JamieJo55

Dr. John E. Meilahn, MD
3401 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140Phone:(215) 707-3471
is the only Dr i can suggesst sorry it's not exactly in your area.
Your Esophageal Dilation won't get better in fact it's bound to just get worse and the heartburn too.
Scar tissue develops under the band and around it causing reflux and a feeling of tightness and it's accompanied symptoms. ie.. Night time aspiration, pneumonia, asthma like symptoms.
It's highly probable that you experienced a Slip from coughing? vomiting will cause it as well.
IMO I would suggest getting a new Dr, remove the band, Revise to a Different Weight loss surgery if you so Chose and move on, the Band Failed you didn't
Good Luck
Luck

I lost 100lbs and then regained. I'm not a failure and you are not. I converted to sleeve and it is MUCH better.

I'm now 2 weeks post op after the removal. I honestly didn't realize how shitty I felt for so long. I can't believe I lived with those complications that long.
I can now sleep on my back for the first time in 3 years, my 3 times a day vomiting is gone, no more night time aspiration and 3 hours sleep a night and best of all, bye bye reflux and Prilosec!
I had one week of eating like a sumo wrestler and now just went back to my tried and true lifestyle of no sugar, no wheat and no processed foods. I don't count anything but keep an eye on my carb intake. I feel amazing and am down 5lbs in 5 days. No looking back for me.

I got mine removed this morning after 11 years. I'm in pain but besides that, best I've felt in ages. I'm down 150 from my heaviest and now saying goodbye to the HORRENDOUS complications I've had for the last year. I don't feel like a failure and I hope you don't either, regardless of what you have or haven't lost.
Good luck with it all xx

I can tell you that my Dr. no longer does lapbands unless the insurance company insists. That speaks louder then perhaps the statistics themselves.

I can Quote Band Stats that say 60% of ppl with bands need Revisions, etc.. But that's Obvious if you use a google search.

But that only helps you understand that YOU didn't Fail, the band Did.

As the previous poster stated get some Saline out! Don't starve yourself it won't help, you've already messed up your metabolism with a band and your body HOLDS Onto everything you put in it.

The band creates Scar tissue under the band and around it as well, that will/does create a "too tight" feeling as well and adds to the probelms of Reflux/Gerd and aspiration pneumonia if that continues. Also, as you've mentioned Esophageal problems like Dilation, Pre Cancerous tissue, and loss of Esophageal motility.

Your SMART in questioning the effectivenss or LACK there of the band and your Health.

My advise is get the band removed Weightloss isn't worth the damage to your body or poor health. Good Luck

I didn't have the Band but did have a stomach stapling back in the 80's. The staple line did not hold up.....so I had lots of stomach problems over the years and lots of scar tissue. I had my surgery in June and have done great. Just make sure you do your research and use a doctor that has done revisions. I went to a doctor several years back and the first thing he said to me was "I hate revisions...and can't stand to do them".....I knew he was not for me.

That's how mine was too. I have a patient portal to go to register every time and I got a little mad because they called my last visit band anxiety. But I know when something doesn't feel right.

