I had a band for 3 years, lost a good amount of weight.  It's not the best choice unless you consider it temporary and are willing to risk not being able to revise to a different surgery if it fails you.

Here's my primary reason.  We are told to avoid vomiting at all costs.  Really, how reasonable is it that one would never need to vomit after getting a band?  You're young...what if you get pregnant and develop hyperemisis (there is no 100% effective anti nausea treatment, especially in pregnancy)?  You risk having to have surgery while pregnant if your band slips.  

Losing weight can cause gallstones...one of the symptoms of this is severe pain and vomiting.  Most people who have WLS end up getting their GB removed.  The band is the only WLS that has the added risk of complications just because you might vomit.

What are the chances that you will never have food poisoning or a stomach virus again?  Especially at 23...what if you go out partying and drink too much...?

I was 60 when I got my band.  At 16 months I had acute gallbladder pain and vomiting from gallstones.  I had a barium swallow showing no slip, but a couple of months after GB removal, I started having reflux, palpitations and trouble swallowing.  I followed up with my band doc throughout...no slip.  At 2 years out, I got so I could not swallow water.  No slip, but a very tight opening at my stoma...only 3.5 cc in a 10 cc band.  Had all fluid removed.  Recheck at 5 weeks, still slow esophageal emptying, trouble eating, but told to "take it easy".  I developed aspiration reflux of stomach acid and severe constipation...followed up with GI doc.  At 2.5 years had both Type A influenza followed by type B and vomiting with both due to high fever...symptoms continued to gradually progress to almost complete intolerance of solid food. Had EGD, gastric emptying study, barium swallow and esophageal manometry.  It turns out I had no esophageal function at all.  I was referred to a esophageal surgeon, *****moved my band which turns out had migrated up on to my esophagus, 3 cm above the gastroesophageal junction.  I had a "thick rind" of scar tissue around my esophagus under the band, which could not be removed, but was just devided to allow food to pass.  

It was initially thought that my band was misplaced by my surgeon.  I've since seen surgical photos that show a properly placed band.  It seems my band moved up 6 cm probably as a result of the two bouts of influenza causing me to vomit.  The mini plication that holds the band at the stomach was still intact, the stomach was pulled up and slightly twisted and I'm fortunate not to have had much more serious issues.

It's simply unrealistic to expect not to have an illness that would cause vomiting ever again.  VSG is a much safer option over the long term, especially at such a young age.

Best of luck to you...

Also I believe complications arise with the band for non compliant patients unfortunately

This is one of the most prevalent misconceptions around banding...there are many situations in which one can be completely compliant and still suffer complications:

1: banding carries a 3% risk of the surgeon placing it improperly.  Proponents like to tout the .5% peri operative risk as a reason to cite banding as safer, but fail to notice this fact that the mfr notes in their own disclosures.

2: what are the odds that you will never get a stomach virus, food poisoning, pregnant or develop gallbladder problems that lead to severe vomiting?  It's just not a realistic expectation and is one of the primary causes of band slips.  I had severe nausea and vomiting following my band implantation, GB removal and band removal.  In addition, I had 3 episodes of vomiting while banded.  I didn't have a slip because my band was misplaced (see #1) on my esophagus and couldn't actually vomit anything up because of that...I still can't.  All the anti nausea medication in the world can't help 100% of the people 100% of the time.

3: the removal rate is approaching 50% within 3 years. Why would anyone sign up for this today?  There are better options available.  

4: most band revisions are to VSG with good results and few complications.  Those who've had severe esophageal damage and/or extensive scar tissue have to revise to RNY or aren't able to revise at all.  Most removals and revisions are due to slips (see #2), erosion or esophageal damage (see #1).

5: average excess weight loss is between 40-60%, the lowest of all the options available.  I was fine with this...many are not.  Often someone will post expecting to lose 100% EW, even though they "researched".  I lost 64%, an excellent result, but I lost the opportunity to revise and much of my esophageal function.  I also have cardiac arrythmia attributed to vagus nerve damage from the band.

As you can see, there are many band failures and complications that cannot be attributed to noncompliance.   

I'm very happy for you...I wish you continued success.  I also hope you reconsider your opinion about compliance.  It's hurtful to those of us who had the same opinion and unfortunately were wrong.  IMHO, it's just wrong to add insult to injury.

As little as $4000 in Mexico to over $20000.  The real cost is not in $$$$$ though.  The very premise of the band doesn't make sense.  They create a 2oz pouch, tell you to eat 4 oz meals.  Many people will have too much restriction to allow food to pass thru the pouch as it's eaten and end up with a dilated pouch, slipped or prolapsed band.  The band is a high pressure system, creating upward pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter.  The esophagus puts downward pressure on the LES.  The cumulative effect of this causes damage to the sphincter causing it to fail to open in response to swallowing.  This is band induced achalasia and does horrific damage to the esophagus that is not fully reversible. 

We're told to avoid vomiting.  Most people vomit once every year or two due to food poisoning, stomach virus or, common to wls patients, gallstones.  Lose a lot of weight, get gallstones and yep, you vomit, often on more than one occasion.  Yes there are Rx anti emetics, but they won't work if you have a condition like norovirus or gallstones.

The intraoperative/peri operative complication rate is .5%, but the risk of having your band placed in the wrong place is 3%.  The risk of intraoperative/peri operative complications of VSG is 1.5%.  The long term complications with band that necessitate removal is upwards of 30% currently and rising.  

Do yourself a favor and investigate all types of WLS.  The band is quickly declining in favor of better long term outcomes and lower risk surgery, such as VSG.

