RE: Barium Meal

[Guest guest]

Hi Caroline, it sounds like you had a pretty awful few days. I hope you can

persevere until tomorrow when I am sure you will have the fluid out.

Decision time!! Unfortunately only you, together with your doctor can make

the choice which is right for you. I assume you are fairly close to goal.

How much have you lost, and what is your weight now?

To answer your questions:

I had the first band removed and the 2nd band inserted in the one operation

which was done laproscopically. Recovery time was less that the first time,

I suppose due to the fact I was 37 kgs lighter. If you only had 5 days off

work (I don't know how you managed that - I was off for a few weeks) then I

see no reason why you would be off work any longer if you had it done again.

The good part is you only have to go on liquids only for half the time.

Good luck with your decision and I am sure you will choose the right one for

you.

Let me know how you go and look after yourself.

Regards,

Esther.

[Guest guest]

Sorry if am wrong, but isn't it the idea for there to be a pouch?? I know my

doctor

went into great detail about the intricacies of placing the band in the correct

position so the pouch was the right size and the band at the right angle. But i

thought there needed to be a pouch for the food to go into, and to give the

" full "

feeling.

Aly

Ruby wrote:

>

> The x-ray showed a definite pouch above the band. I am going to see my Dr on

> Friday morning but he has already told me that my options are to:

> 1. Leave the band in and deflated

> 2. Remove the band

> 3. Remove the band and have bypass surgery

> 4. Move the band up higher

[Guest guest]

As far as I am aware, the latest information is that the band is placed as

close to the oesophagus as possible so no pouch is formed. This is a

different placement to yours, Aly.

Can someone with more information about the oesophageal band please post

details.

Regards

At 09:02 PM 9/11/00 +0800, you wrote:

>Sorry if am wrong, but isn't it the idea for there to be a pouch?? I know

my doctor

>went into great detail about the intricacies of placing the band in the

correct

>position so the pouch was the right size and the band at the right angle.

But i

>thought there needed to be a pouch for the food to go into, and to give

the " full "

>feeling.

>

>Aly

>

>Ruby wrote:

>

>>

>> The x-ray showed a definite pouch above the band. I am going to see my

Dr on

>> Friday morning but he has already told me that my options are to:

>> 1. Leave the band in and deflated

>> 2. Remove the band

>> 3. Remove the band and have bypass surgery

>> 4. Move the band up higher

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I don't think they are making much of a pouch, this is why I am always

vomiting. I can't eat enough to get full unless I flush it through with

drinking. Otherwise I only eat enough to fill my oesophagus and without any

stomach I don't think a full feeling registers.

Having said that I don't really know enough about the positioning to speak

with any authority.

Kay

> Re: Barium Meal

>

>

> As far as I am aware, the latest information is that the band is placed as

> close to the oesophagus as possible so no pouch is formed. This is a

> different placement to yours, Aly.

> Can someone with more information about the oesophageal band please post

> details.

>

> Regards

>

>

> At 09:02 PM 9/11/00 +0800, you wrote:

> >Sorry if am wrong, but isn't it the idea for there to be a

> pouch?? I know

> my doctor

> >went into great detail about the intricacies of placing the band in the

> correct

> >position so the pouch was the right size and the band at the right angle.

> But i

> >thought there needed to be a pouch for the food to go into, and to give

> the " full "

> >feeling.

> >

> >Aly

> >

> >Ruby wrote:

> >

> >>

> >> The x-ray showed a definite pouch above the band. I am going to see my

> Dr on

> >> Friday morning but he has already told me that my options are to:

> >> 1. Leave the band in and deflated

> >> 2. Remove the band

> >> 3. Remove the band and have bypass surgery

> >> 4. Move the band up higher

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

After experiencing problems for most of the past 15 months (after the

placing of the 2nd band) it is being pondered that maybe the band is too

high. My band is sitting right at the junction of the oesophagus and

stomach and I have no pouch whatsoever. I have also experienced lots of

problems with my oesophagus over this period, something which did not happen

with the first band. I am going to see the Dixon tonight to hear the

prognosis. As a matter of interest, regardless of how much fluid I have had

in the band, I have never had a sensation or feeling of fullness, which when

you think about it, makes perfect sense. I always thought that by having

the food in the pouch which slowly filtered through was what gave the sense

of fullness.

Interesting stuff.

Esther

[Guest guest]

Kay Ben-M'Rad wrote:

> I don't think they are making much of a pouch, this is why I am always

> vomiting. I can't eat enough to get full unless I flush it through with

> drinking. Otherwise I only eat enough to fill my oesophagus and without any

> stomach I don't think a full feeling registers.

>

> Having said that I don't really know enough about the positioning to speak

> with any authority.

>

> Kay

Maybe someone that is more of an expert can advise us here, but unless there is

some sort of pouch I can't see how the band can work. If there is no pouch the

food doesn't enter the stomach until it goes thru the band and then straight

into the main stomach. There is no signal of fullness then as the oesophagus

can expand to a bigger capacity than the stomach. Isn't the idea that the small

pouch fills up and signals to the brain that it is full??? How can it do that

if there isn't a " pouch " to speak of? Obviously the pouch shouldn't be too big.

