Hello

I've not posted here for over 1 year, but this morning I received an email from lapbandtalk and decided that everyone should know about gastroparesis, my result of an eroded band!

I had the band put on by Dr. Lopez in TJ Feb.03, it was removed because of severe erosion March 05. Shortly after having the band removed I started having pain with anything I ate. I thought it was just my stomach healing from the removal. It only got worse over time, I went to see a gasto. dr. December 05..they did many tests that included a endoscopy, colonoscopy, cat-scan, ultrasound, they decided I should have my gallbladder out, after it was removed the pain was worse. My mom and I went to Scottsdale Mayo clinic, after again many tests, they did an emptying test and concluded my stomach is not digesting food, it is taking hours upon hours to move anything thru my stomach. The erosion and/or the removal process permanetly damaged my stomach nerves.

I just want people who are thinking of having the band or that have the band but have mild complications to realize what can happen. There is nothing they do for Gastroparesis, I was prescribed a medication that will speed up the digestion process...there is a 30% chance of getting Parkinsons. I have a 4 & 6 yr. old, I cannot risk getting such a terrible disease. The pain is sometimes horrid, I feel my stomach is coming out of my chest, burning, knawing pain for hours and hours. PLEASE be careful, the band I know is reversable.....the condition is not!!!!

Bless your heart. I'm so sorry to hear of this outcome. I truly hope they find some way to help you get this resolved permanently without other complications. Thank you very much for sharing this information. I believe everyone needs to know every possibility concerning the band as well. Good luck to you.

My heart goes out to you! Thank you so much for caring enough to come on and let us know, I for one was not aware of this.

There is nothing they do for Gastroparesis, I was prescribed a medication that will speed up the digestion process...there is a 30% chance of getting Parkinsons. I have a 4 & 6 yr. old, I cannot risk getting such a terrible disease. The pain is sometimes horrid, I feel my stomach is coming out of my chest, burning, knawing pain for hours and hours. PLEASE be careful, the band I know is reversable.....the condition is not!!!!

I am somewhat familiar with Parkinson's Disease. My mother had it for years and eventually died from complications of PD. It is a neurological disease. I don't understand the connection between your GI tract and Parkinson's. Could you elaborate on what your doctor told you regarding this, please? I am already concerned about PD, of course, although they tell me it is not genetic.

So sorry for your pain. Thank you for letting us know. Please do not be too nervous about Parkinson's...I am not sure who told you you could get it from the problem you have...there is NO connection that I am aware of...Parkinson's is a nervous system disease. The only thing I can think of is that the meds they are gving you to help digestion somehow work on the nerves of the stomach and can have an effect on other berves in your system. Please get a second opinion. I would also like to suggest you get some holistic help like acupuncture or reiki.

Blessings...

Sorry I was unclear about the Parkinsons. Because the nervouse system is so complex, it has a nerve that leads to the brain, telling the stomach when you are hungry, full, or when the digestive system needs to start the digestive process. When you take Reglan, the medication to aid in Gastroparesis, it works with the brain, helping these nerves to fire properly, therefore, causing Parkinsons in 30% who take this drug.

If I do not take Reglan, I have no risk at all of getting Parkinsons. Gastroparesis by itself only causes me severe pain and discomfort from eating or even drinking Water at times. Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts. I knew about erosion going into the Lapband, but no one ever told me the nerve damage you can get from the erosion or the process of taking the band out.

Heidi

Las Vegas, NV

Heidi, looking back, with the exception of not getting the band, is there anything you would have done differantly to possibly avoid the condition you are now enduring?

Thank you for you very informative post!

I had zero problems while the band was on, I lost 75 lbs and felt GREAT! I was very thankful for the band at that time. I had no symptoms of erosion, I felt nothing, no pain, nothing. I went in for a fill and they saw on the x-ray the band had moved in towards my stomach. I had an endoscopy and they saw that almost the entire band was inside the stomach. The doctor was amazed I did not feel anything.

My only suggestion is to have your bands checked regularly, even if you do not need a fill for awhile. If this was detected before it was so bad, I think the nerve damage would not have been so bad or maybe not even happened.

It took Dr. Lopez about 40 minutes to put my band on, it took him 5 hours to take it out. That is how tangled it was with my stomach!

Please read about Gastroparesis on the internet, it will tell you the about the condition, I would not want someone else to go thru this if it is at all avoidable.

Hi Heidi,

I am so sorry that you have experienced this. And Im scared as well to think of the long term affects that this band will have on my system. Like you, I have young kids -which is the biggest reason WHY I got the band! Hopfully it will extend my life - not shorten it.

Your closing statement is something I want to comment on.. PLEASE be careful, the band I know is reversable.....the condition is not!!!!

How true!

God bless you and thanks for coming by and sharing.

Thank you for coming back and posting. It is always helpful to be an informed bandster. I wish you the best!

Shawn

Hi my name is Sheila and I am just starting the Lap band process after much thought. However, I am VERY concerned now, I never heard of Gastroparesis. I am already nervous about having the band and port inside my body, now "if" I have it I will be worrying about Gastroparesis or erosion everyday. Man...I am suppose to see the nutrionist tomorrow, psychologist on Thursday and my consult with the surgeon is on Friday. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it and debating, so now I think I will slow down the process and think very hard on it or become more educated on ALL the risks. Thank you so much for sharing your story and I will say a special prayer for you tonight.

Be Blessed,

Sheila Marie

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but what I'm dealing with now because of the eroded band is serious in my opinion. Permanent nerve damage is never something I dreamed of dealing with in deciding to get lap-band surgery, not to mention the excess amount of scar tissue that fills my abdomin because of the removal surgery!

thanks for posting your struggles. i am dealing with long term effects of having a band placed as well. i am worried that eventually it may have to be removed. for now my dr sees no reason to remove it. i just can not have restriction, thats when my problems begin.

thanks again and please keep posting your updates so we (I) can see how you are doing!

michelle

May God bless you and your family. I hope everything be ok. I appreciate you sharing this info with everyone....

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I hope you find relief from the on-going pain. This is a risk that we should all know about prior to surgery.

Heidi,

I live in Henderson and had to have my band removed due to slippage. I was converted to a MGB. Anyway, when I discussed getting the MGB with my primary care doctor, he wanted me to wait a year or two for the "gastric stimulator" to come out. I know it sends signals to your stomach so that you aren't hungry, but I also read that it could "shock" the stomach into helping digestion too. Maybe you can talk this over with a doctor and see if that is a possibility rather than stay on the Reglan forever. I don't know how true the articles that I read are; but it's worth looking into.

Best wishes,

Tricia H