Ive had my lapband for eight years and in the last 4 months my heartburn is really bad even with meds and i have a hard time swallowing and taking pills. I had an endoscopy and it said both of those things are from the band, so I saw my lapband Dr. Today and he unfilled my band and I go back in two weeks for an upper gi and if im doing ok he will put some more fluid in but it may be removed. Has anyone else had these complications and how was it resolved?

Those are slip symptoms and or a prolapse?

I had something similiar happen at 10 years. I was having acid reflex mainly at night when sleeping. Stuff from my stomach was coing out of my mouth and nose. It also turned out to be my lapband. I had the GI and it showed it was in place but my dr took all the stuff out and we slowly started to fill it. I am now starting to have a litle reflex but am afraid to tell him because I know he will take it out. From the time he took it out until he started the refills (about 1 1/2 months I gained 8 lbs.

paula84mail.....you need to let your doc know whats going on. there is possibility if its caught soon enough you can have your band revised.....and what I mean by that is your doc can go in and possibly move your band up. I have been having with my band for the last several years with several slips and I went on Monday to have a fill after having my band empty since Aug last year and found that the upper pouch of my stomach has fallen over my band. I am going in April for a planned revision.....but if my doc gets in there and there is too much damage he will have to take my band out all together. I am hopeful that he can just move it up some and I can continue on my journey. So until surgery I am trying to be very careful with what I eat cause I really don't want my band removed. So please talk to your doc and let them know.

Trouble swallowing sounds like an esophageal issue. Glad you had it emptied. Please continue to follow band eating guidelines, since after a complete unfill bands are more likely to slip, prolapse. Hope the unfill does the trick!!

Hi Kath

Poor you. It sounds really distressing and dispiriting for you

My experience is that I'm waiting for a date for revision surgery (gastric sleeve) and feeling frustrated and demoralised as right now my weight is increasing and increasing.

The reason for this is that I had a band and it worked well for 10 years and I got to a normal BMI! Oh joy, true joy. But then the band failed mechanically and I had to have it taken out. Without the band Ive regained weight and am back up to an obese BMI again, which I am finding really frustrating as I'd been at a healthy BMI for so long.

I so want to get a chance to turn things around again and get my life back with a more normal BMI again by having the sleeve.

It is so demoralising to be gaining weight again (despite tracking diet and trying to reduce intake and increase exercise... this worked so well with the band, I find it excruciating that I can't manage to do it without the band).

Right now I feel like I've failed. I am having assessments with dietician, psychologist, endocrinologist, surgeon (again) and waiting to get a sleeve date (possibly April, but not confirmed yet). I don't know whether to be more scared about not having a surgery date, or more scared about having yet more surgery when I get a sleeve date!

Good luck with your journey and making a well-thought through decision about what to do next. It isn't easy, and you have my sympathies.

Ive had my lapband for eight years and in the last 4 months my heartburn is really bad even with meds and i have a hard time swallowing and taking pills. I had an endoscopy and it said both of those things are from the band, so I saw my lapband Dr. Today and he unfilled my band and I go back in two weeks for an upper gi and if im doing ok he will put some more Fluid in but it may be removed. Has anyone else had these complications and how was it resolved?

@@kath17

There is a specific forum for "Band to sleeve conversion" in case that's useful background info for you.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/394-band-to-gastric-sleeve-revisions/

@@kath17

There is a specific forum for "Band to sleeve revision" in case that's useful background info for you.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/394-band-to-gastric-sleeve-revisions/