Lap Band Removal YIKES!!!

So latest news about my lap band...I went to see my endo Wednesday to check my thyroid and go over my latest lab work. The good news: my thyroid has remained stable during 3 weeks of no meds (I'm really hoping I never have go back on thyroid meds). The bad news: my endo turns to me and says "I see you went to the ER for abdominal pain back in August and they checked your band". I explained to him that I've been having horrible abdominal pain off and on for several years now, but every time I go to my doc or the ER, they check my tummy and band, and say everything is great (other than the time I had gastritis). My endo turned to me and asked "Well, they told you all about what's going on now, right?" I looked at him like he was crazy and told him that I had been told, as usual, that everything looked great with the band and that everything was as it should be. He was FURIOUS and went on to show me my cat scan results, which clearly stated that my band was broken in TWO places! He told me I have to see the wl surgeon and schedule to have it removed. I've been freaking out since then. I am soooo not ready for any type of surgery. The craziest part was as I was leaving, another young woman and I struck up a conversation, and turns out she had the lap band done in '07 and just recently had it removed due to all kinds of horrible complications. She had just seen the endo, and he had prescribed her Belviq. She's scared out of her mind to have any type of wls again, which is exactly where I am. Although I'm nervous and freaking out about being put under and being worked on, I know this thing must be removed from my body. There's no doubt in my mind that it is the reason for all of my ailments. I am so pissed that the results from my last ER visit were not shared with me or even acknowledged. Could this be due to the doc just not reading the info?? Crazy! Think I will be contacting someone at that hospital and seeing if there is any way to have this issue addressed. If there are no consequences, this may continue to happen to others. Anyway, one of my biggest concerns is wondering what the surgeons will find during surgery. According to my endo, there may be erosion, but there's no way of knowing until they perform surgery 😞

I revised from a VBG (which is the old, banded stomach stapling) to an RNY in 2010.  The band had adhered to my liver and caused serious scar tissue.  I vomited every day for 25 years.  I was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus and had six tumors removed.  I have to tell you that I had instant relief after my RNY.  I have vomited two or three times in the last four years (all of them my own fault).  Don't be afraid to have this done.  It gave me my life back.

The ER is the WORST place to get care.  The doctors in the ER are only there to stabilize people until they can get to their regular doctor.  They are terrible with diagnosing and fixing issues.  I advise people to wait to see their PCP if at all possible.  Of course there are times when you MUST go to the ER, but with the knowledge that the REAL care will come with the follow-up when you see your PCP.  I have had three bowel obstructions and EVERY time I went to the ER with them they tried to send me home, telling me I was constipated.  I insisted on seeing a surgeon before I left the hospital.  The first obstruction involve necrotic bowel and I would have been dead in 24 hours if I had gone home.  Moral of the story... You know your own body and have the right to insist on proper care.

Rocky513, what an experience!!! So encouraging to read your outcome. Hopefully, things will go well for me. I remember being so excited about getting my band. I had no idea any of this was even a possibility. Now, here I am frightfully considering a revision 😞

That is dreadful that you were not told what had happened. I wonder if, as you say, a non-bariatric specialist simply didn't know what to look for? But the doctor should have asked someone who WOULD  know.

but I am sorry this has happened to you anyway. When I was banded in 2006, many of the complications which have since become apparent with the band were not known. But breaking in two places is not one of them usually!! 

My best wishes. 

Thank you Kate! I have also NEVER heard if a band being broken in 2 places. Lucky me!!! Lol I am so grateful for this site and for you all. I don't know what I'd be doing right now if I didn't have the support provided here. I'm guessing I'd be going CRAZY!!!

Those kinds of complications are not uncommon with the band, unfortunately.

I'm horrified for you that the ER told you everything was fine when it clearly wasn't.  Please do contact the hospital to ask about that and share your concerns.  That's awful.

Thank you Kelly. I plan on contacting them soon. I wanted to do it today, but I'm still pretty emotional about it all, and I don't want to say the wrong things or come across as hysterical. I want to be able to calmy and clearly get my point across. I hope I'm able to do so! 

I'm sorry this has happened.  Obviously the ER doc wasn't experienced or knowledgeable about the Lap-Band or maybe any WLS procedure. 

I hope you contact the hospital administration to let them know what happened.  Whatever doctor you saw in the ER needs to be addressed for this.

If you're going for a revision from your broken Band, check out the surgical forums (DS, RNY, VSG) and the Revision boards for the experiences of other OH community members.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you, Cathy. Yes, I will be contacting them as soon as I feel a little less emotional. I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else. Had I not seen my endo, I could've walked around experiencing problems with this broken band inside of my body and thinking it was something else. Although the thought of revision surgery is horrifying for me right now, I am sure it will have to at least be considered due to my PCOS and Insulin Resistance Syndrome. I truly don't think I would successfully be able to lose weight and keep it off without some type of intervention. 

Unfortunately this is very common with the band and we are finding more and more as time goes by. Even the mayo Clinic will no longer do bands because of the damage it does. With your PCOS it would be good to look at the DS as it tends to work best with hormonal issues and it works life long where the RNY on works for 12-18 mos and then the absorption starts returning. I wish you well and please research all the other possibilities.