The good and bad

So I am getting lap band surgery in November and I am started to freak out. I have read the good and bad but I want to know peoples personal experience with it. If you had to do it again would you? How was it the first few days after surgery?

I understand you being nervous, it is normal to wonder if you are doing the right thing. I have had my band over 5 years and have lost over 150 lbs. I have had great results with the band and no problems. I feel like the band has given me my life back.  I know there are some that have had problems with the band, but you can have problems with any of the other  weight loss surgeries, but there are so many other that have also had great results with other weight loss surgeries. ( I would never bash any of the other weight surgeries, we are all trying to do what is best for us and our health)  My primary care physician said the band was the only weight loss surgery he would support me on, he told my husband the same thing he was banded a year ago last Sept. My husband is also loving his band. I remember wanting the band so bad and wonderfing if it was the right thing for me to do, i was borderline diabetic, high blood pressure, bad knees and feet, couldn't walk very far before i was out of breath and had to sit down. Now i feel great off all my meds. and can walk and walk and walk. no pain and never short of breath. I have no regreats at all and would do it again in a heartbeat. I did not have any problems after surgery and recovered very quickly, just be sure to walk alot to help with the gas and just follow all your doctors orders. I just want to say congratulations on you new weight loss journey and your new life, and i wish you all the best.

With my current complications, I would not choose banding today.  I have scar tissue built up under the band, causing me to be very tight, even with no fill.  I only had 3.5 cc in my 11 cc band, so didn't keep it tight.  I was determined to follow "band rules" for eating, drinking, etc and I did.  I'm losing on an empty band, so all is not lost.

If I was deciding today with current knowledge available, I would choose VSG, due to my age (almost 63) and other personal reasons.  I am not a candidate for malabsorptive surgery.

If I need to revise, it will be to VSG, but with the damage done to my stomach and esophagus, it will be a more difficult procedure and recovery than it would be if I had a "virgin" stomach.  Make the best choice now...you may have just one opportunity to do so.

 
I am six years post-op, below goal for over four and a half years. I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

it appears I am unusual in that not only do I still love my band after six years but so do all the others I know in real life! I have no idea why the British experience is different but it appears to be. Athough I met some vey successful long term bandsters when I visited the US. and the three Americans I met and I am still in contact with are all still successful at 9, 6 and 4 years post-op respectively. 

However, it is hard work snd for many, slow. And there is no doubt that there can be complications which are in no way the fault of the bandster. We can minimise risk by following rules but even those who follow every single guideline can run into trouble. But no wls is perfect!

Kate

My story is close to Stephanie, my body didn't like the band.  My body surrounded the tipped port with scare tissue.  So every time the tipped
it to fill it caused increasing pain. 

The band would tighten at will and I'd get food stuck, throw up and developed reflux.  I started having issues at 8 months out.  At two years
out the PCP sent me to get the band out.  I broke down at the surgeons office because I didn't want to lose the only tool I had to help.  So even
with all the medical issues I fought to keep it 18 more month.  I don't
like to quit anything I start.

The band did help me lose ~1/2 my EW in the first eight months. 
Gained it all plus during issues.  Than as they kept un-filling it every
time it tightened up I was able to get that ~1/2 EW back off in the
last eight months I had it. 

I had my band removed 4 weeks ago.  If I had the same info/options
now as I had than, I would make the same mistake.  BUT, I now have
more info and the experience of the Band and would not do it again. 
I would have taken my IRA and headed to Mexico as the sleeve was
not a option back than.

Some here have done great with their bands but more and more are
having issues, 5-8 years later.  The one common thing in any WLS
working though is commitment on the persons part!

Good luck with what ever you choose to do.

I will start out with the first few days. I felt super as long as I took the pain med and rested. I was able to get all my protein and fluids in by the 6th day. The gas was the worst of it but that is manageable with walking, heat, meds, etc. Gas-Ex strips did help me. Within a week I was walking further than I had been able to before surgery and at 10 days was practically leaping tall buildings. This is not typical and should not be tried at home.

My personal experiences? Good. I was always very sensitive to fills and there were a number of times I had unfills. Also not typical, I got restriction with my first fill and lost all my weight in 5 months. I have ADD and let me tell you they don't work well together. I got stuck more than the average person and would have to bring whatever it was back up. On the other hand, by leaving my band a bit loose I was able to eat a very wide variety of foods. I really loved my band. Counting pre-op losses I lost 64 pounds and it changed my life and my health.

That being said, I had to have mine removed after 2 1/2 years. Like many, it got super tight out of the blue and 2 months of being unfilled didn't resolve the problem. I revised to a sleeve because I cannot do it without a tool. This is more common now than when I first got my band. I had researched very well and the statistics looked good. That is changing.

