The recent postings I have read about this are seriously starting to worry me. What causes band erosion?

Is it the person's misuse of the band?

Or is it the Dr.'s fault?

I am really concerned about having a foreign object in my body for the next 50 years, since I am only 24...

Someone please ease my mind...

Hi Heather,

I am with you, its very scary. How do you know?

Staci

Orlando FL

banded in TJ 12/14/04

219lbs start 189lbs current, and stuck!

There are lots of theories, but nobody can tell you for sure what causes erosion. Most docs say 1-3% of banded patients will erode, so you're taking a gamble from the beginning. Many people believe taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Motrin) can lead to erosion. NSAIDs can lead to ulcers, and ulcers can lead to erosion. Port infections can lead to erosion according to everything I've heard.

These are just my opinions, but there's really no clear-cut answer yet.

Can someone define erosion to me? I have been trying to find information but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

Is it that the band itself goes bad or is it your stomach that erodes?

"Erosion" refers to the wearing away of the stomach tissue where it is in contact with the band. The band is what's doing the erosion, not eroding itself. The usual figure cited is, as DeLarla said, 1-3% of patients. There are many things that have been blamed for it, but the most commonly cited causes seem to be doctor error, or overuse of NSAIDS or irritating meds like antibiotics. Each case is different.

Symptoms can be present, or not, and in some cases people just have no idea it's happening until it's discovered in a routine exam. Maybe the most common indicators are a mysterious lack of restriction or an infection at the port site. I've never heard--except here--that port infections can lead to erosion; what I have heard is that erosion can be indicated by a port infection. (Reflux and indigestion is more likely, I think, to be a symptom of slippage than erosion.)

Treatment for erosion is band removal, in almost every case I've ever heard of.

Thank you Alex! Why would erosion be from doctor error? What could he/she do that would cause it?

Thank you Alex! Why would erosion be from doctor error? What could he/she do that would cause it?

Evidently a little nick in the stomach tissue can lead to erosion at that site if it is in a place where the band makes contact. I'm not speaking from any particular knowledge, just rumor of this sort of thing happening in the past.

Alex, the band surgeons I've seen (countless) agree that port infection can lead to erosion. I've never asked how they base their theory, but that's what they're saying.

And it may indeed be true, but I've never heard any reason why it should be so.

Here is a link from the Inamed handbook

Go to page 7 it speaks on erosion.

http://www.inamed.com/pdf/health/94800-12_LB_Product_Data_Sheet.pdf

I live on ibuprofen for arthritis. I elected to take it over the Celebrex because of the controversary. The same could be said for Celebrex I guess as it has almost the same components and is NSAID. I guess I'll be switching to Tylenol for arthritis instead,although it doesn't help nearly as much. There is always the chance that losing weight is going to help the arthritis...so maybe I'll end up not taking anything and that would be wonderful. Thanks for the input. I wondered what caused band erosion also. I wondered if it was eating spicy foods or something like that. I had absolutely no idea.

Is there any way to keep a port from getting infected? I mean do you clean it with alcohol, or do you stay on antibiotics awhile or what?

I would think erosion could happen if the dr. places the band in the wrong place, and I've heard of this happening from several people.

OK I'm scared.

Hey, I had my consulation with Dr. Fox - a great bariatric surgeon. He said that erosion happens in less than 1% of patients... If you take the basic precautions and follow the rules, you should be fine.