Did the BAND really FAIL????

Blah blah blah to all this negativity. I was looking to have revision because of all you people when in all actuality my band works just fine. I can't predict the future, I can only hope I continue to have success. For now I love my band and I will embrace it. If you hate the band thats fine if you love the band that's fine as well. We are all different. Band haters don't hate me because I love my band and I won't hate you because you don't. Life is too short for all this. I once loved the support here.

If a band does NOT do what Allergan claimed it would do, then YES..........it FAILED! If it caused damage to anyone having the band, then YES............it FAILED!

Those of us with failed bands are happy for your success, we are not questioning weather or not you lost b/c of the band, or b/c you lost ONLY b/c of diet, or ONLY b/c of exercise. It's not right to question those of us with failed bands and insinuate that our bands have not failed. The percentages are too high for it to be user error. You see too few long term bandsters for it to be user error. Hell the government would not have issued the subpoena to Allergan about the crappy stats if it were user error. THE BAND FAILS MOST PPL LONG TERM!

Tom,

From just reading posts on THIS board over the years lap banders have FAILED to do the following

1. Failed to exercise regularly
2. Failed to get an unfill when they found themselves too tight
3. Failed to follow the lap band diet most of the time
4. Failed to follow up with their lap band surgeon as required for needed fills to stay on track with weight loss.


They KNEW UP FRONT the lap band cannot will police what goes into our mouth, the gastric bypass will punish most people who eat too many carbs and sweets, I hear that the Sleeve will also cause dumping side effects in some as well...the lap band does not cause punishment, is that the REAL problem of failure we are also seeking a tool to determine what goes into our mouth?

When I gain weight I can't blame my lap band, I guess it's all those Oreo cookies......

Since I have time to use a real computer, I would like to reply to this thread, which (I think) turned into something that it shouldn’t have.

First let me officially and profusely apologize to:  Nic M, Sarah Beans, Changing for the Better, I am with the Band,  Tamara L, Dev, Nana B, Carolina Girl 2012, (my) Melly37, Crystal M, Banded Cruiser, SueBee01, Jost Dreams, Melanie V, Maria F,  and anyone else who thinks I was either bashing or doubting their terrible band experience. This was not my intention.  I also did not want this post to start a fight between one another. Again, this was not my intention.  My intention was to have an open dialogue to discuss a different point of view.

I have always stated PRINT IS COLD so one person’s true objective may be misinterpreted because one cannot “hear" the actually “inflection" of the words.  (Side note example, if I tell you “go jump in a lake" – it print it may appear as being demeaning, when in reality it’s meant to be a joke").

My goal was NOT to attack those who have had legitimate issues with the band.  I did state I know folks (4 to be exact) who HAVE HAD terrible band experiences, and had them removed. If the band actually failed you (as I believe it has) I feel terrible that you had to experience this. As I stated earlier, I am unsure how I would react if I was in your shoes. It also pains me to know there are some of you who were made to feel you are to blame the band fail, when in reality you did everything expected of you, and the device itself was faulty.  

With that said, I know well over a 100 band patients who still have their band. Are all of them successful? No!! Many aren’t success, not because of the band, but for other reasons.  There is a big difference between “band failures" and “failures with the band."

SOME folks can easily fail with the band, but it has nothing do with the BAND itself.  Some folks BLAME the band for failing, when in reality it’s not the band itself that failed. I know a person who had the band, and they failed with it. If you ask the person their opinion, they will bash the band because they did not get the result they expected. They decided to have the band remove and go with a bypass. Today the person is still not successful. Why? Because no operation can be successful if one continues to eat candy and drink shakes. This is what I was trying to convey.

I just contacted a few Doctors, who I respect, concerning the band and failure. According to them, statistically speaking a band patient can expect to lose 40% to 70% of their excess body weight. Which can also be interpreted has a 30% to 60% chance of failure. I also asked them about actual band failure, and they said they have had less than 10% actual band failures.  They also said the reason some patients fail with the band is not because of the band itself, but sometimes it because the Doctor who is performing it.  Some Doctors don’t have the experience in banding. They strongly suggest looking for Doctors, and their practices, which are considered “Center of Excellence."  

In MY opinion, ANY Doctor to allow their patient to go more than 2 months of not being able to eat/swallow, needs to be questioned. My Doctor tell all his patients, if you can’t eat/swallow for more than 12 hours, call the office immediately.

While I admire those in the medical field, as we know there are good and bad in everything. Just because one IS in the field, doesn’t make them an expert. Heck, I’ve know many MD’s and/or “SPECIALIST" who scoff at weight loss surgery, and disapproves in it. Many have openly told potential patients, weight loss surgery is a waste. Just recently a person I knew went to a “medical clinic" and saw another Doctor, and when they explained what they were doing, the Doctor flatly told them “So you’re giving up and going the easy way out!!!". WTF?!?!??!  Can you imagine saying that to someone who is planning on having a stent put in, or any other artery related operation “oh, you’re taking the easy way out"?!?!?!?

