I was banded two and a half years ago with limited success. My band has been either too loose or too tight, which is the only time I've lost weight. My band is at max fill and I have little restriction

I have recently changed surgeon, a woman who is actually interested in what's happening. She emptied the band to check for leaks - there wasn't one. I did a bariatric swallow to check it's in the right place - it is. Today I had a gastroscopy which has revealed "gastric band eroded into the lumen in the proximal stomach". I'm not sure what this means exactly but I know I'll have to have it removed. I have an appointment with my surgeon next week to find out more details.

Does anyone have experience, or know of this?

Would appreciate any feedback.

Take care, Rachel.

I read that they now think erosion is caused from a tiny tear during surgery when the doctor is placing the band. All the more reason to really, REALLY research your doc's record.

WASABUBBLEBUTT,

So did you have yours done in SanDiego? if so whats the name of the Dr. I thought you were done in Alberto Aceves/Mexicali Mexico. If I travel to anywhere I would be alone. wouldn't I have a hard time getting home w/ luggage and all? just wondering

I read that they now think erosion is caused from a tiny tear during surgery when the doctor is placing the band. All the more reason to really, REALLY research your doc's record.

That's an interesting theory. I don't believe I have heard that one before.

I agree with you, you just can't research enough. Nobody should get a band until the know everything humanly possible about the band and the doc.

WASABUBBLEBUTT,

So did you have yours done in SanDiego? if so whats the name of the Dr. I thought you were done in Alberto Aceves/Mexicali Mexico. If I travel to anywhere I would be alone. wouldn't I have a hard time getting home w/ luggage and all? just wondering

Dr. Aceves did do my surgery. When I was looking at Mexico for surgery I really didn't know where each city was. Mexicali is in Baja California (state in Mexico) and I thought it was near San Diego so like a complete and utter dolt I flew to San Diego. I live in Phoenix, it would have been easier and cheaper to drive! HA! I do drive now when I go there. Luggage isn't much of an issue as the driver handles it most of the time. He can pass it off to one of those guys (can't think of what they are called) that handle luggage at the airport.

San Diego is the cheapest airport near Calexico, California and Mexicali is on the Mexico side of Calexico. People can fly into a closer airport and the staff will pick you up but it's usually much cheaper to go to San Diego and the doctor's arrange to pick you up and return to you the airport. I preferred it because I just don't care for Tijuana. I don't want to deal with their dishonest policemen, the crime, or anything else. It's just my preference. So that was another reason for choosing Dr. Aceves, the city is so much better IMHO.

I went alone too, only two people knew I was getting the procedure and I didn't want either one of them there. I wasn't sure how that was going to work out but it turned out to be quite easy. I actually preferred being alone. When I don't feel well I'm not the nicest person around.

Lots of people go alone. I don't know about other docs but honestly, if I have one complaint about Dr. Aceves during my own hospital stay it is that they were forever coming in to check on me. The surgeon was twice daily, asst surgeon twice daily, the hospital coordinator twice daily, the head nurse once daily, and that was just Dr. A's staff. That didn't include the hospital nurses. So really, you aren't necessarily alone when you go to Mexican docs. I hear they are backing off a little and letting patients rest a bit more but you know, if that is the biggest gripe I have about the whole thing that's pretty good. Those things would never happen in a US hopsital.

So no, there wouldn't be much of a problem with luggage for the majority of the Mexican docs. The whole process is much easier than it seems.

I was banded two and a half years ago with limited success. My band has been either too loose or too tight, which is the only time I've lost weight. My band is at max fill and I have little restriction

I have recently changed surgeon, a woman who is actually interested in what's happening. She emptied the band to check for leaks - there wasn't one. I did a bariatric swallow to check it's in the right place - it is. Today I had a gastroscopy which has revealed "gastric band eroded into the lumen in the proximal stomach". I'm not sure what this means exactly but I know I'll have to have it removed. I have an appointment with my surgeon next week to find out more details.

Does anyone have experience, or know of this?

Would appreciate any feedback.

Take care, Rachel.

