If Your Lap Band Eroded--did You Lose Restriction?

jdinsc · February 1, 2006

Hello all you wise people who have told us your erosion stories... We are all grateful that you continue to share your thoughts with us. Here's my question:

If read conflicting stories about whether people with eroded bands lose restriction. Were you restricted when your erosion was diagnosed?

Also, logically speaking, if the band has eroded into the stomach, shouldn't that cause MORE restriction and not LESS?

Thanks in advance,

JD

La_madam · February 1, 2006

I had better restrcition the last month I had my band then ever before I lost 11 lbs in October, found out I was eroded in November..go figure. However I have heard other eroded bandsters say they lost theirrestriction. Guess everyone is different!

Linda Harrison · February 1, 2006

70% of my band had completely eroded into my stomach past the lining leaving me with a 3 inch hole. Did I have restriction? Everyone once in a while I would feel a little but not often. I could sit and eat a hamburger or pretty much anything else I wanted to eat. When you get a port infection...it could mean erosion. I had a port infection/abscess and had them both removed only to have the abscess come back 2 more times before they checked for erosion. I'm a little upset. Perhaps if I had been given a barium swallow the first time the hole wouldn't have gotten so bad. I'm still sitting here with drains coming out of my stomach and hardness around where the port used to be. The hardness was always an indication that an abscess was forming before. I pray to God that's not what it is now. I haven't healed from the last abscess removal/hole closure. My right foot and part of my right leg are kinda numb from the surgery. I don't think I could undergo another one safely right now. This last one (supposed 1.5-2hrs surgery) took 5 hours.

I don't claim to be wise. If so, maybe I wouldn't have gotten the band at all, or maybe I would have been more careful of it, or maybe I would have had more barium swallows to ck for such things. Thing is...it happened kinda quickly...it was fine and then 4 mos. later it had torn a huge hole in my stomach wall. food particles and bacteria were escaping my stomach into my abdomen and causing the abscesses to grow. The last one, according to the dr. had packed my abdomen tight. He had a hard time making repairs and getting the abscess out. Because of it being so complicated and taking so long, I hope it was all done well.

Niters

gcravener · February 1, 2006

I have never heard of a eroded band..Thats something the doctor never told me before I got mine 12/9/04 only 20 lbs down! I had mine made smaller and larger and smaller and larger...gee's I'm tired of this...scary that it cut into your stomach....I wish I'd never done this either...Sorry folks, just telling the truth...I feel I thew my money down the drain and Hoping not my health also...I didn't lose much weight but had Kidney problems went to the Doctor and he told me I was starving my internal organs and was in a dangerous state, to go home and eat....I put back on five pounds in a week and have pretty well gotton over the terrible kidney attacks for now. I hope they are not permanently damaged.....Who may I ask did your band? I would not tell anyone to do the band now...Just find a safer way to loose weight, because when you do the band you still have to go without food and you still have to exercise so you can do this own your own without altering your stomach its just not worth the risk! If it wasn't such a big operation and costly I would have it removed tomorrow....Lets pray that down the road woman dont bend under the pressures of being skinny and keep getting all this stuff done to themselfs to conform....God Bless you and hope you get well and stay safe.......I'm so sorry for your pain...I feel for you........G. :sick

February 1, 2006

I have some questions. My loss has been slow, but I've tried real hard to stick to foods in the priority order given by my doctor. Did all of you have eating recommendations? barium swallows on a regular basis? fills on a regular basis? My surgeon says if your band erodes, it is usually because of not following the recommendations. So, can any of you say you gave compliance a real try?

I'm not trying to be ugly. I'm just curious. I don't want this to happen to me!

Thanks.

La_madam · February 1, 2006

My surgeon says if your band erodes, it is usually because of not following the recommendations.

Your surgoen is dead wrong on this one I'm sorry to say it..

