Has anyone needed to have surgery (not related to the band) after being banded? I was just told I am going to need a hysterectomy (laparoscopic) and am wondering how having the band will effect this surgery. I am 10 months post-op. Anyone have any input? I will be asking my lap band surgeon too, of course.

Yes, I had a hysterectomy just recently. My band surgery was June 07 and in December I started having more female problems. My Gyn sent me for a cat scan which also showed two hernias that also needed repaired. So I now had to have two surgeries (the hysterectomy and double hernia repair). As luck would have it, my lap band doctor had left the state but I called the nutritionist who was supposed to call the doctor. I already had my hyterectomy/hernia surgery scheduled. I kept waiting for her to return my call but she never did. (Sometimes I hate that woman.) Anyway, the morning I went to the hospital for surgery, my lap band doctor called me at home and left a message stating that I should have a complete unfill before any type of abdominal surgery. I, of course, was already in surgery and didn't get the message until my husband came home that evening.

I would say your lapband doc will want you to have an unfill. I didn't and I was fine but I didn't really have the option since I was without a bariatric surgeon at the time.

Sorry to be so winded. Good luck!

Renee:smile:

As with everything else - I am thinking you will get lots of different opinions. I am scheduled to have a bowel resection (open - not laproscopic) and possible ileostomy reversal and hernia repair on September 9. So far, my 3 different surgeons are all saying that I don't need to be de-filled (I have asked them all). I am having my surgery at the same hospital as where I had my lap band and they are saying there is always a lap-band surgeon on call, so if I am having problems, they can deal with it then.

A couple of things I am worried about:

Since being banded, I CANNOT vomit (I mean true vomit - I can PB easily enough), so I am very concerned about nausea from the anaesthetic - I am going to be sure that everyone knows that I need LOTs of anti -nauseal stuff.

Since losing so much weight, my port is right under my rib cage and is starting to stick up through the skin- with them cutting through my abdommen and moving tissue and muscle all around I am worried that something will happen. Again - the surgeons don't seem too concerned.

Make sure you let everyone who will be working on you know all your concerns and about your band. I guess after that, we just have to trust that they know what they are doing!!

Good luck!

I was wondering the same thing, I have to have a laparoscopy later this year and forgot to ask my doc recently. I have a feeling that if I"m going to be pumped full of gas again, I will be very tight without an unfill.