BANDSTER DIED!

Someone just sent me this tonight. She was a band cheerleader that was 5 or 6 years out. She very strongly emphasized that she was a "veteran"  and she thought she knew it ALL about the band!

Posted 3 days ago

Ok, seriously scared right now. One of our own, Shirley, passed away over the weekend and supposedly it was because her band slipped, began to strangle her stomach and caused seizures. One of her last posts claimed that her doctors told her that they were finding this problem, and others, in people banded over 5 years and that her particular complication carried a 50% chance of it happening to any one banded 5 years or more.

I understand that this was porbably just a rare and very sad incident but I would like to hear from people who've had their bands 5 years or longer or who had to have them removed for what ever reason. When I was banded I was under the impression that it would be safe for the rest of my life. Did I not know every thing there was to know? Discussing it wold definitely put my mind at ease. So what are your thoughts Lap Band family?

That is very sad!!  My prayers for her and her family!

Yes, I am scared and have a Dr. appt on the 16th just to check my band out.  And I will do this yearly as long as I have my band.

My band really has never worked for keeping myself full etc, but others that have their bands too tight really are harming themselves.

I believe that a lot of us want so bad not to be fat anymore that we keep the band too damn tight then harm our throats, stomach, etc.

Please people, your band is meant to be a tool,  not a choke chain that causes you many problems!

I believe that a lot of us want so bad not to be fat anymore that we keep the band too damn tight then harm our throats, stomach, etc.

You Know I think that may very well be true. So sad to get the band with the promise from the manufacturers of "full soon, full longer".........and the only way many can achieve that is to keep it dangerously tight and injure theirselves. :-(

Anything is possible, if she had a severe prolapse that caused a loss of blood supply she could have had necrotizing tissue, leading to sepsis. It's hard to say without real information and it would be horrible to think she had symptoms that weren't attended to that led to this problem. I kind of doubt that people with a band 5+ years out have a 50% risk of this exact thing happening, since we aren't exactly dropping like flies around here. Perhaps they just mean a 50% chance of a slip/prolapse.

I've never assumed that my band would last for the rest of my life, very few medical appliances do. Even knees, hips, pacemakers, etc often require periodic replacement (heck, my uncle is 68 and on his third pacemaker in 5 years).There used to be a rumor going around that bands had to replaced after 5 years, which is not the case. I do assume that, at some point, I will need to either replace my band or convert to another surgery - re-surgery not being that uncommon in WLS in general - especially when it's done at a fairly young age. Someone who has WLS at 65 (or a knee replacement, etc) only needs the effects of the surgery or their appliance to last (on average)10-20 years. Someone who has WLS (or knee replacemet, etc) at age 30 has to make it work for a LOT longer. I suspect that, no matter what WLS you choose, having it done at a younger age increases the chances that you will need additional procedures later on since weight regain is a risk with all surgery types. RNY patient's often need to seek procedures to re-size the puch a few years out, etc. Since I had my band placed at about age 32, I have always assumed that this is just the first of several interventions I will likely need over the course of my life. Do I relish the thought of havening multiple surgeries in my future? No, not really, but unless science comes up with a pill that has the same effect, it's something that I know I am likely to have to deal with if I want to maintain anything close to a healthy weight.

I'm 6 year out and still have the same band I started with (I did have one repositioning surgery).

The 50% stat I believe was refering to slips at 5 years out.

Got a question Dev. You've had a 2nd WLS surgery already. I know you love your band. If you want to keep a band your entire lifetime how many band surgeries would you estimate that you would have to have???

Don't know. Just as I wouldn't have an idea of how many surgeries I might need if I had a sleeve, an RNY, or a DS. If someone getting an RNY or any other WLS is operating under the assumption that they will only need one surgery to solve their obesity problem forever, they stand a great chance of being very disappointed. Aside from surgeries needed to transition from one surgery type to another due to issues like regain or pouch stretching, there can be surgeries to deal with things like intestinal strictures or suture line disruption or adhesions.
I have always gone into to this assuming that WLS would not be a one time thing. I think one re-surgery in 6 years isn't that bad. I think each of us has to decide going into this what we're willing to put up with.
I doubt I will have my band for the rest of my life, especially since I am experiencing some esophageal dilation, but I'm not mad about it as I always expected that I would not have it for life. Maybe it's because I did my research ahead of time and understood that there is no permanent weight loss solution. I think too many people go to their doctors when they reach a point of desperation and they don't do research or their doctors don't offer enough good quality information and they buy into whatever surgery they have chosen without ever really reaching a solid understanding of the risks - not just the risks of the WLS, but the risks inherent with losing weight.
 

I am sorry to hear of the loss of one of our fellow bandsters.

Bev, well said, both times.

I am so, so, sorry to hear about this. It must remind us all to be vigilent. When anyone who has complications from their wls dies it is a terrible tragedy. It can and does happen with any of the current wls proceedures. I hope they come up with one that is absolutely safe forevermore. Until then we mourn.
  
As for the statement I just saw that 50% of people over 5 years ou will have a slip or other serious complication,  well that isn't correct, either. I recently talked to a surgeon who performs band surgery if someone insists, but prefers his patients to have other wls. Even with that preference he said that it simply is not true that people automatically have problems after an arbitrary amount of time. Complications are simply not just a matter of course.

The point of the original post is that we should mourn the loss of a life. Nothing else. If someone wants to use this tragedy to further their own agenda shame on them. You place this woman and her family beneath yourself. Shame on you. No names in mind, just shame on you.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family, so very sad!  I had my revision, band removed 3 days before my 8 yr band anniversary.  For me it was a decision that came down to not wanting the additional surgeries.  I had 4 surgeries related to the band in 8 yrs.  I had the port flip twice my first year.  Then no issues for close to 7 years.  I woke up with no restriction last year and found out  I had a leak.  I just said to my surgeon that despite the success I had and maintaining at goal for 5 yrs I didn't want a band replacement because I am done having surgeries.  I know it's not going to last forever and I'm now 37 so I revised to GB and I am just thrilled!  I really thought I would miss my band but I don't.  I am 4 weeks post op and feeling great.   I'll always love the 7 wonderful years I had with my band but I am ready to move forward and not worry about it anymore!  Karianne

 Read this on another website. Very sad.
wendy