Ask any one from this board who knows me personally and they will tell you that I was the model bandster..I followed the rules and reccomendations, never drank carbonation, never took NSAIDS, never drank with meals, never stuffed my pouch , had great aftercare, saw my doctor on a regular basis, had barium swallows on a regular basis..I followed all the rules..which is why I was successful in losing over 100 lbs in 19 months..however I still eroded. It was nothing I did or did not do..it was something that just happened..it can happen to the best or the worst bandsters..if your body is going to reject it, it does not matter whether you follow the rules and reccomendations. Others here who have eroded will tel you the same thing..I am not the only bandster who followed the rules who eroded. Even my own doctor told me I was a model bandster..

So, can any of you say you gave compliance a real try?

I gave compliance one hell of a try..I complied 100% the entire time I had my band.

February 1, 2006

I have a quick question, are there signs that your band could be eroding? I had a baby 5 months ago and am starting to get adjusted again, now I seem to battle really bad heartburn. I didn't have heartburn prior to getting pregnant or after the first adjustment. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

gcravener · February 1, 2006

I think this is a question to ask your doctor. I was thinking about this all last night and wondering what does cause a band to erode into the tissue of the stomach....Some say a faulty band...some say its the brand of band and a Doctor who used cheap bands..I'm going to see Dr. Kuri on Sat in TJ I'm going to find out about the cause and let other bandsters know what he has to say on the subject. Dr. Kuri doesn't beat around the bush or BS about problems with the band....G.

DeLarla · February 1, 2006

Ditto to what Michelle said. Any surgeon who says you can avoid erosion by following band rules is dead wrong. There's nothing a patient can do to avoid erosion. Erosion happens.

There are no specific signs of erosion, though I definitely felt "different" once my band eroded. It's hard to explain, but my stomach/band felt squishy and odd. Just a hair queasy. I had restriction, but it was different. I had PBs but they were really weird, for example, I had normal PBs for a year when I ate too fast or swallowed a big bite. But the PB I had once I was eroded was more of a projectile vomit that happened after the food went down.

I always had funny gurgling sounds when I got banded. I would drink Water then hear it squiggle through the band a few seconds later. Once I eroded, the gurgling noises were happening really low in my stomach, and I never heard Water pass through any more. I compared the way I originally felt to the way I felt when I was eroded, and there were very clearly "different" sensations going on. Nothing painful, but creepy and odd feelings. I KNEW I was eroded based on the different feelings. I just knew it, and I was right.

I could eat normal large portions for a week, and then suddenly I'd get my restriction back. Hard to explain, but like I've said in other threads, the band is like a piano or guitar ~ only a trained ear can tell when they are out of tune. So listen to your band and pay attention to small changes.

PhotoNut · February 1, 2006

I saw my surgeon yesterday for the three week checkup. After reading about all of the erosions on this site I had some serious questions for him. He backed up what DeLarla and Michelle have said with one additional thing. He said that the proceedure used when putting the band in place can be the cause. He told me that US surgeons used to use a method where the outter stomach lining was pulled over the band and sewn to itself to prevent slippage. They still do this yes, but the difference now is they turn the snap, or fastener, on the band away from the stomach and they do not pull the stomach over the entire band. He said that they found that erosions were usually caused at the point of the fastener. It is harder and it sticks out more.

He also said that only 1% of bandsters experience erosion. And, if the proceedure was done well and erosion happens anyway.. it is purely "bad luck". He said there is absolutely no reason to believe that what we do, or dont do, causes the erosion.

As a side note. I asked him what happens if the band does erode? Will I be facing thousands of dollars to save my own life? The answer was.. "You were self pay, werent you? Then yes, unfortunately, you would have to pay for it."

My wonderful husband reminded me that the odds of me being killed in a car wreck are about the same as having erosion problems, and I don't panic everytime I get in the car so I shouldn't panic over this. Good advice.

PS My surgeon also told me that the doctors in Mexico are still using the full band wrap proceedure (I forget the technical term for it but I'll find out and add it later). He said he spoke with one of the Mexican surgeons recently at a conference and asked him what he paid for malpractice insurance. Ready for this? $200 a year. I'd say they aren't too worried about people bothering to come back on them when things go wrong.

