I saw the new surgeon with my UGI results today. The lapband must be removed due to esophagus and pouch dilation. Yes, pouch dilation is a real complication. I am getting sleeve revision during the same removal surgery in 3 weeks. I have an enormous amount of mixed feelings, but, I know one thing and that is, I will be forever grateful to the band because it saved my life and I made a promise if I were to lose the band, I would never bash the band or become a band hater or make anyone feel like the band was a bad decision! Facts are facts, when I signed on the dotted line, I knew that this type of surgery, like all others, had potential complications and it was my decision to take a gamble on the band. Period! I become angered with the opinions of others that don't understand what a banded person goes through. As it has been said again and again that support sites, we mainly hear about the negative or about issues and we don't hear much about the very successful banded people that have been banded many, many years and don't post on these site often. I definitely have no regrets!I I will miss the band! The only thing that I will say is that I thank God that I have insurance that covered most of my fills, checkups and now revision. I can't even imagine if I were out of coverage. If complications are becoming more pronounce with the band, Ehthicon should provide help for people that no longer have insurance coverage or help push for affordable bariatric insurance coverage. Just my opinion.

Did I fail the band? I'll take some responsibility, but not all. I think of myself as a compliant band patient, but who knows anymore. I have talked about my severe allergies and massive drainage in multiple posts. I will reiterate - if you have severe allergies - the band is NOT for you. I will admit that at one short period of time, I became non-compliant with the rules especially with not eating slow and chewing well and stretched my pouch the first time. I had a deflate for 6 weeks and pouch shrunk back to normal. Once you've stretched the pouch once, it will probably happen again. I started measuring my meals to prevent pouch stretching, but, allergies continued which probably contributed to pouch and esophagus dilation. On top of this, the revision doctor tells me that I was fitted with a standard size Allergan band and I probably should have been fitted with a large, which makes the most sense. May be why I could only hold 2.2cc's at most without being too tight. With all the fills, unfills due to allergies, which were always done under fluoroscopy, my band doctor checked my band frequently and is why we found my issue early enough. If you don't get anything out of my post, Please, Please have the band checked at least once a year.

I want to thank many of you for your help and suggestions that you offered in my many times of distress. Be well, Be safe and most of all Be respectful to one another and beware of opinions of others. Remember a very successful banded person is not a doctor! Always, check with your doctor when you are not sure. The "know it alls" mean well, but they are way off at times. I will probably not be coming back here as often because I joined a band to sleeve revision support group and am enjoying the respect and compassion they seem to all have in common. Good luck in your journeys and may God bless each one of you! Jake

Edited March 12, 201511 yr by jakealta

I'm sorry for the loss of your band, but I appreciate you sharing this important story with us. Good luck to you!

Hi Jake, good luck to you -- here's to a new spring and summer of health. It will be great to have these issues behind you. Let us know how it all goes! Best wishes.

Thanks for sharing Jake.... by the way, Jake is one of my fav. names....js.

anywho... My friend and "lapband" mentor had to have her band removed last month and she opted for the sleeve. I talked with her yesterday as a matter of fact and she is SOOOOO happy with the sleeve. I hope and Pray that you have great results also.

Please keep us posted.

Bayugirmrsc,

Thanks for sharing Jake.... by the way, Jake is one of my fav. names....js.

anywho... My friend and "lapband" mentor had to have her band removed last month and she opted for the sleeve. I talked with her yesterday as a matter of fact and she is SOOOOO happy with the sleeve. I hope and Pray that you have great results also.

Please keep us posted.

_________________________________________________________________________

As of May 4, my band is out and I was sleeved during the same surgery. My sleeve doctor will do both removal and sleeve if there is not a large amount of scar tissue and if the band/stomach is in good shape, where other surgeons will not do two in one. All went well for me. What I can say is that for me, this one was quite a bit more painful than the initial lapband install surgery, but, my doc warned me. The incision where he removed the port was the worst as far as pain!

But then, It was like over night and the pain got better and manageable. I'm down 23 lbs. already which includes the 2 week pre-op diet til today. I'm at the gym again at turtle speeds and feeling great! I needed to tell someone and you asked if I would keep you posted and I went forth, Thank you for that.

BTW, Jake is my middle name and I use it because I also like it very much. If you noticed I've changed my display name from jakealta to NoMoBand making it an official name change, but, jake is out of the name :-( So, so far so good, Thank God!!!! Should you ever find yourself in a predicament with a possible revision and have questions, please do ask. I'm here to help. God Bless and thanks again. Jake

Edited May 22, 201511 yr by NoMoBand

What were your symptoms prior to getting your band removed?

What were your symptoms prior to getting your band removed?

I didn't have much restriction anymore and was gaining weight. The thing that saved me from gaining more weight than I did was I was working out at least 5 days a week. With my esophagus stretching I was forming another stomach on top of my pouch. Luckily, I caught it in time and had the band removed. Looking back, early on when I was first banded I had to have a complete unfill for 6 weeks due to my esophagus looking bigger than it should, so, this complication was with me from get go. I also had several unfills due to pouch dilation. My new doc tells me that my band may have been fitted with the wrong size. I was installed a standard size and should have been a large sized band. I could only hold 2.2cc's at most, otherwise, I was way too tight. I always questioned why I could hold so little and was always getting unfills, fills, something didn't seem right.. Anyhow, everything always works out.

I had my band removed and am now sleeved. I am 6 weeks out. What a difference. With the sleeve, feeling full is actually feeling full and you know when to stop. I'm still getting used to this, but, so far so good. Jake