How has the band changed within the last 3 years?

Does anyone know how the band or the way they do the procedure has changed in the last three years? I know when I was banded my surgeon explained how far the band has come and how they do things different. Like all surgeries and procedures...things change and improve all the time. Does anyone know?

I did something I totally regret and went against my better judgment. Someone posted about the band on the main board and a war broke out. Lots of slamming the band and ugly stuff. I tried to defend the band by bringing the subject up about how the band and the procedure has changed. Like all wls they started off so different from how they are preformed today. It's the beauty and beast of modern medicine. I'm not "going there again", but I would for my information like to know how it has changed since I was banded three years ago. I understand, the surgery can now been done through one incision, but it there anything else that has changed?

You know, as soon as I read your post, against my better judgement as well, I went over to check out the thread. Then I remembered why I stay off the main board, and why most Lap-Banders stay off. We're like the red-headed step children!

But I have to admit, it spooks me a little hearing all the failure stories and makes me wonder, did I make the right choice? I still believe I did. Sure, it's challenging, but what's so bad about that? Who ever said weight loss was supposed to be an easy fix? I have no complaints so far and all I can do is hope it stays that way and do whatever I can to make sure it does. I don't like the idea of organ re-routing, dumping, malnutrition, etc.

So...I guess the lesson here really, for me at least, is stay off the main board! It's nasty over there!

I have put a lot of thought into this since then and I feel badly for those former band people. They have such resentment and resentment is never a good thing. The lesson for me is to pray for those people and if something ever happens to my band focus on trying very hard not to become resentful. It doesn't help anyone.

 
Tell you what, when I puke stomach acid every couple of hours and develop esophageal cancer, I'll remember not to be resentful of Allergan and that you are praying for us.

In the meantime, you keep on promoting how wonderful the band is knowing full well a sleeve is safer and more effective long term.  Maybe you should pray for those who listen to you instead of those who are trying to warn others.

 
Hey, that's not fair.  Nobody is complaining about a bit of a challenge and nobody suggested weight loss surgery should be an easy fix.  Even DS is not an easy fix, none of the surgery types are.

The people you are referring to have esophageal damage, stomach damage, liver damage, 5.5 hour surgeries to fix what the band did, 4 hour surgeries to remove the band, permanent stomach damage from the band and she is now left with no future hope for any WLS type.  Then there is the poster in that thread that had an erosion and stomach acid leaking into her gut and she almost died.  Did you actually notice who was posting in that thread?  It was not a bunch of people who thought the band was a magic fix so they could continue to eat ice cream and lose anyway.

Is it really fair to make it sound as though we are complaining that this was more of a challenge we bargained for?  I was all over hard work, eating right, doing the right thing.  I swear I was the poster child for banding, I lost 108# in 10 months, 132# in 14 months.  I did it the right way and the band about killed me.

Today I have permanent reflux, there are times I puke stomach  acid every couple of hours.  I carry a backpack with me loaded with every stomach med you can think of along with my purse.  We hoped removing the band would fix this, it did not.  My sleeve cannot fix the damage the band did.

I have Barretts esophagus, I am likely to get esophageal cancer in my future.

Others have it worse, but yeah.... we are nothing but a bunch of band haters and whiners.

Bleh....

I believe the newer bands are softer and smaller and the ports are smaller too, but I have the second generation band, 4cc 10ml band and it is working just as good as it did the first year, I did have some issues with keeping restriction for a while, but we discovered that my previous band surgeons office was manipuling my adjustments but all is well now, I don't think there are any LESS slips with the older band versus newer bands, band slips and complications are mainly due to how TIGHT someone keeps their bands and how often they throw up especially during the healing phase, but I've had many incidents of getting food stuck and throwing up and my band is still in its original condition at 5 years, so I would guess it all depends on how well the surgeon sutured the band in place and the patient compliance of healing to keep the band long term.

Thanks for posting your experience. Best wishes!

I don't think an awful lot has changed in the last 3 years. The method of implantation now used started in about 2005 and is supposed to be much better then the earlier methods for minimising slips. The newer bands are, I understand more flexible and being longer the adjustments can be more precise, but again, that is not really in the last 3 years.

But stats are better than anecdotes. This is a copy of something I posted a few weeks back. Feel free to use it.............................................


I tried to paste this as a table but the formatting went wrong so the columns don't "fit". Please note (as my doc pointed out) that the first set all deal with bands implanted using the older perigastric technique which had a HIGHER complication rate than the pars flaccida which is now used. I do not know the country of origin of the studies, neither have I read them myself. I was given a warning that the journal in which they appear is strictly copyright and so I am not publishing that on the net! But if anyone wants to know, PM me.  I am not clear on copyright law and don't want to fall foul of it!

Clearly the results are not consistent!

                     patients     over time     port/tubing probs   slips/dilation    erosion   re-ops

Favrotti           1791           12 years           11.2%                   3.9%               0.9%        5.9%
Vertuyen         543              7                         2.9                       4.6                   0.9            6.8
Weiner            984              8                         2.5                       4.5                   0.3            3.9
O'Brien           709              6                          3.6                    12.5                   2.8           18.9
Chevalier      1000            7                          5.7                     10.4                  0.3             11.0
Zehetner         190             6                         2.6                       2.6                   2.1             8.5
Zinzindohoue  500           3                          7.8                       8.6                     0              10.4
Tolonen            280           7                          10.6                     6.5                   3.3            24.4
Miceletto           684           5                          6.8                        6.1                    1.0            6.3
Dargent           1180           7                         none stated       8.8                     1.8           12.7

The following are shorter term studies all using the more modern pars flaccida technique.

Ponce            1014             4                         1.2                        2.3                    0.2         8 removed
parikh              749              3                         2.4                        2.9                   0.1           10.7
Holloway          500             3                        9.2                        5.0                   1.0           not stated
Watkins          2411            3                         2.3                        5.1                   0.1              8
Singhal           1140            3                        0.35                      0.26                  0.09        2.1     

Please note that I am not entering into any "my stats are better than your stats"  about this! I post out of interest to others and am not coming back to read the replies!  I get bored with being slammed for liking my band! These stats neither support not repudiate my own views!

Kate

Thanks for the stats Kate!

I went over there also and told them contrary to popular belief the band does work for some people but someone said BULL****!!!!! to my reply. I asked them why but never got an answer.

They can't stand it if someone is successful with the band, I know people who have had a hard time but damn, but why so bitter??