Wheetsin

Rebanding isn't an option I'm considering. I'm seeing too high of a re-slip incidence, even when you "follow the rules." I'm just really dubious about the band's ability to stay with us long term AND be in good shape. And at least right now, I don't want a malabsorptive procedure. I don't really want an -ectomy procedure, either. That's part of why the current complication rates for the band are so disappointing -- it had such promise. My father had a band about 3 years after mine, and had to have it removed a few months ago due to gastroparesis and eventual slip (he did not have a slip prior to the gastroparesis, but I'm suspecting he had vagus nerve irritation). He was re-banded a few months ago because it was the only procedure his insurance would cover. He sort of assumes it will be forever this time, but the numbers are frightening. I'm fortunate that I have options - my insurance covers removal, revision, and several bariatric surgery types including the sleeve. If they didn't, or won't cover whatever procedure I decide on, self pay is an option for me too. I'm probably 90% on the VSG. Feels kinda creepy to eat/drink now, knowing I'm slipped, and wondering if every swallow is causing more organ compromise.

Is your port located near your band, or is it located away from your band? If it's near your band, you may just be experiencing general "stuck" discomfort. This discomfort/pain/whatever isn't usually just felt in the immediate band area. Mine tends to radiate in the general area of my esophagus, into my back between my shoulderblades and a bit up/down my spine. If it's remote, you are likely feeling a referred pain. I get this as well. My areas of referred pain used to be fairly limited to either side of my bellybutton, but over time have come to include my hips (think of the spots where your hands sit of you stand with your hands on your hips) and in the last year or two, fairly small areas around my ribcages. Both my immediate & referred pains can last a while. The longest is about 4 days -- that's generally the ribcage area pain. I can imagine it being something I would mistake for a strained or pulled muscle if I didn't know what it was. And there's really no relief - it doesn't come and go, or die down gradually. It's there, and it's there significantly, and then it's gone. Despite the comfort you feel from them, Spanx may be a contributing factor. Not "are," but don't rule them out completely. They have bothered me before, and I too generally enjoy wearing them. Just no longer when I eat. Anything changing the dyamics of the pressure in your abdominal area can be a factor: eating while sitting down; eating with snug pants on (e.g. jeans that cut into your belly fat), pregnancy, things such as PMS or barometric pressure changes that impact the presence of fluids in your body, etc. Do yourself a favor and don't drink Water to alleviate your problems. If it worked, you're lucky. Usually it will make things worse, especially when you're still relatively new post-op. Drinking too much water, or drinking it too soon after eating, has a pain category of its very own. You will know it when you meet it. For me, it's one of those things like when you stub your toe -- your body knows some bad mojo has gone down and you get all kinda icky, and you know it's going to hurt, but it doesn't yet... and then... there's the pain!

