I will be banded in 20 days. I have done a lot of research, asked all of the questions I need to, thought about everything I need to, have been preparing myself and I feel as ready as I probaby can... There is one thing about being banded that really really scares me...the band eroding into my stomach...Anyone have any thoughts, encouraging words, concerns about this too? Thank you! :cry

HI there,

I know how you feel. I was banded on September 1. Anytime i have pains or PB i'm afraid my band has eroded. It's all that crosses my mind when anything hurts. I learned that you have to be throwing up all the time to erode the band.

Veggestyle, this is one of the very common questions that gets asked. The surgeon I know best has said the following about erosion:

Tissue erosion is a risk inherent with ANY sort of medical implant. It will happen, for reasons no one can accurately predict or explain, in 1-2% of cases. It is NOT an emergent situation, but does require that the band be removed in order for healing to be complete.

The incidence of erosion is low, and has nothing to do with throwing up or PBing. Those problems can lead to a slip, which may also require surgery to correct, but erosion doesn't seem to be related in any way to patients' behavior.

When erosion happens, it happens slowly and the stomach is actually healing around and behind the eroded area, so leakage of stomach contents is very unlikely. Removal of the band will allow the stomach to heal up completely, and it's possible that the patient will be a candidate for rebanding in the future.

If it helps, I am coming up on my 4th bandiversary with no known erosion.

Thank you for the information and words of encouragment! Congratulations Kim on your four years with the band. How has it been?

I haven't done as well as I had hoped I would. I had to have my port replaced in 2004. I am happy that even though I haven't lost as much weight as I wanted to this point (I haven't given up), I have kept it off:clap2:

Please don't let my failure to lose oodles of weight, hold you back.