I am about a month away from banding (hopefully!) and realized last night that I am not completely sure I understand how this actually works.

Here is what I think I know:

Normally food goes through the esophogus and into the stomach, mixes with the gastric juices which break it down and then it empties to the intestines. The part of the stomach that signals the feeling of fullness is at the top of the stomach so usualy we need to fill the entire stomach in order to feel full.

So the band is placed near the top of the stomach. It creates a small pouch at the base of the esophogus with a small hole between the pouch and the rest of the stomach. So now when we eat the food goes into the pouch. As it fills the "switch" that signals fullness is "tripped" much earlier so we feel full and satisfied much earlier with much less food. The food then makes it way through the small opening and drops into the stomach and mixes with the gastric juices and is processed normally just as before.

Have I got all that right????

So here is what I don't understand:

What causes the food to actually move through the opening? Why doesn't it just sit there? Is it like an hourglass where the sand just drops slowly through the opening?

When people mention being "stuck" where are they stuck? Is it the at the opening between the esophogus and the pouch? Or the pouch and the band?

Same idea with a PB--where does the this get triggered? At the esophogus or when the food gets to the band.

I often get shaky and lightheaded and have come very close to passing out at times from not getting enough to eat/not eating meals on time etc... Once I am eating a significant amount less than I do now, how will that affect this physical reaction?

I often get shaky and lightheaded and have come very close to passing out at times from not getting enough to eat/not eating meals on time etc... Once I am eating a significant amount less than I do now, how will that affect this physical reaction?

This is usually caused from a carb rich diet. You will likely experience problems after surgery until your body adjusts to a healthier diet.

When it happen do NOT consume sugar!! Consume Protein, it will even out your blood sugar.

You've got the beginning right!

So here is what I don't understand:

What causes the food to actually move through the opening? Why doesn't it just sit there? Is it like an hourglass where the sand just drops slowly through the opening?

Your esophagus produces some juices (I believe that's where the 'slime' comes from), but mainly you've got it right...it's an hourglass and mainly gravity kicks it through (that's why people have problems if they eat too close to bedtime).

When people mention being "stuck" where are they stuck? Is it the at the opening between the esophogus and the pouch? Or the pouch and the band?

My doc said this is the new stoma (pouch/band). You'll notice you have to adjust your chewing as your new upper stoma gets smaller.

Same idea with a PB--where does the this get triggered? At the esophogus or when the food gets to the band.

Not sure what you mean, but I was told when something gets stuck (above) then the body reacts with producing slime (I believe from the esophagus) to move things along, when that doesn't work the next response is the PB to get it up and out. That's why you usually slime then PB. You can have food back up all the way into your esophagus as well.

You've got the beginning right!

So here is what I don't understand:

What causes the food to actually move through the opening? Why doesn't it just sit there? Is it like an hourglass where the sand just drops slowly through the opening?

Your esophagus produces some juices (I believe that's where the 'slime' comes from), but mainly you've got it right...it's an hourglass and mainly gravity kicks it through (that's why people have problems if they eat too close to bedtime).

When people mention being "stuck" where are they stuck? Is it the at the opening between the esophogus and the pouch? Or the pouch and the band?

My doc said this is the new stoma (pouch/band). You'll notice you have to adjust your chewing as your new upper stoma gets smaller.

Same idea with a PB--where does the this get triggered? At the esophogus or when the food gets to the band.

Not sure what you mean, but I was told when something gets stuck (above) then the body reacts with producing slime (I believe from the esophagus) to move things along, when that doesn't work the next response is the PB to get it up and out. That's why you usually slime then PB. You can have food back up all the way into your esophagus as well.

Slime is when your body is producing really super thick saliva and theoretically, it's supposed to act a a lubricant to help food pass through the stoma. I don't know about others but for me when I was banded it just meant more stuff to barf. ;o)

A stoma is a hole...

the stoma is the hole between the new "pouch" and the lower stomach.

And yes, the esophagus is geared to moving things through. It's a conveyor belt, not a processor. IF you eat too much and food is in the esophagus rather than the pouch, the esophagus, lined with mucus membranes, produces.......mucous! To help move it along. It will contract and move the food up or down. That is one cause of a PB. Another is when a bite or bolus of food is too big or not well chewed...it doesn't go through and so will come back, again with the aid of mucous (which is called "slime" here).

You CAN stretch your pouch, ONCE YOU ARE RESTRICTED, by overeating frequently. Also PBing too much can be bad for your band. However for most of us if we follow our doc's individualized post op instructions to the letter, the band heals well and we don't have slips or big issues down the line.

PBing isn't like vomiting in that there is no stomach acid/bile in it. It isn't corrosive. Unpleasant, but not corrosive.

OF course your doc would be the best source of info!