Band slippage

[NrsJaneFzyWzy]

I've been reading another lap band forum out of curiosity & see horror stories about band slippage. I haven't had my first fill yet & now I'm getting really nervous. How do you know if your band slips? What are the odds?

[chrissysdolphin]

I've been reading another lap band forum out of curiosity & see horror stories about band slippage. I haven't had my first fill yet & now I'm getting really nervous. How do you know if your band slips? What are the odds?

i was worried about the same thing and carolyn e-mailed me and toldme that the only thing that would really cause slippage is if you vomit violently or alot. she said that it would be vary easy to notice if your band had slipped. I have not had my first fill yet and am excited. lots of luck and i hope this helped C

[Marylou]

Hi,

I had my Lap Band done exactly one year ago this week. I never vomited once and of all the stories I have heard, no one has had band slippage. Just remember, when you are onto regular foods to chew, chew, and then chew some more. Take SMALL potions into your mouth, and chew. So it will take you longer than anyone else at your table- don't worry about them. You are the priority.

I have lost 80 Lbs. since the surgery and am very pleased. I do wish I could have lost more but I have very severe Psoriatic Arthritis- it's like Rheumatoid Arthiritis. It is in my spine and knees, so exercise, other than daily functions is really out of the question. If I was able to be more active I would have lost more but I am down 5 pant/shirt sizes and that is a really wonderful thing. I have given away 4 trash bags of my work clothes- I was a secretary. I went out and had to get a supply of new clothes- slowly. Now I can fit into a booth in a restaurant or diner and even at the movies I am so much more comfortable.

So you ladies just take one step at a time and you will succeed at this. Oh, I did have one problem one time that I feel I should tell you about. The day after a fill I was having some broth and I grated some of the Cabots 75% fat free cheese on top. (DUMB) Well, It melted- of course. and I wasn't planning on this- as I sipped the broth the cheese coagulated and got stuck in the whole of the band. It was plugged up. I couldn't get it to move. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. After hours it finally dissolved from the acid in my stomach but I was so irritated and swollen that I couldn't eat anything- not even water until I got to the Doctors the next afternoon to have some of the fill removed.

Good luck, keep in touch,

Marylou

[Darrin S.]

I've read a lot of different stories about band slippage. One of the most common things I have read from people I read had this problem, is a previous post abour how they were able to eat within 2-3 weeks from being banded. Possibly too soon!

Once the band is placed, and there is some swelling in the area, I'm sure it's possible to cause the band to slip during the healing time (as the swelling goes down), if you pack food into the pouch therefore pushing the band down.

I think this is why it is SO IMPORTANT to follow your doctors after-care instructions. Dr. Ortiz told me to use clear fluids for 1 week, then full fluids for two weeks before starting soft foods/mushies. After twwo weeks of that, I can start on regular food. So believe me when I say it, I will not start solids until 5 weeks post-op.

Now don't dump on me for saying this, but there may be other causes for slippage, but this senario probably results from most of the stories about slippage. Why cause complications?

As someone else said in another posst around here - Just because you CAN eat, doesn't mean you SHOULD eat. - Those are words to take to heart.

Darrin

[NrsJaneFzyWzy]

I have followed my diet as prescribed by Dr. Ortiz & Dr. Miranda. The only thing I think I've done wrong is the amount of food I eat. I'm sure it's too much. And now it's PMS week so I'm really having a hard time. I can't wait till next Monday for my first fill!

[Cheryl]

I have psoriatic arth. too - I have noticed the flares have subsided and my elbow skin has cleared up.

I just had an episode of badly stuck meat and then horrible gurgles for a week. I had an upper GI and it came back positive for swelling. Thank god I didn't slip my band. Pay attention to chew, stuck foods raise all sorts of havic even if your band doesnt slip.

Hi,

I had my Lap Band done exactly one year ago this week. I never vomited once and of all the stories I have heard, no one has had band slippage. Just remember, when you are onto regular foods to chew, chew, and then chew some more. Take SMALL potions into your mouth, and chew. So it will take you longer than anyone else at your table- don't worry about them. You are the priority.

I have lost 80 Lbs. since the surgery and am very pleased. I do wish I could have lost more but I have very severe Psoriatic Arthritis- it's like Rheumatoid Arthiritis. It is in my spine and knees, so exercise, other than daily functions is really out of the question. If I was able to be more active I would have lost more but I am down 5 pant/shirt sizes and that is a really wonderful thing. I have given away 4 trash bags of my work clothes- I was a secretary. I went out and had to get a supply of new clothes- slowly. Now I can fit into a booth in a restaurant or diner and even at the movies I am so much more comfortable.

So you ladies just take one step at a time and you will succeed at this. Oh, I did have one problem one time that I feel I should tell you about. The day after a fill I was having some broth and I grated some of the Cabots 75% fat free cheese on top. (DUMB) Well, It melted- of course. and I wasn't planning on this- as I sipped the broth the cheese coagulated and got stuck in the whole of the band. It was plugged up. I couldn't get it to move. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. After hours it finally dissolved from the acid in my stomach but I was so irritated and swollen that I couldn't eat anything- not even water until I got to the Doctors the next afternoon to have some of the fill removed.

