bandwhisperer

lawrn, Hiccups and "baby burps" are normal secondary to small pouch and the band stimulating the vagus nerve. My advice to you would be: 1. No drinking with meals, wait 30-40 min after eating. 2. Meals must be at a cup (8oz or the size or your fist) or less. Eat meat first. Do not take longer than 30 min to eat a meal. 3. Chew well, bites the size of a sugar cube (especially the first 2-3 bites) 4. Keep Protein at 80 grams/day. Calories under 1000/day. Limit carbs to 150 or less. 5. 30 min of exercise/day 6. Try Tums if stomach "growls" and burps continue. Tums before meals will decrease the acid in the lower stomach, thus less "backdoor hunger signal". 7. My patients with a 10cc Lapband will usually be @ their "sweet spot" when I get 7-7.5cc in it. Hope this helps.

lawrn, Hiccups and "baby burps" are normal secondary to small pouch and the band stimulating the vagus nerve. My advice to you would be: 1. No drinking with meals, wait 30-40 min after eating. 2. Meals must be at a cup (8oz or the size or your fist) or less. Eat meat first. Do not take longer than 30 min to eat a meal. 3. Chew well, bites the size of a sugar cube (especially the first 2-3 bites) 4. Keep Protein at 80 grams/day. Calories under 1000/day. Limit carbs to 150 or less. 5. 30 min of exercise/day 6. Try Tums if stomach "growls" and burps continue. Tums before meals will decrease the acid in the lower stomach, thus less "backdoor hunger signal". 7. My patients with a 10cc Lapband will usually be @ their "sweet spot" when I get 7-7.5cc in it. Hope this helps.

Does your stomach "growl" soon after eating? If so, the reason it does is because the stomach below the band contains most of the gastric juice for digestion and the stomach produces a lot of this juice in anticipation of the food you ate. But the food does not make to the lower stomach, it sits in your pouch. The stomach will growl and send a "backdoor " signal to the brain telling you to eat. If my patients c/o this, I will have them take a few (2-3) chewable Tums before the meal and after. This will reduce the stomach acid and prevent the "backdoor" signal to eat. You may even want to try a Prilosec or a Zantac daily in addition to the Tums. Remember to eat your protein portion first and I have a few patients that chew too well. Every bite is almost a liquid consistency before they swallow it. If chewed too well the food passes thru the band w/o accumulating in the pouch, thus, never getting a full feeling. Hope this helps

I am a PA and have 4+ years in AGB care, fills, and have performed over 7000 barium swallows. Slippage and prolapse are being used as one in the same and they are NOT. Slippage is when the fundoplication (stitch) breaks loose and the band physically slips downward on the stomach. Prolapse is when stomach from below the band "mushrooms" up through the band, usually caused by an intense vomiting episode. However, both can present the same way. 1. epigastric pain and most described as "pressure" around the lower stenum. 2. Nocturnal reflux, liquids are "rolling" around in the back of your throat when you lay flat on your back at night. This will also make you cough and not sleep well. This is not good! You are at risk of aspiration pneumonia! Get up and sleep in a recliner. 3. Unable to eat solid foods and some liquuids without vomiting up soon after. 4. One day you feel fine and the next day these symptoms appear. See your provider ASAP!!! An unfill will usually correct the symptoms but if your provider does NOT look at it under fluoro, no one will know what happened. The point is, THESE SYMPTOMS ARE C/W 1. SIMPLY A PIECE OF FOOD IS CAUGHT IN THE BAND. 2. THE BAND IS SIMPLY TOO TIGHT SECONDARY TO A FILL OR POSSIBLY SWELLING AT THE STOMA. 3. IT IS A PROLAPSE (MILD TO SEVERE) . 4. IT IS A SLIPPED BAND. iF YOUR PROVIDER DOESN'T LOOK AT IT WITH AN X-RAY OR FLUORO, YOU WON'T KNOW. IF IT IS A PROLAPSE, YOUR BAND WILL ALWAYS PROLAPSE AGAIN AND AGAIN. SLIPS MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE REVISED BUT PROLAPSE SHOULD BE CONVERTED INTO A GASTRIC SLEEVE. Prolapse is under reported because providers are NOT using fluoro to diagnose band complications. Simple unfill procedures correct most all band related complications and in the case of prolapse........prolapse is going to be an ongoing problem. Cash pay banders beware. Source: Slipped band??

