I was banded a year ago in March. I have lost 70-80 pounds. I am very grateful but it's been a very tough road for me. I know that if the band is removed I'll go back to my old self. It may take a year or two but eventually it will sneak back on me like always. I am afraid if I keep the band it will just continue to cause me problems and not to mention more money. I mean, I couldn't even afford the surgery in the first place and I have nothing else to offer, I can't imagine if I have to pay to fix this and it happens again! I have lost the weight and I do feel better physically and mentally and I don't want to gain it back but the "what ifs" are scary. Here are some questions I have...

What is the percentage rate for another slippage after repaired? I have heard once you have slipped your odds are much higher.

Did you pay for your repair and if so how much?

Has anyone heard of insurance covering the cost of an repair if they wouldn't cover the original surgery?

I am pregnant and can't have my band repaired at this time. Has anyone heard of any bad complications for waiting to have the surgery? I am afraid by leaving the band like it is will cause worse damage, but for the safety of my baby I would rather wait. (the doctors would rather wait too)

I am trying to go over the causes of slippage...too tight, throwing up, sodas, ....these come to mind. What are some other reasons for slippage? What if none of these applied to me?

Do you wish you had another surgery? I used to be one of those who would never consider the gastric bybass but now I am not so sure. Of course if my band can't be fixed I can't afford another surgery period.

During your period does your band get really tight? Isn't this the weirdest thing!? I can't remember if this happened before the slippage or after but now around that time each month I get so tight its very painful and of course can't eat or drink much at all.

Are slippage rates higher for those who travel outside of America?

Any advice would be appreciated.Thanks for your time.

Kashia

:help:

kashia,

i am so sorry you are going through all of this. i do not have any information to offer, but maybe by bumping this, more people will see it, and maybe they can offer some helpful info.

((hugs))

Thanks Mini Me...

I was banded in May and will have my first fill next week, on the 15th. I have cheated just a bit on the mushie foods (chewing well though) and of course since I'm still learning my limits on everything I get worried when I cheat a bit. I don't think I've caused damage since I'm feeling fine, but I thought I would ask to ease my curiosity.

What are signs of slippage and how do they test for it?

Kashia:

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. Unfortunately I am currently on the other side of that decision. I waited on having mine removed almost too long. If you are still getting liquids and mushies you should be ok for a while. I lasted about two months between being diagnosed and having to go in for emergency surgery because by then I had been five days unable to even get liquids. Not trying to scare you, I think maybe I was a worse case type scenario. I had to pay for both surgeries my insurance wouldn't cover anything whatsoever even though it had become life threatening. As long as you can get liquids and mushies you should be ok, it shouldn't cause damage. Check with your Dr's though. I chose to have it removed as I am too financially wounded now to have been able to do anything about a third surgery if something had gone wrong. The hospital charged me full price same as original surgery, anesthesiologist the same. My surgeon didn't charge as it happened in the first year.

I had the tighter time around my cycle as well. Yet another lovely signal of womanhood.

How far along are you in your pregnancy?

I think they don't really know what causes slippage, there are a lot of theories and speculation. I know I followed everything too the letter and still wound up with slippage. My band was never loose though at any time which resulted in internal swelling at the outset which caused me to be unable to keep down even my saliva. That lasted about three weeks. My Dr. said that it wouldn't have caused the slippage later. I suspect my slippage occured about the time I had my fills. (.3 the first, .3 the second, two days later had to have .3 removed, couple weeks later another .1 removed. No improvements over next couple months, went in for barium swallow & was diagnosed with slippage)

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As for weight gain, I am dealing with exactly that problem. It sounds as if you had time to be a true bandster and develop some good habits however. If you do have to go the route I did please hang on to those good habits.

Best wishes,

Tuff

Sometimes there are no signs. I will always remember someone saying when I was newly banded, "just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should". Meaning eating regular foods before you should or what have you. I don't think they really know what causes slippages. There are things that can contribute to but its not limited to those things.

