Six years ago....
Mari 
It's Kate!
(deactivated member)
on 4/18/12 2:31 am - Califreakinfornia , CA
on 4/18/12 2:31 am - Califreakinfornia , CA
Hi Kate,
It's so nice to see you posting again I'm happy to hear that your band is treating you well and that you are out there living a more active and adventurous life. That's all we have ever wanted from our bands, well that and health.
I do know that there are some long term bandsters that have had little to no complications, and I wish them health and happiness. I've seen you state a few times now that you know " the experience of almost all the long term bandsters I know in real life has been positive "
How many " Long Term/Real Life Bandsters " do you actually know ?
Are we talking 10,20,30, a hundred ?
As far as our FDA and your NICE is concerned... The work that NICE is involved in attracts the attention of many groups, including doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, and both Houses of Parliament. NICE is often associated with controversy, because the need to make decisions at a national level can conflict with what is (or is believed to be) in the best interests of an individual patient.
I place little to no value on our FDA, NIH or your country's equivalent NICE opinions,guidelines, and protocols. Lobbyist and special interest groups AKA " The Pharmaceutical Industry are allowed to buy an opinion,guideline, and a protocol. Some guidelines are fact based and logical, while others are bought and or traded for political gain.
If your statement, " I believe that In Australia, gastric banding is still over 90% of all wls." is factual, then I believe that there are common variables between all countries where the LAGB is not only performed, but is the most " Popular " WLS performed.
One example would be cost. Cost unfortunately plays a huge factor in the choice of WLS surgery allowed and/or performed. LAGB as far as I know, is still the cheapest out of all the WLS performed today, which is why all of our insurances provide it. (If WLS is not an excluded benefit from our policy)
Only recently, are we starting to "hear" of insurers precluding LAGB from our coverage. I can't say for certain if it is insurers or our HMO groups who are precluding the LAGB, but I am hearing from my own insurance that, although they will cover the LAGB, it is not the preferred surgery, due to it's history of having a second surgery performed for either band removal or revision. It's just not cost effective.
Where are you getting your surgeons stats from ?
In the United States, surgeons are not required to report erosion's,slips,leaks,port replacements, ETC. There is no mandatory reporting of adverse events by the manufacturers of the LAGB or our surgeons.
Do you have mandatory reporting in your country, and if so, could you provide the link ?
I think it's safe to say, we were all willing to work hard and to remain in compliance with our bands. Why would anyone willingly put themselves through surgery and all it's associated risks, if we were not willing to work hard ?
What is your suggestion to the post op who can't eat dense protein, who can't eat with an unfilled band, who can't swallow their own spit ? Is that how the band works ? That's not how it was marketed.
I'm happy for your success Kate, but I'm sad for those who may be influenced by this post and go forward with a LAGB surgery.
Lisa
It's so nice to see you posting again I'm happy to hear that your band is treating you well and that you are out there living a more active and adventurous life. That's all we have ever wanted from our bands, well that and health.
I do know that there are some long term bandsters that have had little to no complications, and I wish them health and happiness. I've seen you state a few times now that you know " the experience of almost all the long term bandsters I know in real life has been positive "
How many " Long Term/Real Life Bandsters " do you actually know ?
Are we talking 10,20,30, a hundred ?
As far as our FDA and your NICE is concerned... The work that NICE is involved in attracts the attention of many groups, including doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, and both Houses of Parliament. NICE is often associated with controversy, because the need to make decisions at a national level can conflict with what is (or is believed to be) in the best interests of an individual patient.
I place little to no value on our FDA, NIH or your country's equivalent NICE opinions,guidelines, and protocols. Lobbyist and special interest groups AKA " The Pharmaceutical Industry are allowed to buy an opinion,guideline, and a protocol. Some guidelines are fact based and logical, while others are bought and or traded for political gain.
If your statement, " I believe that In Australia, gastric banding is still over 90% of all wls." is factual, then I believe that there are common variables between all countries where the LAGB is not only performed, but is the most " Popular " WLS performed.
