Anyone living with a slipped band?

[TRANAM1955 1]

HI folks,

My 1st band slipped last October and my replacement slipped in September this year. I am not having any pains, I do have a little more sliming. I do throw up some black contents every week or so, but other than that I feel good.

I have little hunger and may not eat but once a day.

My lapband doctor said it was prolapsing on October 4th of this year, but we did not discuss the future. He had told me last year, lots of people live with a slipped band. Depends on the indvidual.

So? Any one live in my shoes?

By the way, I have $35 grand - self pay - in my stomach and lost 106 pounds and below target. I run slight fevers every week or two and suspect I have some infection.

[Jachut 487]

You're kidding about just living with it, right?

Of course you have to get this seen to, you're having symptoms of infection! It could be eroding through your stomach.

You're also not eating well and will become malnourished over time. This is no way to live the healthier lifestyle you were aiming for, you really do have to get that band seen to.

[Fae 0]

Jachut is right. An infection in your band can result in different symptoms, but most importantly, it can also result in death. Can you live with that? Go to your doctor the first chance you get.

[WhyW8 0]

So this is your second band to have slipped?

Throwing up black contents?

Eating once a day?

Running fevers?

Living with a slipped band?

You cannot be serious :smile2:

[TRANAM1955 1]

Thanks for the replies. I will see my lap band doctor and do a fluro again and see how it is positioned. He did not say it had slipped, just the stomach pouch was larger than it should be and was prolapsing.

I am keeping an eye on things. I just wondered if anyone else has lived with a slipped band? Since the doctor said some people do?

[Fae 0]

As far knowing anyone on the boards that has, no I never heard of this happening. Bands that slip lead to erosion, major reflux, throwing up to the point of not keeping your saliva down. People cannot live a normal day to day life with these issues, even if the final results weren't deadly anyway. If your band majorly slips, you need to have it out or repaired. Really, I think your doctor is not being straight with you.

[shari66 0]

I just returned from the hospital today from having my band removed. My band slipped and my stomach herniated up into the band, running the risk of loss of blood supply to the stomach. I experienced more pain than I ever have had in my life. My doctor said that it could be deadly if not removed. I would definitely NOT let this go!

[Ellisa 6]

Sorry I don't have any advice or insight, looking for some myself.

I'm also having issues. Right now the band has been emptied for a month to see if the prolapse will resolve. Eating low carb diet to try to not gain the ton of weight I know I can before possible refilling next month. If it doesn't resolve, we go from there to see if it needs to be repositioned or whatever.

I have Anthem BC/BS of Ohio which paid most of the cost of WLS but will not cover fills. If there's an issue that has to be resolved surgically does anyone know if insurance will cover? Also if it has to be removed will they pay to have it put back before I regain all the weight?

[TRANAM1955 1]

Hi Folks,

I saw my regular Doctor today and my blood work came back good so it appears I have no infection. That is a good thing. I did schedule an appointment for next Tuesday to get a fluro to see what is happening and if I need to schedule the removal.

I am down to 149 as of today and that is as small as I wanna go. I am praying for the right decision. I am not in discomfort and I blame stress on most of my band issues not the other way around. I did not know I was so stressed until I had the lapband meter.

I do slime some when I am chewing my nicorrette gum. I am trying to cut it down but geeze, I have given up all my comfort foods.

I will keep all of you posted as to the fluro visit next week.

Thanks for the support!

[Ellisa 6]

Will look forward to update. Congrats on your fantastic weight loss!

[TRANAM1955 1]

Great News. Saw my lapband doctor and we took a fluro of my pouch/band and with the removal of some saline on the last visit, the band has corrected itself. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!! I did not have him do anything - no needle - no nothing but to look at the band and make sure it was good to go. God hears and answers our prayers!

I am at 142 today and thankful for this journey. I even hugged my doc today and of course he grinned.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

[chicamam1 1]

My band First slipped this year and i got total unfill for a month. then we tried refilling and two months later I slipped again and had to do complete unfill. My band has not been removed or surgically fixed. Im self pay so unless leaving in the unfilled band is causing complications it will just stay there. I can eat normally now tho. So yes, I am just living with a slipped band currently. They have told me to never get it filled again as the same thing will concurrently happen. Im pretty much at goal, and may consider a sleeve when I can come up with the money for revision.

[greenfrog 0]

Hello all, I have just found this website and could do with some no-nonsense advice from people who know and have experienced gastric-band slippage.

I am in Wales (UK) and paid a lot of money for a gastric band to be fitted. After the third day I was in acute pain for about 20 mins, which then ceased. Over the next 8 weeks I had 2 fills but with no restriction felt at all. The surgeon was quite sharp, stating I was eating around the band and therefore not losing weight ie. eating chocolate which I wasn't. The upshot was he didn't listen to me nor my dietician. Some 10 weeks post-op, my surgeon arranged for a barium meal, which indictaed the band had slipped upwards. It is now sitting on top of my stomach around the base of my oesphagus. He arranged for me to undergo another keyhole op (free of charge to me) to put the band back in place. This was unsuccessful; as over the weeks I had formed adhesions around my band, perfectly normal - I was told, which helps to hold it in place. However the band could not be moved under key hole. The surgeon is not giving my any firm direction and to be honest I don't have much faith in him. To have it moved and put in the correct position will be major lapascopic surgery (yet more scarring). Currently he has put 7mls fill in. This causes me to wretch frequently even if I eat soft foods. Bascially I am on fluids and pureed foods and have lost around 1st. in the past 4 weeks. My apetite is the same but the pain, when food gets stuck, does serve to reduce my hunger. The dietician is concerned about Vitamin deficiency long term. The surgeon has given me 2 options. 1) to keep teh band where it is and he is not aware of any adverse longterm health effects this may have. or 2) Laparscopic surgery to put it back in place.

There is limited undertanding of gastric bands over here, as yet...Has anyone been in or know of someone who has been in a similiar situation.If so, what did they do....I appreciate any information you may have as I have to make the decision before Christmas. Thanks

ps I am inspire by some of the major weight loss some people are achieving through gastric bands.