Having procedure open?

Hi Everyone,

I had my medical history and phyiscal appointment with my surgeon today so they could finally submit to insurance for band to sleeve revision. He said there is a higher chance of them having to do the procedure open. He asked if I would be okay with that. I never really put that into consideration but he made it sound with the scar tissue being there where the band is, it may block their vision to where they really can't see everything with the scope. I told my mom this information and she said I should really re-consider having it done now since having it open can cause more problems.
I wanted to find out if anyone else had to have their revision procedure open rather than laparoscipically when having the band removed at the same time?

Any information, advice is appreciated.

Thank you.

Hi. I'm having my revision on Monday lap band to rny. The Dr. said he will try to do it laprascopic if not they will have to cut me. So I will post what happens to me. I pray he don't haveu to cut me .

Thanks for the reply, Good Luck with the revision! Wishing you a speedy recover. I really hope you don't have to end up getting an open surgery either, but I guess that is a risk with any surgery since they don't know what they are dealing with until they go in. How long did you have the band?

4 1/2 years only lost about 50 lbs gained it back.

Oh wow. Sorry to hear that. I hope you're surgery goes well and you have better success this time around. Good Luck with everything! Let us know how you are doing!

Hi. I had the band and then revsied to a bypass. It was hoped that the revision would be done laporascopically but apparently some of the band had stuck to my liver so I had to have an open surgery. It wasn't that bad and after 17 months the scar doesn't look too bad!

 

PS: I lost 30 pounds total with the band but gained all but 5 pounds back. So far I have lost 100 pounds with the gastric bypass. Definitely a good decision -- open or not!

Congrats on the weight loss so far! I'm not worried about the scar at all, I'm just more worried about the recovery time since I can probably only get 3 weeks off.

Thanks for the reply.

I had my band laporscopically then last year I had open emergency surgery for them to untangle the mess the band caused.  No need to get into this ....but my point is, yes it is always better to have laporscopic surgery when possible, but the pain level (to me) is no greater than when they cut me open.  either way, they are punching through or slicing open the same abdominal muscles and those muscles will need to heal.  I will say, that you have a greater risk of post-op infection at the surgical site when you are opened so take great care of your wound if this should occur.  Bottom line is, your surgeron has your safety at heart and will do what is safest and most effective for you. Don't fear the open if that is the safest route for you.  

Auburn 

Thank you for the reply. I'm not really fearing the thought of having the procedure open, I'm just worried about the recovery time. As of right now, I can only get 3 weeks off work so I don't think that would be enough time if they had to do it open.

If you have a sedentary type job you will be fine to go back to work in 3 weeks.  Don't get me wrong, you will still be fatigued and have I some soreness.

Once I was discharged from the hospital, I was up moving around and actually moving into a new house with my family's help.  I do think I could have easily gone back to work 3 weeks post op but due to the severity of my internal injury caused by the band, my general surgeon had to leave my wound open to heal from the inside out.  Since I was on wound vac thearpy and home health therapy for wound healing the doctor would not relase me nor would my work let me come back with the wound vac.  I have a very mobile job tho. 

I would ask the surgeon if you should have to do open procedure, will you be able to close wound or will you have to leave it open for healing from inside out?  That will be the determining factor.

Auburn