(I am only passing along this information for knowledge. I am not trying to say any surgeon is better than another, nor am I saying everyone banded in Mexico will have erosion problems.)

DeLarla · February 1, 2006

Susan, EXCELLENT response. I agree that placement of the band might be a cause of erosion, which is why the same surgeons are seeing repeated erosions. I can't confirm since I'm not a doctor, but it makes sense.

donali · February 1, 2006

I did not have a loss of restriction.

I was almost a model bandster - the last month my appetite seemed insatiable even though I was "full", so I was over eating somewhat, but not to a painful point, and not to a vomiting/PB point. But I did still feel like I had the same amount of restriction. But I didn't drink carbonation, did not take NSAIDs. I lived on extra strength Tylenol the month I tore my port sutures, but other than that rarely took any kind of medications at all. I lost 100 pounds in 17 months with my band.

I did not have any real symptoms of erosion. In hindsight I can say that right before my fourth fill I had a night or two where my band was SO uncomfortable, I felt like it was pinching, or something, and I was thinking I should cancel my fill appoinment. But I kept it anyway, and my doc always lets all the fill run out before refilling, and I felt IMMEDIATE relief from that pinching sensation. My fourth fill was more than the one before, and felt perfect, and I didn't have that same pinching sensation after that at any time.

About a week before I had my endoscopy I had what felt like a severe gallbladder attack. I knew it wasn't my gallbladder because that had been removed in 1992 - but the pain felt very similar. I felt like there was a lot of pressure somewhere, that might be relieved by a giant burp or fart, and yet I couldn't burp or fart. It scared me into going for my endoscopy. I was convinced, though, that there was nothing wrong with my band - I just wanted a clean endoscopy so that my PCP couldn't blame it on the band. Regardless of the true reason for that attack, I haven't had one since. So it's possible it was from the erosion, or it's just as possible I had a stone in my bile duct - which does happen sometimes, even after the gallbladder is removed.

hagerteresa · February 4, 2006

Susan, I called my insurance twice before I self payed and went to mexico about coverage if I were to have complications. They said yes both times. My local friend who had the band had complications immediately after returning from her surgery in Mexico and her insurance took care of that bill and will likely pay for the emergency surgery she had to have a couple of weeks ago to have the band removed due to erosion. Insurances are required to take care of emergency type needs regardless of the cause. Its the elective things they balk at. Best wishes, Teresa

PhotoNut · February 4, 2006

Thanks Teresa! That's encouraging.

SarahBara · July 6, 2011

70% of my band had completely eroded into my stomach past the lining leaving me with a 3 inch hole. Did I have restriction? Everyone once in a while I would feel a little but not often. I could sit and eat a hamburger or pretty much anything else I wanted to eat. When you get a port infection...it could mean erosion. I had a port infection/abscess and had them both removed only to have the abscess come back 2 more times before they checked for erosion. I'm a little upset. Perhaps if I had been given a barium swallow the first time the hole wouldn't have gotten so bad. I'm still sitting here with drains coming out of my stomach and hardness around where the port used to be. The hardness was always an indication that an abscess was forming before. I pray to God that's not what it is now. I haven't healed from the last abscess removal/hole closure. My right foot and part of my right leg are kinda numb from the surgery. I don't think I could undergo another one safely right now. This last one (supposed 1.5-2hrs surgery) took 5 hours.

I don't claim to be wise. If so, maybe I wouldn't have gotten the band at all, or maybe I would have been more careful of it, or maybe I would have had more barium swallows to ck for such things. Thing is...it happened kinda quickly...it was fine and then 4 mos. later it had torn a huge hole in my stomach wall. food particles and bacteria were escaping my stomach into my abdomen and causing the abscesses to grow. The last one, according to the dr. had packed my abdomen tight. He had a hard time making repairs and getting the abscess out. Because of it being so complicated and taking so long, I hope it was all done well.

Niters