So I've come to the end of my band journey ... and I am relived! The last few years have been pretty miserable and I hope my story can help someone else.
I was banded in Aug 2007. GREAT results! I was very lucky and didn't have to mess w/ too many fills/unfills or have any complications. (that I knew of) Pre-op weight of 311 and low of 160 in under a year. I didn't maintain the 160 for long but was happy in the 175-190 range for a few years. I'm back up to 240 and feeling like a complete failure.
I just had my band removed on Mon and I'm feeling pretty good. They used 2 of my old small incisions and had to open up the old port incision a bit. The port site is what's killing me. My band had slightly slipped but the removal was quick and uneventful. Didn't even have to spend the night in the hospital. I was thankful my surgeon supported my decision to have it removed and helped fight my insurance to get it covered. (Not medically necessary? What a joke! I'd love to know how much they've paid out in doc visits and tests for stuff all caused by the band because I know I've spent a fortune in copays & missed work. I guess it's the same as so many insurance company's paying for women to have a babies but not for birth control?!)
About 3 years ago I started having dizzy spells coupled with severe upper abdominal bloating/pain. The symptoms were very similar to diverticulitis, minus the bathroom troubles. Attacks started to get more and more frequent. Multiple visits to PCP, band doc, and finally a gastroenterologist. Multiple tests; barium, CAT scan, endoscopy, allergy tests, etc. The gastro theorized that I was experiencing aerophagia (swallowing too much air that gets trapped in your intestines and creates pockets - similar to diverticulitis) and the band was really trapping that extra air. I fought it and didn't think it was band related but after a year we did a complete unfill and guess what - no more attacks!! That was Dec 2013 and I've remained unfilled since. Still getting stuck often and having lots of indigestion.
Sometime during that year I developed horrible heartburn and have been on 40 mg Omeprazole since Sept 2013 w/ no relief!
Around the same time I also developed left shoulder pain. It was occasional and bare-able. I assumed maybe an injury or tendinitis. The shoulder pain finally got really bad and consistent about 6 months ago. Multiple visits to PCP, Orthopedic, & Physical Therapy. The therapist wanted me to get an MRI because the X-rays weren't showing anything, Cortisone shots didn't help, and my symptoms and range of motion didn't really sync up to a rotator cuff injury and/or tendonitis. I broke down in his office - "MORE EFFIN TESTS AND COPAYS AND PAIN AND AND ... wait a minute? Could this also be band related?" Did a little research and learned about the Vagus nerve and how it can be affected by the band. That little bastard really causes trouble! The body is so complex!
I developed sciatica about 1 yr after being banded but have severe Scoliosis so I chalk all back stuff up to that. I had a major episode last week and was barely able to walk or work for about 5 days leading up to my band removal. I was really nervous about recovering from abdominal surgery with my back in that state. My back has been 100% fine since coming out of surgery on Mon and I haven't taken much in the way of pain meds. Anyone w/ sciatica knows - a magic overnight cure does NOT happen. Now I'm thinking that was also band related because of the Vagus.
Only time will tell how my heartburn, shoulder and back are long term but I'm pretty optimistic the worst is behind me. I can't remember a time I went 5 days without saying "My shoulder is on fire!" I'm also still a little shocked and angry that something I did [voluntarily!] to make myself healthier made me so sick.
So I guess I'm starting over on the weight loss journey - thinking about Weight Watchers again. I keep telling myself it's a lot easier to lose 50lbs than 100 and am trying not to back slide any more. Maybe a revision in the future but not something I'm even ready to think about right now.
I hope someone reads this who may be experiencing similar symptoms and it helps turn that light bulb on because it took me awhile and a lot of wasted time and energy.

Days 3 and 4, I have woken up headachy, stiff, nauseas and very dehydrated both mornings. I'm making my aim to get hydrated as I can't seem to get enough Water in at the moment. I think it's the most important thing for repair along with Protein. I've slept ok, over 8 hours each night. I guess I'm chronically dehydrated and my body is fixing itself so I'm trying to help it. I'm doing the old colour of the urine test as a guide and it's definitely taking me 2.5 litres to stop feeling this thirst and get it back to straw coloured by the afternoon.
Not really interested in food at the moment. Had my first proper band free hunger pang yesterday. It growled so loudly everyone in the room laughed!
Am making sure I eat some Protein and veg each day which is great to be able to manage without fear but I've lost 5 pounds since the surgery. All I can say is the band was driving some poor eating because I was so malnutritioned and hence craving sweets all the time. They were really all I could get down in the end along with Soup.
The lack of pressure and pain is a relief I feel every day. I'm taking only 2 paracetamol and one omeprazole upon waking. Don't think I'll need either by the weeks end as I'm moving about taking small walks frequently which helps to keep that Fluid moving.
Only on occasion can I feel something in my throat food wise and that's if it goes down at a funny angle but the surgeon said the oesophagitis could take up to 2 weeks to resolve and it does still feel a little sore and swollen.
My port site was a hard lump on day 3 but has softened on day 4. I am lucky, I have very clean scars and no bruising even though I was warned the port site at least would be a hard raised bruised mess.
I'm guessing my appetite will return at some point but I'm sticking on small portions so as not to re stretch my stomach and making sure my food is real food, not processed floury, sugary, carby rubbish. We will see how that works for me in good time I expect.
My best advice...drink lots of Water, eat clean and keep moving. It's not been anywhere near as nauseating as having the band in and I've had no food restrictions either which has made things easier of course but I know that's not everyone's experience.
I hope this helps people to read from a personal experience perspective.

