Hi New person here

I just thought I would introduce myself. I am a brand new banded lady. I had  the band plus plication yesterday, January 11th.

I lost 9 lbs on my preop diet.  As of surgery day, I weighed 297. I am still very sore and still sleeping in my recliner. I am extremely happy to have had this surgery. I had a wonderful surgeon who also happens to be banded. 

It is a little discouraging to see all the negatives on here about the band. I belong to a another support group of just banders and most all of them have had good results and very few complications. Most of the complications have been them just not being compliant with diet. 

I am hoping to see more positives on here. A friend recommended the site to me. 

Member Services, thank you for removing the offensive post.

Fairy kissez, I remember you from your early banded days and as I said to you on another post, I am so sorry you have had such awful problems. 

But to welcome a newly banded person who has had the op and can't go back by telling her that painful failure is absolutely inevitable is not true and is downright nasty. There are many on here with bad experiences and they can be very forceful in putting over their view. But not as unkindly as you have just done.

Kate

Fairy - I know your band experience was horrible, and I understand your anger toward THE BAND. But your response to the OP was uncalled for, mean and just plain despicible. 

The woman had surgery YESTERDAY, and your great idea is to tell her THAT? Disgusting.

mrslmwalker, welcome to  OH and congrats on your band! 

I am 18 months out and love my band.  I am down about 95 pounds and this is just what I needed.

I have been a yo-yo dieter all my life and this gives me the tool to live my life and lose weight.

As far as the those who have had issues with their bands, I feel bad for them that their tool has failed them/or they failed their band whichever it is.

I know that for my band to work and to continue to work I have to diet and exercise because they go hand in hand as with any wls !

My advise is take from this board what is helpful and leave the rest.

I enjoy the posts from Bette, Nana and Joan who lost her band but is still her for support of the band. Some who have lost their bands still give support but others OMG. I skip those.

I wish you well on this journey and hope you get the support you need here.

So, should we vanish off into the darkness or lie? I was a successful band patient for almost 5 years. I think I have earned the right to voice my story and my opinion. I have been nothing but supportive on OH; and quite frankly, by sharing my story, I am offering another level of support. I always wish everyone the best and lots of success in their weight loss journey. 

I would like to point out that a patient can not "fail their band." A band can simply either cause complications or not be an effective weight loss option. Unfortunately, sometimes, both can occur. Also, most of the complications with the band are showing up much later than 18 months post-op. I wouldn't be so quick to judge us failed band patients who are sharing our experiences. You may have to eat your words, just like I did last August. I would always get upset by and/or ignore the "band bashers".....In fact, I left OH for a while due to all of the drama. But, you know the first place I turned to when I found out that my band had to go.....OH. I was surprised, too, when I returned that so many of my old friends on OH were losing their bands too.

Basically, you may want to stop and read some of those failed band posts. Not everything turns out as we expect or intend....and who knows, one day you may be in my shoes. I hope not, but if you are, I will be here to support you. 

On January 12, 2013 at 7:39 PM Pacific Time, gorditabonita wrote:

Gordita..

I remember you from a few years back, I will ALWAYS SUPPORT lap banders and those who's band failed or revised to the Sleeve, RNY or DS. But what I WILL NOT SUPPORT is those that tell every person that their bands will fail too ..aka..Band Bashers.

Lap bands failures and slippages or complications ARE NOT NEW. THERE are complications with the lap band, Sleeve, RNY and the DS. Complications and failures happens with ALL WEIGHT LOSS SURGERIES...IF THEY DID NOT YOU WOULD SEE SO MANY SLEEVER, RNY'S ON THE REVISION BOARD....YOU DON'T SEE MANY DS'RS there because not too many get it and you pretty much can't revise from the DS to anything else since it's the end of the 'chain'. 

You also mentioned that the lap band will be 'phased out' can you please share this information? I have access to publications also, I am a thorough researcher and I can't seem to find this information.

When complications happens to US we have a hard time accepting it. I recently had my band replaced, my first surgeon Dr. Amir Moazzez did NOT repair my hiatal hernia when he installed my lap band over 8 years ago and I asked him to check to see if I had one about 3 years ago when I kept having unfills and refills HE DID NOTHING.

Your surgeon Dr Halmi is part of the BluePoint surgical team and I WOULD NOT TRUST THEM WITH MY LIFE IF I HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS....DOES THAT MEAN YOU WILL HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS GROUP? NO...I THOUGHT THE WORLD OF DR MOAZZEZ WHEN HE PLACED MY BAND, BUT...HE WOULD NOT FIX HIATAL HERNIA...PERHAPS IT WOULD LOOK BAD ON 'HIS RECORD" SINCE THEY CLAIM TO BE A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.

I THINK YOUR TIME WOULD BE SPENT WISELY RESEARCHING THE SLEEVE AND ALL THE POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS THAT IT MAY HAVE.

I THINK YOU HAVE THIS "ILLUSION' AND ARE LISTENING TO ONLY "POSITIVE" THINGS WITH THE SLEEVE, AND PEOPLE MAY NOT BE TOTALLY "HONEST" ABOUT THEIR SLEEVE EXPERIENCE SINCE YOU CAN'T UNDO A SLEEVE,  AND IGNORING LEAKS, DUMPING SYNDROME, BILE REFLUX, AWFUL REFLUX /BURNING AND POSSIBLE TOO LARGE OF SLEEVE AND *GASP* HUNGER....THESE ARE ALL POSSIBILITIES THAT MAY HAPPEN WHEN YOU GET YOUR SLEEVE.

NO weight loss surgery is perfect, if the Sleeve was PERFECT AND HAD NO RISKS OR SIDE EFFECTS, I would dump my lap band in a heartbeat.

"YOU DON'T SEE MANY DS'RS there because not too many get it and you pretty much can't revise from the DS to anything else since it's the end of the 'chain'. "

Then why is their forum busier than this one?  And who said DS can't be revised?  Do you  have any publications that you write of to show us on this?

Well I think this will be my last post here. Obviously this is not a support group. It is a scare the hell out of people group. I will just stick to the not internet support groups. And I did read some of the other posts on the people that had problems with the band. That does not happen to everyone. For instance, I have no autoimmune disease and was made aware that the band is not compatible with those diseases. That is not the fault of the band.

I was simply posting an introduction. I did not expect two out of the 3 responses I got to be negative and Oh you will eat your words. How incredibly rude. 

Obviously this is not the group for me. 

Leslie

Before you leave can you tell me why they decided to band and do the plication .  I have heard of them individually but not together.  I find it interesting.

When she said you may have to eat your words, she was talking also about herself.  Did you not read what she wrote?  It's easy when you're band is working well for you to dismiss those who have had problems.  And many - myself included have done that.  I regret those times because NOT one of us is immune from band complications.

You can leave if you like, many have.  In person support groups are wonderful. 

Edit:  BTW, I have lost over 323 lbs with my LapBand.  I was far more successful than anyone imagined and currently, I would not recommend the LapBand to anyone.  I have seen too many problems lately - and not everyone of them had anything to do with compliance.