My Band Journey

Hi everyone,

I decided to tell my story because I think it's important to hear the positives and the negatives of the Band as you decide to have this surgery.

My mother in law had the band in January 2007.  She began researching it a few months earlier and suggested I do the same.  I am in the medical field, so I have access to medical journals and published articles, and I read like a fiend.  After a lot of thought, I decided the band was right for me.  I wasn't ready to have a surgery that would permanently alter my anatomy.  I weighed 245 lbs.

My surgery was done in May of 2007 and was fairly uneventful.  My stomach was a little swollen after surgery so I would get frothy even a little liquid but it went away after a day or so.  Prior to my surgery I had lost 20 lbs (SW 226) and in the months after my surgery, I lost 20 more easily. 

I followed every band rule to the letter:  never drank anywhere near a meal, no soda, small bites the size of a die, chew until it's goo, moist protein only, etc, etc.  I worked out 3-5 days a week doing yoga, dance and aerobics.  I was on this board posting how great the band was and telling people that weren't doing well that they should just "follow the rules" and all will be well again. 

About that time, my husband left.  So I lost another 16lbs due to depression and physically not being able to eat even if I wanted to, and I didn't. 

I had numerous fills and unfills to find that sweet spot - it never happened.  I need to mention that I was self pay for all of this and each fill was over $200.  

Hubby and I worked it out and I began to physically be able to eat again.  Still followed the rules.  Still worked out.  But the weight started coming back.  Cut down on my eating, worked out more, got fills and now 3 mos later I'm 199.  Panic stricken at seeing 200 again, I call my doctor and he tells me I need another fill which I didn't want to do as that would make my band full.  He stated that we'll see how it goes and he would do it under fluoro.  Filled to the brim - no restriction. 

About 6 weeks later, the restriction kicked in BIG TIME.  Emergency unfill. 

I ended up with about 3cc in my 4cc band years later.  No real restriction but I would randomly get stuck.  One day I could eat an entire steak (I didn't, but I could) and two days later, I'd get stuck on water.  I avoided going out to eat.  I stole the barf bags from planes to keep with me at all times in case I randomly got stuck while I was out or at work (I work on the road).  I used many, many of them.

4 years later and I have regained every pound, plus 5.  I start to have severe pains in my shoulder and am throwing up more.  Decide to just take all the liquid out of the band.  Port is flipped and twisted so nothing can be removed.  The doctor does an EGD and I have diverticulum in my esophagus and have lost motility which likely will never return.  The band has slipped and appears to have been that way for some time. 

I decide on a revision but it takes time to figure out which one so I live with this, trying to survive on soft foods, for almost another full year.  Finally, on March 29, 2012, I was revised to a DS.  My surgery weight?  231.8

Here's the funny thing - I woke up after 8 hours of surgery (more on that in minute) and the first thing I noticed was not the surgical pain, not the grogginess, not the "where the hell am I" moment I usually get after anesthesia.  Before my eyes even opened, I thought OMG the band is gone.  How did I know?  I could FEEL it.  No more pressure, no more tight squeezing in my chest.  Keep in mind, they just removed about half of my stomach and it FELT BETTER THAN WHEN THE BAND WAS IN.

Why 8 hours of surgery?  A few reasons.  First, the DS takes a while, usually 4 ish hours.  Add an hour for band removal.  But, they also had a problem with the stapler and that added time too.  But over an extra hour of that was the doctor trying to free my band from my stomach.  Between scar tissue, adhesions and the band sort of melting into the tissue, it took him longer than expected. 

Oh, and my mother in law?  Same issues (different doctor) - she was revised to an RNY on March 30th.

So why am I telling you this??  Because I want you to know that EVEN IF YOU FOLLOW THE RULES, sometimes the Band fails YOU.   It's not your fault.  Now if you eat milkshakes every day, yeah it's your fault.  But if you eat milkshakes every day because that's all you can get down - that's NOT your fault.  Yeah, you should be making better choices, no doubt.  But the BAND did that to you. 

If you were my friend and were getting the band, I'd talk you out of it.  Because NO ONE is right for this.  Yes, people have success.  But not many and not for long.  If you are one of the lucky ones who has lost and kept off their weight with no issues for 5 or 10 years - God bless.  I truly hope it continues to work for you and you have a lifetime of health.  But know that you are the exception, not the rule.  

