Band slipped, but it's OK!

[meandtheboys 8]

Dear friends,

I'm writing to let you know that I had a band slip and to share my story with you all.

I was banded on 1/27/10. I had great success on the band. I haven't had a fill at all and lost over 60 pounds in less than 4 months! I was thrilled with the band and was excited about the decision i had made for myself. I exercised - started the Couch to 5K program and was feeling better than i have in years. I did have some PB'ing and occasional vomiting from eating something that didn't agree with my band, but i didn't think it was out of the ordinary.

The first week of May, my family was hit with a stomach bug. we all suffered through the vomiting and diarreah for a few days, but mine didn't seem to get any better. I kept vomiting for several days - several times a day. I thought the bug was just hanging on with me a little longer. After about a week and losing over 10 pounds, i was excited by the loss, but I knew something wasn't right. I wasn't able to eat anything but i thought my band was just a little tight. I went to my surgeon on Tuesday (5.11.10) because I was concerned. He thought that b/c i had been sick, my stomach was irritated and a few days or a week on liquids i should be fine. I was scheduled to go back in a week. listening to my body and my own instincts, I went back to the Dr. on Thursday (5.13) not being able to hold down food or liquids. I couldn't go through the weekend feeling so bad. I had lost 5 pounds in 2 days and was dehydrated. The dr. decided to give me some iv fluids and have an xray. The xray showed the band was tilted, but he wasn't sure of the slippage. After a fluroscopy (sp?), we realized nothing was moving through the band at all and realized there was major slippage. the Dr. said that he'd have to go in to reposition the band and i'd likely be fine. i had emergency surgery that night, and it turned out the band, and cord leading to the port were in pretty bad shape and had to be removed completely. i was totally shocked since i thought it was repairable.

My dr. suggested waiting 3-6 mos if i wanted it replaced, and i'm leaning towards non surgical weight loss options. I'm scared to be bandless. so much went into making the decision to get the band, the approval process, surgery and adjusting to a new way of life, and i had great success. but now i've got to come up with plan b! totally unexpected, but totally possible. I'm recovering well and will go back to work tomorrow.

I wanted to share my story not to discouarge anyone from getting a band, but because i want those considering the band to be aware of what could happen, though it's pretty rare. Though I'm now bandless, if I could have had it put back in while in surgery, i would have. I would also continue highly recommend the band to anyone. I was a weird case and maybe it just wasn't the right tool for me, but it IS the right tool for so many.

Feel free to ask me any questions at all.

Good luck to all of you on this adventure in bandland. I wish you good health and happiness!

Loryn

[DodgerFan 0]

I met a woman in the waiting room of my surgeon's office last week who was banded in 2007. She started in the 230's and called her goal met in the 150's, where she was comfortable. She got sick (violent vomiting) in January of this year and the doc immediately took out all of the saline.

She said she started going to the gym every day, if not twice a day, and really watching her diet. But despite her efforts, between then and now she's gained 20 pounds.

When the doc went to fill her back up, they realized her band had slipped. So she's counting down the days until she gets her band back.

I asked her "Obviously gaining 20 pounds back sucks, but given all the effort you put in to prevent that, doesn't it kind of feel good to know that your choice to get the band in the first place was justified?" She said "Yep, absolutely!"

And Loryn, this story isn't meant to be any kind of warning to you in any way...just a story that your post reminded me of. We all know everyone's different (and this woman could've been bending her story a little). By the time you have to make your decision, I'm sure you'll have made up your own mind.

Edited May 17, 2010 by DodgerFan

[LadyInBlack 0]

I haven't had my surgery yet...it is on July 15th.; so glad you did post this because I want to know about the bad as well as good things that have happened!

Not goingo to stop now that I am so close and I really need this tool even if that did happen to me at least it will give me the chance at learning good habits and getting rid of my bad habits which I wasn't able to do because I am always hungry or think I am....

Sorry about your situation though...please let me know how thing are going with you!