Hi,

I have registered on behalf of my wife who is currently in hospital recovering from severe complications caused by an eroded stomach. The band was fitted about 11.5years ago and for some years she had complained of pain in the region but as she had a previous misadventure with imaging dye being introduced into her pancreas during an endoscopic examination, her doctor's decided on chronic pancreatitis. When her condition continued to deteriorate they decided to remove the band and this happened on the 19th April this year; by this time she extensive abdominal and peritonial abscesses and an abdominal fistula that is draing to this day. Earlier this week she had a stent fitted into her stomach to cover the leak that has persisted despite naeso duodenal and TPN feeding and gallons of antibiotics.

She was experiencing dramatic nausea and pain and at the rate she was going down hill she was not going to see Christmas but thankfully there appears to be a turn around, although it is early days yet and she still has at least 2 to 3 weeks of drip feeding to go yet before know how successful the stent has been.

My advice? Get it out as soon as possible. Have a gastric swallow with CT imaging to check for leaks and monitor for infections.

I do not know where you live but there is an excellent surgeon who did mine as a cash pay and it is only 12000.. and it includes a years worth of follow up visits and free fill for a year...might be worth a trip....

You should check into others Doctors, my Doctor only charge me 8,500.00. I think 17,000 is way to much money. I did my band six months ago and love it. I had no problems. I live in California had in done in Orange County the Hospital specializes in by-pass and band surgeries, I had great staff and after care at the Hospital. My Doctor is very concern with his patients and after care. I attended there weekly meeting which helps alot understand how we got fat, learn how to deal with everyday issues. Now that I have the band you can only eat small amounts or you'll be sick, or eat to fast you'll be sick. So we need to learn how to reprogram our selfs, deal with everyday life, I now see when a problem arrives I turn to food, some people turn to other things, so the classes really helps, the class go for a year which was 650.00 more. The adjustment were included with my initial fee. I went to three Doctors before I made my decision, found out that my insurance wouldn't pay for me, my BMI was to high, so I had to pay for the surgery. All the cash fees I learned were negotiable, you just have to ask the finance person at the doctors office. My doctor told me that there is a 2% removal of the band from erosion and slight chance of slippage. My insurance company paid for all my test for the surgery, but if I wanted the by-pass they would have paid 80% of that.

i was wondering if anyone her has used Dr. Alberto Aceves for their lap band?

My doctor told me if had to be on prenisone wouldn't work with banding long term Was you on any?

I have saroidious and may have to have pernisone.

Read a few posts above. He is WASaBubblebutt's doctor. She really likes him.

im curious as to why on your first fill they did a large fill? could this be a possible reason for the band erosion? sorry i am brand new to the band and i am very scared that something is going to happen to mine! i was banded 1/23/08 and am down 11 lbs so far! but there is this constant worrying that my band could slip-erode-or something else happen!

I'm having problems. I would like to know what the symptoms are, specifically if possible, for erosion? I have been having pain around the region of my port and pain in the area of my kidney on that side. It wakes me up at night because it is so uncomfortable.

I recently began a diet that is very heavily laden with soy and I thought I might be having a reaction to that - lots of gas and tummy grumbling. This has been going on for several days.

I have also contracted a recurring eye infection which is often related to some kind of stress in my life.

I have only been on this diet for a week. I previously had too much restriction for a couple of months, but once I had some removed, I seemed to be okay and began to lose weight again. I lost around 40 lbs. when I first had the band but then had not been able to lose weight after that. That's why I started the diet. I've been banded about 1.5 years.

I'm beginning to get pretty scared after reading all this thread.

P.S. I've lost about 8 lbs. on the diet in a little under one week. I'm sure a lot of that was water weight.

BJean, Have you made an appt. with your doctor? If you're having pain in the port area, I would think you would need to see the doctor and have him check this out.

I also had an erosion and almost died. I had revision surgery in August, to a gastric bypass, and couldn't be happier. However, the doctor spent the first two HOURS of my surgery picking pieces of a disintigrated band out of my stomach wall. I probably had weeks left to live only.

I was very lucky. Now, however, I am truly happy again. To me, the difference between these two surgeries is night and day. I never got anywhere near close to goal after lapband. The gastric bypass is an absolute dream come true. I have lost 79 pounds in 5 months and am wearing a size 6-8. I've still got a little more to lose, but I have my health back, and hope for being thin, real hope, for the first time. Reoperation rates, long term, 8-12 years out, for lapband are VERY high.