I know a few bariatric surgeons, and I know a few more surgeons who specialize in laparoscopic procedures, but I don't know any surgeons who favor one procedure over another because it is less work for them. I would not invest in the idea of motives too much when weighing your options. You probably know this stuff, but consider it again, anyway. And fair warning - I suffer from a terrible case of saying it like it is. I'm not a die hard band advocate dedicated to championing the cause, and I'm far enough out that the honeymoon was over long ago. Surgeons who offer multiple procedures tend to advocate the procedure they see giving the best results or that they feel brings the best prognosis. Of the two, that's probably RNY. The AGB is a restrictive procedure, meaning weight is loss mainly due to decreased intake. Whatever you eat, you will "use" - be it for immediate needs or storage (fat). You are banking 100% on the band's ability to moderate your portions to the degree that you are able to achieve weightloss. I consider the AGB to be assisted portion control. Well, earlier on I did. It's also enforced portion type (for lots, not me specifically), and enforced portion time of day, month, weather, etc. I now call it my "warden." RNY is a malabsorptive procedure, so there's reduced intake but there's also reduced capacity to absorb what you're digesting. You will use some of what you eat, but not all of it. Compared to AGB there's a bit of reduced responsibility here (IMO). But everything comes at a cost, e.g. AGB patients don't experience dumping. I've not had RNY but I know, personally, a large handful of people who have. All of them lost their excess weight, and most have gained some back (10 - 20 lbs seems to be their average). With the lapband, things can go wrong. Things do go wrong all the time, and as time goes on rates of incidence are raising significantly. There's a device in your body. That's a whole other level for which things to go wrong. I know 30+ people who have been banded 5+ years and the vast majority of them have seen at least one complication, generally a slip or dysmotility. Only one erosion that I can think of. About 11 of them are still banded, and 2 of theose probably shouldn't be. I wish I could give you the same kind of "real life" reports on RNY but I just don't know. To be fair, I was just diagnosed with a slip, but I'm a painfully objective person so please don't think I'm trying to bash or dissuade you. Too many people go into one procedure or the other without knowing what "real life" with it is like, and hit a pretty brutal reality check. I had a long honeymoon period with my band where things were great. But my confidence in them as a long-term solution is dropping drastically as each revised report of complications are released. Alsot o be fair, you can lose weight quickly with the band. I hit my post-op low of about -175 lbs a little over two years out. The majority of that was in the first 9 - 12 months. I probably lost about 75 lbs by the 6 month mark. For the most part, I have maintained my weight for about 2.5 years now with a malfunctioning band. That's part me, and part luck -- my slip is tolerated and I still have moderate, although terribly random, restriction. Some questions you might want to ask yourself... How much weight do you have to lose? Aside from the obvious, do you have any urgent need to lose it particularly quickly? Have you ever had maintained success in an exercise program? There are other options than AGB and RNY. Have you considered the full spectrum of procedures (or at least the full spectrum for which you have coverage and/or financing)? "Which option is right" often comes down to a few easy concepts, surrounded by a whole big bunch of thinking... Given the current data & data trends over time; not even considering "average" results; which procedure are you mentally/emotionally the most comfortable with? (This tends to reign supreme over "which procedure indicates the best likelihood for success with me?" and for any given procedure, are your hesitations or discomforts coming from things you just don't know, or the available facts? HTH

I know this is an older thread, but some info may be helpful to people searching, who wouldn't reply. I was banded by Dr. Hoehn several years ago -- back when he did the fills himself. I miss that part of it, and when you pick a surgeon in part because of their role in your post-op & long term care, it's a bit of a surprise when that changes. But I understand it. He is quiet but I did not find him to be cold. Not particularly warm, but just - factual and professional. I personally respect that. I don't need a surgeon togive me warm fuzzies, I need him to successfully perform my surgery. I know about 40 other people who have had surgery with him (Dr. Hoehn's office, if you're out there, how about every 20 referrals gets you a free plastic surgery procedure?!) and they all have similar opinion. It is pretty standard for him to update the waiting family post-op. He did it with both of my surgeries, and the other 3 surgeries I have attended for other people. I have not spent much time in his office (except for 1 visit this year, and 1 in 2009). They were still in the Georgetown building when I was having the bulk of my office visits. I do not know who is currently included in his office staff. His nurse used to be a wonderful lady named Billie. I'm pretty sure she left at one point, but I've been told she has since returned. There were some downright unpleasant people in his office, too. People because of whom he lost business, and who led to patients seeking their aftercare from other surgeons. I believe they are no longer there but can't promise it. About a year after banding I had Dr. Hoehn take my gallbladder out, and will likely be having another procedure with him before the year is over. I have good insurance and a wide range of surgeons to choose from, and don't feel any sense of obligation to him, so to me it says a lot that he gets my repeat business.

You'll see a lot of disparity in answers, if you get a lot of answers. I was diagnosed with a slip today (well, yesterday) and asked about rebanding. It was very strongly not advised, which is what I suspected. Reband long term success rates do not seem to be great. As was explained to me, a large part of it has to do with the scar tissue that builds up the first time. My father is on month 4? 5? Something like that... of being rebanded after gastroparesis from suspected vagus nerve irritation. He has done OK so far, but has not yet reached restriction. His surgeon advised against rebanding, but it was the only restrictive procedure covered by his insurance and he was not willing to consider a malabsorptive procedure.

The last time I could tolerate breakfast was February 26 -- the day before my 2-day preop diet began. I've never, ever been able to tolerate breakfast since banding. In fact, I normally can't tolerate food until about 1:30, and generally not after 6 or so.

