Just to let you know about my current situation. I have been telling the nurses since the band was first filled that it wasnt working - but had to go through 4 more fills, until there was 9 ml in a 10 ml band until anyone believed me. I went for x-ray, and the band had snapped open, not restricting anything ( except perhaps for my liver , which it is uncomfortably pressing against )

I have been in pain for the last 6 weeks and completely stressed out and crying etc for the las 3 months.

I am told this is rare and that the band couldnt have been done up correctly in the first place, although my surgeon has a great medical reputation.

I would love to know if anyone else has had this happen, and what happened when it was fixed again

thanks guys

I feel for you. Has your surgeon talked to you about a revisional surgery? He better be doing it for free. As you said despite his reputation he had to have put it in wrong if it is not secured around your stomach. Because there is no way it can become "un-snapped" and fall off your stomach. The band isn't snapped around your stomach it is designed somewhat similar to a zip tie. It has a hole on one end, they wrap the band around the stomach then slip the port tubing and other end of the band through the hole and pull it into place. Once secured it can't unsnap any more than a zip tie can be pulled apart or a belt that is properly fastened.

I'm not saying your wrong at all, I'm just saying the doc had to have made a mistake placing the band for it to not be properly fastened. The band once properly secured can't accidentally open any more than a properly placed zip-tie or belt buckle.

He better agree to do the revision for free and cover the hospital costs as well. If he tries to suggest he will only cover it depending on what he finds inside I'd insist on the surgery being taped for legal record. That ought to put the fear in him.

I swear last night I was almost asleep I woke up with the feeling that I felt something snap. I am hoping it was all in my head. Did you feel anything like that? I am sorry you have to deal with this. I hope it gets better. It really stinks to have to have surgery again. Take care.

hi- thanks for your responses. I AM getting it redone for free, but am fighting to get the 4 band fills back that I paid for in my package - can you believe it, they are actually telling me I had my 4 fills in the band that has snapped and cant have them back. I am thinking of going to the press and taking them to court, I'll keep you posted

thanks guys guys

donna

england

The band doesn't just open like a bracelet might. If it were me I would think 1) surgeon error or 2) defective band.

Definitely fight them on the fills, and ensure that you have no revision fees at all.

Hi Donna,

Glad they are going to put everything right for you after all the stress!

Anyway I'm interested to know who did your surgery?

Also you definitely deserve the cost of the four fills back!!

Take care

Donna x.

OUCH! Hate that for you. Having the band come undone is rare...but it's one of 2 things.....

defective band

defective surgeon

Either way you shouldn't have to pay a penny to have this corrected.

Good luck!

And maybe a letter on a lawyers letterhead to the surgeon would be encouraging to him? You should get more than those fills for free with all you've had to go through. I don't mean to screw over the surgeon, but maybe a year's free fills or something.??? sheeesh! I feel bad for you.

Hi there - Regarding locking mechanism failure - I have copied and pasted my original post dated 19/09/07 so that I can add the follow up since I had my band removed due to erosion.

..................Quote "I was banded in May 2005 and have had limited success, and always had difficulty getting any good restriction. I was resigned to the fact that I was a 'band failure' as my surgeon put it - filled to the max with no restriction after more than 20 fills and unfills. In May this year I was admitted to hospital after experiencing high temperatures and incredible pain and swelling around the abdominal area, in the region of my port. I had been feeling off colour for some time. My surgeon was away at the time so I entrusted my care to the local hospital, where most doctors knew nothing about the band. I was treated for a severe infection with IV antibiotics, and after day six was discharged from the hospital. CT scans, ultrasound and xrays revealed nothing apart from a small pocket of Fluid. In July I went back to my surgeon for my last fill which took me to 6cc's in my 4cc Inamed band, and within days an abscess had formed above my port. The abscess is no longer infected but continues to discharge constantly. My doctor uttered the words "possible band erosion", and we waited for approval to get a scope done.

I had the gastroscopy done two days ago, and have lovely images in living colour of my eroded band. The picture also clearly showed that the locking mechanism on my band was open - which could been the major contributor to the erosion. So now, the band has to come out - and there will be a delay of several months before I can investigate more weight loss surgery. I am so grateful that I know now why I have not been feeling well, why I had a really hard time losing weight and best of all, that it wasn't my fault.

I will be very interested to know whether the band was faulty, or whether it was not locked correctly. I remember asking the question about how secure bands were before my surgery and was told they "NEVER" came undone.

I am so looking forward to recovering my good health again, and hope that my surgeon has learned something valuable from my experience. Namely, that if a patient is filled to the max, suffers no reflux and feels no restriction after a reasonable period of time, that it needs to be investigated further. I wish I had been more assertive much sooner!" Unquote................................

