will a unfill help slippage? lots of questions help please!!

 ok so heres my story i was banded in mexico a little three years ago. I had a baby three months ago had no fill taken out but had restriction about a month ago i had no restriction went in for a fill and they checked my band cause they say i have 8.5cc in 9cc band. they said my band is slipped towards my esopougous sp?  They wanted me to see a surgeon but no one will take me and my insurance since i had surgery in mexico and i can't afford to self pay.  They did not take any fill out so i have been talking to them and i told them to take fill out and see what happens.  Any one have any experience or advice with this?  Does unfills usually fix the slippage? do the bands usually slip towards the esopougus?  How long do they usually do a liquid diet to see if band will go into place?  Thank you Misty

While it is called a 'slip' ---- the band has not moved, your inner stomach has moved up into the esophogus.

Yes, many times, a complete unfill and then liquids, and sometimes a steroid (anti-inflammotory) and a 'band break' can make things settle back to where they need to be.
The band break can be 4 - 6 weeks according to my surgeon.

Then, a slow and steady re-fill schedule will get youback to restriction.

I am sorry that you are having difficultiy getting adequate and affordable medical care.

It is pretty critical that you get an unfill if you have having problems so that things don't get worse.

If your insurance does not cover WLS they may not cover removing a band and certainly won't cover repositioning the band.

I agree with everything Kath wrote.

Misty,

Yes, a complete unfill usually fixes a slip.  It worked for me.  Last summer I had a complete unfill, liquids for 4 days, and 6 weeks later started gradually refilling.

I believe that the band slipping upward onto the esophagus is not as common as it slipping down further on the stomach, but none of my research indicates that one type has a better or worse outcome than the other.

A complete unfill is a pretty inexpensive solution compared to surgery.

Where did you go for the fill?  How did they determine that your band had slipped?  Did they do an upper GI study?  How can they know enough to do a fill but not know enough to do an unfill?  Why will they not do the unfill if you request it?  I feel like I haven't understood your post because I just don't understand how someone qualified to do a band fill doesn't know that the first treatment for a slip is an unfill.

Jean