I'm a little more than 5 years post-op and still have the majority of my fat clothes. I think they're playing the role of security blanket... "just in case." And oddly enough, I'm NEVER reluctant to get rid of things I don't see an immediate or known value in keeping (much to my packrat DH's chagrin). I went from a size 30/32 (and higher, but 32 was the last labeled size I could wear) at my largest pre-op, to a combination of 14s, 16s and 18s at my smallest post-op, and I pretty much indulged in a complete wardrobe for each size I was wearing long enough to go shopping. DH has been bugging me to ditch the clothes and it has really ramped up in the last few weeks. They're taking up a good chunk of our unfinished basement that he would like to have finished. So I did some inventory the other night, grouped everything by size, and bagged them accordingly. I have 74 bags (55 gallon bags! That's like 150 lawn & leaf bags! Geez!) of clothes that are too big. He wants me to drop them off at a donation center, but I still have that little voice in the back of my head telling me that if I ever return to that size, I'm going to be sorry I don't have those clothes. Even though I'd probably starve myself before I'd let myself see a size 32 again.

First - I'm not posting this to scare anyone, I promise! I'm curious about band complications specifically in banded mothers, and there's surprisingly little documented information out there. I'm curious to see what the trend here has been. I'm guessing this is one of the best concentrations of pregnant/formerly pregnant bandsters out there. I'm really curious to see if I'm coincidentally seeing a correlation between pregnancy and band complications, or if there's more to this that surgeons aren't yet educating us about (because they don't know about it). While pregnant I did quite a bit of reading stories here & on other support boards about what to expect. The number trends I saw for women who, during or after pregnancy, lose and are subsequently unable to re-obtain their "sweet spot"; and women who experience slipped bands during or within about 18 months after delivery; were dismally high. (I was finally diagnosed with a slip yesterday, and with 20/20 hindsight probably started seeing symptoms of it while pregnant - which escalated about 5 months after giving birth). If there isn't an option that covers your situation, please feel free to post specs. I'd really like to see how prevalent this is.

Anyone I know from LBT? I'm a long time member & mod over there. I see a few names I recognize. I was just diagnosed today with a slipped band. I'm suspecting I"ve been slipped for about 2 years now, since that's about when my "weird" symptoms started which led to the eventual diagnosis. I presented very atypically compared to your typical case of slippage - even the symptoms I did have were inconsistent so it took a while for me to realize it wasn't just me doing something wrong, and for them to realize it wasn't just me doing something wrong. But "atypical" pretty much sums up my life with the band, so there's no surprise. I've been told it's a pretty significant slip with no real chance of repositioning itself. But since my only real complication (so far, at least that I know of) is occasional nighttime reflux on occasion, I've been given the option to keep the band in and ride it out (and possibly pursue fills again, if I can tolerate them). Since the band is not in the position it's supposed to be in, I'm dubious about what that would look like long term. I was also told that my scar tissue is likely too significant for a replacement band, and that my surgeon doesn't really like to reband in the case of "mysterious" slips due to the high number of secondary failures. He suggested I consider a revision to VSG, which I had already been considering. I always like to know my plan B ahead of time. After a handful of years, it's really weird to be on the newbie side of it, struggling to find answers to my questions. Different insurance company than I had under the band, different type of commitment. It's been a long time since I was at square 1 (ok, I'm pretty good about quantity, chewing, etc... so perhaps not quite 1...) I've been here once before but it was a while ago, when I first started suspecting I was the victim of a slip, so I thought I should say a fresh "hi" and orient myself a bit.

Hello troubled bandsters! I was just diagnosed with a slipped band. I was banded March of 2006, and I know that my band was fine in 2008. I know it's futile to try and pinpoint a cause, but all of my problems seem to be associated with a pregnancy in 2008. In fact, I have neen researching the band + pregnancy since about 2007 and the more I read, the more I found it almost common for slips or other complications after childbirth. My slip is a bit atypical. I wasn't particularly symptomatic except for a "new" band sensation that I didn't have previously, which would lead to nighttime reflux. All night long. And sometimes the next night too. I didn't have crazy restriction, I was not a frequent PBer (in the last 3 years I've probably had 2 PBs), I didn't have a sudden change in restriction, etc. And I don't fall into your typical "high risk for a slip" cartegory -- again, infrequent PBs, I maintained conservative restriction for most of my banded time - was only too tight once and I got an unfill the next day, I followed the rules that worked for me (not meaning I followed them selectively, but sometimes I had my own more restrictive rules... e.g. I was never able to tolerate a.m. foods/drink so I didn't try), etc. I'm not surprised I have a slip because something about such significant changes in my band (the "new" sensation I mention earlier was pretty significant) this far out certainly didn't seem normal. I also sort of went into this expecting to have a complication of some sort some day. And now that more data is available than when I was banded, and I see the increasing rates of complications, I just sort sort of expected it. (In other words, I went into this knowing it was a forever comittment, but also knowing that forever might be cut short). I've been given 3 options: Since my only presenting symptom is occasional reflux (maybe once every month or two), and even completely unfilled I still have some restriction, I can ride it out and see what happens. This may well work, but I have concerns about dysmotility consequences... and while I'm maintaining my weight, and have since my daughter was born in 2008, I'm not losing. That's not a good thing. I can go in for repositioning or rebanding, which I know tends to have lower and lower success rates as more long term data becomes available. I've had a band for a while - long enough to develop a love/hate relationship with it, and I'm hesitant to sigh up for another procedure that may or may not work properly. I can submit for revision to another procedure. My surgeon recommended the vertical sleeve. I've always been hesittant to do anything that permanently removes part of my stomach because, if it doesn't work, what then? Guess I have some thinking to do, but figured I'd say hi to y'all. BTW, I was 380 lbs when banded. About 215 when I got preggers. About 280 at delivery, and about 265 today. That's with a goal weight of 180.