However, if you still feel that the band is right for you, after doing ALL YOUR RESEARCH (not just these boards or your doctor, read clinical studies on all the surgeries before you make up your mind) then I wish you all the best.  I hope you are one of the successful ones.

One last thing - if you are getting the band because it is the "least invasive" surgery, you are wrong.  The band does PERMANENT changes to your body if you leave it in more than a few years.  Your stomach and esophagus are not designed to work with this.  I just spoke with a woman who was fine for years and then all of a sudden had pain.  The hospital sent her home.  It got worse, she went back.  They were sending her home again when her white blood count came back - through the roof.  Emergency surgery found that the stomach above her band had died.  The band had eroded through - it was black (she showed me the surgical picture).  She now has no band and a tiny stomach and thank God they were able to save enough of it for her to even have that.  I think she'd agree the band is VERY invasive. 

Oh, but the chances of that are so small, right?  I'm sure that's what she thought too.

Ugh, will our stories ever end???  So glad you were able to revise to the DS.  I wish you all well.

Best,
L

Thank God you and your mother in law are okay and revised.  I was the absolute poster child for the lap band for 8 years.  Complete success, no unfills, met goal and maintained for over 5 years.  My best friend had her band the same time and her stomach slipped up through the band, emergency surgery to remove and had to wait 6 months before her revision to RNY so her stomach could heal.  That was about 4 yrs ago.

I did everything right.  Then woke up last year with no restriction.  I could eat anything which was awful because my weight immediately went up.  They couldn't identify the where the leak was coming from so my options were a full band replacement or RNY.  I knew I wanted to revise to the RNY.  I can't risk another surgery with my band(I've had 4 related to the band in all whi*****ludes a few to fix my port).  I know if I had another band there would be additional surgeries it's just part of having the band.  The other nice thing is I'm not struggling to diet. 

My experiences with the band have been both positive and negative.  I won't say I regret having it because the last 8 yrs have been just amazing but I'm now looking forward to the rest of my life!  Kari 

First of all Karianne - GO SOX!  :)

Second, isn't Dr. Brams' staff amazing?  He did my band and even though I wished I chosen something different, I don't blame him one bit. He and his NPs were supportive and wonderful through the entire process. 

Third, I'm so sorry that the band stopped working for you, that had to be so frustrating.  BUT I'm glad it worked so well for so long AND you were able to revise.  I wish you nothing but luck and health with your new RNY! 

Fourth, is it just me that finds it funny how they censor words.  The literally blocked out the end of whiCH and the beginning of INCludes.  I mean, I get it, but if there's a space in there AND there are other letters around it - c'mon now. 

:)

OMG LOVE DR. BRAMS and all the Lahey Clinic WLS team.  Dr. Brams really wanted me to get the RNY back in 2004.  When I asked him which he thought was better for me he said to me "If you were my wife, I would be recommending the RNY".  Even after he said that I was still hell bent on getting the band and so he agreed. 

Thank you I wish you much success too!  I never thought I'd be starting the journey again but right now life is soo good.  Here's to our revisions and the Red Sox 

Thanks so much for speaking out and sharing your story. People will benefit from you doing so. I know you were a band cheerleader previously and told people that were struggleing to just follow the urles and it would work out. You believed it at the time. I have all the respect in the world for someone that said those things, but when they realize that is not the case, they come back to set the record straight. Kudos to you!

Keep in mind, they just removed about half of my stomach and it FELT BETTER THAN WHEN THE BAND WAS IN.

Wow. What a powerful statement! So many get the band because they want the "least invasive", or "don't want their organs rearrainged". If only they knew that just how invasive "least invasive" can be! To undergo a major surgery like the DS and have half your stomach removed...........and feel better than you did for years with the band...........WOW!

So why am I telling you this??  Because I want you to know that EVEN IF YOU FOLLOW THE RULES, sometimes the Band fails YOU.   It's not your fault.

Exactly! It upsets me so much everytime I hear a bandster or former bandster say they feellike a failure. They have already been through such a tramatic experience with their band, and to have that compounded by feeling that they are at fault and a "failure" is just the saddest thing!

Thanks so much for coming forward and sharing your story!