Thanks,

Lisa

[elcee 3,340]

Vomiting is one of the major causes of slippage. It is recommended that if you get any kind of illness that causes vomiting you contact your Dr immediately so that you can be prescribed a strong antiemetic.

Sorry to hear what you have gone through. It's a pity that your Dr wasn't able to fix your band immediately.

Have you thought about beng rebanded in the future or possibly revising to another type of WLS such as the sleeve?

[meandtheboys 8]

Thanks, Dodger. I'm glad things worked out for her. I have a lot of thinking to do in the next few months so we'll see what happens. And I want to be clear that my Dr. Was great - he did everything he could to save my band. He was very responsive and acted quickly when he suspected a problem.

LadyinBlack, I wish you a lot of success and I'm excited for you. I still think the band is a tremendous tool and I wish you so much success.

[Spartan 4]

Meandtheboys;

I’m sorry you had to experience this so soon after getting your Band. However, you have a wonderful and positive attitude about it, and I’d like to share a few thoughts about your situation.

The Lap Band has been sold/marketed as a long-term weight control device, but in the years since the FDA approval took place here in the states, many Surgeons and Bariatric Specialists have to come find that there is a significant and growing incidence of Slippage, Erosion, and other complications that contribute to the early removal of the band. This happens for a wide variety of reasons, some of which are not entirely understood by the Medical Community. And, the band does not work well for everyone; only a small percentage of people who have one ever entirely reach their stated weight loss goal, and incidence of the aforementioned complications have been rising steadily, as the numbers of band fittings have increased.

This is not to say that the Band is not a good thing; it has worked miracles for many people, and has provided the little “something extra” that many people need to be able to lose the weight that they could not lose on an ordinary diet.

However, in some parts of the Bariatric Community, the Lap Band is now being viewed a little differently than it was 2 or 3 years ago. At one time, it was the “darling” of the WLS industry, but that tide is turning a bit. Many Bariatric Surgeons are beginning to see the lap band as a temporary solution, to be placed for a period of 3-5 years, during which time the patient will be strongly encouraged to modify their eating habits and choices in food consumption, rather than a lifetime weight loss solution. A “re-training” period, if you will.

So…my point is that you are NOT alone. This is happening more than most people are aware.

I recently read some preliminary notes from a study that was done in Europe. It has not been published yet, and I don’t have all of the information regarding the number of subjects, etc, but what I read of it was very interesting. It seems that Lap Band surgery was performed on a certain number of patients, but out of those patients, a certain percentage were NOT given the entire Lap Band….only the PORT was placed to give the feeling that the entire surgery had been performed as planned. The idea was to test the “mind component” of weight loss. The result? The non-recipients who THOUGHT they had a band placed performed EVERY BIT AS WELL as those who DID, in fact, receive a full Lap Band. The point is, of course, that the MIND is a powerful component of the weight loss process. The “Placebo Effect” made it possible for these people to lose even when they did not have a Lap band installed….they only thought they had one. Remarkable.

So, I do believe that you can continue forward with your weight loss without the Band. You need to take what you have learned during your time with the Lap band, and simply continue doing it. Because, when you get right down to it, it is YOU that is making the decisions…NOT the Lap band. The band can be very easily defeated. It is not difficult to “eat around” the Band. The power for it to promote weight loss really comes from YOU.

I wish you the best of luck in this, and I think you have an excellent chance of succeeding. Please keep us all posted on your progress, as there are people on this forum now who may be in the same situation you are in at some point, and they will need advice and encouragement as well.

S.

[cactusmom 0]

Spartan…totally agree with everything you had to say. I did a lot of research on this subject. I had heard that if you throw up and it is….for lack of better terms…slimy and clear, this is okay. It is when you throw up and it is just food without that slim (I know this sounds gross, but know how to explain it) that is when it could be damaging to the band (slippage). This is NOT TRUE. Any kind of throwing up is a BAD BAD sign. I think some people want their band tight (too tight) so they won’t eat and lose a lot of weight. This only makes the risk of slippage even that much greater.

