anyone happy with LapBand?

 When they put the band in place they CREATE scar tissue to keep it in place, no matter what you will have it b/c the doctors purposely sew your stomach together around the band so that it will "anchor" it in place. Sometimes this creates adhesion's to other internal structures that can be permanently damaged during and after the removal process. My stomach basically died b/c of my band, I got lucky and they where able to save it before I had to have a FULL gastrectomy, after my band was removed my stomach was never going to be "normal" again even if I had not opted to revise to the sleeve. 

The band is removable, not reversible. 

You bring up some good points. There is always scar tissue (A.K.A. damage) to the stomach. And yes, the band is removable, but it certainly is NOT reversable! Some damage may heal......but some of it will be there forever!

I wonder how many people would get bands if they knew that it could potentially cause them to have to have a FULL GASTRECTOMY?!?!?!

 My complication is pretty rare, I had never even heard that it was a possibility while I was looking into the band. I had heard of slips, erosion etc, but never once was it mentioned that I could possibly lose my stomach. They make it sound like even if there ARE complications they are minimal and easy to fix, and it's not always the case. Every surgery has risks of severe and life threatening complications, the band is not exempt and that is why I hate it when people make it sound like it does not carry any of those risks. 

On April 9, 2012 at 1:37 PM Pacific Time, tripmom02 wrote:  My complication is pretty rare, I had never even heard that it was a possibility while I was looking into the band. I had heard of slips, erosion etc, but never once was it mentioned that I could possibly lose my stomach. They make it sound like even if there ARE complications they are minimal and easy to fix, and it's not always the case. Every surgery has risks of severe and life threatening complications, the band is not exempt and that is why I hate it when people make it sound like it does not carry any of those risks. 
 


I remember you well.

I didn't realize you had that complication.  Did you slip and cut off blood supply to your stomach causing necrosis?  If so, it isn't that rare.  It's not common, but it isn't rare either.

They DO make it sound like it's an easy fix, no complication is THAT big of a deal.  Well, they are a big deal.

I really wish they would take the darn thing off the market or at the very least, be honest in their advertising.

Sorry this happened to you but hey... you got a VSG?  ;o)

 Yes, it slipped and caused ischemia but luckily the pain I was having mimicked a heart attack so when I got to the ER I was rushed into testing and when they realized it wasn't my heart they immediately sent me in for a CT scan and where able to get me into surgery before necrosis could set it. 

I DO love my VSG, like someone else said I was often unhappy with my band even though I did fairly well with it, but I am thrilled every day with my VSG and the results I have gotten from it! 

This is why I limit coming to this site. My words are picked apart.  

I GET that there is scar tissue. I GET that there may be complications. I GET that my stomach may not be 100% normal if I have to have it removed. But you know what... it may be just fine, and it is all there.

I chose the surgery because I did not want to re-route my intestines and I did not want to cut out 85% of my stomach. Period. That was my #1 reason.

Every single surgery has risks and complications. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

I don't know why I bother trying to re-explain myself. Jeesh. This site gets worse and worse. 

 
Nope, not going to work.  Nobody is picking apart anything.  You merely wrote something that was incorrect.  Nobody is debating your surgery choice with you, that's ALL YOU.

Here is what you wrote:

~~I may have scar tissue, I may not.~~

That simply isn't true.  We ALL have scar tissue, all of us.

I never said anyone was debating my surgery choice with me. ???  I said my words are being picked apart. Because I said my stomach would be "normal".

Next time I will be sure to mention by "normal" I mean not cut up. Ok. Is that more clear?

Next time I will be sure to clarify "I may have scar tissue, I may not" that I meant excessive scaring. I was speaking under the assumption that bandsters KNOW the band creates some scaring. Silly me, guess I made an ass out of myself. Tsk tsk. Hand slap.

I was trying to be helpful by sharing my experience with the OP. I have had my fair share of complications. Hell I scheduled a revision last year to VSG that I cancelled due to fertility issues that popped up. 

It is exhausting to try and be supportive or share experiences on this site because people want to nit pick. Next time I will just shut the hell up.
 

The drama is not necessary.  Seriously.  That is NOT what you wrote, and newbies do NOT know about scar tissue and adhesions until someone takes the time to tell them.  When you type you may or may not have scarring, that is misleading to newbies.  Not so much to vets, but for people learning about WLS it is misleading, thus... the correction.

Seriously, let's stop this now.