This is a FYI....

The lap band is STILL the number one performed weight loss surgery in the WORLD....it is the second performed weight loss surgery in the US....so it will be very difficult to recall a product that has been proven to be safe in most people. As stated over 7 years ago....Allergen gives recommendations on how their product should be used and give surgeons precautions...... also the band has been around for over 25 years and have evovled in technology and improved in the way it is intalled.

Many surgeons do not follow those recommendations such as when to give their first patient a fill and filling too often....most Centers of Excellence follow those guidelines...but MANY surgical practices DO NOT...hence why you have different results...different quality lap bands --I've heard the Mexican surgeons have older and substandard bands they place in patients.......so the lap band success rate depends on many factors...it will not work for everyone if they don't have a good surgical team, excellent aftercare, etc...so MAKING BLANKET STATEMENTS ABOUT EVERYONE WILL BE DOOMED IS QUITE SILLY....BUT FEEL FREE TO VENT ABOUT YOUR HORRIBLE BAND EXPERIENCE...IT GIVES NEWBIES AND OLDIES A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF HOW HORRIBLE THE BAND CAN BE...BUT FOR MANY IT'S A GREAT LONG LASTING TOOL...

Below is a recent study comparing the lap band with the gastric bypass...


Surgical Endoscopy Volume 20, Number 6 (2006), 934-941, DOI: 10.1007/s00464-005-0270-y

Published in partnership with

SAGES and EAES

Original Article

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band versus laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Ends justify the means?

C. Galvani, M. Gorodner, F. Moser, M. Baptista, C. Chretien, R. Berger and S. Horgan

· About Abstract

Background

In the United States, the most frequently performed bariatric procedure is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Worldwide, the most common operation performed is the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB). The expanding use of LAGB is probably driven by the encouraging data on its safety and effectiveness, in contrast to the disappointing morbidity and mortality rates reported for RYGB. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of LAGB versus RYGB at a single institution.

Methods

Between November 2000 and July 2004, 590 bariatric procedures were performed. Of these, 120 patients (20%) had laparoscopic RYGB and 470 patients (80%) had LAGB. A retrospective review was performed.

Results

In the LAGB group, 376 patients (80%) were female, and the mean age was 41 years (range, 17–65). In the RYGB group, 110 patients (91%) were female, and the mean age was 41 years (range, 20–61). Preoperative body mass index was 47 ± 8 and 46 ± 5, respectively (p = not significant). Operative time and hospitalization were significantly shorter in LAGB patients (p < 0.001). Complications and the need for reoperation were comparable in both groups. Weight loss at 12, 18, 24, and 36 months for LAGB and RYGB was 39 ± 21 versus 65 ± 13, 39 ± 20 versus 62 ± 17, 45 ± 25 versus 67 ± 8, and 55 ± 20 versus 63 ± 9, respectively.


Conclusions

The current study demonstrates that LAGB is a simpler, less invasive, and safer procedure than RYGB. Although mean percentage excess body weight loss (%EBWL) in RYGB patients increased rapidly during the first postoperative year, it remained nearly unchanged at 3 years. In contrast, in LAGB patients weight loss was slower but steady, achieving satisfactory %EBWL at 3 years. Therefore, we believe that LAGB should be considered the initial approach since it is safer than RYGB and is very effective at achieving weight loss.


Keywords Morbid obesity - Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band - Roux-en-Y gastric bypass - Weight loss - Morbidity/Mortality

 Of COURSE they can recall it. ANYTHING can be recalled, no matter how popular or prevelent.

"Recall", however, does not mean that everyone who has one has to run right in to give it up.

Trust me they will NEVER RECALL the lap band, because there are too many people around the world that it works for.

My point was that Allergan gives out recommendations to all the surgical practices and surgeons around the world on HOW IT SHOULD BE USED INCLUDING PRECAUTIONS.....and included with these guidelines they list many contradictions.

Case in point...as we have already seen many surgical practices have NOT used their recommendations --aka -1800-get-thin... they have deviated from safety precautions with the band and used false advertisements, therefore they can't recall a product that has been proven to be safe in MOST people, they can't recall a product if 20 percent of surgical practices and patients refuse to follow safety guidelines....

Even in the most safest hospitals and stringent surgical practices there will ALWAYS be some people who will have complications with the lap band , that's just the nature with any type of surgical procedure whether lap band or any type of surgery.

They can't recall a product when 20-30 percent of surgical practices and patients don't follow rules...I guess what needs to happen is Congress needs to start cracking down on these surgical practices that don't follow safety guidelines...as in what they are already doing with 1800-get-thin....

Also the band IS NOT MEANT TO GET PEOPLE BIKINI READY...OR GET YOU TO A NORMAL BMI AUTOMATICALLY....it is designed to help you and guide you --NOT DO IT FOR YOU....PROBLEM IS SO MANY SURGICAL PRACTICES HAVE BEEN MISLEADING THEIR PATIENTS AND TIGHTENING THE BAND TOO MUCH AND TOO TIGHT...THE BAND DOES NOT WORK LIKE THIS...YOU CAN'T TURN THE BAND INTO THE BYPASS ....THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM COMES IN...AND CREATED SO MANY ANGRY PEOPLE....THAT SUFFERED COMPLICATIONS DUE TO TIGHTENING THE BAND TOO TIGHT AND NO/OR POOR AFTERCARE.

