Nervous about the lap band

Since yadayadayada, I've been blocked, I'll just copy and paste the post I'm replying to.  To the OP, those who are telling you to avoid the band are doing so because they've had the band, revised or removed it and have walked in the shoes you're about to try on.  Just like a bad pair of shoes, living with a band can be miserable.  Think about it...living with a tool that causes you pain, suffering and at times embarrassment.  In addition, many suffer long term and permanent damage.  Lapbands own site says 25% of bands are removed, for various reasons.  You can do everything right and your band can fail you.

Now to respond to the Supreme Queen of Blocking:

Is it common to have intense pain and vomiting with the lap band? NO   Yes it is!   Vomiting only happens if the following occurs:   1. Some people vomit often even with NO lap band, are you one of these people? If not, you have no worries.  

Who the hedoublehockeysticks vomits regularly without a band?  Bulimics?  If you're a bulimic, the band will make it worse.  If you're not a bulimic you might feel like one after a year or so with the band.  

2. Vomiting can happen only if the person's band is not installed properly from the beginning, make sure your surgeon has done over 300 bands, ideally over 500.    

Really?  My band, according to all the tests (I've had over $20k in diagnostic tests in 9 months) is not slipped, not eroded, and perfectly placed.  I puked for months because my band has caused a GI motility disorder.  I followed all band rules.  My band has been EMPTY 9 months and I still get stuck, sometimes on water.   3. Vomiting is VERY RARE for those who chew their foods properly with optimal restriction.   thats a good one.  Define optimal restriction.  Not too tight, not too loose.  Just right...only one problem.  I'm not Goldilocks and there are thousands of bowls of porridge...none of them are "just right".  

4. Pain/reflux and frequent vomiting ONLY occur with the lap band, if the lap band has slipped, or complication.    I had reflux for ten years pre band.  I had a hiatal hernia repaired during my band surgery and was reflux free for over a year.  When it returned the symptoms were very different and I didn't recognize that my band had tightened due to scar tissue and almost no barium could drip thru my stoma.  I only had 3.5 cc in the 11 cc band.  

5. The lap band DOES NOT CAUSE VOMITING, unless it is dangerously too tight, or if the patient refuse to chew properly.   This is another way of blaming the patient for the devices failure.  Imagine feeling like crap, and being told its your fault because you "refuse" to chew properly.  

If it were that easy, Lapband failure rates WOULD be 1% as some like to say.  

6. If the lap band did not cause vomiting, in the first 6 months post op and suddenly after 1-2 years the patient starts to experience very frequent vomiting/reflux, this means that the patient has been eating too much food/or purging and forcibly vomiting on a too tight lap band and has damaged the band, and slippage has occurred. All slippages are not urgent, they will just make life miserable with the lap band. -- This the number one complication with the band and happens a whole lot, in about 40 percent of lap band complications, but it is preventable.  

This statement is untrue and cruel.  Outright delivery of misinformation.  WRONG.  

7. Typically with a well adjusted band, not too tight, you should never experience vomiting if you chew your food well, and avoid eating too much. When you have reached your sweet spot, the green zone, you should not eat no more than 4 oz per meal.  The lap band will never stop you from eating, but it helps you stop -- and the lap band is very good at helping you stop eating.  

This is how it's sold, not how it works in real life.    

I've had 2 lap bands, the first band I got in 2005, and I rarely vomited with my old band, only when I goofed and ate too much, or took big bites, and for me when I did spit up, it was not like real vomiting, like a baby spit up, not gross like real vomit -- at least for me.   I got my band replaced due to a hiatal hernia about over 3 months ago and I have not vomited once with my new band and I have perfect restriction, the food just gently goes down and I chew well and stop eating when satisfied.   Original Lap Band * 9/30/2005 * 4cc 10cm band*,  lost 130 pounds. 7 Great years!    Revision surgery to AP small lap band *11/13/2012*, due to large hiatal hernia. I am hopeful about continuing my band journey uneventful and successful. I loved what my old band did for me and I am looking forward for my new band to Keep my weight down

Sorry -- but I just tell the TRUTH about MY experience and I am a lap band vet, and I have seen and heard it all for over 8 years. I just answered this person's post TRUTHFULLY.....

Again, if you ask any surgeon about scar tissue causing the band to tighten without a recent fill, they will tell you it's nonsense.

I can't find any medical documentation on lap band complications and scar tissue, -- I had TONS of scar tissue when I got my band revision, but my band did not tighten up, I still could eat food without vomiting, because my band had not slipped.

Based on reading these boards for 9 years and medical documentation the only thing that will cause the band to tighten up with NO saline is band slippage. If you want to argue with people argue with surgeons and medical professionals that write studies.

I am SURE when the band has slipped for long periods of time inside the body, it creates more scar tissue which makes reflux and difficulties eating worse.

If you don't like hearing facts, I will simply make your time here more pleasant by blocking you.

Original Lap Band * 9/30/2005 * 4cc 10cm band*,  lost 130 pounds. 7 Great years! 

Your experience and/or versions of your experience are yours to tell.  When you sell lapbands on the premise that all failures are user error, that's just wrong.

for some reason, my paragraphs disappear...one day OH will be device friendly...

So I can't see it because I'm blocked?  WOW, I must be bad.  I've been here 5 years and was never blocked before.