Good luck, keep in touch,

Marylou

[girl_barrie]

Hi there,

I am one of the few people that has experienced a band slippage. I was originally banded a year ago, and took off 60 pounds. Due to the weight loss, I was able to get pregnant and was very happy!! During my pregnancy, I was very frightened of gaining weight, so I didn't see Dr. Martinez to have my band loosened until my 8th month. To be honest, I was throwing up quite a bit. The nausea of pregnancy combined with my desire to eat in quantity allowed me to throw up whenever I got stuck so I could continue eating. I did that at almost every meal for several months.

Sometime before I had my band loosened I began to experience horrible acid reflux, especially at night. I would wake up from sleep choking on my own vomit!! It was awful. When I told my OB/Gyn about it, she said that acid reflux in pregnancy is not unusual and prescribed an over the counter acid reducer, which worked a little, but as time went on it just got worse. I started to notice a "coffee ground"-like substance in my spit-up.

Once I had the baby, I went to see Dr. Martinez and was able to have the fluoroscopy and discovered that my band had indeed slipped. My band was removed in an emergency surgery just over a month after I had my son. In the four months that I had my band off, I gained 40 pounds, but Thank Goddess, I was able to have the band put back on just this past April. I have had one fill since then and DO NOT THROW UP WHEN I AM STUCK ANYMORE!!! I learned my lesson.

All in all, I would never want to have a slippage again, and am so grateful that Dr. Ortiz was able to replace my band. If nothing else, the experience has taught me how much I truly need my band and how careful I must be to follow the doctors' advise as to eating and CHEWING!!!

I am now working on losing the weight that I had put back on, and not being terribly successful at it, especially since Dr, Martinez was very conservative with my first fill, but I do have faith that with time and perserverence it will work again.

[Kathryn]

Hi LapBand Friends,

I had LapBand surgery 4.5 years ago and initially lost 80 lbs. I was delighted with the immediate results. But after one year, I started experiencing symptoms of malnutrition, including enemia, severe fatigue, dizziness, headaches, depression, nausea, leg cramping and skin issues. I wasn't getting in all my protein or exercise because of my demanding career. I certainly was not getting a well-balanced diet. I became very ill and ultimately had to give-up my job and a six figure income. I completely underestimated the amount of daily care and management this new lifestyle would require. I started eating solid food and protein to gain my strength back. But I have gained back about 35 lbs to date.

I recently had my annual upper GI and EGD and learned that my band has slipped. In looking at my films, the skin above my band looks very stretched-out and limp. My surgeon has suggested three options: 1) have it repositioned ($13,000); 2) covert it to a gastric bypass ($27,000); or 3) have it removed altogether ($10,000). The risks of not doing anything, I'm told, are not well understood, but not recommended.

I'm concerned about the integrity/strength of the stomach lining above the band. If the band is repositioned up higher and reattached to weak skin, how safe is that? Since another surgery is inevitable, I'm considing just having it removed. But I fear the consequences of this option too.

What would you do?

[housecatgirl]

All of your options seem expensive. Have you checked with Dr. Ortiz? I asked him how much it would be if my band slipped and I think it was alot cheaper than the initial $8500. I would call his clinic ASAP if it were me.

Hi LapBand Friends,

I had LapBand surgery 4.5 years ago and initially lost 80 lbs. I was delighted with the immediate results. But after one year, I started experiencing symptoms of malnutrition, including enemia, severe fatigue, dizziness, headaches, depression, nausea, leg cramping and skin issues. I wasn't getting in all my protein or exercise because of my demanding career. I certainly was not getting a well-balanced diet. I became very ill and ultimately had to give-up my job and a six figure income. I completely underestimated the amount of daily care and management this new lifestyle would require. I started eating solid food and protein to gain my strength back. But I have gained back about 35 lbs to date.

I recently had my annual upper GI and EGD and learned that my band has slipped. In looking at my films, the skin above my band looks very stretched-out and limp. My surgeon has suggested three options: 1) have it repositioned ($13,000); 2) covert it to a gastric bypass ($27,000); or 3) have it removed altogether ($10,000). The risks of not doing anything, I'm told, are not well understood, but not recommended.

I'm concerned about the integrity/strength of the stomach lining above the band. If the band is repositioned up higher and reattached to weak skin, how safe is that? Since another surgery is inevitable, I'm considing just having it removed. But I fear the consequences of this option too.

What would you do?

[LoriBecky]

I completely underestimated the amount of daily care and management this new lifestyle would require. I started eating solid food and protein to gain my strength back. But I have gained back about 35 lbs to date.

I very curious to know what you were eating previously if you started eating protein and solid food to gain strength. Doesn't sound like you were following the diet recommended by Dr. Miranda. There are some terrific protein shakes out there if you feel the need to supplement. The one I bought at Costco comes in powder form and has 27 grams of protein per scoop. Makes it easy to supplement if you find you aren't getting the recommended 50-60 grams per day.

I hope you find a solution that works for you and isn't too expensive. I think talking to Dr. Ortiz before you do anything would be a very wise suggestion.

Good Luck

[beata]

I very curious to know what you were eating previously if you started eating protein and solid food to gain strength. Doesn't sound like you were following the diet recommended by Dr. Miranda. There are some terrific protein shakes out there if you feel the need to supplement. The one I bought at Costco comes in powder form and has 27 grams of protein per scoop. Makes it easy to supplement if you find you aren't getting the recommended 50-60 grams per day.

I hope you find a solution that works for you and isn't too expensive. I think talking to Dr. Ortiz before you do anything would be a very wise suggestion.

Good Luck

I am just curious how much is it to fix a slipped band????