Sticking my neck out.... Happy bandsters, please support me!

I am fed up wth being told that my surgery is inevitably going to fail me. Please note that some who post warning against the band do not say it is inevitable, just likely. I may lose my band! I am not naive! But I may not!

First of all, those who have had bad experiences, we do need to hear them. Both for pre-ops and for existing bandsters. I get the impression that some docs, especially in the US, put forward half truths and make the band sound like a simple, totally safe, easy weight loss solution. That is wrong and should be countered. All wls should be a last resort, no surgery is risk free, all wls requires lifestyle changes, all surgery can have later complications.

But all wls carries risks, the operative mortality rate increases with the complexity of the operation and the level of obesity and co- morbidities of the patient. The lapband op is the shortest and tends to be done on those of a slightly lower weight and so the operative mortality rate is almost zero.

There can be failures of the device, surgical errors, slips, erosions, nerve damage. BUT show me the wls without problems! It sometimes sounds as if other wls are " perfect". Sorry, they are not! I went on the new board and all bar one on the Revisions forum were moving from RNY. Not all sleevers are problem free, neither are DSers.

Naomi is getting stick because she says SOMETIMES the bandster is to blame. Well not always but, sorry, she is right. Out of the 30+ people I have met irl who are banded, there have been just two removals, one was for non- band related issues, the other chose to keep her band tight and basically became bulimic, eating, PBing, eating again. She accepts her responsibility for this.

In the UK we have private hospital groups; each group will have hospitals in all the major cities. We also have the National Health Service which operates through Trusts which cover large districts. My own private hospital group, th different one Evelyn used (she posts on here) and my local NHS Trust all give figures for slips at just over 2%, erosion at 1%, re- ops under 5%.

Of all the bandsters I know irl who are over three years out, all have lost all their excess weight or are sufficiently close to be content

Kate

 I agree with you Kate.  I love that you get both sides of the story here, and I'm glad folks are passionate about their viewpoint.  Sometimes though it does get a little close-minded and personal with folks telling each other they don't know what they are talking about.  Any step you take in changing your life is an improvement and great idea.  Make the choice you can live with is my feeling on the matter.

I don't post often because I don't have any interest in arguing with people about opinions.  You know what they say about 'em, they are like ******** and everybody has got one!

I appreciate your calm demeaner when you post on here.  I genuinely feel like you attempt to respect each person that may read your posts, regardless of agreeing with opinions.

I'm also thankful that those who have suffered problems and revisions have taken the time out of their lives to inform us all of the possibilities.  

For what it's worth, I have a lapband over plication......so I know how that procedure is even more unpopular than a simple lapband on here!  lol  

Kate,

I agree 100 percent, band slippage has been occurring since I got my band over 6 years ago. I have seen and heard it all, I know MANY lap banders in real life too, and ALL that suffered band slippage was THEIR fault of vomiting every single day several times a day, they admitted it. Also if the band is installed wrong the patient will KNOW if from the git-go, not years later. If they ate solids too quick or early to allow it to heal properly that is THEIR FAULT not the surgeons.

If you ask ANY lap band surgeon what causes band slippage ALL will tell you frequent vomiting with a too tight lap band. Sure sometimes surgeons can install it wrong, these cases are rare. If Surgeons installed 80 percent of the lap bands WRONG the FDA would come and do something about it and patients would sue in droves. Hell my own band almost slipped 4 years ago when I got too tight after a fill and traveled out of town, I made it to my surgeon just in time before I permanently damaged my band, so I KNOW how it feels to have band issues.

A few years ago people would FESS UP and say, yea I kept my band too tight and caused slippage, NOW and as of late NO ONE is FESSING up, they just come here and terrorize newbies and tell them the band is a piece of **** and tell them they are all doomed, but they failed to mentioned that they did not get that UNFILL when they were having chronic reflux at night or vomiting every day.

If someone gets the Sleeve or bypass and suffer complications its usually NOT their fault because they can't help that they can't eat and they are given the restriction the surgeon give them, NOT so with the band ..People will post they are having heartburn reflux and vomiting but refuse to remove saline until their bands slip so bad until it almost kills them and they come back here and say the band is crap.

A few years ago people used to be very helpful when they shared their complications with the band, those who HONESTLY had complications from no fault of their own don't tend to bash the band, they tell their story and move on, you can tell the "trouble makers" who post here frequently they are not here to help they are here because they are bitter and want to tear this forum down by bullying newbies and telling them they are stupid for getting the band.

I would support people more if they admitted..yea I kept my band too tight and admit to the vomiting, I respect these type of people, no one is perfect, some people have more severe eating disorders than others, these people have always been welcomed and supported, but I will not support liars and those that try to tear down this forum..

The band has been in Europe and Australia for over 20 years, why aren't these patients having their bands removed in an alarming way? I have to admit Americans tend to have a more destructive lifestyle and ARE NOT AS ACTIVE as Europeans and tend to look for a FREE RIDE when it comes to losing weight,

 I would support people more if they admitted..yea I kept my band too tight and admit to the vomiting, I respect these type of people, no one is perfect, some people have more severe eating disorders than others, these people have always been welcomed and supported, but I will not support liars and those that try to tear down this forum.. 