My experience was acid reflux. I had it before surgery but then it went away for over 6 mths then came back with a vengence. I just thought I needed to go back on my Nexium, however at night it was so bad, I wasn't sleeping at all. I would throw up in my sleep and start choking. (Sorry, gross I know.) I didn't think it was the band bec I could eat what ever i wanted. I actually wanted a fill, but when they looked under fluro the stomach had come up through the band. Some people don'thave any signs and some just plainly can't eat or drink anything bec it wont go through.

Just be careful. Don't push the limits. I knwo we all do at some point. But take care of your band or it can be your enemy!

I am surprised that on a complication forum that there aren't more people that have had a slipped band. O well , I'll bump it up just in case.

Thanks. I'm just learning how to use this site (during free time at the office..ha!) and I found your message first. I appreciate your advice!!

Sorry to hear about your problem.

I had slippage immediately after being banded, in recovery. I went 4 days in the hospital with extreme pain.

They went back in for a 2nd surgery 4 days later to find the slippage, they didn't know about the slippage until they went in again. Usually they can see it on a floro but mine didnt show up.

The problem in theory: I had adhesions on my diaphram that were attached to my stomach. In recovery when they tell you to cough, I did and it pulled my stomach up thru the band because of the adhesions. (I trust my surgeon & am confident in his ability.)

I don't want to scare you, so you need to confirm the following with your Doc. But it was my understanding that the part of the stomach that slips up thru the band can actually die over time and then you could have a bigger problem. If you are getting some things down maybe it is OK. The slipped band can also cause an opening in the stomach & then you have stomach fluids going into your abdomen. I went ahead and got a second band. They used the larger more flexible band and other than recovering from 2 surgeries, I am doing OK.

I hope it works out for you and maybe you need to get a 2nd opinion from a Lap Band doc.

I too had a 'silent' slippage that was found after having a fill. It's very possible that if you've had your fill removed, the slippage could 'right' itself on it's own. Or you could manage the pregnancy without having to endure surgery at this point. Or not. I would just encourage you to be very vigilant about any signs or symptoms of further slippage, such as any high abdominal pain or sudden inability to swallow or nighttime reflux such as you've already mentioned. The band CAN and HAS been known to prolapse further, causing much more serious symptoms. Because you are pregnant, this means you have to be ever more vigilant about this. :eek: I'm truly sorry this has happened.

In my case, insurance replaced my original band and so far, so good. I really can't speak to the percentages of having 're'slippage.

Best of luck to you and I'm sure we'll all be keeping our fingers crossed that you can manage the pregnancy with NO band related issues. Right now, the baby is most important to protect.

I was banded in July 2005 and my band slipped in March of 2006. I asked my doctor about the chance of it slipping it again, and he said that it shouldn't be any higher than for anyone else (between 1 and 3%).

I believe that my band slipped because I was too tight. This time around the doctor is taking my fills very slowly. It's been really hard. I haven't had any restriction since March and my weight has jumped up. But, I'm grateful that I have another band (some people who slip aren't given a second band). I'm also fortunate because my insurance covered everything.

Good luck with your decision and with the rest of your pregnancy! What is your due date?

HI Kashia,

I was diagnosed with a slippage back on Dec. 31st of this year. They put my tummy of full rest...liquids... for about 6 weeks. The slippage corrected itself. But, when I tried to get adjusted, even the TINIEST fill (.25) was too tight. I ended up in crisis again, in the E.R. and they did emergency surgery. I now have the VG band and think that this will solve my problems. I had struggled with my standard band for 7 months prior to my slippage. And, I think my plastic surgery send a band that was already in trouble, right over the edge. I am doing well in my recovery.

Here are some questions I have...

What is the percentage rate for another slippage after repaired? I have heard once you have slipped your odds are much higher.

Once your band is truly repaired, your odds should be no higher than anyone elses... unless the slippage is behavior related and the behavior doesn't change.

Did you pay for your repair and if so how much?

My insurance will cover my repair because the surgery was emergent and the diagnosis was dysphagia (inability to swallow). My band was covered originally too. Now.... I got the low profile port (because I'm at goal), they MAY balk at that. So, that could be $1,000 out of pocket.

