I developed a hiatal hernia & reflux from the band - did you?

[crystal525 26]

I had both prior to surgery. Hernia fixed at surgery and no heartburn or reflux since. My upper gi did not show my hernia but my doctor said that sometimes they don't. That was a huge plus for me to not have heartburn since I was used to having it daily. Keep s posted!

[Elisabethsew 50]

I was banded in Sept. 08. First fill Nov. 08. Second fill - January 09. After the second fill (total of 3cc in a 10cc band) all my problems started. I developed reflux at night - not necessarily heartburn - but liquid coming up. I quit eating at least 2 hours before bed. Didn't matter. My surgeon ordered an endoscopy. I had it yesterday. The first thing the gastro doctor said afterward was that he thought my band slipped upward. And I said how could that be resolved and he said my surgeon would have to reposition it. Then he said my surgeon might have deliberately placed it high if he wanted me to lose more weight (my BMI was under 35 before surgery). Anyway, he said it was higher than in most he had seen and I also have a hiatal hernia. He said the pouch is high, small and tight and there is no place for the food or liquid to go but up. So I got the whole sheet on hiatal hernia care - elevate the bed, no alcohol, no chocolate, blah, blah, blah. My husband suffered from GERD, hiatal hernia and eventually barrett's esophagus than turned into esophageal cancer. He died of it 3 years ago. So I could write the book on treatment of all these conditions. The lap band was supposed to reduce my hunger. It hasn't. It was supposed to make me feel satisfied with a smaller amount of food. It hasn't. I have changed the way I eat - I eat my Protein, then a little later a veggie, then later a fruit. My eating is spaced out over the day. Same foods, same calories - and it seems to help some with the discomfort that was happening when I ate. But the reflux remained. I have a LOT to discuss with my surgeon. I want my last fill removed for starters.

So, since I got the band I have developed a hiatal hernia and reflux (I didn't have them before). Anyone else have this problem and if so, how did you and/or your doctor solve it? Thank you.

P.S. My gastro doctor and surgeon work out of the same hospital and refer patients to each other and I doubt he will write anything in his report to second guess my surgeon. You know how that is.

Thank you for posting and first, let me say how sorry I am that you lost your husband.

I feel like I wrote this post. I did all the right things but never got to the optimal level of restriction I was promised. In fact, I never got close. I started waking up choking on acid regurgitation and did the same things you did. I stop eating at least 5 hours before I go to bed. Some nights are good and some are bad... no rhyme or reason to it.

Now, I have increased heartburn that IS related to eating. When I don't eat, I am OK. When I do eat, heartburn is felt within a few minutes and hot liquids make it worse. I suspect my band was too loose and that a hiatal hernia has developed. I have all of the classic symptoms. I've also had enough of the band and it's getting out of me on 4/1 when I revise to a sleeve.

I hope you're doing better.

[Elisabethsew 50]

Yes, I was banded October 2007. Had my last fill in July of 2008 was up to 5 ccs. A few days ago, I had my band completely deflated and had a barium swallow test the next morning that diagnosed my hiatal hernia and reflux.

I was also waking up during the night choking on my own vomit. I ate small portions, exercised and rarely ate just before bedtime.

Now my surgeon wants me to eat soft foods for a month, take Pepcid and maybe have another swallow test before deciding what to do next.

I am surprised that this is not uncommon.

I hope you are feeling better by now.

Will you be keeping your band in?

I think as more long term studies come out we'll be hearing a lot more about complications.

[Elisabethsew 50]

I was supposed to see my surgeon today to get an unfill but he has emergency surgery (happens a lot) and since he only sees patients on Tuesdays - I will have to wait at least a week to see him. He wants me to have another upper GI before he will do an unfill and his nurse said something about him wanting to remove the band if it slipped. So, today I called another doctor in another hospital (a hospital of excellence) where this doctor has done thousands of bandings - for a second opinion. I have all my previous test results and will get a CD of this upper GI, too (my last one was Jan. - but after only one fill - all the problems started since my second fill). I was only the 23rd banding my surgeon has done and I don't think he has the experience to deal with complications.

Very WISE decision! I hope you get the answers you need!

I don't want to have the band removed since I didn't really have any problems until the second fill.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Thanks for all the replies. When I asked my gastro doctor about repairing the hiatal hernia he said nothing but negative things about that - won't be able to belch or ever vomit and some other bad things I can't recall right now. Made it sound like the repair was worse than the hernia. I think that if the removal of the second fill doesn't help I am getting a second opinion. If that opinion is that I have to have another operation either for the hernia repair and/or a new band placement, I will not be going to my current surgeon for that. He is inexperienced and it shows. I was his 23rd band and I just don't think he gets it when it comes to complications or reasonable weight loss goals or how to eat to reach them.

I have a Lapband AP Standard - 10 CC. I don't think it is the band. I think the placement of the band is part of the problem. I may make an appt. with the gastro doctor to discuss the operative report and get his opinion. He was the doctor who used to do my husband's yearly endoscopies. So he knows my experience with all of this.

