My fill Dr. is out of town until May 1st. I emailed Dr. Kuris coordinator, these are my upper gi pictures from this morning, I have constant burning in my throat, and weird chest pain. Any advice??

thanks,pati

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Wow, I'm in no way qualified to read those images, but you look really tight. Really tight.

Here, this might help:

I'm no expert either, but the constant burning may be reflux from being too dang tight.

My untrained eyes also see a very tight band. I believe that you need a complete unfill first and THEN a barium swallow to find out if the band has slipped. Is there a band doc in your area who can unfill you before May 1st?

wow that is neat to see, I haven't seen anyone post anything like this.

just seeing the band there is wild

I am really tight right now and the little stream of barium coming through on your picture is much smaller than mine showed at my last fill.

It doesn't look like you have a slippage but it does appear that your fill is too restrictive. You should see an MD for an unfill ASAP or the GERD (esophageal reflux) could cause scarring.

thanks wheetsin for putting the pics on there:)

Anwyn, I am in Michigan- I was banded in Mexico, so 99% of all Drs. treat me like I have the plague and wont touch me. I have regrets about not checking further into local Drs in the first place. too late now.

I am definately too tight, the top picture shows the barium sitting above my band and not going through. It took a full 60 seconds before it started really going through. I really, really hope that this is all it is. I'm scared to death that it has slipped. What I don't understand is how it suddenly got this tight, I haven't had a fill since july. I did however have dry, stringy ribs and olives with thick chewy skins on new years eve, and it's gone downhill since then. Time will tell. The crappy thing about all of this- I work in a surgical unit. I saw at least 15 surgeons yesterday and I knew that not one of them could do a darn thing to help me..... so frustrating.

pati-o, I posted my barium pics last year when I was so tight after surgery. I had a trickle going through like you. What concerns me about your pics is the shape of the pouch...it's not bowl-shaped like mine was...I'll go find the link to my thread so you can compare. I don't know what a slip looks like but I'm betting you can e-mail these pics to Dr Kuri and he will let you know. He did for me, anyhow. When you e-mailed your coordinator, did you attach the pics? Okay, going to find my link....

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6339

But why is the band at the bottom of the stomach pouch? Am I seeing this wrong?

I think the "pouch" is her upper stomach. It looks a bit distended to me, but I don't know what "normal" looks like, so who knows. You can't see the lower stomach because there's nothing in it. (Or that's my guess)

These pics are fascinating!

Wow. That looks tighter than mine did right AFTER surgery when they took me in for my test. I was watching it on screen.

I just don't understand why a doctor would not help someone in need, justbecause you did not start with them. It makes no sense to me. Let's hope you find a kind and compassionate surgeon Pati-o

I'm no expert either...but I've had eight fills and three other barium swallows so I have lots of experience. The band looks possitioned well to me (remember- I'm no doctor!)...you're just a hair too tight and the reflux is from the acid not being able to empty into the lower stomach. You probably need a tiny unfil. I know my surgeon takes Mexico patients here in Minnesota at the U of M. In the mean time, start taking Prilosec OTC or Nexium to control the acid. It should help you feel better.

Good luck!

Megan

I saw this thread earlier and I have a question.

After a very serious allergic reaction to Barium Sulfate suspension (banana flavored) on Thursday evening, I emailed Dr. Ortiz' office and asked if this was the same thing as what is used for surgery and fills.

They told me that it was a different barium and was very very watered down and you only had to drink about 1/3 a cup of it.

Is this what most had to do and is the stuff they give you very watered down?

Again no expert either. The only part that concerns me is the bulge on the right is slightly overlapping. The size looks good, I'm comparing the pouch to your vertibre/back bone.

I'll agree you look a bit tight, but you have to see the whole process. The barium should sit in the pouch for a second or so, then the muscles in the esophagus pushes the barium/fluid through.

I don't know about the pictures other than you looking super tight, but I have experienced what you did with getting tight seemingly with no explaination.

My last fill was on November of '04. Near the end of April '05, I started getting tighter than I had been. My grandfather had died that month, and I think it was stress related, but it just didn't want to let up. I could get by on liquids/mushies, so did for a while hoping it would let up. I finally got a .3cc unfill in June. I haven't had a fill since. No explaination for why, but just thought I'd share that it happens..