Did I say it was about me? NO! This is a messege board. This is how it works. I write stuff...........u write sutff........other members write stuff. Not just the ones that U specifically want to write!

Why did u  bother unblocking me just so u could argue and complain about what I write?!

Actually you did:

I have just as might as u do to tell MY band experience! I also have the right, and I feel the responsibility, to post band stats and relevent band articles on here for pre-ops to have access to. Also for those that are having band issues to realize they are NOT the only ones having these issues!

I unblocked everybody because some threads just didn't make sense with missing posts.

 Just keep in mind, Steph, that you can always log out to read so that everything makes sense.  But, if you do that you *can't* respond.  Works better for me than sitting on my hands.

Tami

Steph also since you objected to my info being outdated..............I am reposting this from a current post:

J Obes. 2011;2011:128451. Epub 2010 Dec 22.

Fourteen-year long-term results after gastric banding.

Stroh C, Hohmann U, Schramm H, Meyer F, Manger T.

Department of General, Abdominal and Pediatric Surgery, Municipal Hospital, Straße des Friedens 122, 07548 Gera, Germany.

Abstract

Background. Gastric banding (GB) is a common bariatric procedure that is performed worldwide. Weight loss can be substantial after this procedure, but it is not sufficient in a significant portion of patients. Long-term rates for associated complications increase with every year of follow up, and only a few long-term studies have been published that examine these rates. We present our results after 14 years of postoperative follow up.

Methods. Two hundred patients were operated upon form 01.02.1995 to 31.01.2009. Data collection was performed prospectively. In retrospective analysis, we analyzed weight loss, short- and long-term complications, amelioration of comorbidities and long-term outcome.

Results. The mean postoperative follow up time was 94.4 months (range 2-144). The follow up rate was 83.5%. The incidence of postoperative complications for slippage was 2.5%, for pouch dilatation was 9.5%, for band migration was 5.5% and 12.0% for overall band removal. After 14 years, the reoperation rate was 30.5% with a reoperation rate of 2.2% for every year of follow up. Excess weight loss was 40.2% after 1 year, 46.3% after 2 years, 45.9% after 3 years, 41.9% after five years, 33.3% after 8 years, 30.8% after 10 years, 33.3% after 12 years and 15.6% after 14 years of follow up.

Conclusion. The complication and reoperation rate after GB is high. Nevertheless, GB is still a therapeutic option in morbid obese patients, but the criteria for patient selection should be carefully evaluated.

PMID: 21234392 [PubMed - in process]PMCID: PMC3017910Free PMC Article

And your point is??

And my point is that U complained that the last study I mentioned was outdated and u wanted current stats............so that is what I provided u with!

You know, this is like trying to speak english to a martian.  I didn't complain, I pointed out the dates of the study.  I am perfectly capable of finding these studies without your help, thank you very much.

From the same report, which was a study from 1995 to 2009 and included 200 patients in Germany.  As you can see, once the current methodology was seperated out, the stats look a bit better.


3.2. Slippage

The slippage rate was 2.5%
). After an open approach in 3 patients, slippage occurred with a mean followup time of 10.3 (1–24) months. After laparoscopy in 2 patients, slippage occurred with a mean followup time of 18 (12–24) months. The operation was performed in all patients in perigastric approach. After introduction of pars flaccida technique, slippage rate decreased to zero.

3.3. Pouch Dilatation (PD)

During the postoperative course, the great majority of our patients developed PD (9.5%)   *since when is 9.5% the great majority??? 
   
). A total of 12 patients were operated on by an open technique, and 7 patients underwent a laparoscopic technique. After introduction of the pars flaccida technique, pouch dilatation no longer occurred.

Band removal was performed in 24 (12%) patients. Five patients wished to have the band removed due to discomfort. In one patient, the band was removed due to her excellent excessive weight loss. In 18 patients, the band had to be removed in case of long-term complications such as band migration in 11 cases and slippage in 2 cases. In 2 cases, the band was removed at an out-of-town hospital without any described reason after a cholecystectomy. Epiphrenic esophageal diverticula, gastric wall necrosis, and acute peritonitis were the reasons for band removal among the other patients (Table 3).

Perhaps it would be good to give the link: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobes/2011/128451/

That way people can read for themselves and draw their own conclusions....

