You can speak for yourself but it's simply erroneous to say that it's true for everyone that: 'if you take care of your band and follow the rules and have great aftercare' it will work.

I followed the rules to a T, lost more weight initially than my doctor expected, had great aftercare and complied with every one of the detailed guidelines. I never once vomited or had anything stuck while it was in place because I was EXTREMELY cautious and compliant. Then only a few months down the track, it had to be removed. Because despite a whole host of tests/endoscopy/second opinions no doctor could explain why I could not even swallow a sip of water with NO fill in the band. No slip, no errosion etc. etc. Like you, I never saw myself having a second operation either, but here I am looking at a third operation since it had to be removed and now I need to consider further WLS. Please don't presume to speak on behalf of people who have scrupulously followed rules and gone through the heartache of band failure by making sweeping statements.

It's great you've gone so well, and good on you, but I'm afraid as more time and research passes, you're very much in the lucky minority, and I think it's important to offer those considering a lap band both sides of the story.   

The band is the worst choice there is. Google~ "lapband + referred left shoulder pain."  The Vagus nerves run through the diaphragm and get extremely irritated by the lapband. It happens in more people than not eventually. And, if the band is left in place, the damage can become permanent.

Read the Revisions forum here, as well. You'll see just how often people revise FROM the lapband to another WLS.

My biggest regret is that my young son had to fear for my life from the band complications I experienced.  The band nearly killed me and I have nothing good to say about it. That was over 9 years ago and I've watched the same things happen over and over and over to people I've known and cared about. Save yourself a lot of pain and suffering.

While I appreciate the nay-sayers...I will share with you my experience.

I am 9 months post op and am doing great. I am 42 years old and had 90 lbs to lose. I am 53 lbs down and just ran my first 5K thanks to the Couch to 5K program!

My weight loss was slow at first, my surgeon takes fills very slowly, so it was 6 months before I got some restriction. Since then...it is steadily coming off. Now, I take credit for eating right, exercising regularly....but the band keeps me honest and is a great tool in my weight loss

I will share with you some of my succeses... My BMI is below 30, soI am no longer obese; I am almost to my driver's license weight :); just ran my first 5K!!

Hope youare able to make a decision!!

Kelli

 
Almost everyone lies about their DL weight, lol.

I wrote this about a yr. ago:

I Weigh Less Than My Drivers License!

 

     

Yes! I now weight less than my drivers license says!

For years my drivers license has been “slightly inaccurate". My drivers license has ALWAYS been in Onederland, lol. So even when I was 258 or 268…………my license said “195″.

Then last year a week before Christmas my car was broken into and my wallet was stolen (along with a lot of other things!). Merry Christmas to me! 
So I had to have the license reissued. Now at this point I was starting to lose so I knew that I would be 195 soon………….so I changed the weight to 175.

Well I realized today that I am about 20 pounds BELOW my drivers license weight! How cool is that?! So when I go in a few months to have it renewed…………..I MIGHT ACTUALLY PUT MY REAL WEIGHT ON IT!

What about you all? Was your weight accurate? If not how far off was it? Did you renew before you had to just to change your weight on it?

 Almost all of us are doing great at 9 months.

I wanted a surgery that would last for life, or even a few years. After a year of hell, my band was gone by year 2. I don't want that for you, and the OP still has a chance to make a better choice.

 
~ Can anyone point me in the direction of some useful tools that might aid me in deciding. ? ~

This resources might be helpful:

ASMBS Band Gets Low Marks

 
I'd suggest reading this also:

Consumer Reports Warns About Lapband

You and I are alot alike! I had my band placed almost 4 years ago and I was 28. I love to exercise and always ate healthily (just too much).  I have been doing great and have had no complications to date (recently confirmed by endoscopy for internal check and flouro for fills, not just on how I feel).

I have maintained 70% weight loss since a year out from surgey and even had a baby and lost all the weight again. In fact, I am smaller now than I was before I got pregnant with her.

There are many complications that go with the band but I am fortunate that I have not had any. I know of people that have followed the rules and had complications so following the rules is not a guarantee.

I read a lot of books and spoke to a weight loss surgeon about surgery types prior to committing to a surgery.  I also had to consider what I was comfortable with and the Realize band is what I chose. I knew I needed the portion control not really the malabsorption because my problem wasn't eating the wrong food, just too much of the right food.

Good luck to you! I did a journal for my 1st year with the band. If you want to read it, friend me.

 Hey, a fellow triplet mom! I have nine year old triplets and a 2 year old! I also have PCOS and insuline resistance. 

I personally do not recommend the band to anyone anymore because mine almost killed me and it has been shown recently that the band stats are getting worse instead of better in terms of amount of weight lost and kept off etc and the amount of complications that happen in the long run (most don't have bad complications until at least a year or two after being banded). 

I was revised to the sleeve and it literally does everything that I thought the band was going to do, I hit goal in under 6 months. Please make sure to look into every option before you make your decision.