Lap-Band Revisions 

If you are experiencing:

  • difficulty swallowing that is causing you to cough/choke/throw up when you eat, lie down or sleep

  • food getting stuck repeatedly

  • Eating mostly a liquid, saucy, crunchy and flaky food diet and avoiding the more solid, dry, dense or doughy foods

  • Having progressive trouble with heartburn / reflux that is not responding to medication anymore

You may have one of these complications:

·      Lap-Band intolerance  (inability to eat solid food)

  • Esophageal dilatation  (stretching of the swallowing pipe)

  • Obstruction of the Lap-band  (band too tight, band too high, band slippage – too much stomach above the band)

  • Lap-band slippage  (pouch has become large and intermittently is causing obstruction)

  • Lap-Band erosion  (band rubs into the stomach)

Next steps / Options

When experiencing the symptoms or complications described above get help. Find a bariatric surgeon (weight loss surgeon) as soon as possible who does revision surgery. The symptoms will usually continue to get worse not better.

The best studies to diagnose the problem is an UGI (upper gastric swallowing study) and an Upper Endoscopy (scoping of your stomach) done by a bariatric surgeon to evaluate the function of your band and determine what has changed about your lap-band, stomach and esophagus since lap-band surgery.

After the UGI and Upper Endoscopy it should become apparent what is causing the problem(s) you are experiencing, and the surgeon will start discussing with you what can and cannot be done to correct or improve the problem.

Your options may include:

  • Inflating / Deflating the lap-Band

  • Removing the Lap-Band

  •   Converting the Lap-band to a Sleeve gastrectomy

  • Converting the Lap-Band to a Gastric Bypass

  • Undergoing a Hiatal Hernia reduction and repair with/without an anti-reflux procedure

Though the Lap-Band used for weight loss in individuals who have failed to lose weight through diet and exercise, many patients can experience sub-optimal weight loss despite the surgery, or develop complications.  In such cases, revision weight loss surgery may be needed to induce or maintain weight loss or correct a complication. 

Please call and make an appointment to discuss your symptoms, and how to diagnose what is causing your problems.  Only then can we determine what happened and how to help.