[b]s T R E C H I N G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/b]

hello everyone
Would the pouch ever get streched out???????? I'm so scared that if I eat to much I will strech the pouch out.

Thats Why They Can Adjust It Isnt It???? Im Not Trying To Be A Smart A-- Im New At This

are you banded yet? I ask this question because I'm 3 weeks out and seem to be able to eat alot. I don't know if it's because i'm drinking and eating at the same time????? I just don't want to mess up what i just had done ;-)

Jeninifer,

I am only 5 days out. But, I just went back and looked at my paperwork and it states that once I am on the pureed (mushie) stage, I am NOT to drink anything while eating.

My Dr. said it is possible to stretch the pouch but it takes consistently overeating. I ased if carbonation would do it and he said "maybe." He hasn't seen proof of that.

Hope this helps I am to new to offer much else.

I am really not sure about stretching out the band - I am still in the early stages before surgery, but I do know you are not supposed to ever drink while eating. After eating solids - protein, veggies, carbs, you are supposed to wait 60-90 minutes before drinking anything. It washes the food through too quickly and you end up hungry too soon. Hope this helps, also I have heard on this board that with good restiction it is very hard to over eat-but of course I don't know this for sure.

hope this helped, even a litttle

If you don't have a fill yet and you are healed, then yeah, you'll be able to eat a lot. I'm eight weeks out from surgery and can eat EVERYTHING in sight. I get my first fill tomorrow, yay!!!

1) I am convinced the band itself will not stretch under any circumstances;

2) my THEORY of the pouch stretching is, that it would take intentional systematic and repetative abuse of self to do such...

my THEORY is it becomes uncomfortable to eat too much and the lower opening into the rest of the stomach allows the digested slurry to run into the lower normal stomach before much stretch force developes...

3) my THEORY of why some gain is too many calories in a liquid form...milk shakes, etc....of low bulk but easily digested....and many of the same evils we overconsumed preBand will continue to do the same thing...

4) with my recent second fill, most of the time I KNOW I can't eat much...one or two swallows before it's time to stop for a while....even cottage cheese or shredded beets have given me PB lately...

The little excursions I have with recent binging....really amount to 'not much' volume but more frequent 'tastings'....so 'meals' are smaller but 'snacks' seem more often....not that I'm proud of this...

My surgeon told me that drinking carbonation will stretch out the pouch over time. Something about the gases dispersing in the stomach... Sounds kind of implausible to me, but at this point I'm not doing anything that might make it harder to lose weight.

I don't think it's really that hard to stretch the stomach pouch out. A friend of mine had the roux-en-y 3 years ago (a very different surgery from the band of course but we both have a pouch) and they just did a test on her stomach and found out her stomach pouch is as large as her old stomach. Obviously she consistently ate past the point of fullness for a long period of time, but her story still put the fear of God in me.

My surgeon told me that there was not really a "pouch" to stretch, but what you can do by having complete disreguard for the eating guidelines is apply pressure on the band. This can cause some erosion. The constant PB can cause esophogial issues too.

Your fine - don't worry just follow your Doctors instructions. You'll feel so much better after your first fill when you know your band is still ok. I know I did.


But to answer the question in general:
I was told the answer is "YES." The band can be forced out of position in the early stages of healing from forcing too much food down & than cause the band to move & force more of a stomach pouch upward through the band. Therefore you pouch will have gotten bigger.


Also if the band is very secure & you force too much food down & continue to do so - over & over & over again, you can actually stretch you esophagus out near the bottom. So even if you mess up a few times - just don't keep doing it & try to get back on track right away.

Talk with your Doctor & get an x-ray done if needed. These incidents DO NOT Happen easily nor are they COMMON- so chances are way in our favor that we all will be fine.

I don't have a band yet but from what I've read on here - most people think they are eating too much until they get thier 1st fill. Also, my doctor said the not drinking while you eat thing was solely to help you lose weight b/c drinking while eating pushes the food thru faster and therefore you don't get/stay as full.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP. I THINK I'M JUST A NERVOUS NELLY. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY SIDE AFFECTS [NAUSEA, VOMITING, PBING] I GUESS I'M JUST LIUCKY. ALSO I THINK I'M EATING WAY TO MUCH. I KNOW WHEN I'M HUNGRY BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT BEING FULL

I am 10 days post op and have the same concerns you do about knowing when I am hungry but have a hard time about being full! I guess it's just a new band thing the nerves just keep you wondering what you might be doing wrong!!

Carrie