Just been told I have a slip

mark x · July 1, 2007

Let me start with an introduction..... I am a 45 year old divorced father. I have a daughter who is 15 and I live in Tampa, Florida. I moved to Florida 10 years ago. I was born and raised in PA. I am a professional and currently I am a store director of a high end jewelry boutique. I have been in the industry my entire career (23yrs) and this is only the second organization that I have worked for since I graduated from college (Penn State University).

I have had a weight problem most of my life. Well at least since I was 10 years old. Like most I have tried every diet, with and without exercise. At times I had great success and was able to lose alot of weight and keep it off. But when it was all said and done, I would gain the weight back and then some. I hit my all time high in the summer of 2005. I am 5'11" and I weighed 310 pounds. I decided that weight loss surgery was the only way I could be successful and opted for a Lap-Band. October 25th 2005 I had my Lap-Band surgery. My doctor is Lee Grossbard. I selected Dr.G because of his candor. He is straight forward and does not feed you a line of bull****. I know some people like a soft approach when it comes to personal areas, but I am a black and white kind of guy. Give me the facts.... tell me what I can expect and I will make a decision. Dr. G was like... here is where we are Mark. Your 43 years old and obese (actually he said fat). You have a stressful profession and your high blood pressure is out of control. You have tried your entire life to control your weight and you can't. Your insurance company denied your request so you need to make a decision. I went home and thought about it over the weekend. I called him on Monday morning and told him I wanted the surgery. Sooooo... I moved some money around and self paid for the operation ($17,000.00:mad:).

I am now 20 months out and I have lost a total of 120 pounds (190). The last few months I have had alot of pb's so I went into see if I just needed to have the fill removed or if there was another problem. He gave me a barium scan and said that I had a slip. My band was at a 80 degree angle and should be at 45. He took the fill out and my band adjusted to about a 65 degree angle. He instructed me to stay on a liquid diet for 30 days and that the band may correct on it's own. When a band slips the stiches have torn away (at least some of them). If it corrects it self would it not just happen again since some of the stiches have come out?

I just thought someone out there may have some advice they could offer.

Jachut · July 1, 2007

I dont know, that confuses me too. I'm no help but I hope you get it worked out, its so disappointing to have come so far and then have it all look threatened by bad luck such as this. In Australia, you'd get a new band, no questions asked, wouldnt matter that you're not obese any longer but I know its different there.

Elisabethsew · July 1, 2007

Congratulations on your weight loss and I'm sorry to hear that you've got a slip. Have you discussed replacing the band with your surgeon? Staying on a liquid diet for 30 days and "hoping" the slip does not progress would not be my idea of an ideal solution.

WASaBubbleButt · July 2, 2007

It's standard to unfill you and put you on liquids for 3-6 weeks after a slip. I believe the stats are 80% of the time this will fix the problem.

The sutures may or may not tear away from the stomach but the thing is, it really isn't the sutures that hold the band in place anyway, it is the adhesions that your body forms over the band. Going on liquids for 3-6 weeks is similar to the post op diet and it gives your body an opportunity to form new adhesions.

Give it time, statistically speaking, this should do the trick.