Esophageal Dilation

i had a band fitted in 2007 and have had no prior problems. unfortunately last time i had it tightened it got too tight and when i went to have it emptied slightly they said they would only put 6 mls in (I normally have at least 7.5-8 mls)
I had been happily eating as i thought the food was going straight through and wanted it tightening back up. When I went they said I had a dilated esophagus and they wanted to completely empty band. (its only at 6 mls) !!
I was distraught as i had gone from target weight to 1 stone over target in only about 6 weeks and know i can put weight on rapidly if its not tight.
I asked if there was another alternative to having it completely emptied and they said if i only ate a handful size portion and left 3-4 hours between meals it would shrink back on it own. They are going to do another barium swallow in a few weeks to see if its working so wish me luck !!!

Good luck to you, Christy.  I hope you hear good news.

I have had my band for over 4 years and I never was able to lose the amount I needed to lose, but I did not gain any bac****il recently and at the same time I realized I could eat way more than I should be able to and so I made an appointment with another doctor since mine is no longer doing bariatric surgery due to change in management of the hospital.  After a barium swallow test I was told today I had this problem and I need to be on "protocol" for six weeks to get my esophagus back to normal.  Protocol consists of removing all the fluid, then two weeks of liquid, high protein and then 4 weeks of high protein soft/pureed diet.  Has anyone else be on the "protocol" regimen?  I thought they just took the fluid out and let it rest. 

I was banded in 2005 and just told last month about this. However I never had any symptoms. It seems toward the evening from  7-12 midnight the ED wants to act up. So - does this go away or not with time.  Did your pain come at certain time of day or ? How are U doing now and did U get band removed? Something I don't understand, if we're opened up can we eat anything even soda drinks or not. Mine seemed to hurt if i drank too much toward the evening hours. :) LOL

 

Well I just got done getting my band unfilled & was told I had Esophageal Dilation, & basically I have a muffin top pouch.....Im an emotional mess right now  :(   (yes I really am crying)

Many have reported that problem here.  I had to have mine totally unfilled at 1 year for the Esophageal issue for 6 weeks.  I could never get to my sweet spot or even close after that.  I had mine totally unfilled at 2 years for the same thing and more for 2 months.  I fought to keep it 18 more months until all the issues made it impossible to keep.  It would get tighter, they would unfill and I'd lose some and it would get tighter and over and over it would go till they couldn't access the port any more due to pain.

Our surgeons wouldn't even consider putting in another band after that.  Not sure why you would want another band with that issue? The new bands cause the issue even more than the older style.  There have been some report getting the second band.  They didn't keep that one either.  I got my mine out and 4.5 month later revised to a sleeve.  I did well with restriction only just not the band so choice the sleeve.

Just me experience but the recovery from the sleeve was easier for me than the band and getting the band removed.  Even though the surgeon spent the first 45 minutes fixing the damage the band caused inside, adhesions and the permanent deformation of the stomach the band causes.  He said the sleeve went very well after he "straightened it up"

Good luck!

 

I sure understand you stress.  We all were stressed and emotion wreaks when we realized we would lose are band and "fail" once again but, it isn't us that failed.  The band failed us.  I thought mine was tight, the surgeon sent me for the Upper GI which showed the fluid flowed thru and it was perfect.  I was unfilled and scoped and  that showed a whole different story.  When they said I had to be unfilled for 6 weeks I drove home crying as I was so scared I would gain back everything I had lost.  When I never could get restriction back and I happened the second time, I was devastated.  I gained everything back the second time around.  It was pure hell the last 18 months but, I just couldn't admit failure.

After all the emotional trauma, when the band came out I felt only relived.  (After one good last cry.)

Check out two groups;

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/

and

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Band2Sleeve/welcome/

For some reason this post won't show up as a reply to your post below.

Hi There, 

have you had success with the sleeve?

I have had GREAT success with the sleeve!  I am down 110 pounds from when I started with the band.  I am down 50 pounds less than I ever got with the band and 70 from the best long term I did with the band.  I can eat a little of everything.  I have to watch sugar as I feel icky after.  I can eat small amounts of bread but get full with very little.  So I need to limit bread and sugar, which is good.  

PM if you would like any more info.

But, the sleeve is working for me the way we were lead to believe the band would but sure didn't for me.   I am with in five pounds of "normal" bmi and at a very comfortable weight for me.  Down from 26/28 pants with draw string to size 8-12 jeans depending on brand and one pair of size six shorts.