Hi everyone!  I just found out that my pouch dilated after having experienced reflux, stomach pains, etc.  My surgeon (in Belgium) says that there is no other solution but to have surgery in order to fix it. 

Has anyone experienced this?  Is it true that it can fix itself (go back to normal) if lap-band fluid is taken out for a few weeks?  If so, were you able to gradually refill lap-band and continue weight loss?  

I would really appreciate your feedback since I don't want to have surgery again if I don't have to...

Thanks a lot!!!

I think in the US it's standard to completely unfill the band and let things rest for six weeks or so.  I had a dilation and that's what they did. Unfortunately it kept happening and I developed chronic reflux.  Ultimately I had my band removed in May and just revised to RNY on the 14th.  I don't know what kind of surgery they are planning to fix a dilation but I would be wary.  Even if the give you another band it can happen again.  

Lisa O.

Hi there.  From what I understand my surgeon wants to reposition the band and says that the odds of it dilating again are slim to none after this surgery.  I just don't know how much of that is true. ... Thanks for your feedback! B

In the UK too! Normal procedure is a complete removal of fluid for a few weeks. What surgery might your surgeon do? For a dilation of the area above the band, surgery can't  tighten things up again.  Is he talking of repositioning the band? I assume he has done a barium swallow to see if the band has slipped?

Hi, yes he did a barium swallow and wants to reposition the band.  He says that after this the chances of it dilating again are very slim (while the chances of it dilating for the first time are at 22%).  He's taken fluid out but not completely and scheduled me for surgery in a few weeks.  He says that if we take out all the fluid completely then we won't be able to tighten again.  I wonder if that is true....

Hm! I am not a doctor! So I am not going to give question someone is both a doctor and experienced in bariatric surgery. He has seen the position of your band and used his professional judgement.

i do wonder why he thinks he would not be able to refill it.

Same here the first time unfilled for 6 weeks at 1 year and 8 weeks at 2 years.  Band removed at 3.5 year and sleeved last January.  I too wonder if he is talking a slip and repositioning/re-banding.

Thanks!  And what happened in between?  Was your doctor able to tighten it again?  Were you able to still lose weight?

My  doctor says he would reposition the band this way making sure that this doesn't happen again.  Not sure if this is so and am looking for feedback from people who have gone through this. Don't want to go through surgery for no reason...

For me after the first total unfil, I never got back to were I was.  I had 8.5cc in a 10cc band.  They only got to 6.5 when refilling and I never got restriction back right.  I would get so tight I couldn't swallow water and than so lose I could eat anything.  With the second unfill I was back to above surgery weight.  The last 18 months was full of filling and unfilling trying to get it back.

If your read back thru the threads, you will find most that have a slip reposition end up slipping again.  So your odds are that after this surgery you will still looking at another if not a couple.

Hello ..Not sure how long you've had your band, but you may find it interesting to go to u Tube and SEARCH for a video there . It is titled:

WHY I NO LONGER PERFORM GASTRIC BANDING it's a very interesting video from the Doctor in Belgium that has done numerous studies on the Gastric banding =Lap Band.

More interesting reading is this study for lap Band Complications.......

Complications associated with adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity: a surgeon’s guide

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038361/

It is a Guide for surgeons to follow for Complications of a LB.

IF your Pouch is Dilated it's normally due to over eating, reflux is normally due to the band being "too tight" at at least that is what the doctors say.

If you need Surgery to "repair" the band why not consider a different weight loss surgery? I ask because the odds of needing ANOTHER  Surgery is only a matter of time If you keep your band.

seeing as you mentioned that he's going to "fix" the band and not completely replace it I won't tell you about the poor outcome for 2nd bands.

GOOD LUCK