I cannot revise to another type of wls due to band damage.  I live with residual complications, including achalasia and a cardiac arrythmia.  I'm struggling with regain right now and my knees and back are constantly hurting with the 30lb regain.

This might be your only chance...research, hear the bad and the good.  Best of luck to you!

So sorry you went through that...I too cannot revise due to damage from my band.

...so the question can only be answered by those who say yes??  Your answer was entirely appropriate except for saying "bashers run rampant here..."  I don't recall any of us (former happy bandsters) using a derogatory description for those who are problem free.  I personally know several former bandsters on feeding tubes due to the damage from their bands.  It's a highly emotional issue if you've a) lost your band b) lost your ability to eat c) can barely go out in public for fear of becoming ill or d) all of the above.  To resort to applying a negative misnomer to a group of people who've been through enough and expect them to not answer the question honestly is quite cruel.

telling our stories isn't "bashing".  Those of us who've suffered because of our bands have every right, and I feel a responsibility to share the risks of this soon-to-be obsolete device.  Calling us bashers literally adds insult to injury and is no different than any other type of name calling.  

I'm glad your doing well with your band, just leave out the name calling and just share your positive experience, please.

Cautious or not, there are issues inherent to banding that lead to eventual removal for at least 50% of those who are banded.  In addition the complications can make it impossible to revise to another procedure.

If you feel that a purely restrictive procedure is best for you, you have two options, gastric band or sleeve gastrectomy.  Lapband has low initial complications, but an extremely high risk of late complications.  Sleeve has about a 1.5% rate of early complications that are generally not serious, especially with a "virgin" stomach.  1.5% now or 50% later?

With Lapband there is 3% chance your band will be improperly placed, leading to feeling no satiety, but having difficulty swallowing.  When it's misplaced, it is generally placed too high, on or near the esophagus and can cause terrible damage that is permanent.

Here is the link to Allergan's physicians guide, it has lots of statistics, etc.

http://www.allergan.com/assets/pdf/lapband_dfu.pdf

so sorry to hear of your troubles...this type of complication isn't as unusual as one might think...we have a group on social media (check out my siggy) with over 1700 members, many of whom have experienced your type of problem...eroded bands, tubing wrapped around intestines, even liver and massive infections.  Glad you're on the mend👍

Hi there...I too had a realize band, had two small fills and about 5 months after my last fill started having esophageal spasms.  This evolved to difficulty swallowing and palpitations (PVC and SVT).  I had a complete unfill shortly after my 2 year bandiversary, which helped temporarily, but then I started regurgitating acid in my sleep, the swallowing issues got worse.  I had a complete cardiac work up twice, once before my unfill since my symptoms indicated a cardiac problem.  It turns out my band was causing achalasia and the palpitations were caused by food accumulating in my severely dilated esophagus putting pressure on my heart.   I had my band removed last June 7 and things seemed better.  Last December, the palpitations, PVCs returned with a vengeance, occurring 2000-4000 times per hour.  I wore a holter monitor for 7 days which also detected SVT.  I'm now on two more meds than I was pre band to treat the arrythmia.  One side effect is weight gain (ironic) some of which is water weight.  My ankles swell in the afternoon. My cardiologist considered cardiac catheterization, but since it seems to be related to scar tissue/nerve damage from the band and not an internal heart issue, we are doing w&w to see how the meds work.

If you find yourself waking at night in a sweat, it could be heart related...I don't know if you've had this...I was confused by it since I am post menopausal and wondered what the h*ll was going on.  I was waking 6-10 times a night, just drenched.  Now it's 1-2 nights a week.  The palps are less life altering now...I'm not so aware.  My electrophysical cardiologist says that they are relatively benign, (if controlled) but more quality of life changing than MI or CHF, because of the anxiety.  

Hope this helps...

The problem with lap band complications is that they often present as innocuous and common problems that non banded folks have.  My early signs of complications were also heartburn, reflux (started taking my ppi again) and I coincidentally had to have my GB removed.  Problem solved, or so we thought, till the problems returned, escalated, eventually leading to my band removal 10 months ago.  It turns out that my band was misplaced; it was on my esophagus above the gastro esophogeal junction and that's why I was having symptoms of achalasia and probably 10 other very serious conditions.

Unfortunately, once a band has slipped, it tends to slip again, so be diligent in monitoring any returning signs of trouble.

congrats on your weight loss!

I had pseudo achalasia because my band was placed on my esophagus just below the diaphragm.  I found out about the misplacement when I received my surgical report a couple of weeks ago...I'm pretty livid about it.  It was worse after unfilling my band progressing to 0% motility in about 9 months.  I had the band removed last June and I'm better, but still get food trapped in the esophagus and have a severely dilated esophagus, which is permanent.  There's a chance the scar tissue will regrow around my esophagus requiring further surgery so I'm not a candidate for revision.

Several things could be going on here:

You were overfilled at implantation.  1-3cc is typical, 5cc is an amount I've never heard of for a primer fill.  

Your esphagus is irritated or damaged.  Regurgitation of liquid is typical for band induced achalasia.  The food accumulates in the esophagus, never getting to the pouch.

Your band could be placed too high.

You need to be unfilled at once, have a barium swallow and an esophageal manometry test.  I've never heard of a band "stiffening".  It's silicone and should remain flexible indefinitely.  If your doctor won't help you, find an esophageal specialist (follow the symptoms) who can refer you to a bariatric surgeon who is qualified to help and perhaps revise you, if possible.

best of luck to you!!