Yes, I will probably be departing with my dear friend Suzie.

I met with my surgical team this morning and we discussed my current condition with the hiatal hernia. My lap band surgeon HIGHLY recommends removing the band due to the hernia and the issues that it is causing. I have the old 4cc/10cm band and he mentioned that it will be very complex to go in UNDER my current band and repair the hernia. The older 4cc bands do not unbuckle like the newer bands do. They are referring me to a top specialist in the Northern, VA area to repair my hernia, so it will be very complexed trying to repair a hernia with a band that does not unbuckle.

The good news is my band has not slipped or eroded, but the bad news is the hernia will continue to cause me problems if it's not repaired and in order to repair it the surgeon may have to remove the band, he will not know this until he goes in and see how the hernia is situated.

Options put on the table:

1. Get a replacement band - My surgeon looked me in the eyes and told me straight up -- I WILL NOT LIKE the NEW AP BAND. He says the 4cc band IS A LOT BETTER than the newer AP bands, now this is first time a surgeon has admitted this to me. He says the problem is with the new AP band it's hard to get restriction and harder to lose weight with newer AP band than the older 4cc bands, because with the AP bands there is something built in, (I forgot what he told me..lol)  that prevent pressure from the stomach.  My 4cc lap band WILL STOP me from eating, sort of like a brick wall, he says there IS NO BRICK wall with the AP band. He says the primary reason for not using the older bands anymore is that they were more prone to band erosions long term than the newer AP bands, but it was a payoff – My surgeon says that the AP bands are less effective than the 4cc bands. But I mentioned some people are happy with their AP bands, but he says -- yes they are happy because they've never had the old bands to compare with.  So I guess this could explain why there were NO band bashing prior to 2007, most lap banders were very happy when I got banded and I really miss that and the excitement of everyone, they either had the 4cc or VG bands.

 2. Also I am positive the Sleeve will not give me the same restriction that my current 4cc band can provide based on what my friends tell me (because when I have optimal restriction I can’t eat but a few bites and I stop and I could ALWAYS eat solids with no vomiting as long as chewed well) and I will not be a happy camper if I revised over to the Sleeve and there was no stop sign.

Also my surgeon mentioned that if I revised over to the Sleeve it does not matter how far they remove the stomach from the Pylorus I still may experience dumping syndrome – because  he says as soon as you take a big sip of soda or something sweet you will experience unpleasant symptoms because of how small the stomach is, and my surgeon says that liquids and sweets/carbs will run right through, so in other words there is no avoiding dumping with the Sleeve unless you eat proteins and mostly veggies…FOREVER.

3. Gastric bypass is out of the question, too many potential issues/side effects and weight regain.

The thing is even if they get in there and are able to fix the hernia and I am able to save my band, there is STILL a chance that I may be dealing with this hernia again down the road, my surgeon mentioned that hernia’s are a high potential late complications with the lap band and I am going on 8 years post op and I guess it’s time for problems to start if I was going to have them.  And the sad thing is that my problem HAS nothing to do with slippage or erosion, it’s a complication all of its own by that band constantly rubbing against my stomach for years.
So, if the surgeon can’t save my band when repairing the hernia, my band will be removed.

I’ve gained about 50 pounds back “waiting" for my band to work, I’ve not been on my brand new treadmill sitting in my bedroom. Now it's time to get busy on it daily, especially if the band gets removed.

So, I am thinking when they repair the hernia that in itself will cause trauma and I will probably lose some weight with  just getting the hernia repaired and hopefully I can get the 50 pounds off during this time and once I heal  I have to just live on my treadmill from now on…..and join Weigh****chers, I don’t think I want anything else done to my body at this time in my life.

I’ve enjoyed my banded life very much without any bad side effects, I did not experience frequent vomiting or reflux or nausea with my band over the years, it’s was a WONDER tool while it lasted, I’ve never been hospitalized with my band or really had any long lasting issues with it, it almost slipped over 6 years ago from being too tight, but I healed and moved on without any issues up until now.

When I got my band over 7 years ago, I knew that this day would come, if I suffered complications that the band could be removed, this day has come and I have to face it, I am happy that I am not experiencing horrible complications in an urgent manner, i've been on top of my symtoms and seeing specialist and I am also getting second opinions with another wls specialist before I make a final decision on who I want to repair this hernia.

