Has anyone had problems with their lap band due to large fibroids? I am having a very hard time regulating fills and vomitting a lot! I am wondering if a really large fibroid could be pressing on GI structures and stomach and making the passage of food difficult.

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to hear that! I haven't had any problems with a fill so far (though I've only had one). But I have fibroids too, and I've noticed that the first couple of days of my period are really uncomfortable. Not that they were ever comfortable, but I feel a lot more bloated since having the band, and I feel like there's something floating around in my abdomen. So there may be some sort of connection.

Gee, it would have to be pretty big - like as big as a baby! Conceivably then it could cause such issues because most of us know how little stomach space we have with a full term baby inside us.

I do have one, its about the size of an orange but causes me no problems - I only know I have it because I developed a rectal tumour which was stage 3 (so pretty darn bad, I'm lucky to be here) it was about as big as an egg, but they thought it was huge because they could also feel the fibroid. Ironically, CT scans arent that great on thin people because now I'm so thin, I have no fat separating my organs and even on the scan the first surgeon I saw couldnt tell and thought I had a very advanced cancer - it took a much more experienced surgeon to work it out.

I can have pressure issues (or back up issues, as I like to call them) when I'm a little constipated, or have eaten a little too much. But when I had my uterus my fibroid didn't cause me any issues. Maybe its as simple as you being a little to tight or retaining too much water?

Thanks everyone for your replies. My fibroid is as big as a small melon and is pressing on bladder and bowel. My GYN surgeon confirmed it is causing pressure and most likely causing me problems with regulating my band. I will be having a hysterectomy and I hope it will make regulating my band easier.

Has anyone had problems with their lap band due to large fibroids? I am having a very hard time regulating fills and vomitting a lot! I am wondering if a really large fibroid could be pressing on GI structures and stomach and making the passage of food difficult.

Are you doing okay? Did you have to have an unfill before the surgery? Let us know how you are.

Robbie

Has anyone had problems with their lap band due to large fibroids? I am having a very hard time regulating fills and vomitting a lot! I am wondering if a really large fibroid could be pressing on GI structures and stomach and making the passage of food difficult.

Hi i dont have my band yet but i can tell you that yes i know how big fibroids can grow,i had a partial hysterectomy 6 yrs ago,my 1st fibroid was 10 lbs and the other which was under uterus was 4. hope you feel better

Are you doing okay? Did you have to have an unfill before the surgery? Let us know how you are.

Robbie

Hi,

Sorry it has been so long. I am great after my hysterectomy. I had to get a complete unfill. I am now back to getting fills. It is very clear now that the fibroids was causing me all the problems with my band. I gained about 5 lbs during the 6 weeks of unfil but back losing again. I am back to 5cc's in a 10cc band--where I was pre-op and I have not vomited once. I'm so happy I took care of this as inability to regulate the band was a mystery to everyone.