Bad news for the Lap BAnd?

Jennifer,

I've had problems with my band, but I'm still grateful for it and looking forward to a long life with it - probably a longer life than I would have had without it and the weight loss it made possible.

I got to my goal weight in just one year.

In my 2nd year post-op, the problems I had were due to user error, like swallowing a huge antibiotic capsule that couldn't pass through my stoma and caused a lot of irritation/corrosion while it slowly dissolved next to my stoma.

In my 3rd year post-op, my original bariatric surgeon had his medical license suspended (due to drug problems, not medical malpractice) and while waiting to see my new surgeon, my band slipped. We're not sure why. I hadn't been having any eating problems or side effects, so the most likely culprit is the hiatal hernia that my original surgeon chose not to repair even though we all knew it was there and he had told me he would repair it. Anyway, a complete unfill and 6 week rest period cured that.

Then on to the next problem. While I was gradually getting re-fills, we discovered that my port had flipped and was inaccessible for fills unless I had fills done in the hospital radiology department - a process that ate up 8-10 hours including travel time and cost my insurance company $3000. I decided to have surgery to reposition my port, but because of stuff going on in my life (new job, my mother's death, my mother-in-law'd death, my work schedule, etc. etc.) I didn't get my port fixed until 6 months later, by which time I'd regained 25 pounds.

The good news is that when I later got a sufficient amount of fill back in my band, it began working for me even better than before - by which I mean greatly reduced hunger and appetite. I lost that 25 pounds, and much to my surprise, I lost 5 more pounds.

I think we have to assess and define post-bariatric surgery problems in terms of their effect on our general health, mental health, finances, and general quality of life. To me, a REALLY BAD problem would be one that caused me permanent disability - I would be unable to work, take care of myself and my family, and dependent on medical and family care. A bad problem would be one that caused me ongoing pain, inconvenience, and expenses. I'm fortunate to have good medical insurance, and the improvements in my health and quality of life due to my weight loss outweigh the negative experiences I've had.

Unfortunately, no bariatric surgeon or other medical professional - and certainly not another WLS patient - can predict the outcome of a particular bariatric procedure for a given patient. We just have to make the best decision we can based on the data we have available at the time and our own gut feeling about what seems best for us. That might not be the perfect choice, but consider the alternative...no surgery, little or no weight loss, new or increased co-morbidities and the attendant costs (both financial and personal), and a shortened life expectancy...

Jean

 Thanks Jean... I really want to buy your book, I will in a couple of weeks... I do hope I make the right decision and it works for me.  All the other WLS seem so drastic to me as Ive stated before.  I do hope that what ever my decision is I will be a success story as well and anyone of them has to be better than not doing anything at all.  I'm really leaning towards the lap Band but I wont be able to do it til sometime next year.  I have my seminar session on Sept 14th b/c last one got canceled.

Thanks again Jennifer

Jennifer,

Well, I can't say that the band is a lot less drastic than the other choices. A surgery that involves anesthetizing the patient, making 1 - 5 incisions, moving around organs, clamping a silicone ring around the stomach and stitching a port into the abdominal fascia is drastic in its own way. But if you're not comfortable with the other surgical procedures, maybe choosing the lesser of the evils makes sense. And you can choose not have WLS at all...and risk serious health problems and a shortened life span.

Anyway, you're doing all the right things now - doing research, asking good questions, going to a surgeon's seminar.

Jean

P.S. - and while about 30-40% of Bandwagon is specific to the band, 60-40% can be applied to anybody on any kind of a weight loss journey.

I just started my 9th month that I had the band put in. Like others said if you don't change your eating habits the band doesn't do that. You have to eat the right stuff. The only problems I have is when I don't chew well enough and the food gets stuck. I now know after many eposodes of this during the past several months to stop eating and just wait until it passes. if it doesn;t i stop eating and later eat again. If I'm out I bring it home. I learned never to try and drink it cause you to throw it up which I don't do anymore. So I have to say I'm happy with the band, never have pain and only had a fill once which was 1.5 cc. I know what food I cannot eat for now. hopefully in the future I might be more tolorable of some stuff. I also find many helpful people on OH.