Thanks Parisshel.
Day 2 today and I feel a little stiff and sore. Came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and so was out in less than a full day since the op which is great. They let me go even with low blood pressure because I felt fine.
The surgeon managed to use my previous port scar to get it out but I have 4 new wounds from then lalprascope, my stomach is starting to look like a map of England's road network lol.
My port site is the most sore and the surgeon warned it would be very bruised and raised as they kind of have to "dig it out" Ouch!!!! The other wounds are fine and no bigger than half an inch each so hopefully they will fade.
Eating - well all I can say is, I hadn't realised just how much pain I was in and the amount of pressure the band was putting on my eosophagus. I've eaten very carefully but have been so desperate for salad and dense Protein. My son says I was mumbling in my morpine post op phase about tuna, hilarious, I'd got so bad about not being able to eat Protein that I was dreaming about fish. In my my first thread about the band coming off I was talking about craving salmon!
So yesterday I ate half a slice of toast for breakfast as that was all they had to offer, I ate 3/4 of a chicken fillet and 2 spoons carrots for lunch and I ate a bowl of salad in the evening, my goodness they were then best meals I have eaten in forever.
I think my body is trying to reverse the chronic dehydration as I've been drinking gallons of Water. I keep taking sips and waiting for the reflux which doesn't happen of course so then I take a big gulp. I feel a little kind of bulge when I swallow a big gulp but the surgeon says it is like when you have had a ring on your finger for years, there will be a slight indentation for a while so I guess it's that.
I'm just happy to feel well again so quickly even after surgery. I will never take plain old Water for granted again that's for sure, there's nothing worse than not being able to even get that down. Speaking of which I'm just going to grab myself another glass ...... :-)

Hi everyone,
I aprreciate any advice that anyone has.
I was banded in November of 2008 and at first had no other issues other than having my gallbladder removed that following St. Patty's day. I have had sever asthm for almost 20 years and basically have lived on long periods of prendisone to help me breathe. I started out at 330 on the day of my surgery and at first lost 90 lbs. in the first six months. Then the acid reflux set in. Over the past two years thing have gotten progressivly worse--I kept aspirating into my lung and winding up in the hopital. I had been unfilled and still had issues. The acod reflux continues and I still vomit about two times a day on average. I told my doctor something was wrong and he doesn't listen.
Anyway...fast forward to the last two months and I have had two upper endoscopy because I have had severe reflux and stomach pains. When i had the endoscopy ultrasound this past week, the doctor informed me that the band is about two inches too high and that it is "suffocating my esophogus and that I should have the band removed immediately." He blamed the band for all of my reflux problems, and told me that if I didn't get removed that I was headed for mores serious problems.
I called my surgeon's office and went in for an appointment today. he removed a little more liquid and when I showed him the results from my endoscopy he said, "Other doctors who are not trained in bariatrics should not be handing out advice." When he asked what I wanted, I told him that I was miserable and wanted the band out because of all the issues and having to be on prendisone for almost six weeks straight now because of my reflux being so out of control. He said that since my band was completely empty to come back in a month and then maybbe I will change my mind. I am so aggrivated!!
If any of you have had the band and then taken out, what procedure did you choose and why?
Thanks for letting me rant!

Unfortunately what your dealing with is Common with a Band.
Banders experience Reflux at a rate of 33% and Erosive Esophagitis 44% it's not something to ignore.
Many Dr's just RX PPI's and continue to either change them or increase the dose.
Long term refux can /does cause Barrett's Esophagus.
Reflux at night can/does lead to Apiration pneumonia, a lot of times ppl like to say Oh, yeah just prop yourself up with pillows or stop eating hrs before bed and that will help.
When in fact the better solution is to just get the band removed and live a better life than medically induced bulimia, reflux, and night cough, becaue even with an unfill it will continue. OR you'll just start a visious cycle of endless unfills and fills and get nowhere for as long as your willing to allow your Dr. to do it.
Good luck

I had my lap band surgery in May 2009. I was just diagnosed with stage 4 gastroparesis. I have other tests scheduled at this time. It seems no matter what I eat I am in pain. At this time I wish I had never had lap band surgery if it is indeed the cause. I am now wondering where the rest of you are in your journey since you posted about having gastroparesis.

On 1/1/2010, i had my RealizeBand surgery. In June i had a prolapse from vomiting. My band was removed July 20th. From the time that I had my band surgery, I have had bad pain in the left shoulder, back and left chest area just below the nipple line that radiated completely through the back. Due to my insurance having a max of $10,000 and the pain, I decided to remove the band instead of having it repaired. It's now September 19th and I still have the pain even though my band has been removed. I have found that a full stomach, walking and sitting for a duration more than 20 minutes intensifies my pain to nearly the level of feeling like a heart attack. I've had various test and CTscans. Surgeons seem to take it very lightly and I'm having to get aggressive with the situation. My pain can be at 7 on a scale of 1-10 during activity. I've been off work since my band removal in July. I got a second opinion from another surgeon who is trying me on Neurotin and haven't seen any sign of improvements at all. . If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to email me... brianlodwick@ymail.com

When they removed the band did they remove the port and all the tubing? From what I understand, the tubing can be too close to the diaphram resulting in referred pain in the shoulder, and I would imagine the chest and back, too. It could be that even if they removed the port and tubing the area has been so irritated that it will take awhile to recover.
Make sure you get copies of all these test results, including the CT scans, and the operative report for both the placement and removal of the band. You might be very surprised at what you find out.
If necessary, take the test results to another doctor for a second opinion. Living with pain at your level is not acceptable and you need to find answers. Good luck.

