So...........

Dev, thanks for pointing out how easy it is to find the risks for each procedure.  Perhaps OH ought to have links to the risks on every site, so that newbies in all areas could look quickly, print and then compare. 

One would think, but I noticed while I was googling that the information listed by OH tends to be pretty minimal.

It is funny... I know how to Google too...
HOWEVER.... Back in 2007 when I had my band placed, these were not the risks listed.  I will really have to look into my storage unit since I recently moved and everything is there, but I am sure that I keep everything so I must have what it said the complications MAY be.
I was told there were complications... OF COURSE... there are complications with EVERY surgery.
I was told it might slip (however, they told me that if it slips, it is an EASY fix)
I was told it was reversible (at any time, not just when the doctor decides he wants to do it, or when the insurance company would finally approve it)
I was told to chew, chew, chew, and then when you thought the bites were small enough, chew some more (which I did)
I was told that it was a tool, not a cure (very understandable, EVERY WLS is a tool)
I was told that IF I didn't chew the food to small enough bites, then I MAY throw up (not that I may never be able to make it through another meal again without throwing up)
I was told not to drink with my meals (which I didn't)
I was told to avoid sweets and carbs (which I did until the only thing I could digest was mashed potatoes and sugary products)
I was told to avoid soda (which I did)

What I was NOT told...
I was NOT told of erosion.
I was NOT told of the possibility of the hernia developing a year after my surgery.
I was NOT told that after 2 - 1/2  years I would NO longer be able to digest protein (tried just about everything, meats, eggs, it even got where I started throwing up protein shakes)
I was NOT told about the "common" left shoulder pain.
I was NOT told that it would damage my esophagus for life.
I was NOT told that my perfect teeth would become so damaged that I have lost 2 of them from the adverse affects of vomiting 3+ times a day. (I used to have beautiful teeth, now hate smiling)

From May 2007 to July 2008, I had lost 80+ pounds with the Lap Band.  I was told I was the PERFECT patient.  Then I developed the hernia.  Doc removed all the fluid, I asked him if we could just remove the band because I had already started the vomiting much more than I wanted.  He said NO (wait, what happened to it being reversible).  He told me my stomach would heal on its own (the hernia was right above the band).  I asked a few times during the following years if we could remove the band, NO.  He did not feel a need to.  But I was throwing up, not able to eat good (proteins) foods.  I had learned to LIVE with the band.  I had accepted that it was a part of me.  I had my good food days (where I could actually eat - not proteins or salads mind you, but I could at least hold something down), and I had my bad food days (where nothing, not even protein shakes and sometimes not much water would stay down). 

Fast forward....
December 2011 - installing mini blinds in new house, sharp pain in back on left side.  After 2 days of being in pain, went to the ER.  Told ER doc I had the Lap Band (as it was always the first thing you tell all doctors for life), he said I pulled a muscle in my back and sent me home.  Next night, now not holding water down, went back to ER - told me I was over reacting, had me sign my discharge papers and was sending me home... but wait... blood work just came back, oh wow, she has an infection, her white blood count is through the roof.  Let's take ANOTHER  CT scan of the abdomen (they had taken one the night before and didn't see anything wrong).  Hmmmm.... something doesn't look right...  Sent me by ambulance to larger hospital where the surgeon came in and told me it was a matter of life and death.  He could NOT guarantee that I would make it through surgery.  Almost 12 hours later, I awoke in the ICU where I spent the next few days.  The doctor told me that the band had somehow tangled into my liver (which he did save my liver), slipped and cut off ALL the blood supply from my stomach and gangrene had set in (yes within 4 days).  They had to perform a partial gastrectomy. 
I was in the hospital for 7 days without as much as an ice chip passing my lips.  I had to be fed through a feeding tube.  I had that feeding tube hanging out of my side for 2 months. 

So see, I also know how to look things up online.  I did ALL my research before and ALL I could find at that time was how GOOD the band was.  If it did slip, we could fix it easily.  If you wanted it taken out, that was an easy fix too. 

I am glad the band has worked for some people and if you are happy with your band, that is good.  However, do NOT discredit those of us who are NOT happy with our bands.  We are trying to let people know BOTH sides.  Things that we were NOT told when we got ours.

Thank you

I don't discredit anyone's experience. The band has truly sucked for some people, especially those that had serious complications and especially for people who weren't fully informed of the possibility of serious complications prior to surgery. My only objection is that we have a certain number of people on here who have decided that, due to their experiences and their opinions on the mattern, NO ONE should ever get a band again. I think we're all grown-ups and people ought to be presented with both information on the risks and information on successes and then they can decide for themselves. Some people here do a GREAT job of that, but some people are so ovwerwhelmingly strident and even downright rude that they have actually chased away a lot of people who have useful information to contribute. When one's response to every band related questions is "the band sucks, you should have it taken out, it will ruin your life" that just isn't helpful for anyone. Some of us on the band board HAVE BANDS and are living with them, and we deserve to be able to access support just as much as those whose bands didn't work well for them. Some days, I really don't even want to come here because the bickering is just so depressing, but then I fell like if I stop entirely, there's one more person chased away.
We also have people who will actually tell others "don't get X surgery, get Y surgery" which, in my opinion, is dispensing medical advice and is totally innappropriate.

Dev has time to google (a big accomplishment by the way, you should be so proud) and post about every surgery but she's too busy to go to every forum...she's just not too busy to hijack your post where real people have real problems.  Must be her pregnancy brain...you know how you forget things at that stage...pretty soon she'll be way too busy to worry about us "band bashers" Maria.  Great link by the way!

Well ty Barbara! I thought it was rather informative.

Wow, you're pretty rude. Yes, I has less than 10 minutes to google, proving how easy it is to find information on the risks of the band surgery as well as other surgeries.
As for pregnancy brain, my brain is actually doing quite well. I am responsible for following 112 patients at my job in addition to caring for my toddler, running a small business, and completing coursework to become a certified bariatric counselor, and no one has any complaints

EXACTLY !

Did I just read that right? Maria called someone a broken record? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Ok sorry, I couldn't contain myself. LOL.