Would I do it over again? In a heartbeat. Initially the band was the only surgery open to me due to osteoporosis not allowing a malabsorption type wls and my insurance said my BMI was too low for a sleeve, even with comorbidities. I started at 35.8, which didn't tell the whole story by any means. Even at that I thought long and hard about going with the band and was very comfortable doing so.

I can't advise you as to what you should do. Kate is right that the statistics are very different in Europe. No one has said why. Either way, you have to do what is right for your body. Once you decide don't second guess yourself. I wish I could tell you all is roses and sunshine but I can't. Nor can I tell you that your band WILL fail, you WILL have to revise, or anything of the sort. That also is an over exaggeration. Many are long term and having great results even yet. I thought I could beat the odds but my body disagreed. The band was not at fault for my issues but my body decided it did not like our friend anymore. There wasn't any scar tissue, erosion, or anything else, thankfully.

Good luck on what ever you do. Give it your best and you will succeed.

Sue

No way in hell would I get another band! Worst WLS there is. I wouldn't wi**** on my worst enemy. Go read about all the failed bands on that group or in the revision forum.

As far as how it was the first few days after surgery..........no big deal. Little pain with movement. Some gas. No worse than my gall bladder surgery. Recovery is quick.

You might also ask about Dr. Duncan on the GA forum...............

Good luck!

The good is that no part of your anatomy is removed or altered with lapband surgery. The bad is that the band alters your anatomy  at random, which is infinitely worse.  The band causes the Vagus nerves to be affected. Google the functionality of the Vagus nerves... they control A LOT of things in the human body and you don't want them to be adversely affected. And it's a very common complication with gastric banding.

The good is that the band can be removed. The bad is that even if it can be removed, there will most likely be damage in the form of adhesions, scar tissue, and nerve damage. It's not reversible as the advertising claims.

I would never in a million years have a band again. I would rather jump off a cliff into a pit of alligators swimming in acid in front of a screaming Jerry Springer audience.  The pain was immense, the disappointment complete and the damage substantial.

A LOT of negative statistics are coming to light now. There are subpoenas against Allergan and quite a few surgeons are refusing to perform this surgery anymore... with very good reason.

Take a peek at the Revisions forum. You'll see all the revisions FROM lapband to other surgeries. And another thing to consider is that insurance companies are starting to implement a "One WLS per lifetime" clause... whether they were your insurer or not. You could have paid cash for your surgery and then decided or needed to revise... the insurance company will refuse. It's a very important consideration. It can become a very expensive venture.

Good luck, take care and I hope you research until you puke.

Hi Ivy...

I am 9 months out and have had a very good experience with my Realize band and have lost 108 pounds - 87 since surgery. I've not had any issues and one stuck epsidoe that took 24 hrs to pass but I wasn't miserable, but a little uncomfortable.

Just after surgery - I really didn't have constant pain. There was soreness similar to doing a lot of ab work and I took pain medicine the first two night two help me sleep. Sleeping was quite uncomfortable as my tummy was bloated from the gas.  Walking helped a lot..walk as much as you can.

One thing I've seen confirmed in the 9 months from this site, other sites and support groups...there isn't one option that is 100% better than another. Whether its the surgical method or the person  - there isn't always a success (definition varies). Be committed to making your choice work and give it your best.

Good luck on your journey, keep us posted.

I had great success with my band. I don't remember the surgery or recovery being difficult, but it was 5 years ago. The recovery experience is very individual - depends on your general health, pain tolerance, etc.

I had to have my band removed in April because of esophageal stenosis (thickening of the tissues) that was apparently caused by several decades of "silent" reflux. I revised to the sleeve in August but I still miss my band. In fact, I miss it more than ever. I'm having a very hard time adjusting to my sleeve, mainly because of extreme fatigue (possible anemia & dehydration) and extreme blood sugar fluctuations that cause ferocious hunger only an hour after I eat. Also, I dump when I eat anything with more than 5 or so grams of sugar in it, so I've had to give up fruit, yogurt, milk, protein bars, and other things. Don't put too much store in what I've said about the sleeve, though. I'm only 7 weeks post-op and not in a very objective frame of mind. Most sleeve patients love their sleeve, especially the ex-bandsters *****vised to the sleeve because of complications with their bands.

As another person said, there is no perfect weight loss surgery procedure available now. And no WLS is a cure for obesity - WLS is a treatment, not a cure. Every procedure requires the patient to change their eating and exercise behavior for the rest of their life.

Jean