Bexie,


I just deleted my entire reply to you because I just went back and looked at your surgery date. I knew it was soon but I didn't realize it was tomorrow.

Surgery is a stressful event and my reply no matter how well intended it insensitive to someone who is probably already under a lot of stress as it is.

Have a safe and uneventful surgery

~Do you know why there are so few people on here with Lap Band success stories?  It's because the ones who are successful, with no complications,  are out there living their life, not at home infront of a computer, whining about how bad their lap band sucks.~

Do you realize how STUPID that sounds?! If they are successful with no complications why would they whine about how bad their lap band sucks??? lol

www.formerlyfluffy.com/weight-loss-surgery-bar-for-lap-band-lowered-but-is-gastric-bypass-better/

www.formerlyfluffy.com/reuters-healthlap-band-surgery-marred-by-problems-after-12-years/

www.formerlyfluffy.com/asmbs-gastric-banding-gets-low-marks/

One more thing- Do you realize how STUPID you sound when you answer a post you did not read?  I said the people with successful bands are NOT on here whining- They are off living their lives- Your statement made my point-

Believe me God willing I heal and have success I will not be on here daily- I will make myself available to those you have bullied with your opinion stated as fact- and other than that - I hope I will be living the life i am fighting to get...

For the record- You have referred to me as stupid and a moron- (in 2 different posts)

I hope you understand that when your approach is sooo unkind- you negate the possibility that if I were to ever have a change of opinion and perhaps need your help- I could never ask-

Shameful- and at this point I truly question your motives- if it is not to help- than is it just a place to spread your misery?

I am a successful bander (in the minority) and successful more from lifestyle changes I had psyched myself up for pre-band. Yes I am out living and enjoying life, but I am on OH nearly everyday reading and responding to posts.I RARELY post about my WLS bc I a not the norm.

Where did you say this prior to this post ? Can you direct me to it by date and time stamp please ?

One more thing- Do you realize how STUPID you sound when you answer a post you did not read?  I said the people with successful bands are NOT on here whining- They are off living their lives- Your statement made my point-


Thanks
Lisa

That is simply not a scientific fact- As a matter of fact the Band has the lowest by FAR of post op mortality- Now although you may be under the impression that bands have more complicatins- or they are "under reported" as you say- The truth is - Death is a complication- The facts are the facts-

As far as the DS- this is not even approved by the by most insurance companies yet- not because it is not godd- it is just unproven as of yet-

I wish you could learn that your vehemence in blasting theband- although may be well intentioned comes across as both arrogant and ignorant simultaneously.  If you are going to share information to help people make an informed decision please do updated medical research- based on over 1000 patients with over 5 years of results- That is a scientific study-

Your tone is insulting- as if patients have not done their due diligence and research.  I did not go to one "seminar " and decide- I spoke to several surgeons, i read long term studies and I weighed the pros and cons of ALL the procedures available to me- It is possible i will have complications, it wuold have been with any procedure-
 Tragically my best friend and my own mother in law died from post op complications after RNy- I still considered it- and ruled it out. Even with my own personal tragedy from that procedure I do not generalize it as unsafe for everyone- These deaths were part of the statistics I considered. 

Generalization is not an effective methos to communicate- please attempt to at least distinguish between the opinions you have formed based on your experiences and those that have been shared with you and the statistics available.

I admire your vehement stand- I believe your motives are genuine- it is your approach that is biased and harsh

Have yuo considered that you lead the pack on anti band- you have sought out others like you- and therefore found them- If I started a blog  "Have you lost anyone to RNY surgery" I would find many many people ready to share their loss- would that mean that there were no successes or that my logic was circular?

God Bless and Best wishes- I hope we all get the life change we are searching for which ever path we take!

"As far as the DS- this is not even approved by the by most insurance companies yet- not because it is not godd- it is just unproven as of yet-"

How unfortunate that you not only are wrong, you don't even know how wrong you are, and you are spewing misinformation as if it is fact.

Almost EVERY insurance company, including Medicare, covers the DS.  Some companies try to limit access to the DS to people who have a BMI > 50, but almost EVERY appeal of that limitation wins.  Same for companies that try to say it isn't a covered procedure - they LOSE on appeal.

The DS has been around since 1988.  The statistics for the DS are FAR superior to any other WLS, in particular with respect to overall weight loss, long term MAINTENANCE of weight loss, and durable resolution or CURE of comorbidities. 

Here is a study for you about the failure rate of the lapband - Himpens is one of the world experts too:

Arch Surg. 2011 Jul;146(7):802-7. Epub 2011 Mar 21.

Long-term outcomes of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

Himpens J, Cadière GB, Bazi M, Vouche M, Cadière B, Dapri G.

Source

The European School of Laparoscopic Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Saint Pierre University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. [email protected]

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the long-term efficacy and safety of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) for morbid obesity.

DESIGN:

Clinical assessment in the surgeon's office in 2009 (≥12 years after LAGB).

SETTING:

University obesity center in Brussels, Belgium.

PATIENTS:

A total of 151 consecutive patients who had benefited from LAGB between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1997, were contacted for evaluation.

INTERVENTION:

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Mortality rate, number of major and minor complications, number of corrective operations, number of patients who experienced weight loss, evolution of comorbidities, patient satisfaction, and quality of life were evaluated.

