I read a lot here about 'erosion' and wonder if you could explain it to me and the dangers. Obviously it seems to be something serious and of concern to a lot of you. Is it something you can die from if left untreated? Does it require another surgery and removal of the band? Does the stomach require surgery?

I understand the risk is that only 3% or less have the problem, but perhaps there aren't enough years of study available to really say what the long time percentage would be?

Brian

Erosion is when the band starts to erode into the walls of the stomach. There are no symptoms, atleast I had none, some say they lose restriction . It requires surgery to remove the band. It is not life threatening but needs to be removed. The longer you wait the more damage you risk to your stomach and acquiring a port infection is what I was told. I was diagnosed with erosion on Monday Nov 21. My band eroded between July 11th and November 21st. I'm having my band removed Monday November 28th. There is something eerie knowing a foreign object is eroding inside you. I want it out!

Just for clarafication...the STOMACH is eroded by the band (the band itself doesn't erode)?

Just curious, if there are no symtoms of the b and eroding, how do you know it has happened. Should there be a test done occasionally?

LouAnn

Is it possible to have another band placed after the erosion to the stomach has healed?

An endoscopy can tell you and your doctor if your band has eroded into your stomach or not.

And yes, it is possible to have another band placed after the 1st erodes into your stomach. It just takes a while for your stomach to heal, and then depending on the amount of damage, you and your doctor can decide if getting another band is an option for you or not.

Hope this helps. ~K