Need advice I am so upset

[Guest vikka]

I have been a lurker for several months during my weight loss journey. I have gone from 225 to 168 in 7 months. I have had one fill. Today I go in to have a fill and they find I have a slip in my band. Has this happened to any of you? They told me if I stay on liquids for two weeks and come back a lot of times it readjust and takes care of itself.What have you experienced with this. I so hope I don't have to have the surgery ro fix this. I am really freaking out. Any advice would be great.

[DeLarla 22]

I've personally never heard of a slip fixing itself. Slips usually require surgery from what I understand. Maybe you could call another doc and get a second opinion? Good luck. Let us know the outcome.

[dylansmom 27]

I agree. I'd definately get a second opinion.

[Alexandra 55]

Vikka, I had a doctor say something like that to me once, although he stopped short of diagnosing an actual slip. Are you having any symptoms? Did they take an x-ray of your band to diagnose you? When I had a little reflux, the doctor looked at me under fluoro and couldn't tell clearly how the band was positioned. He took a bit of the fill out and told me to come back in 6 weeks. So I made an appointment for right before Christmas, and he asked me if it would ruin my holiday to find out that I needed another surgery. Phooey!

But when I did go in for that appointment, he took another fluoroscope view and all was well.

So don't panic! I have heard of minor issues indeed being resolved by an unfill and rest period. A lot depends on the severity of your situation, and only time will tell the story.

[Guest vikka]

I just spoke to the doctors office. They told me it has happrned to about 30 paients out of the 1000 or so they have done. She said some times it fixex itself sometimes it doesn't. I have an appointment in two weeks to re-look. Yes they saw the slippage in the barium swallow

[donali 57]

The only non-surgical treatment I have heard of for slips is:

1. Removal of all fill for a certain time period.

This type of treatment is generally only used for slight slips. Regardless of the seriousness of the slip, if the above non-surgical treatment doesn't resolve the slip, surgery to correct the slip is the only recourse.

How urgently that surgery must be performed is based on the individual. If the individual is not having problems/pain, then the correction is generally at the patient's will. However, a non-problematic slip can quickly turn into a big problem after a vomiting/PB episode or after stoma irritation, so in general it is best to have a slip fixed as soon as convenient, IF it doesn't resolve itself from being unfilled for a time.

Sometimes in a small slip the stomach will go back down through the band, but the band has to be as wide open as possible, hence the removal of your fill.

Once the stomach is shown to be back beneath the band as it should be, then the fill can be returned.

In this case, "slip" would be defined as a portion of the stomach coming up through the band.

It is possible for a "slip" to be defined as the band as a whole sliding down from its high position. This type of slip is now rare, because most bands are stutured into place.

Most of the slips where the stomach starts to come up through the band are caused by vomiting/PBing.

[Esmeralda 2]

vikka,

I am sorry this is a dumb question but how did you know your band slipped?? Did you have symptoms?? Who pays for this???

[Alexandra 55]

Esmeralda, your questions are not dumb. We're always concerned when someone reports a slippage or erosion, for onvious reasons. I'd also be interested to hear whether Vikka had any symptoms, since some people do have them with slips and others have no idea anything might be wrong.

As for who pays for it, usually insurance would cover any complication with a band if the treatment is medically necessary. Even if the carrier didn't cover the banding originally, if it's clearly a separate medical event from the surgery it becomes its own medical claim. That is, if it happens more than a couple of months out it can't be called a complication of surgery and should be covered in accordance with your contract.

[DeLarla 22]

Hmm, more good info. Can you slip your band by eating too much (stretching the pouch too full?)

[babsyintx 0]

Vikka,

Many of the docs in this area will attempt to resolve a slippage by taking some or all of the fill out of the band and waiting a few weeks to see what has happened. Sometime they correct themselves, sometimes not.

Babs in TX

[Esmeralda 2]

Another dumb question, how can you eat too much??? When I do I BP really bad!! I try to eat very little, for example today for lunch I had a (Pollo Loco) chicken leg with 3 spoons of Beans and lots of Tomato salsa to moisten my chicken and when I was done I felt so full that it almost came back up!!

[Alexandra 55]

Another not-dumb question!! Eating too much is possible after you've been banded for a while and get used to the sensations of your band. Some people feel it less than others and aren't even aware that they're eating too much. Others deliberately might try to eat more and stretch the pouch or use the esophagus as a sort of pseudo-stomach.

Anyway, the point is that whether it's conscious or not, it is definitely possible to eat too much and cause damage. That's why it's important to not rely solely on the band to tell us when enough is enough--we also have to learn the visual cues of a good-size portion and pay attention to the time when we eat. (Lots of bandsters could get down a whole chicken if they give it enough time.)

[Guest vikka]

I did have some reflux nothing bad but I did pb often. I hope it moves back into place, but if not I will have to have it fixed. It is called a hernia surgery at that point, an insurance is suppose to cover it. I was a self pay on the band. I talked to my Doctors office yesterday they said they would not charge me but not sure what the Surgery center would do. So I have 2 weeks to be on liquids and then I will go back in. I am just praying and praying it slips back into place. I really don't want to have to have thar surgery again.

[Guest vikka]

I am also very upset because I am so close to my goail weight. I only have about 25 pounds to go. I hope I don't gain while I am unfilled. I actually last week went shopping and bought size 10 pants. they fit. I have given all my large size clothes away. I truly won't have anything to wear if I gain weight back. This is so frustrating.

[deyanne 0]

can i ask....when you reach your goal weight....how do you stop from losing more...i have yet to go to dr for inital appointments. how do you stabilise you weight after losing so much....cheers Deyanne