Many have pointed to a recent subpoena to Allegran as “proof" the band is a terrible device for weight loss surgery.  If one objectively reads the article(s), it clearly states “Allergan received the subpoena from the U.S. government Department of Health and Human Services’s Inspector General. … In January, House Democratic lawmakers called for hearings on medical devices including Lap-Band, following a study in the medical journal Archives of Surgery, that found almost half of patients with a gastric band had no weight loss or needed the device removed after six years. More than 40 percent had long- term complications. …" Notice the article states “MEDICAL DEVICES INCLUDING", there are many other medical devices (example BIB) that do weight loss surgery. So they are looking at them ALL. On  the surface without knowing all the facts and finding, one person could look at it as a 50% failure rate, while another can look at it as a 50% success. Some can view it as 40% had complications, while other can say 60% haven’t has complications.

While some folks may look at this recent “news article" as fodder for how bad the band is, let us not forget last year, the FDA approved expanding the Lap-band for a wider use.

Others have pointed out that there are Doctor’s on television stating how bad the band is. Is anyone old enough to remember the 1970’s/80’s “attack" on “stomach-stapling" (bypass)? Let’s not forget just over 5 years ago there was a big media blitz on how dangerous and deadly gastric bypass was.  All these experts came out and told horror stories how people died from bypass. Personally, I’ve known 5 people who have passed having a bypass, but that wouldn’t stop me for stating it as an option, nor would I think it’s as dangerous as some would believe it to be.

Please let’s stop bashing one another, and each other’s point of view on this (or other) subjects. Let’s agree we’re looking at it from two different points of view. Imagine if someone held up a coin, and one person saw only the front of the coin and the other saw the back of the coin. If you were to ask the person, who sees the front, to describe the coin they may say they see a President’s likeness. Now if  you asked the person who see’s the back of the coin what they see, they will tell you something other than seeing a President’s likeness. Who is right?!?!? Both are, because they are explaining what THEY experience. NO ONE IS WRONG. So while you may think the band is a terrible choice, I (and others) will disagree, and we should be able to “argue" without getting personal.  While I don’t expect us to hold hands, and sing “Kumbaya", I wish we can be tolerant of each other’s point of view.

I think I’ve said enough. I don’t expect to reply any more to this post. Heck I did enough damage (which wasn’t my intention).

In closing, all I can say is: for folks who are thinking about doing the band DO YOUR RESEARCH!! Make sure you find the pro’s and con’s of this, or any operation. Is the band the operation filled with rainbows and unicorns, of course not!! In the same breath, it’s not filled with fire; brimstone and evil trolls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-07/allergan-receives-u-s-subpoena-over-weight-loss-device.html

 

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=fda+lap+band&gbv=2&oq=fda+lap+band&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.12...0.0.1.17566.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0.Fq6UJpeh3oo&safe=active

 

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=fda+approves+lap+band&hl=en&gbv=2&gs_l=hp.1.7.0l3j0i30l7.1467.5883.0.10486.12.12.0.0.0.0.327.1296.3j0j4j1.8.0...0.0.Ki1VzGWoBM4&safe=active&oq=fda+approves+lap+band&aq=f&aqi=g-lK2g-lmK1&aql=

Tom...no apologies for me, I agree with you 100 percent......don't get me mixed up with the band bashers...lol...

I consider a TRUE FAILED LAP BAND IS WHEN THE PORT WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT SALINE AND THE BAND CAN NO LONGER BE FILLED OR THE PATIENT NEVER RECEIVED EFFECTIVE RESTRICTION. -- AGAIN WHEN THE PATIENT SUFFERS FROM LAP BAND SLIPPAGE OFTEN TIMES THIS CAN BE AVOIDED BY FILLING THE BAND PROPERLY.

Over the years I've seen OVER 50 people convert to the bypass and the Sleeve combined AND only a few WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR REVISIONS....THIS GOES TO SHOW NO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY WILL HELP WITH NON COMPLIANCE.....I guess we need to START ASKING THE BASHERS FOR RECENT PICTURES OF THEIR SUCCESS....

I agree that people are confusing that recent subpoena to Congress regarding the lap band being a terrible device for weight loss surgery to the overall lap band population...I think most of that was from that 1800-get thin surgery center misleading its patients and false advertisements...THAT I AGREE needs to be stopped..

 Thank you! No apologies for me either! I am a successful bander and I have had not one complication! I do believe the band fails some but some absolutely fail the band! I have friends who got the band after my success! Several have failed because they graze, refuse to exercise or drink high calorie drinks instead of water! They call me obsessed with weight loss, because I record everything I eat. They claim the band failed and was the worst! I sat and watched one consume an entire plate of large nachos while drinking (breaking rule number 1) a milk shake! She lost 13 lbs - all preop and nothing more! Now she has gained and hoping to revise to the sleeve! I think many of us who know these people tend to distrust others when they claim band failure! That is why I was trying to get my point across to the people here! If you have a valid story, tell it so that others can learn from it! I believe that means telling the facts! The study you noted can be interpreted anyway you want it to - to say anything you want it to say! I read it as you did! The Lapband was not the only device studied so the results are not entirely Lapband results! I know many have had life threatening injuries from their bands! It is horrible but I remember the "stapling" stories too! I remember as a child thinking who would want to do that only to die! Now as a former morbidly obese adult I know! Life goes on... Thank you for being a voice of reason. 

Why are you apologizing to me? I thought your post was fine!

Thank you, but there's sincerely no need to apologize to me, Tom.



Take care,
Nic

BRAVO....Well said

It's sad how successful banders looks down on us with band issues, but I will not go into it at this time...... you won't understand until you go thru it yourselves.   Thinking we fail the band while we did not fail it when we followed the rules.