Dr Roslin's assessment of the band

Most importantly, the band does not impact any of the hunger signals that we have been able to study. I also question its mechanism of action. The band functions to create a high pressure zone just past the esophagus, the tube that transports food from the mouth to stomach. As the pressure is raised, the esophagus has to work harder. Until the pressure reaches a certain point, the patient feels little restriction. Once too high, the pressure has an adverse impact on the muscular esophagus. This results in patients having heartburn or dysphagia when the band is too tight, and then feeling no restriction when loosened. Proponents of banding believe that there is an ideal point, or green zone. My experience has shown that this exists for some people. For others, the band can be frustrating to both patient and provider.

I don't know if it is different anatomys or where the band is placed but I swear I never ever for a "green zone" feeling. I never felt overly full, just got the occaisional slime episode. I also was still hungry all the time, it had little to no effect on hunger. Of course the manufacturers knew this long ago they just didn't bother to let us know and they fed our surgeons BS and they passed it on to us as gospel truth not doubting the manufacturers. Of course they probably don't deal with alot of liars in their fields because in the long run it doesn't pay off. Now those same trusting surgeons are having to explain to us how they were conned just like we were. I had my surgeon for some other surgeries and know him to be a good honest man who would never intentionally lie. Yet he promised me the band would work and cut my appetite in half an help me feel full for hours at a time. Well not so much! The pressure business only makes sense, you can't cut off part of an organ and expect it to work correctly! Just wish there weren't so many others going thru what you are!

I am so sorry that your banded experience has been so rough.

i honestly noticed a dimmed appetite from the first day.

i had no hunger. Right after surgery and then I just weighed and measured my food like I was told to do, and I was satisfied on very 

little food ..... Not full, but no longer hungry.

like you, I don't know if it is anatomy or surgical skill or what, I just know that my experience in 4 years banded is very different.

 

 

You are so right Hislady, I too had little to no effect on hunger.  I did feel pain, discomfort and  hunger. 

i agree with this and now am trying to decide if i can safely keep my band. I am one of the lucky ones that even with misery off and on i have lost 75% of my excess wt. and hate to lose band but REALLY hate to lose esphogus are stomach! 

I would consider Dr Roslin one of the luminaries in the field of weight loss surgery.   The idea that the band somehow magically gets rid of hunger by simply being placed is ludicrous.  I have yet to see any basis in fact for that suggestion.  It causes more left shoulder pain than reduced hunger.  Thanks for posting some sanity.  

I thought it great that OH posted Dr Roslin's comments!   I wish all looking into WLS would read it.  This summed it up for me.

 

Key Points

1)   Patients with band will lose around 40% of excess weight.  When there is greater weight loss many patients’ bands are too tight.  Eventually, they cannot handle the pressure and when the band is loosened weight regain occurs rapidly.

Just so all can find it here is the link!

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/choice-of-bariatric-proc edure-a-philosophy-obtained-in-20-years-of-bariatric-practic e-2/

 

This article is the most honest and forthright assessment I've seen.  It clearly states that the band injures the esophagus and is least effective of all wls.

I have no appetite. I had a Band-over-bypass almost 2 yrs ago and an RNY in 2002. I was ALWAYS hungry after the RNY. I know Roslin personally and he was in the group that did my initial RNY.  He told me not to get the BOB but get an RNY revision.  I respected his decision but did what I wanted.  I have restriction most of the times, but there are days I have less and others I have more. I think I am lucky to have the best of both - band and rny.  I still dump even.

BOB is very different than band over a virgin stomach and I haven't seen a lot of complications as a result, but I'm not very educated about this procedure.

The biggest takeaway for me in this article is the reference to the high pressure doing damage to the esophagus and that sales are down 40% due to patient communication.  We are making a difference by speaking up and encouraging others to do the same.

Although the possum study was ridiculed, it demonstrated that back pressure on the EGJ damaged the nerves in a short period of time. Dr Roslins article validates this.  So does the experience of dozens of those harmed by the band who are suffering because of it.  These are horrific problems.