Has anyone had their Lap band longer than 5 years

 I would like to know if anyone has had their lapband longer than 5 years and what their experiences has been.

Thanks,

There are just a few on here that have. Bette has had a band 7 or 8 years, but has had her band replaced. Kate has had hers about5 years, but I think she had another surger on her port or tubing. Nana has had hers about 7 years and LOVES her band, but she posted on here about 1 1/2 years ago that she never consistantly had real restriction and had lost the weight b/c she became addicted to exercise. She also stated that she had I think it was 58 or 68 fills at the time. Don't know how many she has had since then. She deleted that post right after thatand changed screen names again (she does this frequently), but I'm sure there are several on here that remember the post. It got a LOT of attention! Jean almost made it to 5. She is about 4 1/2 years out, but she has had a slip, port repair, now has trouble swallowing, dialated esophagus, and possibly ANOTHER slip!

There is however one lady that posts occasionaly on here that is about 6 years out and I don't think she has had any issues at all. Can't remember her name. She has long dard hair and is in her 40's or 50's. I'm sure someone on here will know who I'm taking about and can give you a name.

Also I'm very involved in the WLS community. IRL I only know of a maybe a hand full of ppl that have been successful long term with the band.

Before you get your band, please read on the revision forum. Find out what WLS's ppl are revising FROM the most. I also suggest you read on the VSG, RNY and DS forums and see how many on there have made it 5 years out successfully. Also mention you are considering the band, b/c you will find a lot of FORMER bandsters on those forums, and they can give you and accurate comparison of the band to whatever WLS they now have. Aske them which one they prefer.

Good luck!!!

I had mine done about 9 years ago but around 2 years post surgery, I had to have it removed in an emergency surgery before it killed me. (The band had caused my stomach to twist into a Figure 8, also kinking my intestines.) I had a repositioning surgery rather than band removal... and I regret it every day. I have so much damage from that band, it's incredible.

There are a few people who have bands 5 years or more... but they're the exception rather than the rule, unfortunately.

In my "real life" support group, of the 3 dozen of us who were banded at the same time, only 3 still have bands. But they've had multiple corrective surgeries.

There were 4, but one just had to have her band removed due to extreme referred left shoulder pain (which is a common side effect with the band caused by the Vagus nerve getting irritated or damaged.) 

You know NM it is really scary how "new" complications keep coming out about the band. You used to be the only one that I heard mention the left pain from the Vegus nerve, but I hear that quite a bit now. Another thing that is quite common that I didn't realize about previously is how many bandsters get HH after banding! And then more recently I am hearing reports and studies about the coughing and pulmonary problems that can be associated with the band. I'll be so glad when I can get mine out!

I had the HH and esophageal damage.  REVERSIBLE hahahahhahahah..not at all.

 Not to mention never losing weight due to not being able to eat properly.  I can't believe what a walk in the park the rny has been.  No stomach pain whatsoever just true satiation. I have no problems at all with my eating now and I have an actual steady weight loss.  I have no in between meal hunger, no head hunger and  no suffering what so ever.

If you haven't already, please join the failed band group on FB. There are many in there hat have had the same experience that you have (although most never made it that long with the band in). The link is below.

I agree... it's a shame how the advertising keeps touting the band as being somehow, "easier" or "safer" than the other WLSs. It's anything BUT for most of us.

I caught a cold a week or so ago. Normally, you catch a cold, it's no big whoop, right? Well, with the sliding hiatal hernia that I have, every single time I would sniffle or sneeze or cough, part of my stomach would "slide" up through the hiatal opening, pressing on my lungs, my heart, my esophagus... and it HURT. And my heart would skip and I'd have trouble even catching my breath. Then the left shoulder pain would start up again. From a COLD. But with all the damage the band caused, there's no such thing as a "simple cold" anymore, apparently. At one point, I was having so much trouble breathing from my stomach being pressed up against my lungs, I simply walked outside barefoot in the SNOW to try to get air into my body before I passed out.

Then, when the diaphragm got good and irritated, the sneezing started. It's all related to the Vagus nerves... if I bend wrong, if I catch a cold, if the wind blows wrong, I'll be sneezing for hours and hours nonstop until it causes me to pass out.

These are the {OTHER} things that they don't tell you about that can happen when your body becomes damaged from the lapband. They might not be life threatening, but they sure can make you feel like ****

Hugs! My heart goes out to you. You have just been through so much b/c of your band. As you know, I ***** about the band all the time b/c mine doesn't work, however I consider myself extremely lucky that I have not had some of the sevear complications that you, Wasa, and thousands more have had. Some are lucky and don't have permanent damage when they heal up after the band is removed, others like you...........the band nightmare just continues. :-(

I will be 7 years post op in a few months and so far so good. My journey has not been perfect, the only times I've had any issues were due to being filled too tightly and that was quickly resolved with immediately seeing my surgeon and all issues such as reflux and issues accompanied with being too tight were resolved immediately.

Many say that the band will not last forever, but I can't see no reason why not, I don't have any issues that would cause it to be removed, I don't know what the future will hold, but so far so good for me.

I lost 130 pounds by 18 months post op and went from a size 26 to size 10, and I have pretty much kept my weight down over the years, I gained a few back when I got married, ate out in restaurants all the time with my hubby and I relocated, and life got too busy for me to exercise daily, but once I get back to following rules and exercising the weight drops again.

I am still happy with my band and results, there is NO OTHER weight loss surgery out there that will allow you get a jump start with weight loss years out , I still can get fills if I need them, my friends that got RNY years ago, are seeking lap bands because they no longer have restriction and although my band is sort of loose these days (by choice) I CAN go and get a fill and tighten my band if needed.

I still love my band, its not a CURE, it is a TOOL and it works great if used wisely.

Edited to add: More importantly, I am happy that I don't have to rely on vitamins, or labs or have any other illness this far out, I have no illness or take any medication and I feel great overall (knock on wood), my life is totally care free, I really don't need any more fills, so there is no cost involved for me at this point with my band, UNLESS I decided to get another fill. This is part that I REALLY enjoy about the living with band.

I had mine removed right at 5 years.  Ihad a net gain  in weight and a miserable time with the band.  It was a horrible experience and massive waster of time. I had to have part of my stomach removed when i removed the band so it is not reversible by any stretch of the imagination. Therefore I was revised to a rny due to my hiatal hernia.  See my post on the forum re my current success and before and after pics.  I wanted the band because it seemed less invasive and was reversible but that is a load of crap imho.  I had pain if I ate dense proteins or dense vegetables.  I could only eat mushies after the first 6 months it was installed so I never lost weight. It was humiliation personified and I became so depressed at the failure until my doctor informed me Iwasn't the failure the band was and she also told me that many many people have experiences the band failing them. It is a lousy tool as far as I and many many others are concerned.  JUst read this forum how many people have trouble with fills and pains etc etc.....yuk