ms.lissa

This did happen to me and symptoms are very similar, except that the symtoms appeared a few months after surgery for me. My doctor put in 3cc's in the band during surgery and I did fine at first and could eat very little, then hardly anything at all. Thus my first fill was a slight unfill. Turns out that some of us only require very little in our bands to reach that sweet spot. I can only handle 2cc's in my band without it being too tight. It sounds like a slight unfill will do the trick, in my opinion. Jake.

@@ms.lissa I'm sorry you are having such trouble. I would advise you to speak with the surgeon who performed your surgery. Ask them if any Fluid was placed in the band during the surgery. Even a primer as this could be adding pressure to the band and the swelling you have internally. Removing even that tiny bit and any air could bring some relief.
Acid reflux is a cause for irritation to the stoma. Though you may only feel it as it comes up the fact that your stomach is very acidic all the time can be causing this additional swelling. Try using some ice pops to get some hydration in and reduce some of that internal swelling as well. If you consume beverages like tea or coffee cut those out as they also tend increase the acid in the stomach. The same for any type of sauces or citrus juices/fruits you may be consuming. Try to stay bland until you are feeling better.
I would also ask your Dr. to recommend a Gastroenterologist to perform an upper GI or endoscopy to check the actual placement of the band and see what kind of environment is going on in your stomach. This will help the doctors to determine what type of treatment you might need to reduce the acid and allow your stomach to heal and reduce the swelling in the stoma as well.
A good pro-biotic won't hurt, and you can get capsules you can open and sprinkle in Soup, or in Water.
Feel better and please let us know how you are doing!!

Congrats on being banded welcome. I was fortunate to not experience any gas pain at all, as my surgeon had me walking literally 2 hours after surgery. Here is a suggestion I slept upright for 4 days and walk every single day twice a day. I think that made all the difference.

Have you called the Doc yet?

I hope this eases your mind a bit:
It's impossible for the band to FLIP. Slip, yes, possible & serious.
Def get seen asap
It could be that you're too tight - an easy fix.
*praying for the best possible outcomes for you both!

Thanks Everyone for the thoughts and gestures; however I've been seeing a chiropractic and X-rays were Completed. Band is in tact but a bone aligned to my esophagus was completely out of place. After the doctor completed a few of her medical techniques in office I was like brand new. She states that it was causing acid reflux bad. And she was right.

@@ms.lissa@@lafaye999 follow up please....how are you ladies doing?

congrats I get it !!!...9 years of the plus size section, I am also really looking forward to this major milestone! !

congrats I get it !!!...9 years of the plus size section, I am also really looking forward to this major milestone! !

congrats I get it !!!...9 years of the plus size section, I am also really looking forward to this major milestone! !

congrats I get it !!!...9 years of the plus size section, I am also really looking forward to this major milestone! !

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band.
The ALLERGAN protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band.
Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band.
Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week.
The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows:
1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to 4 weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to 4 weeks after the fill. That is why the ALLERGAN protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill.
2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band.
3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food.
4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient.
5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again.
6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food.< /span>
7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again.
Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater.
It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

It really stinks that the media is always out to crucify the Lap-Band. There are an equal # of WLS "failures" with the Sleeve or Bypass. There isn't a "perfect" weight loss surgery, yet. It's easy to blame a medical device, not so easy to blame staples or sutures.