Again, if the lap band was deemed dangerous -- it would not still be the SAFEST weight loss surgery out there STILL BASED ON THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY...now in terms of it being effective for weight loss...IT HAS BEEN PROVEN IT WORKS FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT will just simply walk or exercise daily and eat veggies and proteins...you YOURSELF know THE BAND WORKS IF YOU WORK IT...THE BAND WILL NEVER HELP THOSE WITH SEVERE EATING DISORDERS AND WILL EAT THROUGH THE BAND AND NOT EXERCISE....IN FACT THE GASTRIC BYPASS WILL NOT HELP WITH THAT EITHER....

If the lap band exploded in 70-90 percent of the patients and the band slipped ON ITS OWN RIGHT AFTER SURGERY ...then that is another case..but that is not what is happening regarding most complications....

The lap band is much more complicated than recalling things like a car ..because it greatly depends on WHO INSTALLS IT AND HOW COMPLIANT THE PATIENT IS....

I agree with Bette.  Just because there's a high number of bands out there doesn't mean there won't be a recall....I mean look at the 2010 recall of Toyotas...they recalled over 5 million because of floor mats. 

That said although it is something I have worried about...I am also not going to over concern myself.  I am going to live my life and worry about a recall when it happens.  I mean what else can I do.  This is something I have in my body...If this Band becomes a problem I will deal with it then.  I can't keep worrying about what might happen.   

This morning I'm heading to Swedish Hospital for my initial visit with Dr. McMahon & his team. I already attended his seminar & was told that sleeve surgery is not supported by Medicare, so my plan: B is to go with the lap-band.

I hope sleeve surgery is on the horizon for Medicare support as this procedure appears to be the best.

I'll post more information later this afternoon. Appointment is to take half the day.

 Dr. McMahon just removed my band April 10th

That's strange, because i know medicare supports sleeve and bypass.

 Just to point out this article is from 2006.  There are more recent studies in the literature than this one.  

I am not sure what you mean but the numbers have ONLY INCREASED regarding how many people have gotten lap bands since 2006, it is still the most performed weight loss surgery in the World...that has not changed.

If you were referring to the safety of the lap band this is the most recent article that I posted the other day....this was published in 2010....and was based on the findings of Center of Excellence Surgical Practices only....


http://www.springerlink.com/content/q7h5605015566218/
 

Abstract

Background

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has become one of the most common weight-loss procedures performed in the United States. The authors’ high-volume academic medical center has gathered a database of almost 3,000 patients who have undergone LAGB since January 2001. The goal of this series, the largest to date on LAGB outcomes at a single institution, was to assess complications associated with LAGB.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed using longitudinal data from adult patients who underwent LAGB between 1 January 2001, and 29 February 2008. General and band-related complications were reported for all patients. Death and reoperation for weight gain (LAGB followed by either a second band insertion or a gastric bypass) also were reported.

Results

Of the 2,965 patients *****ceived LAGB during the study period, 2,909 met the criteria for inclusion in this analysis, and 363 (12.2%) experienced one or more complications. The most common complications were band slip (4.5%) and port-related problems (3.3%). Other complications were rare. Only seven patients (0.2%) had band erosion. Eleven patients (0.4%) underwent reoperation for weight gain. A total of 10 deaths (0.34%****urred during the study period. Three patients died within 30 days of surgery. Two of these deaths (0.06%) were related to surgery, and one resulted from a motor vehicle accident. Seven patients died of causes unrelated to surgery during the course of the study.

Conclusions

The LAGB technique is a relatively safe procedure with few early or late complications. Few LAGB patients undergo reoperation for weight gain, and mortality is very rare.

Better Weight Loss, Resolution of Diabetes, and Quality of Life for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass vs Banding Results of a 2-Cohort Pair-Matched Study Guilherme M. Campos, MD; Charlotte Rabl, MD; Garrett R. Roll, MD; Sofia Peeva, BA; Kris Prado, BA; Jessica Smith, MD; Eric Vittinghoff, PhD
Background: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic gastric banding (LB) are the 2 most common operations used to treat morbid obesity, but few controlled comparative studies have reported peri-operative and long-term outcomes.
Design: Two-cohort pair-matched study. Setting: Academic tertiary referral center. Patients: One hundred consecutive morbidly obese pa-tients treated with LB were pair-matched by sex, race, age, initial body mass index, and presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus with 100 patients who were treated with RYGB.
Main Outcome Measures: Perioperative and postop-erative complications, reoperations, and 1-year out-comes, including weight loss, type 2 diabetes resolu-tion, and quality of life.

Results: The RYGB and LB groups had similar charac-teristics. One-year outcomes were available for 93 pa-tients in the LB group and 92 in the RYGB group. The overall rate of complications was similar in both groups (11 patients in the LB group [12%] vs 14 in the RYGB group [15%]; P=.83), with a higher rate of early com-plications ( 30 days) after RYGB (11 patients [11%] vs 2 [2%] for LB; P=.01) and a higher rate of reoperations after LB (12 patients [13%] vs 2 for RYGB [2%]; P=.009). No deaths occurred.
Excess weight loss (36% vs 64%; P .01), resolution of diabetes (17 patients [50%] vs 26 [76%]; P=.04), and quality-of-life measures were better in the RYGB group.
Conclusions: When performed in high-volume centers by expert surgeons, RYGB has a similar rate of overall complications and lower rate of reoperations than LB. With the benefit of greater weight loss, increased reso-lution of diabetes, and improved quality of life, RYGB, in these cir****tances, has a better risk-benefit profile than LB. Arch Surg. 2011;146(2):149-155