NaNa

Exercising + Lapband = SUCCESS === That is 100 percent correct, the lap band requires MORE exercise than any other wls to be successful short and long term.

Sorry this happened to you, the lap band has caused respiratory issues in MANY lap banders when acid reflux gets so bad, the acid reflux can get very dangerous if not treated with removing saline and medications, timely, and as you can see cause respiratory issues, many have also reported aspiration pneumonia from long term reflux and band slippage. Please be advised the Sleeve CAN cause horrible reflux as well and MANY now are having to revise to the Bypass if the reflux get really bad with the Sleeve, since there is no turning back after you get your stomach removed. I hope you can find relief and answers, good luck.

Alex, Thanks for the complete list! It's very clear and useful for many!

The real signs are hunger, your hunger will be dimmed for about 4-5 hours between very small meals of about 1/2 to 1 cup of solid food. Good luck!

Maybe us veteran lap banders that are close to 10 years post op are just plain stupid and don't know what we are doing...and drink warm liquids to prevent us from vomiting....to keep our bands from slipping...and oh yea....drinking warm liquids will unbuckle the band and loosen it up to prevent slippage...LOL... ...both of us can play this stupid sarcasm game.

I have NO idea what your point is...nor I am here to argue about how far the band is installed from the base of the esophagus, that is irrelevant to this discussion. My point was helping OTHERS that may have issues with eating out in restaurants that may get food stuck....and drinking warm liquids will help loosen the band, to allow food to ease down a restrictive band, as long as it's not dangerously too tight. Good grief, you really seem to have some personal problems!

You don't have to be "rude", this has been "proven" by many band surgeons that lap banders can have "esophageal spams" AND...before food or liquids hit your stomach, it has to pass through the esophagus...hence...why the food comes back up if the band is too tight.... These things have been discussed among bandsters before you though about a lap band over 8 years ago.... This is nothing NEW has been discussed with many veteran banders over the years, it's NOTHING that I am making up.... and Yes, eating crunchy things like toasted bread will go down better than thick doughy bread... Drinking warm liquids prior to a meal will loosen the band....and will make it easier for food or liquids to pass through the band, and first things first -- it has to pass the esophagus....

This is funny! I've had many "close calls" over the years, some very embarrassing! I've had to excuse myself many times while eating out over the years because I ate the "wrong" thing first. which plugged me up and I could not eat another bite and my dinner date was ruined because I got food stuck for hours. This is why I tell other newbies, while dining out in public, ALWAYS get a warm tea, or hot Soup to help open up the esophagus. I keep papaya enzymes with me and chew a few when I go out to dinner with my husband, this will allow easy digestion and I can eat food without getting stuck. Bread, grille chicken, and Chinese food should always have warning signs for lap banders...haha..

Most lap banders with TIGHT restriction will suffer from this eventually. The ONLY ways to deal with this is to remove a small amount of saline...and just don't eat much with a very tight band especially late at night. The MORE food you eat with a tight band will create reflux and acid issues and may cause other issues like slips. This is why many who get their band very tight, only eat puree foods, or drink Protein drinks and after they've lost their weight they remove a little saline where they can eat solids without getting reflux and damaging their esophagus . Also getting on a PPi' like Protonix helps many with the lap band that have acid damage to their esophagus. Acid damage from the band usually takes a very strong PPi like protonix to heal acid damage. It is very challenging to eat solid food with a very tight band. Good luck.

Hello.. Sorry to hear about your band slippage, but like I tell everyone here, IT IS NOT the FILL GIVERS FAULT if your band is too tight -- PERIOD. If your fill giver puncture a hole in your tubing and you can prove it, then you can legally go after them to fix it, but that is the ONLY thing you can do to them from a legal standpoint. Every person who gets a lap band has to be their OWN advocate in terms of HOW THEY FEEL. Never worry about HOW MUCH saline is in your band because that is irrelevant, IT IS HOW YOU FEEL. I put how much saline in my signature because that is the amount that got me to my sweet spot, at 7.2ccs, some people can be too tight at 7.ccs and others not enough, so IT DOES NOT MATTER how much saline is in your band, it always how you feel. For example, if you were already feeling a little restriction, you should communicate that with your fill giver to let them know that you only need a little added to your band, and it is UP TO YOU, to determine how much saline to add or keep in your band -- NOT your fillgiver, they work for you and if your band gets too tight, regardless of how long you had the fill, it is YOUR responsibility to go back and get saline removed.. If anyone gets a fill adjustment and they can't get liquids down without vomiting, or if they start coughing frequently and having frequent night time reflux (WITH regurgitation) regardless if they ate too close to bedtime, those are SIGNS that they need to get some saline removed from their band immediately. These warnings are in most surgeons office (YELLOW, RED AND GREEN ZONE), they are talked about here on the boards ALL the time, so if anyone ignores these warnings, sorry it's THEIR FAULT that their bands slipped. Also I have to tell you, band slippage DOES NOT HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY -- IT TAKE SOME TIME, and MOST people have plenty of warning signs of their band being too tight, some people refuse to go back to get saline removed, if they are too far away or inconvenience, this is why I tell people it COST LESS money to go back and get a little saline removed than to WAIT and KEEP THAT FILL that is too tight and slip your band, and to fix or remove a damage band can cost over $20,000 dollars. I am happy you shared your story and I am not saying you abused your band, but band slippage does not happen in 1-2 weeks, it takes more time for that to occur, or something was already wrong with your band and when you got overfilled that made it slip. Good luck.

