My band has slipped after 3 years of being banded

Jessiebear · January 6, 2008

I haven't been on here in a while. My life got busy after the weight loss. Now I'm having problems & I find myself back here. I have lost 90lbs. January 26, 2008 will be my 3 year bandiversary. I have been aspirating at night & when I went to the doc he said it sounds like I have a slip. I go in for a barium swallow Wednesday. He says my band will have to be replaced. I just had to get this off my chest.

juliegeraci · January 6, 2008

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Will your insurance cover a new band?

Jessiebear · January 6, 2008

Thank you. No it won't cover it. It didn't cover it the first time either. I wouldn't change anything though. I feel better than I have felt in years. I've lost 90 lbs.

Kat817 · January 6, 2008

Is there a reason he does not want to try a complete unfill and liquids for a couple of weeks, I remember hearing that is usually the first step in trying to right a slip....sure hope you get good news!!!

Kat

LHenry35 · January 6, 2008

Sorry you are having complications. I, too, had a slip and unfortunately my band was removed. I'm like you, I would not change my band experience for anything. It does seem as though people who have the band for some time have problems with the band slipping. I don't have any scientific facts, its just my observation. I have been un-banded for a year and now I am considering getting another band.

Manatee · January 6, 2008

Wait....help me understand.

There hasn't even been a barium/fluoro look at the thing, and the doc's saying remove it? No unfill yet either? Sounds like a doc needs to make a boat payment. Just my $.02, but surgery (to me) requires some thought and a second or third opinion.

Good luck

socalgal3 · January 6, 2008

Jessie-It's good to hear from you, but unfortunate for the circumstances! I hope the barium swallow shows that your slip doesn't require surgery, but merely an unfill. I went through the same thing and had to have revision surgery. My thoughts are with you.

JeanneC · January 6, 2008

Jessie - I'm only a year out, but I'm having similar problems, but my doc was more of a "wait and see" guy. He had me get x-rays, completely emptied my band, and had me come back in 2 weeks for another set of x-rays. At that time, there wasn't that much of a change, but it looked like it might be getting better, so he scheduled me to come back in a month. Unfortunately, I didn't make it that long and ended up back in his office last Friday. My slip is much worse.

Hopefully, your doc might give you a chance to see if your band can self correct after a complete unfill. I know it worked for a friend of mine. Fingers crossed for you!

Jessiebear · January 6, 2008

Thanks for the input everyone. I wondered about the complete unfill myself. I'm going to wait & see what the barium swallow shows before I ask about it. My doc told me that the band I have, which is the "older model" as he put it, has a higher incidence of slippage than the newer model being used now. Anyone else heard this? He said it is possible that all that will need to be done is to tack it back up with a couple of sutures. He did this same thing to another woman a couple of weeks ago with success. My thinking is, If I have to have surgery to repair a older model band that has a higher incidence of slippage, why not just have it replaced with the newer model? I guess it depends a lot on the cost. I have a lot to think about! Once again, thanks for all the input. It helps to have other people who have been in the shoes I'm in now. For those of you that have slipped, what symptoms did you have?

QTkidsmom · January 8, 2008

Jessie...

I found out last week that I also have a slip. It is likely that it slipped back in September and since then I have had multiple tests and tries at unfills and slight refills. I had some improvement during the times that I was unfilled but as soon as they put Fluid back in the reflux returned.

All the upper GIs have revealed the slip but my doc is a watcher and only now decided that surgery is absolutely necessary. I hope that all is well with you and your surgery can be avoided.

God Bless!

mbsnow · January 8, 2008

I know I'm new at this but, what causes band slippage?

QTkidsmom · January 8, 2008

I know I'm new at this but, what causes band slippage?

They believe that is too much vomiting...for me, they believed that I slipped after a slight adjustment that proved to be too much for me. I began refluxing at night and several times woke up in the morning with vomit all over my clothes without even realizing it had happened (gross, I know!).

Coco · January 11, 2008

Hi There,

I had a slip 6mths after I was banded, the symptoms were, I was unable to keep anything down, solid or liquid, I was defilled slightly when I presented with these symptoms and sent off for a BM Swallow. It showed the slip and when further defills didn't sort out the slip, I had to have it repaired, it was a matter of putting it back to the correct position and stiching it into place. My Surgeon said as all the fat on the wall of my stomach had dissapeard as had the stiches the band moved down my stomach. I have had problems with reflux for a few months after the rebanding but a complete defill and slow refills have cured this and am now happily continuing to lose my weight and have had no further problems. I would like people to know that a slip is not always the end of the band more often than not it is a mearly a set back which can be sorted quite quickly. :rolleyes:

Amelia40 · January 12, 2008

I just found out this week that my band has slipped. I was slipping in Oct my Dr did a complete unfill and left it for 4 weeks. It appeared to have been okay and he did a fill to 6 in an 10 vg and I was go for the first 4 weeks after and the I went another 6 weeks. However during the 6 weeks teh acid reflux was so bad I had to throw up just to calm the acid down (gross). Night was the worse I was up every 1/2 hours for weeks throwing up. He has finely unfilled me completely and is working on getting insurance approval. He wants to replace it with an AP band. It is suppose to be a better band. I have to wait 30 days unless they can get is approved sooner. Usually if I call the insurance company it helps to expedite things so I am going to wait until next week to give the Dr office a chance to get the paper work in.

1/31/08 wil be a year that I have had the band. Unfornately I did notr get my first fill until May and then in August started having problems with the band. I have lost 79 pounds and I am hoping to get everything resolved soon.

Jessie good luck. And everyone else that is having problems with the slippage.

Jessiebear · January 13, 2008

Thanks Amelia. I'm so sorry you are having trouble. i got lucky this time & it wasn't slipped. I sure thought it was though. i had all of the classic signs. i guess i got a wake-up call. Good luck to you. keep us informed. i'll keep you in my thoughts & prayers. I was miserable for a month with the reflux/aspiration. It just plain sucks!