/29 because I could hold liquid down. and they put me on new pain meds.

ALL of this was due to swelling and sensitivity. Some people just heal differently.

*note* they determined my swelling by taking ct scans (xrays) watching me swallow barium stuff, then resting and taking more pictures to make sure stuff was moving through. They fully checked me out and were very good to me.

I hope your wife gets better soon.

[caringhusband 0]

Hi all,

Well I will update you.

I went back this evening and whilst I was there visiting the surgeon came in.

He explained the problem and gave us a plan.

The problem was that during the surgery they found a fatty deposit on her osopegeous (food pipe) which they had to cut off to put the band. After they did that they found a blood vessel decided to spray so they burnt it closed.

After that they put on the band and they put a medium on instead of a large. due the the calsulation they perform.

Shes

5'2" and 269lbs at time of surgery.

Anyway,

the plan.

She is staying in the hospital until Monday at which time they will determine whether to have another surgery to give her the LARGE band or she has responded to treatment and has been able to take fluids down and is able to come home.

PS:she says if she knew it was not a guarenteed in and out she would have found another way of loosing weight.

As it is she is still considering requesting it be removed all together!.

As for me. I just want her home!

thanks to you all

[Sades 4]

It's unfortunate that she's had all these problems on top of the band operation. If she can get past this, she will be glad she put it in. It takes a week or so to start feeling normal, some less time, some take longer. The first couple of days for me weren't the best and I felt some regret but that soon went away. Of course if I had to go through what she has it may be a different story. I say, just hang in there for a little while longer before making such a big decision.

[caringhusband 0]

She will hang on in there. Sounded a good bit better by the time she went to bed last night. I think been able to relax and have time should work fingers crossed.

If not she has the chance to have it removed on Monday/Tuesday if she really want.

I agree once she gets over this she will just feel and be so glad she has had it done.

As the Dr said, she wont need any fills for maybe upto a year due to this.!! A freebie service on the hospital.