Also, I have never heard, in all the research I’ve done, of a doctor being able to readjust it after slippage. Most often, removal is the only option. Don’t forget the cost of removal, either.

Looking back, I knew my band was too tight. What was weird for me, is that it got tighter for no apparent reason. I hadn’t had a fill in months. The band is only a tool, and you need to treat it with care.

Meandtheboys…sorry to hear this happened to you so early on.:biggrin:

[meandtheboys 8]

Spartan and cactusmom, thanks so much for your posts and kind words.in my head I know I can succeed without the band, but emotionally I feel lost without it. The odd thing is that I still feel slight restriction - I think my stomach is still healing. I'm still avoiding bread and Pasta - things that didn't agree with my band. I also believe that eliminating these things from my diet significantly helped my weight loss. I've had some steak, which I didn't eat with my band and even had mcdonalds.but now, I feel like I've gotten it out of my system and realize I wasn't missing much except beating myself up afterwards - why did I eat that? I'm a failure! I'll always be fat, blah blah blah. I realize that I didn't have those thoughts at all with my band. But I'm tracking weight watchers points, at least for a part of the day and I went back to the gym today after about a 3 week hiatus.it felt great to do my run/walk routine,though a lot less running but I'll get back to where I was. I'm thinking more positive about not having another wls, but we'll see. Thanks again for your support. It really means a lot! Best, Loryn

[tinksmom 0]

I am wondering about insurance and these situations. Since my band was covered by insurance I assume the removal would be as well, but what about replacement? I don't expect problems but even now my BMI is just borderline...down the road it will be less, and normally Iwould be ineligible for banding or any other WLS. So if i got close to my goal and then had a problem, would insurance cover replacement or gastric sleeve in its stead? Or would the merry-go-round restart?

[Catherine55 43]

I want to comment on two points that Spartan made. First . .

"[O]nly a small percentage of people who have one ever entirely reach their stated weight loss goal, and incidence of the aforementioned complications have been rising steadily, as the numbers of band fittings have increased.

Based on my own reading and research, I do not believe that this is accurate, and a significant percentage of the bandsters who I know have either met and surpassed their goals or are well on their way to doing so. I'm willing to bet that, of people who actually work with their bands, more than 90% are able to get to their goals.

I recently read some preliminary notes from a study that was done in Europe. It has not been published yet, and I don’t have all of the information regarding the number of subjects, etc, but what I read of it was very interesting. It seems that LAP-BAND® surgery was performed on a certain number of patients, but out of those patients, a certain percentage were NOT given the entire LAP-BAND®….only the PORT was placed to give the feeling that the entire surgery had been performed as planned. The idea was to test the “mind component” of weight loss. The result? The non-recipients who THOUGHT they had a band placed performed EVERY BIT AS WELL as those who DID, in fact, receive a full LAP-BAND®. The point is, of course, that the MIND is a powerful component of the weight loss process.

As reliable as that . . unnamed study . . by an unspecified group in Europe . . that hasn't been published yet. . and where you didn't have the underlying data. . sounds, I'm calling BS on this. The reason the band works so well is that it makes it physically impossible (well, difficult) to overeat. I just do not believe that any significant percentage of the non-banded people were able to avoid overeating for the year + that would have been required for them to actually enjoy the full benefits of being banded.

I am not trying to be inflamatory here, but when I see posts like this that seem to misstate statistics or make vague, unsupported references to unnamed studies, it makes me mad. It seems irresponsible and I don't like that it might discourage bandsters or prospective bandsters from believing that they can get to goal. I have my own statistics and 18-month long personal scientific study on life with the band. That's all the proof I need that this process absolutely works when you follow the rules more often than not. And, if I can do it, so can anyone else who is willing to put in the effort.