I started that thread.

I have taken ibuprofen and it has been fine. I do chew or crush mine to make the pieces smaller, and I take them with a lot of water to help ensure they clear the pouch. Mostly with long-term or very high dosage use, some medicines ibuprofen can cause ulceration & it's largely a super preventative measure to help avoid ulceration of the pouch, since it may be a while for things to clear our pouches. As always, do what you surgeon suggests or contact him/her and see if they will clear an exception. I had a severe maxillary sinus infection and was advised to take 2x OTC dosage ibuprofen until I could get for an RX (it set in late on a Friday). I didn't have any problems, and take one or two occasionally to help with sinus pressure headaches.

That's funny. I don't wear them every day, but I could. Once they're on I don't really notice them at all. I'm tall, and high waisted, and pear-shaped. That's a really hard combination to fit properly in slacks. If I don't have them tailored, the Spanx are a great alternative because they keep the inseam from going up my butt. Pants riding up the butt is a horrible look.

It actually does matter. If the FDA doesn't approve it, insurance companies won't cover it, so it's the fundamental first step toward reforming requirements. But when the FDA approves things, historically insurance companies adopt their baseline requirements. There are some exceptions, but this isn't among the things that normally applies to. Changing coverage guidelines, requirements, SPDs, etc. is not a fast process. It certainly won't happen in a month (I think I got that email 2/17). But eventually... and with enough success that there's ROI, change happens.

Or drink too soon after eating, or during the wrong time of day, or during the wrong time of month, or during body hydration changes, or during barometric changes, or... in short, any time that what we put down our gullets can't get through the rabbit hole. Live with it long enough and you'll most likely learn that sliming only sometimes has anything to do with chewing habits or timing.

We used to have a really good abbreviation/acronym/initialism thread, but I can't find it now. I'll have to see if I can dig it up and sticky it again. Slime or sliming is the body's way of trying to dislodge food that has become stuck. THink of it as your gastrointenstinal lube job. It's thick saliva that tends to be produced in copious amounts. The thickness of it was often referred to as "slime" so that became the new adjective. Sometimes it can get thick enough to be compared with egg whites. And if your body churns it for too long? It will foam/froth, like shampoo lather or whipped egg whites. So if you see "foaming" or "frothing," that's usually what is meant. If you haven't come across it yet... PB "productive burp," which is a stupid term for it because it's rarely anything like burping. A lot of people call it "vomiting" which is an equally disturbing term because what we as bandsters do when food is dislodged from our stoma, and what the general public does when they vomit, are completely different both in terms of function and production - what your body is doing, and what it's producing, and the complications it might imply, etc. are completely different. If you call me post-op and say you're vomiting, what I suggest will be very different than if you say you're brining up stuck food.

I just posted new qualifying guidelines from the FDA. They still include 1 obesity-related comorbidity for a BMI of 30 - 35. I was banded under UHC with no comorbidites, but with a very high BMI. How far >40 are you? Have you asked UHC what their requirements are?

TIght jeans, yes. Relief is often in the form of an undone jeans button, perhaps accompanied by a short walk or "stretching" in the restaurant booth. I sometimes wear Spanx and do not notice any problem with them, but I wear the "Higher Power" ones that come up to my bra. Typically it's only a problem when something cuts into my stomach area.

