Lap Band Removed and Converted to RNY

I think if you look on here, there are a lot of women who have the lapband removed.  The lapband I had perforated my stomach wall and slipped.  I had a hole in my stomach the size of a softball caused by the lapband, and my port perforated my abdominal wall.  I had no idea when I received the lapbands that there were such risks, and I am glad that there was a doctor out there who treated me and saved my life.  If that had not happened, the lapband could have caused my death.  There are many people who do fine with the lapband, but there are people like me who the lapband is the worse thing that they have ever done, and wish they had just done the RNY before.  I think its a popular misperception that the lapband has less complications and is safer that the RNY.  For those who the lapband works, I am so happy and I wish you the best on your WLS journey.  But, I would really take a look at the risk factors and decide which surgery is the best for you.  Hopefully, now you have heard from someone who would have the lapband removed and know why.

TONS of people have the band removed.  My surgeon said he is doing more revisions now than he has ever done in his career.  Most are band to sleeve.  A few are band to bypass and a handful of band after bypass.  He's never removed so many bands and he did not place most of them.  Apparently with the economy the way it is and people not having WLS insurance they can't afford to go to their original surgeon but they can afford Mexico.

Check out the sleeve, bypass, and DS boards and just ask who used to have a band.  There are tons of us.  The band isn't even safe long term.  Long term the safest procedure is a sleeve.