I wonder if they have done a survey on who is successful at what positioning of

the band? I know I have a pouch and mine has been great with no side effects at

all.

Aly

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

Well, my news is not very good........ but could be a lot worse. I saw

this morning, went through all the symptoms I've been having, and he sent me

off for a barium X-ray there and then. To summarize........ there has been a

pretty major slippage of the band. In fact, it's turned around to a

completely different angle from where it began, with a big piece of stomach

slipping up and through it. According to him this readily accounts for both

my symptoms and my failure to lose weight over the past several month.

caught Prof. O'Brien between patients and he squeezed me in right away......

now that's good service for you! Anyway........ I have to have a new band. I

am NOT a happy camper, I can tell you. I told them both that I'd not heard

much in the way of positive results from people who've had to have a second

band, but they both insisted that the statistics do not bear this out. In

any case, seems I have no choice. I have a surgery date for December

18th....... I pushed hard to have it sooner, but no vacancies. wanted

to empty my band completely to relieve the symptoms but I wouldn't let

him....... so he left in 2 mls. Whether this will provide me with any

restriction, I don't know........ the one thing I am terrified of is putting

the weight back on, and I know that without restriction I can pack on a hell

of a lot of weight between now and Dec 18.

With regard to the discussion about band positioning....... I raised exactly

this point this morning, in the context of my situation. said that it's

true that there are some surgeons (especially overseas) who are of the

opinion that there should be no pouch, rather that the band should be placed

at the oesophageal junction; however, the team here believe it's essential

to success that there should be a small pouch, as it is only the stomach

that causes the feeling of satiety that lets us stop eating. If the food

just sits in the oesophagus you don't get that " full " feeling, because it's

not an organ designed to hold food.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on Esther...... you too .....

and anyone else with appointments this afternoon. And if anyone else is

going to be in the Avenue at the same time as me...... stop by and say hi.

All the best,

.

[Guest guest]

Hi , I am so glad you posted, I have been thinking about you all day.

I am sorry the news is not good, but I suppose the good thing is that is can

be fixed. I assume all your other problems re reflux etc will disappear

with the reduction of fluid. Hang in there Sooze.

Regards,

Esther.

[Guest guest]

Hi

Sorry to hear your news about your band, I for one have a second band. Good

luck with your operation,am surprised that you have to wait until 18th Dec,

when my band slipped, replaced it the same week. The good news is

that they usually get you onto solids much faster with the second band.

Sally

[Guest guest]

Should they stitch it in place this time ( make sense to me )

???????

wrote:

> Hi everyone,

>

> Well, my news is not very good........ but could be a lot worse. I saw

> this morning, went through all the symptoms I've been having, and he sent me

> off for a barium X-ray there and then. To summarize........ there has been a

> pretty major slippage of the band. In fact, it's turned around to a

> completely different angle from where it began, with a big piece of stomach

> slipping up and through it. According to him this readily accounts for both

> my symptoms and my failure to lose weight over the past several month.

> caught Prof. O'Brien between patients and he squeezed me in right away......

> now that's good service for you! Anyway........ I have to have a new band. I

> am NOT a happy camper, I can tell you. I told them both that I'd not heard

> much in the way of positive results from people who've had to have a second

> band, but they both insisted that the statistics do not bear this out. In

> any case, seems I have no choice. I have a surgery date for December

> 18th....... I pushed hard to have it sooner, but no vacancies. wanted

> to empty my band completely to relieve the symptoms but I wouldn't let

> him....... so he left in 2 mls. Whether this will provide me with any

> restriction, I don't know........ the one thing I am terrified of is putting

> the weight back on, and I know that without restriction I can pack on a hell

> of a lot of weight between now and Dec 18.

>

> With regard to the discussion about band positioning....... I raised exactly

> this point this morning, in the context of my situation. said that it's

> true that there are some surgeons (especially overseas) who are of the

> opinion that there should be no pouch, rather that the band should be placed

> at the oesophageal junction; however, the team here believe it's essential

> to success that there should be a small pouch, as it is only the stomach

> that causes the feeling of satiety that lets us stop eating. If the food

> just sits in the oesophagus you don't get that " full " feeling, because it's

> not an organ designed to hold food.

>

> Looking forward to hearing how you get on Esther...... you too .....

> and anyone else with appointments this afternoon. And if anyone else is

> going to be in the Avenue at the same time as me...... stop by and say hi.

>

> All the best,

>

> .

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

.......

I asked about that. In fact, asked whether it wasn't stitched in place the

first time. It was interesting, I got different answers on that from the two

doctors. Dixon said yes, it was stitched in place, and Prof. O'Brien

said no, in fact they can't stitch the band itself to anything...... not

sure exactly why...... but that they somehow anchor it at the front and back

but not the sides. They also put a sort of mesh at the back to help stop it

slipping. Evidently the stomach muscle itself is very slippery. But the Prof

also said that they've only ever had one case of a second band slipping,

because there is already a fair amount of scar tissue on the stomach from

the first band, and that tends to hold the new band much more securely in

place.

Re: Barium Meal

> Should they stitch it in place this time ( make sense to me )

>

> ???????

>