Had the old Staple surgery in 8/2000 - Failure

Back in Aug 2000, I had the old fashined stomach staple surgery.  It is what my Dr recommended, I was opting for the RNY bypass.  The second or third night of a week long stay in the hospital,  the staff was helping me back in bed after forgetting me on the commode and leaving me without a call light - at the FAR end of the unit.  They managed to drop me into the bed at which time I felt extreme pain in the stomach area.  I didn't start to being fed liquids til day 5 post op and I noticed then that I was able to eat much more than "the amount of a large egg".  I had been running an infection, the cause of which never was found - even after a CAT Scan.  In the first 2 months post op, I lost 25 lbs and not an ounce has come off since.   After all these years, I am now back up to almost where I started out at.

Talk about DEPRESSING -- my experience has been just that.  There was no support group or others with whom I could talk to.  A year after my surgery, my Dr sent me to another Dr for some tests.... I forgot just what they were now... but involved a barium swollow, to help determine the status of my stomach and the staple.  That Dr told me that had I not told him before hand, that I had a staple, he would not have believed that I ever had had the surgery as the stomach was the size of a "normal stomach" and not one which had been stapled.

It has been both distressing and depressing that I have neve been able to loose the 100+ lbs I should have.

I have been contemplating about the band surgery or even RNY, but haven't a clue if our insurance would cover another.  I have been reading a few of the posts since joining this group tonight, and am wondering if someone could please tell me what "filling" means?  What is the Dr filling and how?  I hear the ads saying the bands are adjustible - is that surgically done or is there and "end" that come out of the body to which something is attached to help tighten it?  Is the patient able to do that themselves after being taught how to do it properly?  Are the bands eventually able to be removed?  Has anyone had the lap band done after a stapled stomach?

I guess I have a LOT of questions, but am unsure as to where to find the answers so decided to ask them here.

Many thanks for your time both to read this and to reply.  I have been obese my entire life and know too well the ridicule that goes with being heavy.  I need to loose 140 lbs to reach the top of "normal" weight for my height and age.

IAmMeForever

I have not had surgery yet- but I am planning to have the lapband done-  the band has a little round part that goes around the top part of your stomach- there are little balloons all around the inside of the band- these can be inflated with saline at each "fill" which is typically every 4-6 weeks initially then every 2-3 months after.  Attached to the band is a thin tube that has a round port on the end of it (looks like an earbud for an Ipod.) it is placed under your skin and anchored typically around the bottom of your ribcage.  a long thin needle is placed into the port and a few cc's of saline put in- the balloons in the band will partially inflate and tighten around your stomach- they will have you swallow the barium stuff to see if it is full enough or too full-  the lapband works only as a restrictive method.  Most people if they follow the guidelines don't need supplements.  After you loose some weight- your stomach shrinks too- they add more saline- tighten your band and you keep looseing.... cool, huh?  after you have lost your weight- the band is left in place partially filled- if you start to gain weight- have another fill- otherwise you see your dr once a year for follow up.  The only negative I see with this is you have a foreign object in there- but I know lots of people with foreign heart parts, knees, hips, pins, etc..... so no big deal.... and the best part of the band- it can be removed if you so choose..... hope this helps and isn't too confusing.....

Oh THANK YOU for replying and answering some of my questions!  I was beginning to wonder if this ever posted or if I did something wrong and nobody was seeing this.  

I think I may just check with my insurance and see if they will cover since the first one was essentially a total failure.  Oh, I do throw up sometimes.. but that is something I have rarely done... only if I should drink some milk or juice after I ate.  That seems to be triggered in me by anything that causes phlem, or sweet juice*****h, orange juice, sometimes water.

I know I can't eat sauer kraut or pasta as those cause me to run to the bathroom to throw up.  Salads have the opposite affect on my RUN to the bathroom, otherwise, I can eat most anything.  If I drink Milk or pop before I eat - I am fine... but afterwards... no way.  Sunny Side up eggs are just fine.. but not scrambled.... all cooked in PAM.

I probably didn't have the problems with throwing up early on, as I made sure to chew everything down till it was next to nothing to swollow - but that is how everyone should eat all the time -  I just made a more conscious effort at making SURE I did just that.  

I followed the diet... yet it was a huge disappointment.

I have always been a big water drinker... and when I had other beverages... they were always "diet"... more on that another time as it is a different subject. - Laurie

you should go after the surgeon, he's liable, for the failure and your misery.  Sue.
Karen

There are more options than the band or RNY, and you should look at them all before you make a decision. There is also the sleeve, and DS.
The DS has the best statistics for losing the weight, and maintaining that loss. It's good to go to all the boards and ask questions about each surgery, and I can tell you that there are some very informed, nice folks who love to help on the DS board.