I am grateful that  I can still eat, go out with my hubby and enjoy my life, the only thing is while I have this hernia I will not be able to get tight restriction with my band and use it as the tool that I'd like and the hernia must be repaired before it does any more damage to my body.

I will miss my band and miss all of you on the boards, if I get my band removed, I will probably no longer be active here since I will no longer be interested in bariatric surgery. If I do, I will miss you all.

 

 

Sorry it didn't work out for you long term. We all had hoped that the band would be the long term product that it was advertised to be. I understand how you feel. Feel free to join us on the failed band groups if you would like.

Good luck!

???

Thank you Maria, I loved my band it worked well for me for over 6 years, I have no regrets and hard feelings, it's just one of those risks we have to take regardless of which surgery type we choose. Even if I revise over to another weight loss surgery, I may be dealing with a new set of issues, that I may can't turn back.

 Who are your surgeons?

I don't want to disclose my band surgeons, but they are experts in their respective practices. The surgeon that my band surgeon wants to do the hernia repair is AN EXPERT in repairing haital hernias and the top surgon in the entire region regarding fixing hatial hernias, his name is Dr Karim S. Trad who published this article on GERD and haital hernia repairs for the National Institute of Health in Bethesda.

Long-term outcomes after transoral incisionless fundoplication in patients with GERD and LPR symptoms

Karim S. Trad

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3271216

Allergan stopped supplying the old bands in Canada years ago. It's strictly AP bands now.  They shipped all the 4cc and VG to Mexico.

 That's too bad Naomi, but I agree with Alice...there really is no reason to remove your band.  The hernia is in the diaphragm, a few inches above where your band should be.  They just take a few stitches, unless you're having a Nissen Fundoplication, where they actually wrap the stomach around the esophagus and stitch it in place.  I would be wary of this procedure, as well.  A second opinion is always a good thing.
Also, re: sleeves; some do have dumping.  It varies as to how long it lasts, but very few of the sleevers, I know or have read about, dump after a few months.  Perhaps I know 2 or 3 total who continue to dump, long after surgery.
As for needing to be on a low carb regimine for life...lifestyle changes are the key to WL success, whether surgical or not.  Many of us need to make these changes anyway, to maintain or improve our health.  Soda, cakes, etc are rare treats in a balanced food program...why not choose a surgery that will stop you from eating them, kind of like your band telling you when you're full?
Its time to do your research and ensure you make the right decision for your future health.  Good luck!

Thanks Stephanie for your reply, they are going to attempt to try to repair the hernia WITH the band still in place, it's going to be a very difficult task and if they have difficulty repairing the hernia, the band will have to come out.

I haven not SEEN ONE person on this board that has had a hernia repair and KEPT the old 4cc/10cm band. There have been MANY with the new AP bands with hernia repairs because those band DO unbuckle.

Trust ME, I do not trust people on THIS board when they say they don't dump, my sister had her stomach stapled years ago and have SUFFERED silently for years, she has gotten used to the misery now. I have two friends that has the Sleeve and both say they dump pretty frequently, they are honest. Also my surgeon told me straight that I WILL dump on sweets and carbs, not saying I should eat them, but I can't live the rest of my life limited on what I can eat in comfort.

There is notthing wrong with dumping, some people dont' care, if it keeps them from eating sweets/carbs, etc, to help them stay on track with weight loss,  but I do care.

One thing both me and my surgeon agreed on is that Sleevers sure look great after weight loss.

Edited to Add: Trust me, I am going to change my lifestyle and stay on my treadmill like the rest of the "skinny" population to lose weight, if I don't have the "same tight" restriction that the 4cc band will provide, then it will be a "waste of my time" to get any thing else.

Naomi the hernia can be repaired and the band left intact.  I was given that option when I had my hernia repaired.  As someone else posted, the repair is a few stitches and takes maybe 10 mins once you are under.  If I could turn back the clock I would never have agreed to the new AP, I hate it and miss my VG every day. I hope your hernia repair is successful and that you can in fact keep the band that you have had for 7 years.