Can anyone tell me what the symptoms of both slippage and erosion are? I'm having some weird things going on. Last night I took a bunch of pills (my bad; I should have taken liquid) because I injured my rotator cuff from swimming (grrr). I had trouble all night getting the pills down, and woke up at about 4am with pain in my back and chest which felt like they were still stuck. My back still hurts. I don't know if this is just irritation or something more. So if anyone can give me a brief synopsis of the symptoms of both, I'd appreciate it. TIA!

Don't know about erosion, but had a slip. Couldn't get anything down, but water; let alone get anything to stay down! Had to take a lot of pain liquid; and finally had to have the band removed. I waited two years before getting banded again. Now I take pills with liquid yogurt or fruited jello. If the pills aren't time release, I chew them smaller. So far, so good. Don't know if that's helpful.

My symptoms with my band erosion are

I never felt any restriction from inflations. My weight loss since banding two and a half years ago is only about 3 - 5kgs, but that could also be because my band locking mechanism had failed prior to erosion.

I am wide open - can eat anything including breads, meats, fruit and vegetables. I could come close to eating what I did before I was banded but I try to resist the urge to do so 24/7.

I have had an abscess over my port incision that is constantly discharging, but this is not always a symptom of band erosion according to my surgeon.

I am still waiting for surgery to have the band removed and the abscess cleaned out, hopefully within the next week and then I am back to square one again!

Hope this helps

Marion

My band eroded. put in feb 2003, emergency removal and fixed hole in stomach 4/07. I had NO symptoms at all except weight gain due to no restriction! They couldnt even see the erosion thru the fluoro. THey only saw it in an endoscopy and took me right into surgery to get it out. Pretty bad...ICU, etc. I think that people with slips have more "symptoms" and can try to unfill and play around with it to fix it first before having it removed. Doc said no more bands for me, trying for DS surgery now. Gained all weight back. good luck, make sure you get a fluoro, and perhaps take out some fluid!

Hi MBZ, My question to you is , if you had to do it all over again will you?

Wow, that is such a hard question. Remember, this was pretty early on, and I think they know SO much more now!! (i.e., placement, avoiding slippage/erosion, perhaps??, also, gradual fills, that I didnt have)....I always said (when I was so thin, and so happy, that I would do it again, in a second! But, now I guess, looking back, I was probably not as diligent about the maintenance as I could have been. My doc was 2 hours away, and I run my own business. No excuse, but I kind of said, if it aint broke, dont fix it. I didnt feel it was broke. The weight came back on, gradually. At first I ignored it, thought I was just leveling out. This is probably the point that it started eroding, since I was starting to no longer have restriction, and would have been to late to fix it anyway. I Dont know. Could they have caught it and fixed it? I dont think so. Just because,I had no symptoms. Now, I would say, no, I wouldnt do it again, because I think for me anyway, the band is kind of more temporary. I am sure, for most people, it wont be! And I am sure there are many who disagree. But, I need something permanent. At first, I said "no re-arranging my intestines, no way!" But now I say. I need the mal apsorption, and permanancy, because The band had too many variables, and I need this solution forever. Sorry if I am confusing....I have been thru a lot! Hope it helps...

Wow, that is such a hard question. Remember, this was pretty early on, and I think they know SO much more now!! (i.e., placement, avoiding slippage/erosion, perhaps??, also, gradual fills, that I didnt have)....I always said (when I was so thin, and so happy, that I would do it again, in a second! But, now I guess, looking back, I was probably not as diligent about the maintenance as I could have been. My doc was 2 hours away, and I run my own business. No excuse, but I kind of said, if it aint broke, dont fix it. I didnt feel it was broke. The weight came back on, gradually. At first I ignored it, thought I was just leveling out. This is probably the point that it started eroding, since I was starting to no longer have restriction, and would have been to late to fix it anyway. I Dont know. Could they have caught it and fixed it? I dont think so. Just because,I had no symptoms. Now, I would say, no, I wouldnt do it again, because I think for me anyway, the band is kind of more temporary. I am sure, for most people, it wont be! And I am sure there are many who disagree. But, I need something permanent. At first, I said "no re-arranging my intestines, no way!" But now I say. I need the mal apsorption, and permanancy, because The band had too many variables, and I need this solution forever. Sorry if I am confusing....I have been thru a lot! Hope it helps...

I am so sorry to hear about your difficulties. I myself has a slipped band and had to have it fixed. But I did alot of checking about the band vs the bypass before settling on the band, and was shocked to hear that the bypass can also be somewhat temporary. They claim that the band is only going to help for two years, after that you can gain back the weight if you dont learn how to eat right during those two years. Also they said that the first year is wieght loss the second, it is unlikely that you will gain back, but after that its up to you and the bypass wont help anymore. I dont know if this holds true with everyone, but this is what my doc told me. I also know two people personally that gained back wieght - one is four years out and gained approx. 45 pounds back and another who is almost 6 years and gained back around 60 pounds. Anyway good luck in whatever you decide - just thought I would share the info my doc told me - check it out yourself to make 100% sure. Good luck and stay well.

Hi skinnymom, I really have done a lot of research, and that is why I did NOT opt for the RnY Bypass! I have read too many threads that they are looking for revisions, too, because they have re-gained. That is why I am opting for the Duodenal Switch, which has the best longterm success rate. There are MANY bypass patients looking for a revision from rny to ds, but not one DS person looking for any kind of revision, to anything! At least, I cannot find one. I have read, out of hundreds and hundreds of threads, of 3 people with less than satisfying results, and this seems pretty rare. I hope the DS will be my solution, after all this! thank you!

Can anyone tell me what the symptoms of both slippage and erosion are? I'm having some weird things going on. Last night I took a bunch of pills (my bad; I should have taken liquid) because I injured my rotator cuff from swimming (grrr). I had trouble all night getting the pills down, and woke up at about 4am with pain in my back and chest which felt like they were still stuck. My back still hurts. I don't know if this is just irritation or something more. So if anyone can give me a brief synopsis of the symptoms of both, I'd appreciate it. TIA!

Did you ever find out what was wrong?

Does anyone know if you would start feeling the balloon more poking out as you lose more weight? it kind of worries me, but i am not having any pain or reflux.

Did you ever find out what was wrong?

Yup. I was slipped with severe scarring. I converted to gastric bypass and lost 90 lbs in a year. I'm basically at goal. Years and $ wasted with the band, and virtually instant success and a much better lifestyle with the bypass.