I think some of you are clearly missing the point. His band is not working at all...period. Telling him consume less and follow a band plan is great advice but if the band is doing absolutely nothing then he is on a diet.
I implore you to show him a little compassion.
So he can consume two steaks with 14cc in a band. First thing that jumps out at me is a serious band function problem not a 'band compliance' problem. You have to fix the band and get the restriction then you can modify the consumption. Otherwise....it's a diet.
I can't even eat steak at all because of my band. I've gotten stuck every time after only consuming a very little and that is with a partially filled band.
For once we have someone posting a real band issue where it is clearly NOT working BUT he has not given up on it and he WANTS it to work. He is not eating around this band...it is just not working.
Is it possible some of us have been banded so long that we forgot what it was like with out it?

Go to NYU Langone WLS... They're FANTASTIC!

@@lauriearnold
For the first year or so, things seemed fine. My first sign that things were not ok was chest pain that radiated to my neck, arm, back and jaw. It would happen only at night, waking me and last 30-60 sec and was relieved when I'd drink a little Water or change position. Turns out, it was esophageal spasms. Strangely, when my Fluid was removed, things got worse fast.

I went through the same thing!! I dealt with it for 6.5 years! Then finally found out about sleeve. I just had my band removed and had sleeve done all at 1 time. I am 5 days post-op! My band had slipped it caused hiatel hernia... It was a mess! Good luck

B-52, I've had problems in the past with the band being too tight, so I'd rather go slow with the fills. Like I said, if I don't drink I fill up VERY quickly... the problem is I'll keep drinking until it forces the food to go down. I cheat, I admit it.
I'd rather be a little loose but still restricted then too tight and freak out because Water is hard to get down.

I go in tomorrow morning for an upper GI with contrast and a consult with the surgeon to review it immediately after. My nurse thinks that I slipped the band for sure, and unfilled what they could of what was left (I had 2.5 ccs left and they were able to get out 2ccs). It's so very frustrating. I was actually crying in the office as I was explaining my frustrations, and the hopes that I still had, but my resignation as well. And I'm not a cryer! I'm always the strong one. She said that most of the folks at the office she sees have pretty significant levels of band intolerance, and even the nurse who took out my Fluid was very unsurprised by it as well, saying that she's seen lots of revisions. I get such mixed feelings. I'm not trying to invalidate anyone's success with the band, I want to make that totally clear (I think I may have before), but if anyone asks me if I'd recommend it, I'd steer them elsewhere. I want(ed) this to be a tool to help me with a lifestyle change, and thus far it's made me near bullemic, and terrified of solid food. costco had a sale on Chiobani yogurt, so that's what I've been eating since I made my initial post. If given the option to remove it (and my nurse is wholeheartedly suggesting that, which I also find discouraging in a way), I'm doing it. No revision. I need to develop my own tools to get this done, and that will be hiking with my husband, eating much better than I had in the years before I had the band, and learning to love myself at whatever size I am, as long as I'm healthy.
@@claudia, hope you're still feeling well after your procedure! Much love and respect to all of you reading and responding

It's tough when the band doesn't agree with your food and stomach.its like this thing has a mind of it's own. I'm waiting at the hospital ready to have my band removed because I've been having lots of the many issues you mentioned. My main problem is indigestion which sounds like you're having that problem too. You may want to consider having that band removed if you're having so many problems. My doctor recommended the sleeve but my insurance company has certain criteria that I don't meet so pretty much I'm sh...out of luck. Although after my removal I'm totally going to stay on track and just diet and exercise like I should have done it in the first place. Get well soon, stay away from bread and pasta! Good luck ????

Wow...
This is a problem unique to banding: mainstream medical professionals haven't a clue when it comes to our situation. Our bariatric caregivers are generally not available for emergencies, sinçe many of us live far away from them and their office hours/days can be limited.
What people don't understand is that when an organ is cut off from its blood supply, there is very little time to figure out what the problem is before the organ dies.
Did you have a hiatal hernia? This sounds like you did....but I'm only guessing.

I am so sorry for your issues. I too was not educated enough when I had my surgery although I thought I was. Thank you for telling your story. It is sure to help someone on here educate themselves further before making this very important decision.
I too have the Roux-en-Y loop . I seem to be okay with it..