Removal

I had the band placed June 15, 2009.  At the end of the year in 2010 I began having problems with my band.  Problems such as food getting stuck no matter how much I chewed, or what I ate.  It was extremely painful.  I went to my doctor and he took out some of the fluid thinking this was the reason I was having problems.  That did not resolve the problem.  Went back to the doctor and he removed ALL of my fluid.  That did not work either.  I had an endoscopy done.  The doctor did not find anything wrong with my esophagus.  As time passed this condition grew even worse.  It got to the point that I could barely eat.  At the recommendation of two of my doctors.  Family physician and Gastroenterologist.  I am having my band removed.  I am hopeful that this will take care of the issues at hand.

By the way.  Thursday I met with the surgeon.  I asked him if this is a common procedure.  As it turns out, it is very common.  More common than anyone thought when the lap band came to fruition.

I too have a Realize band.  My problems started about 15 months post op.  Mine started with a pain that would wake me up, a feeling of mid-abdominal fullness, pain radiating up to my right shoulder, neck, jaw and teeth.  Sometime I would have chest pain, mid-back pain.  At first it was relieved by changing position and drinking water and only lasted a minute or two.  When I consulted with my PCP he reassured me that pain lasting under 5 minutes and relieved by position change/drinking water was not really anything to be concerned about, so I didn't.  As time went on the symptoms continued, I developed localized Upper right quadrant pain.  In September 2011, I got a stomach virus, puked my brains out for a day.  A couple of weeks later, after more pain under my ribs, went to the band doctor who ordered an Esophogram  and abdominal ultrasound.  The Esophogram showed slowed emptying of the esophagus.  The ultrasound showed gallstones, so surgery was scheduled for 10/18/11.  After the GB removal, things seemed ok for a while, but then the nighttime pain returned, along with a lot of pb episodes, vomiting up my meals.  By then we were away from home for several months, I made do with a soft diet.  I developed reflux during this time too, along with palpitations that often would last for hours.  When we got home, I saw my PCP who sent me to the cardiologist, who after a stress EKG said my blood pressure was causing the irregular heartbeats and changed my prescription.  I then saw my band surgeon who ordered an Esophogram which showed just tiny drops of barium going through the stoma and removed all the fluid.  5 weeks later, motility was still slow, but my symptoms subsided and I went on my way.  Since then I've been on a roller coaster ride with eating.  It's almost not worth it to even try.  The reflux has been awful.  I'm consulting with my regular GI doc next week to get some unbiased advice as to the next step.

I am sorry to hear you had some problems as well.  

For some reason your entire message didn't come through the first time.  What you have gone through sounds exactly like what i've been through.  I can't begin to tell you how many different medications I have been on for the refulx.

Unfortunately it is very common and no one wants to believe it until it happens to them. It is getting more and more common all the time even to some who have loved and "nurtured" their bands. Myself I've had an empty band for over a year because any fill makes it too tight and I can't eat. I hope this resolves your problem, as a rule it does but occasionally the damage can be permanent, hopefully yours won't be. Good luck on the removal!

I hope having the band removed resolves this as well and that it is not permanent.  To be honest with you if it's permanent I think I will lose my mind!

I've been watching this happen for nearly a decade now. Seriously, I started researching (the little that could be found, anyway) the lapband in 2002, had it done in 2003, nearly died from complications, had the band removed (STILL have lingering issues that are most likely permanent from Vagus nerve damage) and have watched person after person go through the same things.  You are most certainly NOT alone. The band is a damaging device and there are many doctors who are refusing to perform this surgery at this point.

And I keep yammering about it because I hate the thought that anyone else should have to go through it. I'm very sorry you're experiencing the same things SO many of us also gone through. My heart goes out to you. Best of luck to you on your band removal. I hope it alleviates all the issues you're having.

Thank you!  I can't tell you what a relief this is.  I hate that anyone is going through or has gone through this but at the same time it is empowering in a way, in that I know I am not the only person experiencing this, or that I have failed.  Does that make sense?  

It does. There's not a more lonely feeling, in my opinion, than being in pain and thinking that you're the only one who's experienced it. And then to compound those feelings, to worry that maybe you did something "wrong" to cause it... well, that's just not the case. No matter what anyone says, the band is the culprit in most cases. It's simply NOT meant to be in a human body... no matter what "improvements" they make to the gastric bands, as long as we have the same human organs, it will cause damage.

I hope that after the band is removed you'll have nothing but memories of it.  Very best of luck to you, hopeful_1.

You may want to check out http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/discussion/

Than you won't feel alone.