al1234

I lost trust with respect to bariatric doctors. There is an article that supports what may happen to you after getting banded.
With that being said the lap band was suppose to be so great and look. So when they offered the sleeve , lol absolutely not so in 4-5 years from now when all hell brakes loose with the sleeve what next?
So I hired a nutritionist , trainer, and chiropractor. All of those people are covered under my insurance. I'm going to do it a different kind of way. I know people with the sleeve who have gained all their weight back.

Do not get a lap band if their is s family history of autoimmune disorder's.

I also feel better. This removal was a breeze. No pain just soreness.

Yea my quality of life is really bad. I don't want another weight loss surgery either. I figure I can keep the weight off and hopefully even lose what I have gained since hopefully I will be able to eat healthy food once it is out. If the weight doesn't stay off, I would honestly just rather be fat than have to ever deal with this again.

Heya looking some advice. I had a gastric band fitted 3 years ago however it started causing me problems within the last 6 months and so i got the Fluid all taken out. I got the band removed as i wanted to return to normal and try and eat normally again, so i got the band removed sunday 6th september 2015 and its been 4 days and im having difficulties swallowing foods and sometimes fluids, in the mornings nothing is able to pass but evening time its more relaxed. Surgeon said 1 week should be ok but this isnt getting better so does anyone remember when they were able to eat after the removal. Im really worried.

Hi Fellow Bandsters,
BOY OH BOY… I believe “they” consider patients like me “veterans of the band”. I was promised all kinds of great outcomes prior to getting this procedure in March 2008 (7 years & 4 months ago), however I have developed one too many conditions/symptoms as a result of this device being inside of me for the better part of a decade, and always blamed it on something other than the band. They never spoke of complications and I am the type to do as I am told… dieting, Portion Control and exercise!
I am in the medical field and have a PhD in Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences (Pathology/Lab Medicine… always worked in hospitals/healthcare). I currently work as a Clinical Research Scientist in Cancer research and we are doing our best to find THAT cure. However, the cure for weight loss seems unimaginable for the overweight population, especially the patients who have a failed lap-band surgery. I still have my band but am scheduled to have the band removed next week, 7/30/15 (my personal Independence Day).
The band was not for me since the first follow-up visit after placing the band. The PA bent the needle attempting to add saline into the port from scar tissue (YEARS AGO) and three staff members were now inside the room during this. With all the scar tissue to get through already… it hurt me very badly and I was "turned off" from future fills!!! I never had another attempted fill after this from fear, and never had a successful fill since having it placed at all. I had signs and symptoms the entire time, but life got in the way! I had too many things going on in my personal life and the years seemed to fly by… but not because I was having fun!
For almost 8 years I have experienced; nausea, vomiting, Migraines, constant low grade fevers, joint pain, gallbladder removal in 2009 (no stones), elevated liver enzymes (ALT/AST), enlarged spleen, elevated CRP, "dumping syndrome", inflammation throughout my body especially my stomach, abnormal blood counts and chemistry, unable to pass certain foods from esophagus to stomach, autoimmune disease soon developed (new meds to take), uncomfortable in my own body, weakness/fatigue, acid reflux, back/neck pain, constipation/diarrhea (to name a few). I also have device related complications such as; port pain with and without pressure being applied, infection at the port, unable to stand up straight/reach up/stretch backwards, and always protecting my stomach from the outside world from fear of it being bumped. I am in a place where I have health insurance AND time for removal/surgery at the same time so I went to the docs and insurance denied... three times!
I spoke to my surgeon directly after the denials (not the same doc that installed the band) and I am meeting him in the ED on the night of July 29th to have the band removed on the morning of the 30th. We are making this a medical emergency so insurance will cover the charges, which would have been approx $8,000 if this would have been a "self-pay" situation. It is bad enough that Allergen would not provide compensation for the $250 surgeon consult prior to seeing ANY doctor. I do not know this surgeon and just recently moved this state 7 months ago… no special privileges for being in the same field… just a good idea of how insurance works! Doc saw how my quality of life has suffered from my medical records and wants to help me, and I pay for health insurance for a reason (regardless of their ridiculous exclusions for bariatric related surgeries, a medical emergency is always covered).
I am excited and scared for surgery next week, but will be sure to keep everyone informed of my progress after surgery, and as the weeks roll on. I truly hope to speak to other patients in my position and be available in any way that I can, especially helping if you feel you have run out of options or need help interpreting test results. In the meantime, could anyone shed some light on side effects of having band removed in patients 8+ years out (how do you feel, how is your stomach/scars), what to eat after surgery/for how long, how long were you out of work, and best ways to stay healthy since having this piece of **** removed!
In Heath,
A

I noticed from the moment I woke up I felt better! So glad you are feeling better!!

