I've just read the post from Jonathan about his slipped band and thought I'd let you all know about mine...

I had an awful stomach ache a week ago so (after making many pestering phone calls to the doctor) I went to the hospital last Wednesday and had xrays done with barium. I can't actually make head nor tail of the pics myself but two surgeons looked at them and the radiographer and they've all reported a slipped band.

I could see that the band had changed orientation since my last xrays in Feb 05. It used to sit diagonally but in the new xrays it's clearly horizontal. The doctor tried to show me that half of my stomach is above and the other half below but I couldn't really make it out.

Obviously I'm gutted. My op was one year and one day ago and I've really just sailed through and lost all my weight without any difficulties. Serves me right - I should've known it wouldn't be that easy!

Anyhoo - I've been booked in to the hospital tomorrow to get the slipped band removed and they will replace it with another. The surgeon said he won't use the Vanguard (or VG) band that I currently have because they don't use it at his hospital but it will be the other 11cm Inamed one. I'm not going back to my original surgeon as he was and has continued to be less than helpful in the last year.

Talk about Groundhog Day! Here I am again, one year on, preparing myself for this surgery.

All the saline has been removed from the slipped band and I've been put back on the fluids only diet until the op and then of course it'll be the same for 4 weeks after so I'll be back on the soup and yoghurts again. Yeuch.

I asked what had caused it but I didn't get much of an answer. One Doctor said he couldn't explain (he only speaks Italian and mine's not really up to complex conversations like this!) and the other said it's very common problem with gastric bands. (Didn't I read that the chance of slippage these days is less than 1%??). I'd love to know more but I'll use some other resources to find out, it's too difficult to discuss it with them.

In response to some of the comments under poor Jonathan's recent post - I followed the banding rules to the letter. I lost around a pound a week - which felt excrutiatingly slow at the time but I was very careful not to be aggressive with my band. No fizzy drinks, no over eating, no over fill. The worst symptons I ever got was the occasional PB from eating too quickly or not chewing my food properly.

I knew from the outset that I may not be lucky and I also knew that if something went wrong I would torture myself if I hadn't followed the rules. So I did... every last one of them. But it slipped anyway.

Keep your fingers crossed for me for this new op please! It's the scary night before again.

xx

Jax,

I am sincerely sorry to you for having to go through this. Especially since you have been a good bandster and have followed all of the rules. What a shame.

Wishing you lots of love and prayers, and much luck to pull through tomorrow's surgery unscathed.

All My Best

Jax, I'm so sorry to hear about your slip! But you have a great attitude and I know you'll sail through once again. Congratulations on your weight loss and best wishes for an uneventful surgery and healing.

Sorry to hear about your slip... You have done really good and will probably continue to do good with your new band. You will be in my thoughts and prayers

Jax, it seems we're all at some type of risk with the band, but then life is a risk of sorts.

I wish you the best, continue being a good bandster, otherwise, you may not have made it this long, keep up the good attitude.

We need to start a club.

Sorry to hear about your slip, Jax.

Wow so sorry to hear that. Since they are already making plans for surgery, then with the unfill there is no chance it will go back into place???

So sorry to hear that, please keep us posted!

This is horrible, I'm so sorry Jax. Please let us know how you are doing once your home. But on a happier note, congratulations on all your weight loss !!!!

Feel better soon *HUGS*

Just remember, a slip is still just a bump in the road, compared to some very severe problems that could have developed with a bypass. It's a nuisance, to be sure. I'm very sorry you've hit the bump in the road, but you'll be back to smooth sailing in no time. Good luck!

I am getting a little nervous about the slip thing reading all these other posts. I haven't been banded yet...waiting to hear from insurance...but I didn't realize that slippage was as common as it seems to be. If that happens, how are insurance companies about repositioning or whatever they do to "fix" it? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. Is this considered a whole new surgery that has to be preapproved and the whole nine yards? And how difficult is the surgery compared to the original one?

Emily

Jax, sorry to hear about your slip and I hope that the new replacement goes very smoothly. *huggs*

sorry about your slip - good thing they caught it and can fix you up. Great also on your continued weight loss over the year. Congrats.

This too shall pass....

Take care - nancy

im so sorry to hear about your slip

goodluck with your new band

How'd it go, Jax? Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you so be sure and post when you can.