I lost this in my inbox for a while, but in case any of you patiently waiting for approval, or trying to meet approval requirements haven't heard:

Hi Alex, I don't think this is intentional - but I don't know how much this site & LBT are clones. There's link functionality near the RSS icon on LBT that's missing here. I only notice because I adore the "view noew content" feature. Just wanted to bring it to your attention in case it's not by design. LBT: VSG: Those screenies are taken in IE 8.0, but the discrepancy also shows up with Firefox 3.6.

What does "215ish" translate to in terms of your BMI? On 2/17 the FDA approved the lap-band (the LAP-BAND brand, I don't know for sure if it applies to all AGB) for BMIs of 30 - 35, with at least one obesity-related comorbidity. This is from Allergan, maker of the LAP-BAND AGB: This is EXCELLENT news for potential patients. Adding the BMI 30-35 patient segment opens the LAP-BAND® up as a possible option to over 26 million NEW patients that previously could not qualify for surgery. This also means the LAP-BAND® is now indicated for those who are 30 lbs or more over their ideal weight with a BMI of at least 30 kg/m2with one or more obesity related co-morbid conditions. People experience hunger differently - unfortunately there's no way to predict your individual reaction to it. Most people find their hunger is satiated with a small amout of food. I, personally, virtually lost the sensation of hunger alltogether. I posted yesterday that in 5+ years, I can count on one hand the number of times I've felt true hunger - and that's not an exaggeration. On top of that, when I'm rsetricted, a very small amount of food leaves me feeling like I just ate Thanksgiving dinner. That's a terribly hard concept for non-banded people to process, but it's a very common analogy. I know a few people whose hunger was only mildly satiated, but they adjusted to it (because they COULDN'T overeat). And there's about 30 other possibilities among those. I assume from your question that you have type 2 diabetes...? Do you know if your diabetets is primarily because of excess weight/insulin resistance, or or inadeuqate insulin production? If your pancreas is still doing a good job, and the cause is primarily insulin resistance, odds are a little better. How long have you had the diagnosis, and how long does your doctor suspect it went undiagnosed? All of these factors & more will play a role. Losing weight can certainly help, but it isn't a guaranteed "cure". But regardless, wouldn't ending the constant fretting about lots of other things be worth it? For me, just getting away from the daily mental bashing of, "Ugh I need to lose weight" was worth it. I still need to lose weight (I'm down about 130 - 140, but needed to lose about 200), but I don't beat myself up all day, every day, every time I eat -- and come to find out, it was a much needed mental vacation.

I'm reading through lots of threads where individual issues are addressed, and just wondering if there's a super thread anywhere dedicated to the day-to-day differences between the two procedures...? Haven't seen one yet, but imma keep looking... Just recently started considering a revision to VSG. Have had my band a little over 5 years and I haven't had any significant complications, but I'm going through the reflux vs. restriction game so the band isn't really doing much for me (for about 2 years now).

Most people here had some level of anxiety about some complication - the surgery itself, longevity of the band, side effects of the band, etc. Anxiety before a voluntary surgery is expected. If I were you, I'd be a lot more concerned over NOT having anxiety, than having some. Do the research, see the current numbers. Don't gauge numbers from a "support" board - get the clicnical numbers. Then read experiences, look at numbers, etc. From there, it's a pros vs. cons list. Rates of incidence have gone up quite a bit over what they used to be - I suspect they will go up higher. But I don't know very many current or former AGB patients who completely regret their decision. They're out there, especially on support forums, but they're still a minority. For now anyway.

Just remember it's not the number of fills that matters, so don't carry expectations for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th fill. You can get 10 fills at 0.2cc each and in a 10cc band, it probably won't do too much. Or you can get 1 fill @ 5cc and it will do a lot more. (I met a surgeon who uses the 10cc band exclusively, and fills 5cc the first time, and 1cc each subsequent time -- yeouch! But there's something to be said for aggressive surgeons...)

Depends on your definition of success. If success = goal weight, then I have not had any success. For me, success = weight loss and/or maintenance. I am currently down about 130 lbs from my pre-op weight. I was down about 175 lbs before I got pregnant. I've not yet gotten back to that pre-pregnancy low, but I have maintained (with a little loss) this weight for about 2 years now. Siggy says I'm still fat, not that I'm a failure. I just need more success.