You mentioned: I feel I can make this band work for me and I'm going to loose weight and get better, healthy. Get my life back! Never listen to negativity! You WILL be successful as long as you are motivated, and determined and have a positive outlook. Just because your friend failed with the Bypass does not mean you will fail with your band. You can do this!

Sorry you feel this way, it is challenging for many people to live with a restrictive lap band, you have to mindful of every thing that goes into your mouth. I am a bit surprised that you want the band OUT rather than removing saline, for many people getting saline removed equals the same thing as no lap band. Remember the band IS adjustable for reasons like this, if your surgeon installed a band too small for your anatomy then you got problems, but if your band FITS your anatomy and you don't have band slippage, then why on earth would you want your band removed? Sometimes many people have to adjust to the band, if I were you, I would not get the band removed because TRUST ME, one day you will regret getting the band out especially if you are not having complications, and one day you will WANT the restriction and NEED IT. Most people who get the lap band removed gain all their weight back, I know you are frustrated by having the band too restrictive, also it sounds like you are a bit too tight if you can't eat moist meat, and when the band is too tight it can be a challenge to live with it day to day and cause misery. I have seen many in the past get angry and frustrated when their bands are very tight and they want it out, but the good news is all you have to do is go to your surgeon talk to him/her and tell them your band is too tight and they will gladly remove some saline where you can eat healthy food, it just that simple. Once your band is looser to allow you to eat healthy food, then you can re-evaulate whether you want to spend a lot of money of getting your band removed (band removal without insurance can cost between $12-20 thousand dollars), also MOST insurance companies WILL NOT pay to remove a band just because you don't like it, they will only remove a band if there are complications involved. I agree with B-52 most insurance companies require wls candidates to pass a psych evaluation to make SURE they are ready for this lifestyle change. Good luck

Congrats on your success! You look so cute!

You need to go back immediately and ask your surgeon to remove a small amount of saline, which should put you in the green zone, and save yourself misery and a possible band slip, and losing most of the saline in your band which can get costly. There are times when you can "ride it out" and times when you can't, the TEST is liquids, if liquids sit in your chest after a recent fill adjustment...it WILL not get better. Good luck

Congrats on your success!! You look great.

If you have not had a fill for a long time and your band suddenly gets too tight to the point of obstruction and not being able to drink. It is probably something you ate that has caused this swelling. When the band is VERY tight you don't have much room for error and if you get food stuck and vomit, this will further tighten the band to where you can't get nothing down. The burping and throwing up saliva sounds SERIOUS, especially if you can't drink, if you can't get liquids down you will get dehydrated, and this will cause other medical issues, you need to call your surgeon ASAP to get some saline out. Good luck

I had the older 4cc band for over 7 years and by design they are a bit tighter and higher pressure than the larger Allergan Band. However, it does NOT matter how much saline is in your band it is how you feel, some people have gone up and over the max of 4cc to get to their sweet spot, but most people do not need the max fill volume. You did not mention how long you've had a lap band, but I am assuming you've been banded for a few years, if this is the case, if you are not feeling any restriction after getting a large adjustment, it could be pouch dilation, a leak somewhere, or erosion. If your surgeon determines that your band is OK, then sure many have been filled to the max level at 4cc and a little over, the lap band can safely be filled to the max fill capacity and over in any of the band types, Good luck

Congrats you are looking great! Keep up the good work.

Great article. I agree, while the Lap band has a VERY high re-operation rate compared to other surgeries, most of the issues are not serious or life threatening and most of the re-ops are for mechanical issues, many of the lap band issues can be resolved by either un-filling the band, letting it rest for awhile after severe irritation.

