lap band removed- issues with swelling/scar tissue

Hello! I had my band out 2 weeks ago and I know it is to early to worry about the swelling but the scar tissue is really bothering me! It feels as if my port is still in and then some. So what i really wanted to know, is the scar tissue always going to be there? Thanks, Clare

It's too early to tell. It will probably take 4-6 weeks to heal to the point where you feel much better. Hang in there... I know it's tough.

 

Thanks Nic! I feel alot better today!!

That's good news, Clare!

When I had my band removed, I felt MUCH better right away... but the incisions did take over a month, at least, to heal up fully. And like you, the incision where the port had been was the most problematic. Shorty after I had my band removed, I had to have a hysterectomy, the big open incision one, so I felt like I had been cut in half for the longest dang time! It was annoying and I was crabby.  VERY crabby!

Hello eclares!  I am desperate to have my band removed.  I underwent surgery in May 2008.   Almost immediately I started having problems with the band.  I underwent two bariatric ‘swallows’ to determine if the band was in the proper location.  I was assured the band was in the proper place and functioning properly.  I was unable to eat anything solid for many weeks following the surgery, yet only lost 22 pounds. I had all the liquid removed from the band so that I may eat properly, but to this day I have a very difficult time eating solids – in particular, any protein such as chicken, eggs, absolutely no beef - ever.  I am unable to eat anything solid in the mornings, and usually not able to eat solids until evening.  For the past four years, I have been unable to eat anything solid - especially proteins - without vomiting.  I haven't lost any weight as I drink all my calories.  My friends can't believe how little I eat, yet I am still overweight by 50lbs.  I am tired all the time, my hair is falling out and my skin - which used to glow - is dry and blemished. 

Of greater concern, within six months of receiving the band, I started suffering severe pain and swelling in my joints – specifically my hands, elbows and toes.  I have since been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I also developed a strange skin affliction called vitiligo.  The vitiligo has now spread to over 60% of my body.  I had not suffered these conditions prior to receiving the lap-band.  However, just today, I read that the FDA had told the manufacturer of the band (Allergan) that people with a family history of autoimmune disorders should be warned not to use the lapband.  I have a family history of auto-immune disorders, yet this information was never shared with me at my doctor's office. 

I was in a car accident on November 15, 2012.  I wasn’t really injured anywhere, but the accident appeared so severe that the paramedics strongly recommended I go to the ER.   I did, and at the emergency room, the doctors took many x-rays of my back and neck, from all angles.  The doctor said I had no fractures, but that he had a clear picture of the band, and it was ‘bent’.  He asked if I had difficulty eating, or if I vomited a lot, and I said I did.  He said I needed to have the band removed a.s.a.p., and that the doctor who implanted it, should remove it.

I do not have insurance at the moment - how do I get this thing out of my body?

Hey! Sorry you are having so much trouble! You definetly need to get it out but without insurance I don't see how! Your hair falling out is lack of protein as is your skin problems! You might share the info with your dr about the band being twisted. It would be his fault! I saw pics of my stomach during surgery and the scars tissue is severe. It was covering the cord going from my port to band and tons of it on my stomach and some on liver! Kinda scary!!! I wish you luck!

Hello there.. your story sounds much like mine through and through.. i recently (one week ago) had my band removed thanks to my bad gallbladder that stopped functioning and had to cone out.. my insurance doesn't cover anything bariatric related so the surgeon took the band out just to be nice.. this was a Godsend bc i didn't know what i was going to do except i knew it had to come out.. i said all this to say.. don't give up.. get creative and figure something out. Start by calling the surgeon who did it and ask them whatyou should do..

Hello. I see this post is from over a year ago, so I hope you still recieve this.  I to have had these problems.  After researching what could be causing my joint pain I have determined it is the band.  If you see the symptoms of silcone toxicity you probably have most if not all of them as I do.  The band is made of silicone and can corrode. I assume when it is corroding is it going into our system causing these problems. I first thought I may have Rheumatoid Arthritis but I did not have all the symptoms and I do not want to be treated on a "maybe". The peices fit. It was about 6-8 months after I got the band that the joint pain started.  At first I thought I maybe going through menopause because some of the symptoms are so similar.  I am in the process of getting my band out.  It has been nothing but a nightmare for over 2 years.  I hope you have been able to get yours removed.  Please let me know if you have had it removed and if it has helped. Here is a list of the symptoms:

The Signs and Symptoms of Silicone Immune Toxicity Syndrome are as follows:

• Multipe chemical sensitivities and sensitivities to perfume, smoke and other inhalants
• Muscle inflammation
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Anxiety and depression
• Hair loss
• Memory loss
• Foggy thinking
• Night sweats
• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Heacaches
• Abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Other autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, fibromayalgia, and multiple sclerosis

In silicone immune toxicity syndrome, the body produces antibodies against the complex that forms when silicon attaches to protein molecules in various organs, resulting in an autoimmune response.

 

I'm so happy to see a post related to joint pain post surgery.  I had my surgery in April of 2012.  In August 2012, my joint pain and muscle weakness has started.  I asked my doctor if it could be related to the band but I was told no.  Now I see Silicone Immune Toxicity Syndrome, and I finally feel like I'm not crazy.  Is there anyone else out there who has experienced joint paint post lap band surgery?  To those who have had their band removed, has your joint pain improved?

Hello! Here is my update, I had the band removed last October. Within 1 month the symptoms were all but gone.  I can move much easier. I also recommend that if you are on facebook to join the failed lapband page.  There is a lot of support and info. I cried with relief that I was not the only one and that just because the doctors DENY that the band is the problem that I am not crazy. I always tell anyone that still has the band GET IT OUT. The sooner the better. The problems I had are not near what some have had. Good luck to you.