I am pregnant and can't have my band repaired at this time. Has anyone heard of any bad complications for waiting to have the surgery? I am afraid by leaving the band like it is will cause worse damage, but for the safety of my baby I would rather wait. (the doctors would rather wait too)

I don't think waiting hurt me. I asked the surgeon about scar tissue, etc. He said that I had no more scar tissue than they would expect to see on a normal banded stomach. My pouch was dialated. However, that will go back to normal since I'm on fluids again with the post-op regimine.

I am trying to go over the causes of slippage...too tight, throwing up, sodas, ....these come to mind. What are some other reasons for slippage? What if none of these applied to me?

Somtimes stuff happens. Bariatric surgery is not a perfected field. They are still learning. I mean, when I was banded, the VG band was not even available. Now, I have one. I may have NEVER had a problem had I started with a VG band. However, slippages have been known to happen from being too tight on a chronic basis, violent vomitting, and pouch stuffing.

Do you wish you had another surgery? I used to be one of those who would never consider the gastric bybass but now I am not so sure. Of course if my band can't be fixed I can't afford another surgery period.

NO, NO, and NO!!! I would ONLY have the bypass if there was NO way that I could tolerate the band. Here's how I look at it: When bypass patients have a complication, they are typically LIFE THREATENING. When band patients have a complication, they are typically merely annoying. I had a pretty severe complication and all it required was a laporascopic procedure and I was up and around VERY quickly. I went back to work less than a week after my new band was placed. I take annoying over life threaning any day of the week.

During your period does your band get really tight? Isn't this the weirdest thing!? I can't remember if this happened before the slippage or after but now around that time each month I get so tight its very painful and of course can't eat or drink much at all

:help:

I am the queen of monthly tightness. As a matter of fact, we think this is a possible contributor to my slippage. My PCP has put me on the oral contracteptive Seasonale so that I only have a period 4 times a year. We can manage my band better if we only have to worry about pre-menstrual Fluid 4 times a year. Now, granted, I am a little old (44) for an oral contraceptive. But, the benefits outweighed the potential risks.

I hope my answers help a little bit. I wish you many blessings with your preganancy and your new little one to come!

Hugs,

Julie, Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to all my questions. It means a lot.

I am so afraid I'll have it repaired only to go through this again and to tell you the truth its not worth going through this for another year. I hate being fat but I hate suffering everyday in one way or another.

My insurance didn't cover the band but i thought it the doctor would code it a certain way and say its a emergency they may. I doubt it but it possible. LOL

I don't have periods now htat I am pregnant but every 28 days I get tight!! CRAZY!!

well TTFN, keep in touch. Good luck to you and your new band.

Julie, what is the VG band?

Julie, what is the VG band?

Baj, The VG band is currently Inamed's largest adjustable gastric band. It is 11cm in circumference and will hold about 10cc's in fills. When I had my band surgery 2 years ago, the standard band was all that was available. It is 10cm and will hold 4cc's. The VG is more difficult to adjust than the standard band. However, it is also knows as the "kinder, gentler" band. So, it has its plusses and minuses.

Hehe.... is that WAY more than you wanted?!?! lol

Hugs

Julie, Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to all my questions. It means a lot.

I am so afraid I'll have it repaired only to go through this again and to tell you the truth its not worth going through this for another year. I hate being fat but I hate suffering everyday in one way or another.

My insurance didn't cover the band but i thought it the doctor would code it a certain way and say its a emergency they may. I doubt it but it possible. LOL

I don't have periods now htat I am pregnant but every 28 days I get tight!! CRAZY!!

well TTFN, keep in touch. Good luck to you and your new band.

It is possible that if your surgery is done on an emergent basis that the surgery would be covered and not the band. I know that my doctors coded my surgery the way they did in order to help the insurance issue along a bit. (Diagnosis of Dysphagia). In that case, you would actually have to wait until you had an emergent situation, though.

You're right... that tight thing IS crazy. I have never been pregnant (not the "mommy" type... lol), but I can't imagine why the 28 day thing would still kick in when you're preggers. Oh well.... there ain't nuthin easy about bein' a woman! We're SOOOO special.... lol (just ask my husband.... hehe)

I'm sending you a big hug. And, dear, you just feel free to write me any time you need support or cheerleading. I may not be the "mommy" type.... but my friends have called me a "momma duck." You see... by staying kid-free, I have lots of energy to nurture and support others. QUACK!!

Hugs