Before my surgery on 19th October 07 - I asked that it be recorded in my notes that my band be given to me, which it was. The surgery knocked me around, and was a long 3 hour procedure because it took such a long time to repair the damage. Following the surgery, when I asked my surgeon to confirm that the band was unlocked, he at first said that it had been closed which really upset me. I was too ill to question him any further and after 3 days in hospital I came home with my band in its container. It looked revolting, and was colored a dark brown from where it had been affected by gastric fluids inside my stomach, and of course still covered in slime from the operation. About a week after my op I finally steeled myself to clean the band up and have a closer look because I wanted to know if I had a defective band or if my surgeon was at fault. To cut a long story short, there was no way that the locking mechanism could have come undone by itself because I tested it out myself. When it was locked properly there was no way the band could be opened without brute force! This involved grasping the band in one hand close to the locking lug and then forcing it apart with the other hand by leveraging the locking lug out of the hole. When I had the post op visit to my surgeon, I confronted him again and he conceded that the band had not been locked properly and apologised for not acknowleging it sooner. I am now four and a half months out from my band removal and in six weeks I will be healed enough to consider another surgery. I am waiting to see if my claim for a new surgery will be accepted as a continuation of my treatment injury here in New Zealand and if it isn't, then I will be looking at my surgeon to cover the costs. It has been a constant struggle to keep my weight in check, but I have regained my health back again and that has been what I am most grateful for.

Marion

Kingfish - Thankyou so much for your post. Not many people with complications take the time to update boards like these on how they are doing. I know it would be painful for me to return to these boards if I were to lose my band.

But I feel it is just as importantant if not even MORE important for us to be informed of possible complications and its aftermath.

Thank you again. And please keep us updated on what happens with your claim for a new surgery. I wish you nothing but the best wether it is a new band, a different surgery or none.

Well this thread is older, but I recently posted a new one on my situation, as my surgeon says he "thinks" my band is unlocked.

No restriction, hunger and filled to 9cc's in a 10 cc banded prompted an x-ray.

Does anyone know if an x-ray is enough to diagnose this?

I am seeing the surgeon again in 2 days as I have a lot of questions.

I don't know how a band is unlocked unless it was not locked to begin with or the band is defective, either way it is not my fault and I am the one suffering the greatest of consequences as a second surgery is needed to close it or replace it. I am now exposed to all the same surgical risk as the first time around. I was self pay and surprisingly have lost over 40 pounds.

liquids for several weeks following surgery, then liquids for 2 days after each fill,(nine fills) then being carefull after each fill trying new foods and fear of getting stuck is apparently how I lost the weight.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

I am so SORRY for what you are going through. I applaud you have been able to lose even without the assistance of a properly functioning band but how discouraging it must be for you to feel this time has been wasted. It hasn't really considering you have lost not gained but it I can sure appreaciate how it would feel that way.

Do you know which type of band you have?

As you can tell some have been "un-locked" but as a complete non-medical professional I too wonder at how that is possible at least with some of the brands unless it was never properly locked to begin with.

I would definitely be pushing for the doc to cover your expenses. Document EVERYTHING!!! Even if he won't cover it, a friend of mine recently had some trouble with a leak due to the doc puncturing her tubing with the fill needle and it looks like she is going to be able to get her money back by going through small claims court.

Hopefully, this thread will bump some more responses for you. Keep us posted on what happens

Thanks for the supportive words. I am upset of course at the prospect of a second surgery and more upset that my Dr. has made "light" of my situation. He says he'll just go in and lock it, but that means anesthesia all over again, all the same surgical risks, recovery, fresh scars ( mine are just light pink now and getting smaller) and repeating post op diet and then start the fill process all over again. Not exactly a walk in the park!

I am glad to have read that people have asked for their bands, but since he has told me he will just lock this one, how would I know if he actually has to replace it at surgery and never tells me?

I have an appt Thurs and have a lot of questions to ask. Hopefully, I'll get answers that satisfy me.

I hope in the end everything works out. It was a lot of money to pay.

I have a allergan/inamed 10 cc band. The new APS one.

I have another friend who was able to ask her doc to have photos taken during surgery. It was just for journaling her initial band placement but maybe you could insist pictures or even a video is taken of your surgery. She had to provide her own camera and film but they didn't refuse her. It seems worth a try, and it just might make the doc nervous enough to concede paying for the re-surgery.

After having the snapped open band done up, and stitched together, and the promise that this time the band will work, I find myself 5 mths after the 2nd op 14 lbs heavier, 4 fills later - NO restriction whatsoever.

I have 6.5 mls in 10 ml band. No sign of leakage:scared2:

I am so depressed. To have the op twice and it not work at all. I feel really low and wish I'd never tried in the first place.

I am going for aspiration and fill on friday, and have been told to give it a few weeks. If there is still no restriction, they will do a radiological investigation, but I really dont think I can cope with the emotional ups and downs any longer. Ive had enough:frown::frown:

I know exactly how you feel. I had mine redone last week because it was placed around the fat tissue rather than the stomach. Even though this time around it's been done correctly I'm no longer confident that there won't be other complications. I think if anything else goes wrong, then I would get it out and not bother... always feel way too anxious leading up to surgery.