Hello Everyone ~

I am a 45 year old woman who had her lap band put in about 6 years ago. I've lost a total of 58 pounds. Oh by the way, my band has a capacity of 9.75 cc's.

Before Monday, May 18, I had 3cc in my lap band. On Monday my regular's doctor colleague gave me flurry/under the xray thingy and told me he needed to remove the liquid in my band because my esophasgus was dilated. I was so upset that I couldn't even speak. I called my regular doctor and he is calling me next week after he review my file.

Long story made longer...After going home and thinking about it. My doctor's colleague never told me what I should eat or when I can get filled again.

Has anyone gone through an issue of a dilated esophagus?

Any insight would help - Greatly appreciated,

~zagagirl~

So what where your symptoms? Sorry I can't be any help. Hope you get some medical advice from somebody and you get back on the loosing track :thumbup:

Thank you for your response...

The symtoms are that my Esophagus is dilated.. like stretched out.

ZagaGirl ... how do you KNOW your esophagus is dialated? That's the diagnosis. What symptoms did you have? Vomiting, pain, what?

Frankly, I wouldn't get all worried until I talked to my own doc. This colleague seemed more than ready to throw out a diagnosis without any explanations or recommendations for you.

My esophagus was dilated before I revised to a sleeve. I could see it on the screen myself. I have an x ray I took home from the hospital when I had my sleeve surgery that shows it.

If you want to have your esophagus go back to normal, you need to be on a liquid diet.

It's very common for bandsters to use their esophagus as a stomach. It's called pouch packing.

I am going through this right now as well. I have a dilated pouch and esophagus. They removed all of my fill about 5 weeks ago after I had an Upper GI to detect this. Last week I went again to see if it shrunk back down, as I can tell it has and I was told I can have another fill if it does, I go on Wed for my fill appt so I hope it has shrunk enough. My symptoms were not losing (not gaining either) but being able to eat whatever and however much I wanted. In the month of no fill, I lost 2 pounds, so that just told my doctor for sure I could eat way more than I should be able to. After Wed, I am hoping to get back on track, she said she is going to fill me slowly which sucks, but maybe it will help me to get back on track and not overeat with my band. I will write again to let you know if I get a fill. Oh yeah, she told me to drink protein shakes for the first week and then eat just protein. I did not do this, I am a binge eater and I ate like a pig, but still must not of eaten like I use to cuz I did lose the 2 pounds!! Anyway, I told her I read on here that you are suppise to drink liquids for a month to shrink your stomach and she said that is not true, just releasing the pressure around your pouch allows the stretched section to go back down under the band and then you can start fresh. Well I will stop rambling on, hopes this helps.

Is there a way I can change her font color so I can read her post???? It's barely showing up.....

try highlighting her entire post and you should be able to read it. I am not sure if you can change the color once somebody posts, but I tried highlighting it and it darkened it.

What are the symptoms of a dilated esophagus? I was told that I may have a dilated esophagus because I continuously overeat and throw up. For 3 days, I've had pain in my upper-left side back, and alot of sliming. There are also chest pains sometimes. I thought it was all gas, but after talking to my nurse, I am PISSED at myself because she said I could lose my band if the stretched pouch and esophagus don't clear up. I go to get a barium swallow if I don't get better with liquids and soft foods for the next few days.

Any advise???? Consoling words??

Ok I had a fill in march of 2010 and all was well up until about a week or so ago, I started having night caughing and some reflux. I seen my new Dr. told me that I might have a mega esophagas and this is becuase I gulp my food, well no. I eat slowly, small bites and chew very well. I do not drink 30 minutes before or after eating. I told him this. I aslo told him what my old Dr. would do in this case would remove someof the fill and have me on liquids for a few days, then soft foods and well like in the beginning. He said he is going to remove my fill all of it, well no he will not for I will not go back to him. He is talking surgery etc and well he has no idea if I am dialated as of yet or not. I was not losing weight but I was told that I maxed out on my weightloss and not to expect much more if any. I am not hungry half the time. I am not vomiting at all and not sliming at all either, noting hurts when I eat or drink. So how can I shrink this esophagas and get her back ionto shape. Please help.

