fredgood #1

[fredgood]

My LPN did scan and told me my esophagus was in spasm and therefore not pushing the food down efficiently. Thats why food gets stuck and I vomit. apparently this happens in "older" people (I'm 57) . She said that if she had known this , I might not have gotten the band.
I've had to have some fill removed and I am presently gaining back the weight I lost.
Needless to say, I am a bit frustrated.

To make matters worse, there is no doctor at the bariatric center, only LPNs. A general surgeon placed the band, but he knows nothing about the functioning of the band. I,m considering having it taken out to avoid vomiting every other meal.

[ambereye]

fredgood, on May 3, 2011 - 8:24 PM, said:

My LPN did scan and told me my esophagus was in spasm and therefore not pushing the food down efficiently. Thats why food gets stuck and I vomit. apparently this happens in "older" people (I'm 57) . She said that if she had known this , I might not have gotten the band.
I've had to have some fill removed and I am presently gaining back the weight I lost.
Needless to say, I am a bit frustrated.

To make matters worse, there is no doctor at the bariatric center, only LPNs. A general surgeon placed the band, but he knows nothing about the functioning of the band. I,m considering having it taken out to avoid vomiting every other meal.

I am having the same problem and well i too m 57 years old my band is 4 years old. I will probably have to ahve some fill removed tomorrow when I see my Dr. but I wil also bringing to the board sort to speak a revision procedure removing the band and having the bypass done, this is a complication and well most insurance companies will cover a revision due to band complications it is getting the Dr. to submit the right paperwork to get the job done. Best of luck to you

[eko]

My doctor required a barium swallow test before lap-band to check the esophagus is functioning properly before surgery. If a problem is found, it is further evaluated and a decision is made whether Lap-Band is the right WLS procedure. My barium swallow indicated a problem, so I was sent off to a Gastro Dr. for further evaluation who was thrilled that this was being looked at pre-op instead of post-op when they typically have to deal with the problem. I had an endoscopy and a esophagial motility test which both came back fine, what they were seeing on the barium swallow was that I had a shorter swallowing time than normal, but everything was functioning correctly. Only after all that did my doctor agree that I was a candidate for the Lap-Band.

I am sorry to hear about your issues post-op and maybe before you totally give up on the band, see a Gastro Doc and see if there is another solution for you. I wish you all the best.

[Melissannde]

If a revision has to be done, you might look into the VSG or Sleeve as well as the RNY or bypass.

Best of luck.

[Wheeler5051]

I am so sorry to hear about your troubles. That is no good! Is there any other Bariatric Surgeons in the area that you could possibly see to get a second opinion or at least someone who deals with the lapband on more of aregular basis? It is a shame that you have to deal with people ( although they are healthcare professionals) that do not have a great deal of knowledge about the band. It't almost unfair disadvantage to you. Good Luck, i hope they can help you without loosing your band!

[fredgood]

Wheeler5051, on May 4, 2011 - 9:53 PM, said:

I am so sorry to hear about your troubles. That is no good! Is there any other Bariatric Surgeons in the area that you could possibly see to get a second opinion or at least someone who deals with the lapband on more of aregular basis? It is a shame that you have to deal with people ( although they are healthcare professionals) that do not have a great deal of knowledge about the band. It't almost unfair disadvantage to you. Good Luck, i hope they can help you without loosing your band!

[fredgood]

Wheeler5051, on May 4, 2011 - 9:53 PM, said:

I am so sorry to hear about your troubles. That is no good! Is there any other Bariatric Surgeons in the area that you could possibly see to get a second opinion or at least someone who deals with the lapband on more of aregular basis? It is a shame that you have to deal with people ( although they are healthcare professionals) that do not have a great deal of knowledge about the band. It't almost unfair disadvantage to you. Good Luck, i hope they can help you without loosing your band!

[fredgood]

I had all the fill taken out today. Hopefully I will stop vomiting when I eat. I just ate chicken without vomiting. If I still vomit, the band comes out. If not, I might get a lesser fill.
My LPN claims that not much is known about esophageal spasm and its relationship to lapband. Unsure if the lapband caused the spasms or the spasm was there all the time.
Great idea to see a gastroenterologist. I also found a lapband clinic where the docs do the fills. I may switch.

[imawinner]

fredgood, on May 5, 2011 - 7:48 PM, said:

I had all the fill taken out today. Hopefully I will stop vomiting when I eat. I just ate chicken without vomiting. If I still vomit, the band comes out. If not, I might get a lesser fill.
My LPN claims that not much is known about esophageal spasm and its relationship to lapband. Unsure if the lapband caused the spasms or the spasm was there all the time.
Great idea to see a gastroenterologist. I also found a lapband clinic where the docs do the fills. I may switch.

I have had the esophageal spasms and it feels a lot like what you would think a heart attack feels like. Very painful and scary. My doc prescribed donnatal to relax the spasm as soon as I feel it coming on. Made a world of difference. He tells me that they aren't sure why it happens to some people after the band. I can tell you it gets much less frequent with time. Hope this helps.

[Hamilt10]

I'm 52 and had esophageal spasms right after my July 2010 surgery. Doc gave me Donnetal. It helped right away and I stopped taking it after two weeks. I now am restricted to my "sweet spot" and frequently get the spasm which makes it difficult to impossible to swallow. I find that going back to the Donnetal an hour before I eat does the trick. I am losing weight and finding the routine that works for me.