Today I found out that my band had dialation (not sure how to word this) and all my saline had to be removed. I went for a fill in March and told the doctor that I had no restriction and was having lots of GERD especially at night. Some nights I would wake up choking really bad. The doctor at that time, filled me with .2 cc of saline. The GERD got much worse and today the saline was removed.

Does anyone know anything about dilation of the lapband?

God Bless,

Barbara

Wow, so glad you hve relief from the reflux. All I know is Tums for heartburn. Some other smart folks may have some other ideas!

Barbara & Sue,

did either of you experience ANY odd feelings (other then reflux) that couldve helped you figure out that something was wrong?

And how did the doc find this, through endoscopy?

Ive been thinking about this post a lot since I read it. Wondering what I would do if this happened to me - facing the possibility of band removal.

Leatha, just wondering... why did the doc wait 3 months to replace your band? why didnt he just give you another one when the first one broke ?

I mean you were already asleep, and he was at the right place at the right time. Why wait?

He didn't wait. He went in to reposition, the band broke, so he replaced it right then and there.

Mine was really found during a fill on flouroscopy (that is, IF the guy who did the fill would have known what he was looking at.) He actually put a fill on top of the slippage which is a big no-no. I had no real signs UNTIL that fill. Then suddenly, I couldn't swallow without pain. I slimed on Protein shake. I began waking up aspirating in the night. Nothing was going down, just sitting in the pouch waiting for me to lie down so it could come backwards. I called to ask if we could take some out and he told me it would be another fee since he used the services of an imaging center. I decided I needed someone who was more experienced at looking at bands and called for help. Immediately, he - the more experienced doc said the film showed Slippage - not pouch dilation which is what the fill guy said (even though he filled it - which is definitely a no-no even for dilation). He said my esophagus was perfect - no stretching whatsoever, that this film clearly showed slippage and we had to unfill immediately and be repaired. That was on June 14th. July 16th, I had my repair/rebanding surgery because the unfill did not completely allow the slippage to return to normal.

In all this, I wound up seeing a fill doctor (opportunist), then Dr Maese - one of the mex Docs nephews who's done more fills than most anyone in the country, Dr Benevidez, who confirmed the slippage but wound up unable to help me due to his surgery center not being contracted with my insurance, then finally, Dr Veninga did the repair/rebanding once my PCP was able to locate him and verify that he would see me since I had my original surgery elsewhere.

Moral to this story - Just because someone knows how to do fills (or thinks they do) does not make them an authority on bands or what they are looking at EVEN if they do flouroscopy. Beware who you allow to touch your band in the name of dollars and convenience!!!

Paula, the only signs I had was no restriction and the reflux. When I went in March and thought I needed a fill because of no restriction I told the Doc about the reflux. He reviewed films under fluro but made no comments and went on with fill. Apparently, something bothered him because he took my files with him to a conference recently with other surgeons and they reviewed my files and discovered the dialation. Hence, removing all my saline. As I stated, since the removal of the saline, I have not once had reflux, but terrible heartburn!! I did not call doc today because I have not had heartburn today. If I wake up tonight again at around 4 a.m. thinking I am having a heart attack I am going to call doc tomorrow.

Leatha, I have NO idea where I got that thought... about you waiting 3 months for the next band...??? duh! sorry about that.

This happens when too much food is eaten. It packs itself in, waiting to get into the stomach. But it just sits there, because of the logjam at the band.

this is the part that bothers me.

we have no idea when this is occuring?

My doctor told me he stitched mine too., I just don't understand how a band can slip if it is stitched. What are the tell tale signs?

Corgi