One example would be cost. Cost unfortunately plays a huge factor in the choice of WLS surgery allowed and/or performed. LAGB as far as I know, is still the cheapest out of all the WLS performed today, which is why all of our insurances provide it. (If WLS is not an excluded benefit from our policy)
Only recently, are we starting to "hear" of insurers precluding LAGB from our coverage. I can't say for certain if it is insurers or our HMO groups who are precluding the LAGB, but I am hearing from my own insurance that, although they will cover the LAGB, it is not the preferred surgery, due to it's history of having a second surgery performed for either band removal or revision. It's just not cost effective.
Where are you getting your surgeons stats from ?
In the United States, surgeons are not required to report erosion's,slips,leaks,port replacements, ETC. There is no mandatory reporting of adverse events by the manufacturers of the LAGB or our surgeons.
Do you have mandatory reporting in your country, and if so, could you provide the link ?
I think it's safe to say, we were all willing to work hard and to remain in compliance with our bands. Why would anyone willingly put themselves through surgery and all it's associated risks, if we were not willing to work hard ?
What is your suggestion to the post op who can't eat dense protein, who can't eat with an unfilled band, who can't swallow their own spit ? Is that how the band works ? That's not how it was marketed.
I'm happy for your success Kate, but I'm sad for those who may be influenced by this post and go forward with a LAGB surgery.
Lisa
Hi, Lisa, good to hear from you.
I am not going to get into a surgery debate, I have answered all your points before, even down to the names of the 40 bandsters I know, the name of my surgeon, of the three doctors I know who are banded. Just wanted to comment on your last point.
I have never to the best of my recollection said the band is perfect! So to those who can't eat dense protein, can't swallow their own spit - get a total unfill. And if that doesn't work, get the band removed. Don't leave it until there is permanent damage, get it done. It is not your fault.
I am not returning to this post, or, indeed, probably, to this board until I post ( I hope!) on my seventh anniversary. I am an honest person, if I don't make that seventh anniversary, I will post to tell people what has happened.
Kate
Highest 290, Banded - 248 Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.
Happily banded since May 2006. Regain of 28lbs 2013-14. ALL GONE!
But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,
(deactivated member)
on 4/18/12 1:10 pm - Califreakinfornia , CA
on 4/18/12 1:10 pm - Califreakinfornia , CA
On April 18, 2012 at 6:10 PM Pacific Time, kate P wrote:
Hi, Lisa, good to hear from you.
I am not going to get into a surgery debate, I have answered all your points before, even down to the names of the 40 bandsters I know, the name of my surgeon, of the three doctors I know who are banded. Just wanted to comment on your last point.
I have never to the best of my recollection said the band is perfect! So to those who can't eat dense protein, can't swallow their own spit - get a total unfill. And if that doesn't work, get the band removed. Don't leave it until there is permanent damage, get it done. It is not your fault.
I am not returning to this post, or, indeed, probably, to this board until I post ( I hope!) on my seventh anniversary. I am an honest person, if I don't make that seventh anniversary, I will post to tell people what has happened.
Kate
Your absence will be a real loss for this community, and I hope you will reconsider.
I'd like to put your number 40 into a little perspective here if I may. There are over 400 members in the FBG, now I realize that not all of them have had failed bands, and some have never even had a band.
Maria's Facebook FBG has over 200 members and MANY of them are bandsters with failed bands, Then we have an unknown amount of failed band members on the new site which cannot be named. For the record and full disclosure...there are failed bandsters who have memberships on two boards. I've also seen the enormous amount of posts by failed bandsters on lapbandtalk.
Three of those FAILED BAND FORUMS are under a year old, in fact my forum will be coming up on it's 1 year anniversary on April 26 TH, and I have denied at least 200 pending memberships due to brand new account status.
My intention here Kate was not to antagonize you or to diminish your success. You have done an amazing job with your band, and you deserve to CELEBRATE it with your friends here on THIS board.
It was only your facts and stats that caught my attention and that I wanted to address.
I guess I could have ignored the facts and stats, so you could CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS & LAGB life, but I couldn't let it stand because I needed some clarification on your surgeons stats, and exactly how many long term bandsters really do exist.
I want to share facts with pre-ops and whenever somebody, even somebody who shares the same POV that I have provides information that I want to learn more about, I'll ask them where they got it from and if they have a link.
I hope you're not too upset with me Kate. CONGRATS on doing such an amazing job with your band, and continue to enjoy the new life that your band has given to you.
Lisa
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