13 YEARS!

Hi everyone, Just wanted to celebrate my 13th Bandiversary. I am doing well and have no regrets about having it done. The band is an awesome tool when used correctly. I wish everyone the best of luck in their journey. Mona

Congratulations!  The band doesn't work for everyone and can do a lot more damage than we were promised, but for many of us, it is an excellent tool. Mine is still serving me well, although at 8 1/2 years I am a newbie compared to you!  

Good to see you back on OH.

Hi Kate,

I too was "banded". My surgery date was 12/16/2009 and I've lost 120 lbs but have gained 10 lbs back, which I'm ok with. I've had no problems with my band either but it does appear that the band has lost it's popularity here in the US as well.  My WL support center has been honest about the band, telling me that many folks in Europe are having the band removed.  As best as I can understand, it's mainly because it's become a less successful type of WL surgery, hence I suppose that many people simply cannot manage to keep the weight off.  

I'm curious what you've been told, especially about what you mean when you said it "can do a lot more damage". What kind of damage?  I see my nutritionist and doctor once a year now, and they are quite happy with me and the fact that I have kept the weight off for five years.  

Cheers,

Margaret

I'm not Kate but I can certainly answer your question, For starters you can have esophageal damage from the excess stomach acid it causes some 2. Scar tissue build up between the band and stomach causes tightness and damage to the stomach causing erosion into the stomach 3. gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying) which is very painful at times (I have this and extreme acid production) 4. then there are the slips and vomiting all the time. The biggest problem is that we were all told that these were very rare and hardly ever happened yet now they are happening to many, many people myself included. There are many failed band groups of FB and other social media with thousands of members so it isn't just an odd few who are being damaged. Some people actually think the vomiting and tightness they have is how the band is supposed to work. It isn't the way it is "supposed" to work. It is just the longer we go from surgery the more problems tend to show up. Just be aware because I would sure hate for anyone else ot feel as lousy as i do everyday from the band.

i wasn't aware that European doctors were specifically anti! In fact banding is one of the procedures supported by our National Health Service in the UK. But the sleeve is definitely getting more popular.

in fact, almost all the people I know personally, including several I met in the US, are actually happy with their bands. I also see my doc once a year and while waiting for my appt meet others waiting for their annual check-up, equally happy. 

The damage which no-one mentioned when I was banded in 2006, is the build up of scar tissue. Mild cases can be relieved by the removal of small amounts of saline, major build up can necessitate band removal. By making the band tighter, problems such as oesophageal damage (which can remain even after removal) can occur. 

This following does NOT include everyone - we can't do anything about this scar tissu, we either get it or we don't. And some people go straight to their doctor with problems and nothing can be done, or some on here say their doctors were unhelpful. But some people compound the problem by ignoring it and some even like to feel their band is so tight they can't eat with ease. It is quite common to have people posting they have had problems for months or even years before they get help!

i think that many people do not understand how the band works and actually want it to prevent them eating. I may get flamed for what I am going to say, but I hope that anyone reading will understand I am not doubting the stories of people like Hislady or Nic and many others on OH. But it is my opinion that part of the reason band stats are so bad is because of that. Some people expect too much, they expect the band to do most of the work, they feel their band should be tight to stop them eating. 

Hello Kate,

Thank you for your reply.  I agree with your feeling that many unsuccessful lap-banders have mis-guided expectations on how the band works.  TMy personal physician told me when I was gathering information about the pros and cons of lab-band surgery, that it would simply be a tool to help with weight loss.  They don't put the band around our brain!  Here in my part of the US, band surgery has definitely fallen out of favor. I get the feeling that most surgeons will mention lap-band surgery but they do point out that one can lose more weight with other types of WLS surgeries.  Gastric sleeve surgery has become wildly popular.  I attend a monthly support meeting and I am the only WLS person with a band.  Everyone who has had the gastric sleeve announce that they would have the surgery again in a heartbeat - exactly how I feel about my lap-band. 

Cheers,

Margaret

I do think education is key, and we have to act as our own healthcare advocates. My problem is my band feels tighter (I vomit a lot more and have developed severe anemia also) in the last year (since a bout of bronchitis and wretching coughs), but I am having trouble getting seen since my surgeon is no longer available and seems noone wants to touch the work of another surgeon. I feel stuck.

Happy bandiversary Mona!

Congratulations! I will be 9 years out in October and love my band also! Glad you are loving life!

Thank you for the update and congratulations on your success!