What Band?

What Band is used for the VBG? I have the Lap-Band, and a friend was told she could have this VBG and was wondering if it was the same Band that I have. I have the Inamed band...I know nothing of the VBG...is the band adjustable?

Well, I can answer for myself and say, No, the band used for VBG is not the same as your adjustable one. This one is metal (titanium?).

Hi Caryn, Wishing U much success with your wls. To answer your question, three types of bands are used in VBG. The bands vary according to Surgeon Preferences. There is the Metal Band There is the Mesh Band and there is the Silastic Band, silastic is a flexible silicone banding. I would think that the Silastic Band would be stretchy because it says that it is made of a flexible silicone. In my case the band dropped from its position outside the stomach, commonly known as migration. It then eroded thru the wall of my stomach by 75 percent, leaving 25 percent in my abdominal cavity. The Endo pics are amazing... the band inside the belly looks like a U, It is gross, it has been biopsied and contains huge amounts of candida albicans, aka yeast. It is black in some places, green in others. I am facing Partial Gastrectomy to correct this problem. I have Systemic Lupus which was diagnosed in 95. I am truly very sick, Worked as a Nurse for 24 plus yrs, loved my career, on SSDI now. There is very little normalcy to my life, I am on so much medication, meds that my life depends on. Expensive medication. I am on laxative, Enemas, miralax... fiber ,,,,,,, I have permanent damage to the nerves in my stomach, Gastroparesis is the Diagnosis, caused in part by Lupus and in part by Surgery. To ER eight times since Decemeber 2003 and Hosp in Feb and March of this year. Waiting for preliminaries to have the Gastrectomy, which will be a BIG OPEN ABDOMINAL OPERATION, one week minimum in hospital, NG tube the whole works...... Please say a Pray for me. Beverly in Georgia