Yes a hiatal hernia can cause the band to be ineffective and also cause reflux and is contraindication to banding if it is not repaired. If the hernia is small most surgeons will not repair it, but if it is too big it will cause issues with the band being effective. I had a small hiatal hernia when I got banded over 9 years ago and it got bigger and inflamed last year. I had the older type band that did not unbuckle, therefore my surgeon had to remove my old band and replace it with a new one to repair my hiatal hernia. If you have the new Allergan band you will not have to get your band removed to repair your hernia, your surgeon can just go in and unbuckle the band and repair your hernia. My recovery was very easy and I had my old band removed and new band placed and hernia repaired all in one surgery. Good luck

Are you asking is acid reflux normal with the band? The answer is NO. However many banded people get reflux when the band is tightly restricted. Reflux is one of these things you should monitor carefully with the band because it can lead to issues and usually the first warning sign that your band may be a bit too tight. Fill adjustments are not an exact science, sometimes you may get overfilled, and it may require tweaking to get it just right, and it is up to you to go back and get some taken out. For many people when the band is tight, they avoid eating close to bedtime without having the night regurgitation and sleep with high pillows and chew papaya enzymes from GNC to help digest food and move the food from the esophagus to the lower stomach. If you can't eat small amounts of moist foods slowly, and drink liquids without vomiting, that is a clear sign that you are too tight. Whether you get saline removed is up to you, but if it were me, if I was not able to drink or eat anything without vomiting, I'd go back immediately and remove about .25 or .1cc of saline, to prevent further swelling and obstruction and other issues. If you remove saline immediately, then you will be able to keep most of your fill and it will put you in the green zone, but if you keep it along with the vomiting, you probably will end up eventually getting most of the saline removed from your band and starting over which can get costly. Good luck

Although I have not had a slipped band, (I've had a dilated pouch with my old band which is a precursor to band slippage) . Over 7 years ago, my dilated pouch was caused by my surgeon filling me too tightly and I traveled unknowingly and I suffered horrible tightness, chest pains, reflux, severe burning that acid reducers barely helped. I have never know ANY one to suffer band slippage with a "loose band" everyone that I've known that suffered band slippage had the SAME issues: 1. Too tight band for too long (longer than 6 months) 2. Vomiting daily (pbing) several times a day due to being too tight 3. Reflux due to the band too tight. So basically a too tight band too long will cause band slippage and other issues. When the band slips you will know it because you will be in SEVERE pain, burning, accompanied by chest pains, and frequent vomiting, different than your regular Pbing and getting food stuck. It does NOT matter how well your band is stitched, type of band, old or new, a too tight band too long will cause problems. Sometimes it take a few years before problems start and you suffer issues from frequent Pbing, I've known MANY to have issues after 5-7 years when initially every thing was ok. So to minimize issues with the band is not keep the band too tight, avoid frequent vomiting (Pbing) and eating too much on a very tight band and purging. Most people get their first fill at around 6 weeks post op, and each subsequent fill 4 weeks apart to prevent piggybacking, which means, sometimes it takes up to 3 weeks before a fill settles in and you feel it, and this way you can avoid getting too tight with subsequent fills. Good luck

Good to hear you got some saline removed, yea when the band is too tight you will be 'surprised' at how quickly and how much you can lose, but as you mentioned it's not a healthy loss, and probably mostly Water. It's definitely not safe to lose weight with a too tight band, and I am sure you feel immediate relief! But you can still continue to lose your weight the healthy way. Good luck

Wow what a story! Thanks for sharing. Funny how everyone's band experience is different, I guess other medical conditions can cause losing weight with the band a bit tough, I got my band over 8 years ago, I 'had' the old 4cc band too, but got it replaced last year with the 'bigger safer' band. Honestly, I like my old 4cc band better from a weight loss standpoint, the 'newer' bigger bands, are MUCH more harder to lose weight in my opinion, however I like how my Allergan band feels more gentler on my body, or perhaps my new surgeon installed it better and fixed a hiatal hernia that was not repaired with my first band placement. It's good to hear you finally lost weight with your band and found peace with it, I was the totally opposite, I went into my journey "running" I walked every morning, got my fills every month and I lost 130 pounds by 14 months post op and I was at "my goal" and I stayed there for over 7 years with no issues and I was "happy" wearing a size 8/10 - 10/12 for 6 years and felt amazing. I NEVER 'dieted' with my lap band and I was very successful, I ate what I wanted most of the time, never 'deprived' myself of treats, but in order to see the scale move for me consistently, I made sure that I ate healthy 'most' of the time, with foods that I love, and on weekends, I always went to my favorite restaurants and ate sweets and everything else I wanted and I STILL lost weight because I 'walked' daily for about 1 hour, and my lap band kept my meals small -- that is ALL I needed to get to my goal weight. So for ME, exercise was a trade off for eating what I want with the band, so I never dieted with my band, this is why I love it and got rebanded last year when my hernia got inflamed and I truly believe in the band. Regarding HCG diets, I've heard they are not safe, I will not post any links to those, but I guess people can make their own decisions and do their own research on those fad diets, as long as my band works, NO hard core 'dieting' for me. Wishing you more successful years with your band.

I think this should be a "what works for YOU" type of plan. Some people eat 1 meal a day with their bands, some eat 5-6 tiny meals a day, some eat 3 with no Snacks. If you are losing weight and not hungry, THAT'S what matters. Good luck.