What your doctor told you is absolutely, 100%, flat out, not true about hernia repairs. I'd venture a guess that most of us have hiatal hernias and they are repaired at the time of surgery. ALL the better surgeons will repair it at the time of banding. Without hiatal hernia repair you are likely to suffer reflux and a few other symptoms.

You know what my gut tells me? Your surgeon missed the hiatal heria and instead of explaining why he didn't repair it he is giving you a load.

You can belch, vomit, ... heck, you can burp the alphabet if you want with a hiatal hernia repair. It is not wise to have a hiatal hernia, that in itself causes many problems. The repair is fixing something that is wrong, not making a problem worse.

Fixing a hiatal hernia via lap is a lot trickier than many realize. There are very fragile blood vessels in that area and it does require advanced lap training to do a lap hiatal hernia repair. Perhaps your surgeon doesn't have the advanced lap training and that's why he didn't want to tackle it??

[Elisabethsew 50]

Fixing a hiatal hernia via lap is a lot trickier than many realize. There are very fragile blood vessels in that area and it does require advanced lap training to do a lap hiatal hernia repair. Perhaps your surgeon doesn't have the advanced lap training and that's why he didn't want to tackle it??

It sounds like that might be the case as she was only the 26th person her surgeon banded. The lesson here is to twofold; pick a surgeon with a lot of experience and excellent stats in the surgery you're having and be proactive in your own health.

I don't like the fact that her surgeon discounted the EGD reports from the GI doctor. THAT is what the GI specialists do. It's like taking the word of a urologist over a cardiologist about the interpretation of an EKG. The fact that her surgeon discounts the two GI reports raises a RED flag.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Here is my update: After the endoscopy results my doctor ordered an upper GI on 3/19 (Thursday). When he saw the results that day he called me right in (he normally only sees patients on Tuesday afternoons) to get an unfill of 1cc - the amount he put in with the second fill. He showed me the GI film. My pouch and esophagus were swollen - everything was backing up and there was slower motility through the esophagus. Trust me when I tell you his attitude was completely different. He was very nice - no more blaming me like he was when I was telling him of all my difficulties (he told me then to just eat the Protein and throw the rest of the food away and take my vitamins). I think he felt guilty. I got immediate relief with this unfill - no more reflux, heartburn or pain. But I am still hungry. My gastro doctor put me on a new med - called Kapidex for all these problems. I am still seeing another doctor from a center of excellence who has done hundreds of bands for a second opinion on April 7th. I am taking all my test results including the CD's of my two upper GI's. When my surgeon said he doesn't think I have a hiatal hernia - I told him the gastro doctor does this all day - everyday. This is what he does. We'll see what this other doctor says. Actually my current doctor suggested a second opinion when I saw him about all the problems I was having and I said "I don't want to do anymore. I don't want to eat any less. I am already hungry, etc... I just want the band to work."

[Elisabethsew 50]

I'm glad you got some relief and am eager to hear what the MD says that you see on 4/7. Good luck!

[ja9va 0]

Wow, I am glad I found this thread, I think LOL! I had a Hiatal Hernia and a band readjustment on Wednesday. I will be banded two years ago and had little problems with the band, however after my upper GI I was told I had the hernia and the doctor did not want to let it get to a point of slipping the band. Thinking back I do beleive I had an increase of food tough going down and more pbing. I just chucked it up to eating to fast or eating the wrong things. but I never had problems during the night. Actually the Upper GI was scheduled as a check up, must have been instinct. I hope after reading all your situations I am off to a good second start and everything goes well. I am seeing this as Chapter Two! I did get a new band, a new type, can't really say, I will ask on my week visit. My surgeon said my pouch was very big and that it was due to me over eating, however when his assistant showed me the pictures of the upper GI she never pointed that out. I am sure I ate more than the 1/2 cup as directed. I am hating the liquid diet and the after surgery gas pains, but due to not having to replace my port I am recovering better.

Let me know how you are doing!

Janine

[Rteest 0]