Naomi, I'm sorry but I have to "call shenanigans" on this one.  Six months ago, right about the time you deactivated, you - in a very insulting post - attempted to tear me a new one because I DID freely admit to having issues due to keeping my band too tight. Does any of THIS sound familiar (and these are EXACT, verbatim quotes)?


THE ONLY THING YOU ARE GOOD AT IS....SHOWING OFF YOUR 200 POUND LOSS,  AND COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR INABILITY TO GET A JOB...I WONDER WHY??

. . . THAT IS WHAT HELPED YOU GET THOSE INFAMOUS 200 POUNDS OFF BY VOMITING IT OFF  .IS THIS THE KIND OF ROLE MODEL YOU ASPIRE TO BE TO NEWBIES??

 Bette, I think you honestly caught me when I was totally FED UP with band bashing, I could not log in here without people being attacked and I saw the forum disintegration happening before my eyes....you know through the years you have always been my inspiration IS STILL IS TO THIS DAY. I got angry with you because I felt that you should have help fight with the band bashers to help keep this forum alive, but now I see your stance and I support and respect that.  I deactivated because I thought my identity had been comprised and I thought the band bashing had become "dangerous" which it had been. I think that is why Obesity Help changed their rules and TOS because a lot of people not only the band board was being attacked.

If I have not apologized for that I do now, I will never tear down another successful bandsters...NEVER....regarding my "Shenanigans"  I am quite known for angrily acting out to prove a point, but I never intentionally do anything to hurt or harm anyone. It used to be a time when we could post the good band and ugly and expose our deepest secrets...not anymore, we have too many vulgers from other forums waiting to swoop down for anyone to post anything that happens to the band and say...see ya told ya so the band is a piece of crap and I think that is very very sad.

I think you know me well, I have offered my support of EVERYONE here over the years and gave a lot to this forum, I give congrats to newbies, warn them about the band, give them advice that will help them whether or not they like what I have to say.

Again, I am sorry if I insulted you, and I am offering this to you

 Apology accepted. 

 FWIW Naomi, I like this version of you.

Happy bandsters? I'm one, eight-plus years out!

Has it always been a smooth, trouble-free ride? Nope. There are times when my band and I do not get along (it's back to feeling tight in the morning). Is that a deal-breaker? No.

I admit that I've had problems with my band or, rather, my band has had problems with ME. My band slip was caused by ME refusing to address a problem. Was that a "band failure"? No, it was plain old operator error.

The times when I have gotten sick, was it because of the band? Well, yeah, in a sense. It was the band DOING ITS JOB and me, being bullheaded, insisting on eating too fast, not chewing enough, eating too much - all my old bad habits. Band failure? No, it was plain old operator error.

My band is not perfect, and that is fine because, god knows, I AM NOT PERFECT. If I can manage to keep my head on straight, stay focused and do what I am supposed to do, my band and I get along famously. You know what? This may come as a newsflash for a lot of people: that is what you have to do with ANY WLS. You have to remember what you need to do, follow the rules, stay cognizant of what you are doing, what you are putting in your mouth, and why.

Band success does not happen for EVERYONE, I know. I understand that there are a lot of you out there who have BAND SURGERIES that fail through no fault of your own. However, there are far, far more people who fail their bands than the other way around. The band is not going to stop you from grazing or from making poor food choices. If you want to continue to eat a lot of high fat foods and not have to worry about it, the band is NOT the choice for you.

But with my band I don't have to worry about forgetting to take vitamins (which I do), malnutrition, or going to get iron infusions. I don't worry about leaks along my staple line, or bowel obstructions or fistulas. No reactive hypoglycemia, no dumping, no diarrhea or "sharts". And, most important to me, I still have all my parts.

Would I have chosen another surgery? Nope. Because, in my opinion, with every other surgery, if something goes wrong you are - in one word - ******

Hi Kate - I am not an "angry bandster".  I had my band for 3 1/2 years.  Was I a happy bandster?  No, or I wouldn't have had it out, but I'm not going to pee on anyone else's parade.

Bands do work for some people - absolutely.  I don't generalize.  I never tell anyone that they should steer clear of the band.  I do, however, ALWAYS STRESS that anyone needs to look into every option of WLS. 

My theory is that WLS success varies like shoes fit feet.  If you choose the WLS that matches the severity of your obesity, you'll be successful.  Having said that, there are PLENTY of people who fit the obesity category where a lap band would be their BEST choice.

My complaint is that people generalize too much; using 1 rule for all.  Using the rule that the lap band is bad for everyone is ignorant. 

 Thanks, Janine. I truly welome posts from people who have had issues. If the issues are not of their own making, I sympathise. If the issues are their own fault, I offer support and suggestions.

Kate