Hi everyone

tellie · April 12, 2005

Its good to be back! so many new faces ( and avatars)! I have been away dealing with life and packing up the pounds..... but with my new HUGE band ( 12 mls) restriction is taking for ever! ( and I get a fill every week, but I still manage to get bigger every week.... yes, I am weak, and stressed, and food is my drug of choice, still now... not proud).

As usual, I have a question that I forget to ask the doctor (every week). I am guessing I will be revealing my ignorance regarding anatomy. After my band was replaced (slipped and was changed, I found out months later, for another, bigger band) the surgeon said she had had to cut my liver which had become attached to the band. That sounded freaky enough, but ever since the second surgery (and with that freaky knowledge on the back of my mind constantly) I just cant sleep in my left side, because I feel heart palpitations, that cease as soon as I move on my back or right side. So, Is there any chance of the band actually somehow pushing/touching or being near the heart? ( could it become attached like my liver did?) could it just be pressure on a big artery maybe?

Anybody has anything similar? ( ahhh I almost forgot, after my first band slipped, it would move inside me as i changed sides in bed, also very freaky feeling, but this is different as it only happens on my left side.)

Thank you my more anatomically knowledgable friends....

cheers

tellie

dallasdoll · April 12, 2005

no chance. the heart is surrounded by a cool sac which keeps it from touching any organs. it forms a pouch that the heart sits in.. very cool to look at actually.. the heart is also located in the chest cavity, which is closed off from the abdominal cavity by the diaphragm... the only thing passing through there is the esophagus. the diaphragm is the big muscle that allows you to inspire air... its pretty big and dome shaped and is like a 50 yard line... separating the lungs and heart from the yucky innerds below.

also.. the liver cutting isnt all that horrible.. portions of the liver are known to regenerate (strange but true)... so i wouldnt worry about that... plenty of liver lobes left! people can survive with half a liver.. or one lobe donated from somebody else... its better to have the necrosed piece removed.

thats the extent of my anatomical knowledge... i took gross anatomy and was a tutor in my second year of school...

hope that helps