Catherine

[cactusmom 0]

Catherine,

It's nice that you have had success with no complications. However, I had the band for three years until I ran into a problem, so you may not want to be too presumptuous. We are in no way trying to discourage anyone...I still think it's the best decision I ever made. I am being rebanded very soon. We just want to make people aware of what can and DOES happen, whether it is a few people or a lot. I would give merit to a research study much more than I would someone like yourself who's done no research or been through what we've been through. Never say "it'll never happen to me," because it just might. You aren't out of the clear yet. I'd say if you made it 5+ years, you're probably doing okay.

[Catherine55 43]

CactusMom, just to clarify, I wasn't commenting on your post, or anything else in this string other than the two points I specifically identified. I am grateful that I haven't had any complications to date, and I realize that may not always be the case. I do have a few bandster friends who have had problems (1 erosion, 2 port flips, 1 leaky band), and I am fully aware that these things do happen. I also appreciate that this can be a significant set back, and that in many cases, these problems happen at no fault of the bandster.

I've done an extensive amount of reading and research about the band -- both before and after my surgery, and am aware of a number of studies and their results. I've also had extensive discussions with my doctor about bandster success statistics, which is why I questioned the other poster's vague reference to statistics on reaching goal.

Also, his/her random citation to some unidentifiable preliminary study results of some unnamed entity. . with no information about anything other than a placebo supposedly being as effective as the band . . sounded completely bogus to me. I don't need to be a scientist to know that having a port but no band isn't going to keep anyone tricked into thinking they are at good restriction for long enough to get to a healthy BMI.

Anyway, I wasn't commenting on your post or your situation, and I am sorry to hear that you had complications. I have a lot of sympathy and understanding for any bandster who suffers a setback, and I do not take it for granted that I won't have one in the future.

Wishing you the best,

Catherine

[RavenClaw779 2]

I think the failure rate(of the product itself) is probably no different than any other medically implanted device - pacemaker, silicone breast implants...etc.

Let's assume that those folks who got the placebo probably found their insurance billed as if they got the real deal. I'm sure if they self-paid, to maintain the aura of having had the real surgery, they were treated to bills for the full cost - after all, we wouldn't want to distort the placebo effect!

That said, I'm not even three months out, so no real restriction or progress(I'm hopeful) but I didn't find the procedure overly painful or compromising and I would guess that if the product itself failed, I'd have it replaced if my doctor felt it was safe to do so. Ask me again in a year. The technology is changing all the time.

On today's "The Doctors" show, they showed the use of the "gastric balloon". This is not yet approved in the US(is undergoing clinical trials) but is being done in Canada and Europe. Apparently a gastric balloon is inserted into the stomach in a procedure similiar to an endoscopy, then filled with Water. The patient is under a local anesthesia and the whole process takes less than 30 minutes. There's no extensive pre-cert testing, no cutting, no sutures. At this point the balloon is only left in for 6 months in which time the patient is to learn appropriate eating habits. I gather at 6 months, it is removed but can be replaced. It's filled with food colored Water so that if it breaks or leaks the patient will know at the next bathroom break. The doctor can then remove and replace it at the same time. The feeling of fullness is immediate.

I can honestly say that if this had been an option, I'd have gone this route first and if the FDA approves it and I need to have my band removed, I'd definately research this option.

[elcee 3,340]

I was offered a balloon as I had a lower BMI. I told the surgeon I would much rather have the band as the balloon as only temporary. He did agree that the potential to regain the weight once the balloon is removed is very high. As high as for those who have been on diets, successfully lost weight and then found that they couldn't actually keep the weight off. I think that describes most of us.

[tinksmom 0]

There used to be a balloon that was touted as The Best Thing Ever...only it wasn't. This balloon has 2 parts so it will work if one deflates, but why a short-term thing would keep working after it is removed leaves the same problem as the old. I have had several "successful" diets...but keeping it off, or remaining on the regimen until it becomes second nature? Not going to happen in six months or even a year.