I am feeling a hardening underneath my largest incision. I can't seem to tell if it is scar tissue building under the surface or of the band has slipped. Since the surgery, I have not felt any difficulty swallowing, but have kept to the liquid diet as prescribed. I had my operation on April 9, 2009 and don't have my follow up for another week yet. How can tell if it slipped? HELP!

I forgot to add that when I asked my Dr. how I would know if the band had slipped, his comment was, "You'll know...trust me." Looked difficulty swallowing, heartburn, and not being able to keep food down. It's a difficult new world that you are negotiating.

Not sure why my first post didn't go through...but it's not your band that you are feeling under the large incision, it's your port. The band is around your stomach.

I don't think it is my port. I can feel that over to my right, closer to my ribs. Is it possible it is the connecting tube?

My port is located about two inches above my incision about six inches below my left breast. You may be feeling some desolveable stitches that are anchoring your port in place or a bit of scar tissue...you migh also be feeling some fluid build up. I don't think you're feeling the tube.

Docs place ports in different areas, but the odds are this is not your band. It's around the top of your stomach and that is located between your breasts and down slightly. I'll see if I can find a good link to show you.

In this one it's covered by the liver....but I think you can see what I mean.

Also, there is NO incision directly over where the band is placed, unless your doc "cut you open". Laparoscopically the incision is lower (probably just above your belly button)...that one is where the band entered your body.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/images/ency/fullsize/8710.jpg

Thanks for the link! I understand where the band is placed durign surgery, I was just worried that it slipped further down. Is it possible to slip that far-- from the upper to lower area?

Hi Restless Monkey, I have a question for you. If they don't put an incission over the area where the band is at then why do I have one right in the middle of my belly right below my chest bone, clear up by my breast? I had 5 incissions, with a 10cc lap band.

JWL08 the odds of the band slipping far down are VERY slim. For one thing the width of your stomach would stop it. For another, it is, at least in the case of the lap band, lightly sutured into place (which is why we aren't usually supposed to eat for a few weeks post op; to keep the stomach from moving during digestion).

And wintobethin...I don't know...I know I have a large lower incision, a large upper left incision (where my PORT is, not where the band went in) and a couple of other small little incisions. AND I had 2 surgeries over the same incisions. Its possible that the surgeon used the large port area incision to put the band into the body (one is for a camera and instruments) but even so it is NOT over where my band is. My band is under my liver...and my abdominal muscle and so on. It's well protected by my body and can't be palpated from the outside. The PORT, yes. The BAND, no.

They do put an incision near near where the port is but it's a small incision to put the laproscopy tool through. The large incision (about 2 inches) is where you will find your port.

yea i had the same thing happen. it's just your scar tissue.