Having Band Removed. What should I expect for recovery?
I had my band removed Oct 1 of this year after having it for about 10 years. The band never worked for me...too much swelling , and then having to take fluid out from vomiting, etc. So I made the decision to have revision surgery.
Going in, the Dr. told me there would be a 50/50 chance that my revision to a sleeve could be done in 1 surgery. When he got in, he found that my body had actually encapsulated the band, and there was a lot of scar tissue. He removed it, and I will have the sleeve done mid-January.
It was done pretty much the same as the original lap band surgery. For the first day or 2 after removal, I felt like I had done too many crunches. I was sore, but not too bad. I did take some pain meds, but was off those after 3 or 4 days.
As far as your questions on fixing erosion, etc., I think that is "case" dependent. Every situation is different, and I guess a good doctor will know for sure whether you are still a candidate for your new surgery. Mine said I had a lot of damage, however he was 100% sure I would be good for the sleeve after 4 months of healing.
I had my band put in in 2006 also. My band only worked about 8 months before it started to leak. My surgeon at that time wanted another $2000.00 min to fix it and was charging me $100 per fill.
It was removed last month on Oct. 15 when my RNY was performed. My surgeon had to remove more of my stomach than normal and he also had to get rid of a lot of scar tissue. I have been very lucky. I have no feelings of the removal of the band and so far everything is going very well. I did have some worries before hand about taking it out combined with the RNY surgery itself. So far so good and good luck to you!!