When you say drink do you mean alcohol? if so that's good I don't drink!! I will have a issue w/ drinking during meals.... I'm a camel when it comes to non-alcohol drinks.  I have at least 3-4 glasses with a meal specially when eating out.  I love diet soda although I have cut back only drinking 2-3 glasses/cans a week as before it was a 2 litter a day yeas a DAY!! :(  

Can you tell me what foods you cant eat now or what foods bother you at first and now???

And YES I LOVE THIS OH SITE!!!  

You asked me about drinks..I mean water..thats the only drink I usually have..I was told before I had band no carbonated drinks so I never have soda or selzer..ice tea..my choice.. and the foods that I can't do are breads, hamburgers, steaks, most meat other than moist chicken, or nuggets and fish. I can't keep in dense food.. they don't work for me. Its funny how foods that I'm not suppose to eat goes down great..hot dogs minus bun, meatballs, some kinds of sausage that the casing isn't too thick. sometimes scramble eggs, same with hard boiled..my band gets tempermental sometimes and what worked yesterday might not be good today..but I'm getting use to that...have more good than bad...good luck!!

Hi there...I just have to add my 2 cents here.   If I were you I would stop drinking with meals right now because that is one biggie that WILL  sabotage your experience.  The band will not work if you drink with meals.  I have been religious about not drinking with my meals since a week before surgery. I drink a room-temperature or warm drink before my meals...my routine at restaurants now is to order a glass of  tea- no ice.  

I'm used to it now..I dont even have to think about it...hubby usually educates the waitstaff
when they look at me in confusion but for the most part, I have no problem with the
rule now.  It really is healthier  for you anyway (band or no band) to not drink with
your meals anyway so why not try it.  If you find you absolutely can not LIVE without
drinking with your meals, then leave the band alone and get sleeved.

Hello, I love my band. I have had mine for three years and only two problems for me! 1. I had to have my port moved because of the weight i lost it moved into my ribs. minor set back. 2. i have a irritating pinching in my port area sometimes. Otherwise I love it!

Melissa

 

My BMI was over 65!  I am a success story.  I have had my band for almost 4 years and I am still loving it! 

I know I am very blessed.  I had an excellent surgeon who placed it in the right place and my fills have been minimal and very safe and correct.

I have fortunately had NOT one unfill and not one problem.  I still follow the rules and living a new life because of the LapBand.

All WLS have issues.  Not one is perfect.  There are issues with Gastric/DS and the Sleeve.  You have to find the one that is right for you. 

I am 3 years post op and had initially lost 77.5 lbs in 13 months. But then I started having problems with "getting stuck" and started eating what would go down (chips, ice cream, you get the picture). I went for fills, unfills, etc and have been frustrated for a long time - ultimately gained back 40.8 lbs. Then I thought for a while that maybe I was having spasms of my esophagus (sometimes even water would get stuck) but after a while I thought maybe scarring of the esophagus because of reflux (had scarring 15 years ago that was fixed). So in April I went for a complete unfill because I was scheduled for endoscopy (and my routine colonoscopy ugh!). Had to cancel due to some things going on and was not able to get another appointment till August. In the 4 months I was completely unfilled, I still experienced getting stuck (and of course had a party and continued to gain weight). Finally had endoscopy done 2 weeks ago and it ends up that I was right initially - I have spasms of my esophagus caused by reflux (I have been taking Prevacid religiously since surgery). GI Doc upped my Prevacid to twice a day and went for a re-fill a week later. Have been doing really good since then - not getting stuck and I lost 7.2 lbs in a week so far!!!! And when I was unfilled, I hated the full feeling in the lower abdomen - I missed my pouch. I would do this over again in a heart beat!!! Moral of the story, if you do have problems, look for answers, don't just give in and eat what goes down. Be proactive - this can work and I still would choose it over bypass, DS and any other procedure out there!