I am a PA with many years experience in AGB. Was the erosion found on an EGD or a barium swallow? Did you have any port infection or any other surgical infection in your past history? If there is truly an erosion, the band must be removed and another should not be placed in the future. A gastric sleeve would be risky and many surgeons will not attempt it. Bypass may be an option but consult with a surgeon with experience in doing bariatric revisions. You shouldn't have to regain your weight back, a letter from a surgeon that reads "in order to preserve his excellent weight loss and return of comorbidities, a revision surgery should be performed" would help. I tell my cash pay patients they better have at least 10K saved up for future complications.

I am a PA and have 4+ years in AGB care, fills, and have performed over 7000 barium swallows. Slippage and prolapse are being used as one in the same and they are NOT. Slippage is when the fundoplication (stitch) breaks loose and the band physically slips downward on the stomach. Prolapse is when stomach from below the band "mushrooms" up through the band, usually caused by an intense vomiting episode. However, both can present the same way. 1. epigastric pain and most described as "pressure" around the lower stenum. 2. Nocturnal reflux, liquids are "rolling" around in the back of your throat when you lay flat on your back at night. This will also make you cough and not sleep well. This is not good! You are at risk of aspiration pneumonia! Get up and sleep in a recliner. 3. Unable to eat solid foods and some liquuids without vomiting up soon after. 4. One day you feel fine and the next day these symptoms appear. See you provider ASAP!!! An unfill will usually correct the symptoms but if your provider does NOT look at it under fluoro, no one will know what happened. The point is, THESE SYMPTOMS ARE C/W 1. SIMPLY A PIECE OF FOOD IS CAUGHT IN THE BAND. 2. THE BAND IS SIMPLY TOO TIGHT SECONDARY TO A FILL OR POSSIBLY SWELLING AT THE STOMA. 3. IT IS A PROLAPSE (MILD TO SEVERE) . 4. IT IS A SLIPPED BAND. iF YOUR PROVIDER DOESN'T LOOK AT IT WITH AN X-RAY OR FLUORO, YOU WON'T KNOW. IF IT IS A PROLAPSE, YOUR BAND WILL ALWAYS PROLAPSE AGAIN AND AGAIN. SLIPS MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE REVISED BUT PROLAPSE SHOULD BE CONVERTED INTO A GASTRIC SLEEVE. Prolapse is under reported because providers are NOT using fluoro to diagnose band complications. Simple unfill procedures correct most all band related complications and in the case of prolapse........prolapse is going to be an ongoing problem. Cash pay banders beware.

Good to here! Anytime you have heartburn and/or nocturnal reflux, expect there to be a problem. Dialtion and prolapse present this way. The band will feel tight 1-2 weeks after a fill but will loosen up a little. Stick to your post fill diet. I would recommend a provider who uses fluoro and looks at a barium swallow every visit. Complications are much easier to correct if caught early.

The 4 questions to ask yourself if you are wondering if you need a fill are: 1. Are our portions at a cup or less, more can dilate your pouch and esophagus. 2. Are you STARVING between meals? 3. If you are not careful, will foods get stuck? 4. Did you lose weight? If 1,3 and 4 are answered yes and 2 is no, DON'T GET A FILL! Sounds to me you don't need a fill but need to work on portion control. Have a small snack between meals and have your provider do a barium swallow to make sure you are not dilating your pouch and esophagus.

When was your last fill? Does your bariatric provder use fluoro? At night, does it still feel like food and liquids are "rolling" around in your throat and you wake up coughing? Do you have a history of prolapse? These symptoms are c/w prolapse. Get a barium swallow if this continues!!!!