Lap band erosion

[sjtkatz3 0]

I just found out on Saturday that my band has eroded and must be removed. I am totally devistated. I have had the band for 2 years and have lost 85 lbs. I am terrified of regaining the weight. I am trying to do some research. I really do not understand what has happened. The doctor took all of the restriction out, but I do not understand why I am told that it will not heal itself. Any thoughts?

[juliegeraci 7]

If I am correct, a slip can be mended by an unfill. Erosion is completely different. Do you know if he can give you a new band? I think sometimes they have to wait to have the stomach return to normal.

[sjtkatz3 0]

Dr. wants to remove it and wait 6 months for erosion to heal. I have another concern, I do not have the money to have band removed. It took me three years to save up the money for the band. Now I am faced with having it removed and them having another one installed. The money issue might be the reason why it hit me so hard.

[juliegeraci 7]

I am so sorry to hear that! Truthfully that scared me too. My insurance covered the band but I don't know about removal. Good luck to you.

[dsgarza 0]

Whatis erosin? I had a band put in 2-27-06 and am doing well. I forgot what they said about erosin.

Diana

[juliegeraci 7]

Diane, I believe errosion is when the stomach grows around the band and into the stomach. The band can actually errode into the stomach. I believe that is what it is. It does require surgery to fix and typically they can't put in a new band until it heals. Hope this helps.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Did you have any symptoms? A lot of us are afraid of this and wonder how we know whether to go for tests to make sure everything is okay.

Did you have a lot of heartburn or anything that made you decide

to have a test done where the erosion was discovered?

I am just like you- I would be so afraid if I had to have mine removed that I would gain all my weight back. I haven't even gotten rid of all my boxes and boxes of clothes that are too big

because I am so afraid someday the band will be taken away from me.

[sjtkatz3 0]

I have had no symptoms. I went in for a fill, dr. used this machine (fluro somethingoranother) to watch the Fluid go down. He stopped took all of the fluid out and said that I had an erosion. Must be removed and in 6 months can be reinstalled. But at what cost? I have never had any symptoms other than after the last fill, I never felt tight. Dr. said that it was probably eroded then (Aug 07), but he couldn't tell from the pictures. This is just something I am going to have to deal with. I have lost 85 lbs and I do not want to go back. I would like to lose another 25, but that will probably not happen soon. If I have the band removed in Jan-Feb, It can probably be put back on in Aug-Sep timeframe. Dr. said that because he thinks that it has not been working for a while, I might not need to have it re-installed. It is my crutch. I feel safe with it. I will probably be rebanded.

[Daisalana 33]

I'm sorry you're going through that.

I was 100% self-pay and it was 15k (+2.5k for the port revision surgery).. I don't have an emergency plan if I ever had to take it out, and if I did take it out, I would want something else (that insurance wouldn't pay for). Let me know how you figure it all out, so I'll have a back up plan in case something ever happens.

Good luck!!!!!

[Betsyjane 2]

Sometimes insurance will pay for it to be taken out because it is emergency surgery. You might check.....

[alexzaydria 0]

Hello Every One And Good Luck On The Weight Loss Well Today I Had To Take All My Saline Out Now I Am Empty Now I Can Eat Hate It But In First Couldnt Even Swallow Water So Next Week I Have To Look Into My Stomack The Doc Says Hope Nothing Serious Was Starting To Have Bad Bad Heart Burn Yuckkkkk What Cause The Band To Slip? And How Do You Know

[DrWatkins 5]

Erosion is where the band erodes into the inside of the stomach.

The history of erosion:

Gastric band surgery started in Europe/Australia and they were using the peri-gastric technique (the band was placed lower on the stomach).

When they started seeing a high slip rate with this technique they started stitching the stomach over the top of the band to prevent all the slips they were seeing.

The problem was they were stitching the stomach really tightly over the band. When you have living tissue stretched tightly over a hard object (like band plastic) the tissue will be under so much tension that it won't have good blood flow and will necrose (dead tissue) over time and then the band works itself inside the stomach.

It doesn't erode into the stomach that the inner balloon is squeezing on, it erodes into the stomach that was wrapped so tightly over the top of the band.

Fortunately, the European/Australian surgeons changed the procedure to the pars flaccida technique (place the band much higher on the stomach) and they learned to wrap the stomach tissue much more loosely over the top of the band. This brought the erosion rate down from 10% to less than 1% and over time and with more experience erosions are now quite rare. Every U.S. surgeon that I know uses the new pars flaccida technique.

In our Seattle practice (2,500+band procedures) we had 2 erosions.

When you suspect an erosion on x-ray (fluoro) it is best to proceed with a scope (EGD - scope of the stomach) to make sure the band has indeed eroded, i.e. you can see white plastic from inside the stomach.

If the band has eroded, the treatment is to remove it, let everything heal for 3-6 months and then replace it.

The Australians have a fair bit of experience with this and report good results replacing a new band later. In the past they would put a new band in at the same operation that they removed the eroded band but the re-erosion rate was too high and they now recommend replacing it later.

Erosions vary. Some patients have a tiny erosion (can only see a small bit of the band from inside the stomach) that some surgeons will watch if the patient is still losing weight. I've heard of cases where the entire band erodes into the stomach and it was removed without surgery using a scope to retrieve it from inside the stomach. I have heard of cases where they tried unsuccessfully to remove the band from within the stomach.

Hope that is useful information

brad

[HappyCamper 0]

DrWatkins this was very interesting. Thanks for the information.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Yes, thank you very much. Do you recommend that we have tests every so often to make sure everything is okay? My surgeon says no, not unless we are having problems, but the original poster said she had no symptoms.

[DrWatkins 5]

I think that if everything is okay there is no reason to evaluate the band.

Typically, when there are problems you will have symptoms.

For example, if the band is too tight or the pouch is dilated or slipped you tend to have bad heartburn and obstruction.

Hope that helps

brad