The number one reason I chose the band is the slow weight loss.  I know mental I could not deal with seeing myself lose weight at a fast pace and Ilike the fact that I could control my weight loss, if I startd losing too fast, I eat a little more..might sound crazy but that I how I dealt with it...I was not trying to lose 50 pounds in 6 months.

I'm not a band hater, I'm not. While I'm not so fond of mine anymore, there are people who do well with it. So let me get that out there right now.

But you're wrong. I'm sorry, don't be angry, I'll explain my reasoning in a second.

When I passionately try to talk someone out of the band, it is simply because I don't want what happened to others to happen to you.

I had the same reasoning many of you did. I was very uncomfortable re-routing all of my "plumbing" just because I couldn't control what I put in my face. I did TONS of research (I'm in the medical field), read every published study possible, talked to surgeons and patients, and decided the band was right for me. (I had never heard of DS and VSG was brand new at the time).

I got this band knowing:
weight loss is slower
odds are I won't lose as much of my EBW
odds are higher that I would regain


However, I also went into this "knowing":
the band is less invasive
the band is reversible
the success of the tool is directly related to your efforts

Why I post now is because I know those last things are not true. I loved my band at first, lost some weight and got good restriction but never over-filled. I followed the band rules perfectly - quit smoking, no soda, no caffeine, small bites, chew chew chew, drink lots of water, no sugar, and no fills to feeling tightness. I saw my WLS or his NP every 6-8 weeks and the nutritionist every 6 months.

I just got back from a barium swallow that found a potential diverticulum in my esophagus.

See, the esophagus is simply not made to withstand what the band makes it do. In speaking with the radiologist (at Duke, this is not Joe's Hospital and Clinic) he said he sees more and more distended esophagus, diverticula, hernias and ulceration issues with the band each day. That is in addition to the "regular problems like slippage and erosion".

When I met with the doctor at Duke about the health of my band( due to pain with swallowing and very little restriction even though my 4cc band has 4ccs and has for some time) he was concerned about slippage. He said that a growing number of patients at 5+ years out are having severe band issues, even while following the rules.

He also told me this - PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE: The band may not be able to be removed. Once you insert the band, scar tissue and adhesions immediately begin to grow around it. If I go for a revision surgery, he may opt to leave the band in so that I don't need to be on the table for an additional "60-90 minutes" while he attempts to cut away the tissue. He also said it often almost "fuses" to the stomach wall even if it isn't eroded through and cutting that away is also complicated. Of course it can be done, it is done quite often, but it's not as simple as people think.

This quotes a Belgian study:

While patients credit the band with helping them drop significant amounts of weight, a new Belgian study that tracked patients for more than a decade after surgery found that 39 per cent of subjects experienced serious complications and nearly 50 per cent had the band removed within 12 years.

The findings are published in the journal Archives of Surgery.

Dr. David Urbach of Toronto Western Hospital said he finds the study's results worrying because they indicate "that these bands are not as safe as we previously thought over the long term."

Urbach told CTV News he has treated patients who were left in severe pain when their bands caused their stomachs to twist. In other cases, the band's plastic material had eroded into the stomach.

"Our sense is that as we see more bands put in, we're going to see more patients who want them removed either because of these types of complications or because their weight loss hasn't been satisfactory," Urbach said.

In some countries, such as Finland, patients can no longer receive Lap-Band surgery after studies concluded that as many as 40 per cent of patients had to have follow-up operations to treat complications.


Granted, there are new techniques that can reduce those issues. But they are finding that long term, there isn't much difference.


Before you say anything, my doctor is the not the one listed on my profile. I just don't know how to change it. It is Dr. Ranjan Sudan, a well known bariatric surgeon and associate professor at Duke University.

When I tell this story, I am simply doing so because this is information I DID NOT HAVE when I made what I thought was a VERY educated decision. If you still decide on a band, then I will not mock your decision. But I will know that you made that decision with EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION available.

Anyone who makes the decision solely because it is "less invasive", and I hear that every day, is uninformed. Sorry if that's offensive, but it's true. The band is very invasive.

There is much more information on this than when I was banded. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it. You may be different. But I cannot, in good conscience, say nothing.

One last thing, I think that being overly defensive about the band is about as unattractive as being a band-basher. WLS is not one size fits all. Just because it's right for you, doesn't make it right for all.

Just sayin....