anyone happy with LapBand?

 Ack! You look so fabulous in that picture, you *****!!! 

 Thanks Bette!

Lisa O.

 Lisa O. Great picture! You look beautiful!

I am happy and many are but like Dev* posted you are going to hear more about the bad experiences than the good...........I also don't come here as often as I used to due to the negativity and also enjoying my new thinner life.

I had lost 90 pounds total and kept it off till this November when I gained back 17 due to a unfill after becoming tight due to a serious stuck episode (my first by the way)....just because I could eat didn't mean I should have and it being the Holiday's well lets just say I learned my lesson and didn't realize how much I needed the band and took it for granted.

My advice would be to research fully, make sure that it is right for you. Only you can decide because the band is just a tool that assists and it does require work. Most weight loss surgeries do.

Another is to make sure you have a good surgeon doing your band, investigate. I was fortunate to have a great Surgeon that was very honest about what I would get out of the band (he was pro bypass) what complications could occur, his personal complication record and alot of preop tests like a esophageal manometry test (which I didn't want to have, insurance didn't require it but was a requirement for him) which I believe is why I haven't had esophageal issues (if a patient doesn't pass it he won't do the band).
 
I lost my brother in law to complications of Gastric Bypass (he was 32) so that wasn't an option for me at the time (4 years ago there weren't as many surgery choices).

If I hadn't had the band I know I would have gotten bigger and most likely a whole list of ailments so for me the risk was worth it. If the time comes when the band no longer functions I will deal with it then, in the meantime I will do all that I can to keep the band working optimally.

All surgeries have risks, none are without...... I do believe that the band has more room for "operator error" whether it be the bandster, the device or the surgical competency of the Surgeon.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Michele

I am happy with my band. It has done exactly what I expected it to. It has given me a fighting chance to succeed. I went into it with my eyes open, fully aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly. It has worked very well for me but I have not always worked so well along with it. I easily forget what I am doing and exhibit poor eating hygiene, at times go off with a bunch of sliders, etc. My eating disorders have not been cured by the band. It is not meant to work that way. As Kathy said, if you are willing to work hard, have realistic expectations as to what it will or will not do you may love it too. If not then I would choose another surgery while knowing that no wls will "do it for you" and prevent regain without your help.

On the other side, I didn't have another choice in wls. My insurance considered my bmi to be too low to have them pay for a sleeve. I have osteoporosis and could not have a malabsorptive proceedure, so the band was it. I had to determine that even with it's flaws I was going to make it work. If allowed I might well have chosen a sleeve. While that isn't perfect either I think it would have been the right fit for me.

Only you can choose, make the best choice for you. BTW, it is normal to second guess yourself. Recheck your options, compare the pros and cons, then make your final choice and let that be it.
Good luck, Sue

  I am. Eight-plus years out and still happy. Am I just lucky? A mutant? I don't know and I don't care. I just know that I would not be as successful or as happy if I had chosen another procedure.  

Here's part of a response I wrote to a similar post last week regarding why the band works for some people and not others . . .



Some people are non-compliant. 

Some people are not losing weight as successfully as they like because they have not addressed and resolved their issue with food. And, by the way, they will have that problem with ANY WLS.

Some people are just not at the right fill level yet and not losing as much as they'd like.

Some people are too tight and that can cause a host of issues.

And some people, sadly, just aren't the right fit for the band; for one reason or another, not of their own doing, the band doesn't work for them. Is it a physiological issue? Poor band placement by a surgeon? Who knows.

I will freely admit that I am not at the weight I would like to be. I had issues a couple of years ago that required me to have surgery (hiatal hernia which caused constant vomitting and then band slip) and I had my band replaced with the "new and improved one" at the same time. When I had my band emptied before and after that, I was eating the way a college kid drinks on spring break. My weight came up. (Remember that thing I just mentioned about addressing issues with food?) 

I've buckled back down and regained a lot of my focus, going to the gym as many days as I can (5x/wk when possible) and still have a few more pounds to get back into my comfort zone.

That being said, all my battles are of MY own making and I would have the same issues and troubles regardless of which surgery I had had. There are days when I am really unhappy with MYSELF, but I'm still - 8+ years out - happy with my decision to have the band.

Happy with the lapband?

That was a good one! lol.

Girl have you some 3rd and 4th thoughts if you need to. Choose a WLS that you have a decent chance of succeding with. Obesity is hard enough. Give yourself a fighting change by choosing a WLS with better long term stats. Visit the RNY, VSG and DS forum and ask how they like THEIR WLS. There are a lot of former bandsters on those forums as well, so you can get an accurate comparison of band to the other WLS's.

Gooc luck!

Lol. Thanks. I will do that.

There are a lot more happy Bandsters out there by far more  then you get a chance to see on here. I know around 30 people with bands 2 had them removed. One of them had a  allergic reaction about a week after placement and one had an erosion from keeping it way to tight. All the people I know  have lost weight and some well over 100 pounds.  Not all have hit their goal weight,  but Do have a better quality of life than before. There are negatives to all weight loss procedures, there is no way to know if you will or will not  have problems. You will have to decide  which procedure will work best for you. Do your research and talk to your doc. Good luck in which ever procedure you choose. I will say the band is alot of maintenance and if you are a self pay can get expensive. Please don't let this forum be the reason you choose a procedure or not , But use it as a way to get more information good and bad  and to  help you research all procedures so you are well informed. There are a lot of negative post but mostly by the same people over and over. Be  aware of the risk with all procedures  and do what you feel is best for you.

Thank you Jody. You look great.