Band Erosion, what would you do?

 I had posted I had an upper GI done because of problems of throwing up quite often.  The endoscopy showed something "black and ugly" in my stomach and the GI doctor said he did not know what it was but it needed to come out and sent me to my lap band surgeon.  After viewing images of lap band erosion on the internet, that is what my pictures looked like.  Went to see my lap band surgeon last week and he said he did not know if it was eroded or not.  He did not think so but he did not know for sure.  I mean, hello, this is a surgeon in this field and he cannot tell if it's eroded or not.  He said I was not sick enough.  Usually if it's eroded, you start hurting, sick because of the infection.  I thought to myself, I think when you start having the symptoms, it's too late!  I am getting a second opinion.  What would you do?

I too would get a second opinion!  Good luck to you!

That's bizarre!  At the very least you'd think he would order an Endoscopy to check things out from the inside.

I guess a second opinion is in order.  Did he at least unfill you a bit because you've been vomitting?  That's standard protocol at the very least!

Keep us posted.

Lisa O.

she did get an endoscope - the GI dr said he saw something odd & sent her to her lapband dr.

clearly he can't read one & because she has no symptoms of an erosion, an unfill "may" work.???

*i* would get a second opinion & not return to a lapband surgeon that can't read images from an edoscope.

 Have just made an appointment with another doctor.  Hopefully he can help.

You NEED to get a second (and possibly third!) opinion. My really bad surgeon also told me that he saw absolutely nothing wrong with my band... and in reality, it was twisting my stomach, kinking my intestines and causing extreme damage to my stomach, esophagus, diaphragm, intestines, etc.  The SECOND doctor said, (and I quote, verbatim) "What the F*** did he DO to you?!") He was so shocked by the whole thing that he said the "F" word! 

Some doctors really just can't ascertain what's going on from looking at an endoscopy report or an X ray or just about anything, I'm sad to say.

If you do have band erosion, it's incredibly important to have corrective surgery. Letting it go sets you up for myriad health problems down the line. (Speaking from experience here, unfortunately.)

I sincerely hope everything's OK with you, but definitely be your own advocate... if you know something seems wrong, please find someone to listen to you and help you.

Take care,
Nicci

 Thank you!  I have an appointment with another doctor.  I guess I thought a surgeon that studied to do lap bands should know if one has eroded the stomach.  And the GI sending me back to my lap band doctor made me wonder if he didn't expect that but wasn't going to say it since it wasn't his field.  I also had bruising all around the port, little blue spots.  He said I must have just hit it on something.  I thought I was bleeding under the skin.

Nicci...........What are your dolls doing? And why???

Agreeing with the rest, I would get a second opinion, and I would do that quite fast! Please keep us updated! Hope all goes well!

 Thank you.  I will.