RESULTS:

The median age of patients was 50 years (range, 28-73 years). The operative mortality rate was zero. Overall, the rate of follow-up was 54.3% (82 of 151 patients). The long-term mortality rate from unrelated causes was 3.7%. Twenty-two percent of patients experienced minor complications, and 39% experienced major complications (28% experienced band erosion). Seventeen percent of patients had their procedure switched to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Overall, the (intention-to-treat) mean (SD) excess weight loss was 42.8% (33.92%) (range, 24%-143%). Thirty-six patients (51.4%) still had their band, and their mean excess weight loss was 48% (range, 38%-58%). Overall, the satisfaction index was good for 60.3% of patients. The quality-of-life score (using the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System) was neutral.

CONCLUSION:

Based on a follow-up of 54.3% of patients, LAGB appears to result in a mean excess weight loss of 42.8% after 12 years or longer. Of 78 patients, 47 (60.3%) were satisfied, and the quality-of-life index was neutral. However, because nearly 1 out of 3 patients experienced band erosion, and nearly 50% of the patients required removal of their bands (contributing to a reoperation rate of 60%), LAGB appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2698858/?tool=pu bmed

 

Safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is superior to gastric banding in the management of morbidly obese patients Ulrich Guller,^1,2 Lazar V Klein,¹ and John A Hagen^{1 1}Center for Excellence in Bariatric Surgery, Humber River Regional Hospital Finch Site, University of Toronto, Department of Surgery, Toronto, ON, M3N 1N1, Canada ²Department of Surgery, Division of Visceral Surgery and Transplantation, Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland Corresponding author. Ulrich Guller: [email protected]

Abstract
Background
The use of bariatric surgery in the management of morbid obesity is rapidly increasing. The two most frequently performed procedures are laparoscopic Roux-en-Y bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding. The objective of this short overview is to provide a critical appraisal of the most relevant scientific evidence comparing laparoscopic gastric banding versus laparoscopic Roux-en-Y bypass in the treatment of morbidly obese patients.
Results and discussion
There is mounting and convincing evidence that laparoscopic gastric banding is suboptimal at best in the management of morbid obesity. Although short-term morbidity is low and hospital length of stay is short, the rates of long-term complications and band removals are high, and failure to lose weight after laparoscopic gastric banding is prevalent.
Conclusion
The placement of a gastric band appears to be a disservice to many morbidly obese patients and therefore, in the current culture of evidence based medicine, the prevalent use of laparoscopic gastric banding can no longer be justified. Based on the current scientific literature, the laparoscopic gastric bypass should be considered the treatment of choice in the management of morbidly obese patients.

Diana, this is a very informative article!

So is the Invited Critique concerning this article in the journal:

To Band or to Bypass, That Is the Question

Himpens et al present a series of 151 patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric band- ing (LAGB). Of these 151 patients, 82 (54.3%) were followed up for 12 years or longer. Of these 82 pa- tients, 23 (28.0%) experienced band erosion, which was diagnosed at a mean time of 4 years, and 41 (50.0%) had their band removed. Those who still had the band in place lost 48% of their excess weight, whereas those who had their band removed (because they did not lose weight) lost only 22% of their excess weight. The number and type of comorbidities (eg, diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea) in this group of patients increased over time.

These data do not shed a favorable light on the use of LAGB. Some of the data regarding band erosion and slip- page or pouch dilatation may be related to the tech- nique of band insertion (perigastric vs pars flaccida); the incidence of band erosion and slippage is significantly less with the pars flaccida technique than with the peri- gastric technique.1 Although many authors report good results in terms of weight loss and subsequent complications, there are others *****port excessive long- term complication rates or inadequate weight loss.2-4 Therefore, the results of LAGB are somewhat inconsistent. Presently, LAGB and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) are the most frequently used bariatric procedures in the United States. A meta-analysis of studies comparing LAGB with LRYGB demonstrated that LAGB is an easier operation that is associated with a shorter length of hospital stay and a lower operative morbidity. However, the number of subsequent operations for complications is greater in patients who underwent LAGB than in patients who underwent LRYGB, and the incidences of weight loss and resolution of obesity- related comorbidities are fewer in patients who underwent LAGB than in patients who underwent LRYGB.5,6

The data in this study, as well as the experience in our own institutions, should influence our choice of proce- dure (LAGB vs LRYGB) and the manner in which we in- form our patients of the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure.

INVITED CRITIQUE

Clifford W. Deveney, MD, FACS



What bothers me most is the evolution of co-morbidites, which is covered in more detail in the body of the paper.  Here's an overview:

25.6% of the band patients had high blood pressure before the band, 29.5% had it 12 years after.

6.5% had diabetes before the band, 13% had it 12 years after their band was implanted

2.6% had sleep apnea before the band, 7.7% had it 12 years later.

Here are the complication rates:
22% had minor complications including incisional hernias, port-tubing disconnections (19.5%!!!) and isolated port infections.

39% had major complications, including pouch dilation and band erosion.

Granted, in this study, it looked at patients who were banded betwee***** and 1997 and the technique for implanting the band has changed from the perigastric method to pars flaccida since then.  So erosion and slippage stats may be improved, though I'm reading about a lot of slips here at OH.

Basically if you want to get eliminate existing co-morbidities, the band is not likely gonna be your friend.
 
Irony:  the ad at the top of this page is showing Marciano, who's diabetes is gone thanks to the band!

"Irony: the ad at the top of this page is showing Marciano, who's diabetes is gone thanks to the band!"

His diabetes is gone for now - when he regains his weight, he will likely regain his diabetes as well.  Even DSers *****gain some weight (and it is almost NEVER a huge percent of their EWL), almost never get their diabetes back, because the surgery corrected the underlying medical problems independently of weight loss.  BIG difference between remission due to weight loss and CURE.

and plastic surgery works for some and not for Kenny Rogers.



Best of luck to you on your surgery and I hope you have the same success as your husband.