It's almost my one year band-iversary. The most miserable year of my life. :(

Hi Bekah

I hope you are doing better already.

Just to make a statement regarding the band and its story. As Deb I have my band since 2004 and I as most of you paid a lot of money because I chose the "better" kind of weight loss surgery  as we all were told at the time (which was not covered by our Canadian Health Care system).

So to make a 10 year story short. I have had the worst health problems beside the band, I suffer from Lupus and had a tumour and so on but I also had all kinds of health troubles caused by the band and went to my surgeon a few weeks ago because I could not take the pain and the inflammation (had to eat standing up most of the time even though the band was not completely filled) vomiting, pain in my shoulder a.s.o. Can you imagine being in a nice restaurant and have to stand up to eat .... I am surprised that I wasn't taken to psychiatric hospital :)

He than told me that the band was the biggest mistake that was introduced to the Weight Loss Surgery market and the producing companies fooled all of them and really pushed the sales by manipulated research and such. He cut it completely off his procedure list and he has a few removal surgeries every 1 or 2 weeks. He offered to take it out but since he is retired and only works in his private practice he would have to charge me and it would cost at least $12,000 .

So now I was referred to a hospital which is health insurance covered. I hope I finally can get it removed !!! 

My appointment is next month .........

Therefore - yes I too regret the choice of surgical procedure and just hope I do not have to drastic permanent damage.

I am so sorry, but rest assured you are not alone. I had my band for 5 miserable years. It was ok for the first couple of months, but after that, HORRIBLE. I finally had mine removed a year ago. Thank goodness. I learned that there are much worse things than being fat....being tormented by that band was at the top of the list!  I spent years blaming myself....I thought I failed the band, when in reality, it failed me. Do not let this thing ruin you. It nearly did me. Hugs to you!

Christa

So sorry for your problems.  It can be hard especially when you hear the success stories about the band.  When you don't have the successful weight loss this can make you feel even worse about yourself.  I had a successful band for two years, then...

i started having similar complications as you do and my doctor emptied my fill completely. This didn't help totally and felt I just had to live with it along with gaining back my lost weight.  Then I had a revision done due to some internal pain and part of the fill tube had moved and I had adhesions on my kidneys and liver.  This helped for about two months and pain came back...this was in 2012.

Finally my pain became intense and constant around my upper left abdominal region and decided to remove band and revise to RNY on March 18, 2014.  The band caused my stomach to harden around the site of the band and the adhesions were so bad around the band on my stomach and part of my liver and most of my spleen.  Surgery took 4  hours...doctor said spleen had "tree roots" like scar tissue and had to dig them out.  I find people do have initial success with band but seem to have more complications later down the road.  We are sometimes lured by the heavy marketing regarding the band and are influenced when we hear "less invasive".  Please find the answers that work best for you and don't wait too long like I did.  I was banded in 2007 b****ake care.

Thank you for all the input and well wishes.  Just wanted to update you all and let you know that I have gone downhill significantly lately.  I am completely unfilled and still have a hard time keeping food down.  Some days (like yesterday) I can't even keep much fluid down.  I get sick every day multiple times a day.  The Upper GI I had done showed a slip and an abnormal narrowing from my pouch to my lower stomach.  I am going in Thursday to have my band removed.  My doctor said my insurance will not pay for a revision as I am no longer overweight.  But he said he should be able to talk them into letting him put a larger band in if I wanted to give that a try.  I told him no.  I just want it out.  I'm happy with my current weight.  Now I just have to keep it off!

Glad to hear you are having the issue resolved and getting the band out.  With all the issues you had, I hope you got good documentation you should be able to fight the insurance and get the revision. Some insurances would approve you based on the medical issues without a fight and many have. I would think of using a different surgeon though.  This one seems to be iffy based on the statements you made. Just him stating you wouldn't get a revision make me wonder.