My problems with reflux also started after my 2nd fill. I was already taking protonyx prior to my banding as I already had GERD. I have a 10cc band, and got 3cc's the first fill...no problems, in fact after a week or so I could go back to eattign most anything. The 2nd fill was 4 weeks later...only 1cc to make a total of 4cc's in my band. By that evening I could not even keep a sip of Water down and had to meet the surgeon in the er tne next day in between his surgeries to have the 1cc removed. This was Sept 08. I was still having trouble with vomiting and went back a week later to have another half cc taken out. i seemed ok for awhile but gradually developed this reflux by December 08. many sleepless nights and waking up vomiting or choking. In Jan 09 I saw the dr and he took out half a cc and sent me for an upper gi in Feb 09. It showed my band emptied very slow but the surgeon didnt seem concerned by that. They saw no band slippage. I went back in early March 09 still having troubles with reflux and not sleeping because of it. By this time the surgeon was only allowing me to see his PA. I could tell they all thought i was just imagining things. I went back at the end of March 09 and had more taken out of the band by the PA and was told not to come back for 3 months, that I may gain some weight. In the meantime I had taken it upon myself to see a gastro dr. I knew years ago because of my weight they had told me I had reflux, gerd, and hiatal hernia. He did an endoscopy, and not understanding lapbands well, told me i just eat too much. He prescribed Kapidex for the reflux. On my follow up a month later the gastros PA listened to all my issues and sent me for a GES...gastric emptying study...it too showed my food was sitting in the pouch too long. The want me to take REGLAN, to speed up the digestion. This is a drug with many side effects and has many pending lawsuits because of side effects. I am scared to death top take it. I just cant seem to get all the dr's together on 1 page. I was about the 40th band that my surgeon did. He knows the surgical part but doesnt seem interested in the follow up or after care. It is very frustrating. I feel terrible most of the time, cant sleep from the reflux, get dizzy and can barely eat or drink. I have 1.5cc's in my band. I see my surgeon this week and am asking to have the band emptied.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Update: I did see the second doctor for another opinion on April 7th. Big surprise! I found out I don't have the AP standard lapband that holds 10cc, as I was told by my former doctor. I have an older version that isn't used much anymore. It's a 10CM that holds 4cc. He gave me 2cc's in my first fill and 1cc in my second fill - when all the problems started. I learned this from this new doctor - to whom I switched after the visit. His second opinion report was that I was filled too tight the second time and that it appears I might have a small slip. I am going Monday, May 4th for a follow up Upper GI to see if things have gotten better. I feel better. No more reflux, heartburn or pain. I am not losing weight very fast - maybe a pound a month - but I have already lost 70 lbs (only 10 from the band) so I am okay with that. My former doctor lied about what kind of band I had and maybe he actually thought I had a 10cc - which is why he gave me 3cc's after only 2 fills. All the more reason to leave his practice. BIG LESSON - do not go to a practice where they are general surgeons and just do bariatric surgery "on the side" so to speak. His general surgery patients took priority and he was unavailable outside of office hours - didn't even have an answering service. Just go to the ER I was told. How costly and ineffective is that? Anyway, I will now be treated at a hospital of excellence and hope that the band is okay. I will find out what the new doctor thinks about the hiatal hernia and if it should be repaired or leave it alone. I will post updates. Thanks everyone.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I am very happy that Dr. Aceves fixed my hiatal hernia when he removed my band and did the revision surgery to a sleeve.

[wishin4 0]

oregondaisy I am glad you finally have relief. I have been suffering with reflux since my fill also. I have the 4cc band and after 6 months had to have a barium swallow to see if it slipped. It hadn't. After 6 weeks the doctor refilled me and now I am getting reflux again. It is sometimes worse than others. I take Prilosec every day and it doesn't help. I try to eat no later than 6pm and to not drink anything after dinner. It seems like I take a long time for my pouch to empty. Sometimes when I bend over an hour or two after eating I get a mouthfull of whatever I had for lunch or dinner. I am hoping this isn't going to cause me any permanent damage.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

oregondaisy I am glad you finally have relief. I have been suffering with reflux since my fill also. I have the 4cc band and after 6 months had to have a barium swallow to see if it slipped. It hadn't. After 6 weeks the doctor refilled me and now I am getting reflux again. It is sometimes worse than others. I take Prilosec every day and it doesn't help. I try to eat no later than 6pm and to not drink anything after dinner. It seems like I take a long time for my pouch to empty. Sometimes when I bend over an hour or two after eating I get a mouthfull of whatever I had for lunch or dinner. I am hoping this isn't going to cause me any permanent damage.

This can cause lots of problems, you really seriously need to get an unfill. I had the same problems.

[DownInSocal 12]

Update: I did see the second doctor for another opinion on April 7th. Big surprise! I found out I don't have the AP standard lapband that holds 10cc, as I was told by my former doctor. I have an older version that isn't used much anymore. It's a 10CM that holds 4cc. He gave me 2cc's in my first fill and 1cc in my second fill - when all the problems started. I learned this from this new doctor - to whom I switched after the visit. His second opinion report was that I was filled too tight the second time and that it appears I might have a small slip. I am going Monday, May 4th for a follow up Upper GI to see if things have gotten better. I feel better. No more reflux, heartburn or pain. I am not losing weight very fast - maybe a pound a month - but I have already lost 70 lbs (only 10 from the band) so I am okay with that. My former doctor lied about what kind of band I had and maybe he actually thought I had a 10cc - which is why he gave me 3cc's after only 2 fills. All the more reason to leave his practice. BIG LESSON - do not go to a practice where they are general surgeons and just do bariatric surgery "on the side" so to speak. His general surgery patients took priority and he was unavailable outside of office hours - didn't even have an answering service. Just go to the ER I was told. How costly and ineffective is that? Anyway, I will now be treated at a hospital of excellence and hope that the band is okay. I will find out what the new doctor thinks about the hiatal hernia and if it should be repaired or leave it alone. I will post updates. Thanks everyone.

What? Your previous doctor did not even know what kind of band he put in you? This is unacceptable! Did you pay a copay to him or worse self pay?