LAP-BAND® Surgery and LAP-BAND® Discussion Forum - View Single Post - If your band eroded--did you lose restriction?

donali · 02-01-2006, 01:59 PM

I did not have a loss of restriction.

I was almost a model bandster - the last month my appetite seemed insatiable even though I was "full", so I was over eating somewhat, but not to a painful point, and not to a vomiting/PB point. But I did still feel like I had the same amount of restriction. But I didn't drink carbonation, did not take NSAIDs. I lived on extra strength Tylenol the month I tore my port sutures, but other than that rarely took any kind of medications at all. I lost 100 pounds in 17 months with my band.

I did not have any real symptoms of erosion. In hindsight I can say that right before my fourth fill I had a night or two where my band was SO uncomfortable, I felt like it was pinching, or something, and I was thinking I should cancel my fill appoinment. But I kept it anyway, and my doc always lets all the fill run out before refilling, and I felt IMMEDIATE relief from that pinching sensation. My fourth fill was more than the one before, and felt perfect, and I didn't have that same pinching sensation after that at any time.

About a week before I had my endoscopy I had what felt like a severe gallbladder attack. I knew it wasn't my gallbladder because that had been removed in 1992 - but the pain felt very similar. I felt like there was a lot of pressure somewhere, that might be relieved by a giant burp or fart, and yet I couldn't burp or fart. It scared me into going for my endoscopy. I was convinced, though, that there was nothing wrong with my band - I just wanted a clean endoscopy so that my PCP couldn't blame it on the band. Regardless of the true reason for that attack, I haven't had one since. So it's possible it was from the erosion, or it's just as possible I had a stone in my bile duct - which does happen sometimes, even after the gallbladder is removed.