I was also at the doctor recently 5/27/10 to get a fill. I also told him I was able to eat bigger portions than usual and not feeling that full. He told me I may have a dilated esophagus and is sending me for the tests to see. He said if this is so he will have to release my fluids. Meanwhile he tried tofill me to 3cc.. I couldnt hold anything down. I couldnt even swallow my saliva. I had to go back and he removed everything but 1cc. He said I was very swollen. This is very discouraging. Has this happend to anyone. And what was the outcome with the tests for your esophagus? Was the fluids removed...Were you able to refill? Thanks

I was also at the doctor recently 5/27/10 to get a fill. I also told him I was able to eat bigger portions than usual and not feeling that full. He told me I may have a dilated esophagus and is sending me for the tests to see. He said if this is so he will have to release my fluids. Meanwhile he tried tofill me to 3cc.. I couldnt hold anything down. I couldnt even swallow my saliva. I had to go back and he removed everything but 1cc. He said I was very swollen. This is very discouraging. Has this happend to anyone. And what was the outcome with the tests for your esophagus? Was the fluids removed...Were you able to refill? Thanks

I had the same issues, espohagus dialiation about a year ago, they had me drink that milky stuff and it showed up on an x-ray machine that my fluid was not flowing freely like it should be. So they took out ALL my fluid, I was mortified, this could not be happening. I got very depressed and stressed out, which I got shingles from all the stress. They told me that I could not get another fill for at least 10 weeks. So I waited , went back in 10 weeks, did not gain anything or lose anything. Granted I did watch what I ate , I didn't want to gain all of my weight back. They filled me up but I don't know how many cc's , went home seemed to be doing okay, but still thought I was eating way to much. Went back in 4 weeks and didn't gain anything thing I had lost 2 lbs. Not real thrilled with that but its better than gaining. They gave me another fill, because I thought that I was eating to much. Went back again in 4 weeks and had not lost nothing! We did the milky drink again and I had espohagus dialiation again!! I was told that I need to see a doctor and talk about why I am sabatouging myself...Did that for a few weeks, I don't know that I got anything from it. Went back to the Lap band doctor , I didn't lose or gain anything, it was really, really upsetting and they gave me more fluid, I don't know how much. They told me that when I come back again in 4 weeks and if I am still having the same issue that they would not be able to do anything for me , there is a possiblity that they might have to take it out. I have not been back since...I am scared. I really want the keep the lap band, but I just need to learn how to eat right. I don't know what to do? I really don't want to get the Lap Band removed.

I made an appointment for next week to see what we need to do, I have not lost any weight but have gained about 10 lbs in the last 5 months. Any Suggestions?

Thanks for listening!

I had irritation above my band and could keep down less and less food. I didn't have a fill in over 8 months but it just got irritated one day. I just did liquids in hopes that this would go away. It did not go away and eventually I was having a hard time keeping just liquids down. After 4 days of no solids and hardly any liquids I called the doctor. It was the weekend so I was trying to wait until Monday. He told me to come into his office first thing Monday morning. He completely unfilled me. Took out 8cc's of my 10cc band. Took a barium test to make sure there was no damage. He said everything looked ok but I just needed some time to heal. He told me to come back in a month to start the fill process all over. This was not good for me. It took a long time to get to the place that I needed to be to really start loosing weight. I needed 7ccs to even start feeling and good restriction. I went back after the month and he would only put 4cc in. That did nothing for me. I have no restriction. I am going back in 2 weeks for my next fill. He said we can do 2.5ccs. Hopefully I can convince him to give me more because I have gained about 20 pounds and very discouraged. I'm hungry all the time and having a hard time controlling myself.

I had a unfill today Urrgh! After 5 days of barely keeping even water down I went in for an appointment to see my doctor. They took the fluid out before I had the upper GI done. I was fine then out of the blue I couldn't keep anything down. I've been banded for a year and my weight loss has been phenomenal. I just had a 16 lb weight loss then to have a complete unfill I think is so unfair! Of course I have ravaging hunger and absolutely no restriction, the radiologist said everything looked fine that I probably had something lodged above my band the last thing I had was baked tilapia, won't eat that again. I'm waiting for my PA to call me so I can get in for a fill in the morning. I'm scared because I believed I was at my "sweet spot" that I'm going to gain weight while waiting to get back to my "sweet spot" what am I to do!?

I got my second refill today. They took 8cc out, waited a month. Put 4cc in. Gained at least 20 pounds because this gave me no restriction at all. Today she put 3rd in for a total of 7. Thank god I am finally feeling some restriction with liquids.