I'm a little confused....thats really nothing new, but anyway..

Where does the food get stuck? And what is the "stoma"?

Do you fell the golf ball thing where your little tummy is?

Your stomach acids are at the bottom, right. If so how is the food breaking down in the little pouch?

Does your stomach make acid constantly? The whole acid reflux thing is really bothering me. I've had it twice, in the middle of the night, I burped and felt this burning and I couldnt breath. It really freaked me out.

Wow, Tina, that's lots of questions! My food gets stuck between my throat and sternum, and it's very painful. I think the stoma is what the band surrounds, which is the area between the pouch and the stomach below. I get the golfball in my throat. My doc explained that all the "action" goes on in the bottom stomach, which is where all the digestive enzymes are produced. That's why she was dead-set against me getting a gastric bypass since the bypass cuts off the bottom part of the stomach where all the digestive action goes on. I could be wrong, but I think the food starts its digestive process in the top part but it starts sort of dripping down into the bottom part to complete the process. When you introduce food or liquid into your mouth, the belly starts moving around to start digestion. I'm not sure if your stomach makes acid all the time, but I assume it does since it's pretty much always active and doing stuff.

Acid reflux can be pretty scary, so make sure to talk to your doc who may prescribe something to prevent/protect/repair your esophagus.

I hope that made sense, and I hope it's accurate considering I'm going only from memory, which gets dusty and rusty on occasion. Be good to you.

Adding to what Delarla said.... The stoma is the opening that the band provides.

When I was 'investigating' this type of surgery, I found a site that has a video of the band and how it works... no longer have it

Wow, I'd love to see the band in action. Okay, who around here is a programming genious that can program a virtual stomach with a virtual band so we can see how the contraption really works?

Hi Delarla - missed you the last few days...

It was a animated video of just the band and showed a needle injecting fluid in the port and the stoma closing. This make better sense?

I have this "How It's Done" go to www.belighter.comclick "lap Band" than click "how it's done" I do have another one, it's on another MX Dr's website. I'll look for it.

I'm thinking theres pressure being put on the very end of your esophagus(sp?), when you eat too much and that is what gives you the golf ball feeling??

The acid reflux thing scears me. I read it can be a sigh of slippage and I just what to know "why" it happens, so I can prevent, maybe.

To the question about how the food breaks down; from my understanding (disclaimer; not a doc or a nurse or anything) the top part doesn't really do anything. Think of it as an hourglass. The food sits in the top and slowly moves to the bottom. This helps us because the nerve at the top of the stomach is stimulated and tells our brain we aren't hungry. Then the food is moving to the 2nd part of the stomach and is actually digested. Reflux needs to be addressed because the acid is getting to the top part of the stomach and pooling up there like liquids do before moving back down, so it's extra time spent that you don't want for the acid up there. Have you had any fills yet? Reflux can be a sign of being too tight. Although I know some people just started having it after they got the band, and take Nexium and they are fine.

I actually thought I might be able to stop my Aciphex that I take for GERD...but spoke to others who have lost weight, had the band, etc, and they still take it. So now it all makes sense why ....thank Sarah!

http://www.uclabariatrics.mednet.ucla.edu/resources/resources_videos.htm

http://www.thebariatrics.com/the_surgery.htm

Paula both of these will show how the band works on video

You are all sorta right. The stomach lining has gastric cells that produce the enzymes needed to break down food. These cells are located throughout the stomach. So yes the top part of the stomach can still develop this stomach acid for breakdown of foods. It just isn't as much cause the food is less.

The acid reflux whether banded or not needs to be treated. I think more so with being banded. I had horrible GERD prior to being banded and was being treated with Prilosec and was going to be started on Nexium next. THen I was banded and now NO more reflux at all. I think it is because I try to drink some Water prior to bedtime to flush out my pouch. So there is nothing in it.

The stoma is the opening between the top pouch and the bottom stomach.

I had acid reflux every night before the band but totally gone after being banded.