I have like no inflammation now that my band is out. So weird. I cant wait to have blood work done to see what the difference is. I havent taken any meds for my lupus or RA since i had my band out. So happy i had it removed

I was banded in mar 2001
Removed Sept 2011 - 11 years of unpleasantness
Sleeved Dec 2011
Lost 150# and hit goal Feb 2013
July 2015...still doing good!

@@Tazwella thank you for sharing. I have had the band for almost 14 years and haven't found anyone being converted this far out. I am also hoping that having the band will lessen the learning curve.
@@metawnny so glad to hear the restriction is different. I hated being stuck and in pain yet still hungry.

Good Morning. I am in the process of going from Band to Sleeve. I had my band removed for many of the same reasons you described in May and it had slipped. I get my sleeve July 14th. I am told that the sleeve is much better and am excited to get it and get back on track with my weight. I gained my weight back pretty fast after having the band loosened and then removed. The removal process was pretty simple, I did have some gas pain but other than that simple removal surgery. My surgeon makes you wait about 2-3 months before he does the sleeve because the risk is much much lower for the sleeve surgery and because it allows stuff to heal in between making the sleeves more successful. It sounds like that healing time would be important for you in your situation.
I have done a ton of research and on here there is a band to sleeve forum where you can read about everything and anything. My band had slipped and that is the cause of a lot of my vomiting, but with the sleeve you do not want to vomit. It is not good to do that, unless you have the flu or something. From what I have read you are more likely to be in pain than to vomit anyway. No slime vomit either with the sleeve. Some people report a period of GERD that eventually goes away and can be treated with pills from Dr or store. I can't yet speak from experience but please friend me and read about my surgery. I know everyone has a different experience with their surgery but almost everyone I read about with the sleeve is happy and would not go back to the band for anything. I wish you lots of success with the sleeve.

I had those problems too and all are mostly resolved! I had gastric sleeve surgery on the 21st of May. Am down 25 lbs and no problems from the surgery! I feel great! 90 lbs to go!

Hello, I'm Kim Harris and I've had the band since early 2010. Althouh I loat weight, I've had nothing but problems from the get-go. A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with a Sjogrens, an autoimmune disease similar to lupus, which causes joint pain and fatigue 24/7. I just received word today from my surgeon that insurance has approved the removal of my band. I am praying that removing the band improve my health with respect to my autoimmune condition. I considered having a revision to a gastrectomy but metal staples would be yet another foreign object permanently placed in my body for my body to reject and continue the autoimmune response.
When I saw your poat about how you had just had your band removed and you feel so much better (and weight loss on top of it) I had to ask what you were feeling and problems you were having that prompted the removal of your band? And did you have any revision surgery?
I'm wanting to know if there are others who developed autoimmune conditions after lapband placement, and if they chose to have the band removed, did it improve their autoimmune symptoms/conditions?
Thank you for sharing your post-op improvement; it gives me hope that I haven't had for many months now. I wish you continued improvement in your health. I am interested in knowing what problems yiu experienced with the band and what has improved thus far. I'm new to this site, so if you have posted this info elsewhere, I would appreciate a link.
And by the way, my daughter in law works for an attorney and we were juat discussing this very topic yesterday of lap band compllications and how they are so hard to prove for a jury to actually have enough concrete information to find in favor of a patient. Her attorneys won't even look at medical cases unless there has been loss of limb or life. So, don't be too optimistic on finding an attorney for lap band complications (I have no idea what your situation is; you may have something an attorney would consider.)
Kim

I don't know if there is any correlation between lapbands and autoimmune diseases but I do know that a lapband will not be placed (at least by my surgeon) in a patient who has an existing autoimmune disease. But then I read loads of posts on here by bandsters with MS, Lupus, Crohn's, etc...and was astonished that they had been able to find a surgeon who would band them.
I haven't developed an autoimmune disease (yet) but my band is responsible for me developing heart arrythmia, for which I now have to take strong and unpleasant medications for the rest of my life. And, sadly, removal of my band will not "cure" the arrythmia because once the electrical pathways are disturbed (thanks, lapband!), they are there for life.
I don't regret (yet) having opted for a lapband, but I am extremely sad about now living life with this high-level lapband complication. My risk of stroke is now increased, not to mention the risk of dying from congestive heart failure or cardiac arrest. That said, staying obese might have brought on heart issues as well.
Who knows? Here's what i DO know. Statistics mean nothing because either you do develop complications or you don't. It is black or white. I thought I'd be among the "x" percent who would never have a lapband-related complication. But I'm not. Many of us are not. But to those that are....rock your bands and enjoy their benefits!

Wow i also think my lupus has been caused by the band and i want it out. Besides all the other crap im dealing with it. I would also love to know if there are other auto immune suffers out there.