Question:
Does the Lap-Band itself last forever OR replacement needed someday?

Any information on the lifetime of the Lap Band itself? Should it last forever? I hear that the materials in knee replacement, etc have to eventually be replaced. What about the band? Thanks    — queenginger (posted on January 16, 2006)

January 16, 2006
It should be portrayed as a permanent thing but will usually have to be redone with a fresh band at approx. 10 years. That is what my surgeon told me at the seminar. I also think that because it is an foreign object it cannot last forever and there will be some sort of replacement in a persons lifetime.
   — spykitty

January 16, 2006
Indeed the FDA has approved the Lap Band (Inamed Inc.) for only 15 years. Many times it does not last that long, either due to material fracture or erosion into the stomach requiring removal. Lap Band should in my opinion be reserved for those who might not be able to tolerate the more invasive Roux-en-Y gastric bypass due to serious illness, or in the adolescent in whom we might not want to permanantly alter the anatomy, or as a staging procedure for the super obese. The remainder of patients would be better served with the time tested Gastric Bypass. M.Brackman, MD
   — Dr. Brackman

January 16, 2006
the plastic might last forever , but your body can reject it, it can slip, burst, or it can be absolutely perfect for you. I suggest that you visit the Lap band forum, go back and look a older posts, , a good place to read up is Aetna home page,cpt 0157, a more permanent ,effective procedure is the vsg,visit the vsg forum,(top of the DS) or the DS forum, and read about them,
   — walter A.

January 16, 2006
All the previous writers who answered your question all had something valuable to add. I have had a band for 7 years then after some complications, had it revised to BPD which has served me well for the past 9 years. I can truly say without reservation that I wished I had had this procedure before the banding. It allows me a much less restricted way of eating, while making it very difficult, though not impossible if you really try, to put back the weight. The band as was previously quoted is a foreign object and although it is recomended by some surgeons (I suspect it is easier for them to install the thing) but it's value in long term weight loss has yet to be really determined. Over the 15 years of surgical counseling for WL patients, I have seen that many who were completely successful in the short term were not in the long term. Indeed I have seen some 53 patients documented in my files who have regained all their weight and more for good measure. I recomend that you go to a support group and speak with others who have had other forms of WLS and try to find someone who has had a track record of over 5 years of sustained weight loss surgery. But apart from all that, you must remember that YOU are the only one who can make it work for you. "The operation is only half the fun, Motivation gets the whole job done."
   — Lise K.

January 16, 2006
Time Tested Gastric Bypass??? I am really confused. I have had my Lap Band for 4 months and currently have had NO PROBLEMS PERIOD. NO VOMITING LIKE I HEAR SO MUCH, NO PORT PROBLEMS LIKE I HEAR ABOUT. I HAVE BEEN SMOOTH SAILING SO FAR. BUT BASED ON THESE COMMENTS ABOUT THE BAND IT SEEMS SURE TO BE DOOMS DAY FOR ME. I HAVE LOST 57 POUNDS IN FOUR MONTHS. I DON'T HEAVILY RELY ON A TIGHT FILL, IN LEUI OF EXCERSING AND EATING SMALL BANDSTERS HEALTHY MEALS. I FIND IT VERY STRANGE THAT THE BAND DOES NOT WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE LONG TERM, IT SEEMS MOST GASTRIC BYPASS FOLKS HAVE GAINED MOST OR SOME OF THEIR WEIGHT BACK AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, WE HAVE MANY MANY ON THE LAP BAND FORUM THAT ARE PREVIOUS RNY PATIENTS WHO DID NOT MAINTAIN THEIR WEIGHT LOSS, SO I FIND THE COMMENT ON GASTRIC BYPASS MORE OF A TIME TESTED PROCEDURE VERY INTERESTING. ALSO THERE ARE SOME SAY THAT LAP BAND PATIENTS CAN ONLY EXPECT A 50 POUND WIEGHT LOSS IN A YEARS TIME, BUT I HAVE LOST ALMOST 60 IN FOUR MONTHS ONLY. ALSO MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO POST OF THE FORUM AVERAGE A 100 POUND WIEGHT LOSS IN A YEARS TIME, THIS IS A FACT. SO I AM VERY CONFUSED. I BELIEVE THOSE STATS ARE WAAAAY OUTDATED FOR SLOW LOSS WITH THE LAP BAND. I BELIEVE MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THEIR LAP BAND YEARS AGO IN THE US DURING THE EARY TRIALS PROBABLY FAILED MORE..BUT MOST OF THE NEWBIES ARE LOSING WEIGHT COMPARABLE TO RNY PATIENTS, YOU KNOW HOW I KNOW?...CASE IN POINT TWO RNY PATIENTS FROM MY OWN DOCTORS OFFICE HAD THEIR RNY IN AUGUST AND ONLY HAS LOST 50 POUNDS, I HAD MY LAP BAND THE END OF SEPTEMBER AND HAS LOST 57 ALREADY...I AM NOT ALONE THERE ARE MANY MANY LAP BAND PATIENTS HAVE LOST OVER 100 POUND IN SIX MONTHS. I STRONGLY BELEIVE THOSE WHO COMPLY WITH THE RULES AND DON'T VOMIT MUCH AND EAT PROPERLY AND EXCECISE REGULARY SEE EXCELLENT RESULTS AND WILL PROBABLY HAVE A LONG HEALTHY LIFE TIME WITH THEIR BAND...IT IS ALL UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOW THEY USE THEIR TOOL. THE BAND IS NOT A MAGIC WAND..DOES NOT MAKE YOU SICK TO GET WEIGHT OFF, THERE IS NOT A EXTRA PUSH LIKE MALABSORTION...BUT IT STILL WORKS IF THE PATIENT HALF TRY TO FOLLOW RULES AND COMPLY.... NAOMI--
   — [Deactivated Member]

January 17, 2006
I am still in the planning stage but know that there will be maintenance with the band. However, I would prefer the maintenance over the complications that the bypass has seem to pose. Read the Memorial section and all those are from individuals that had the more invasive surgery - bypass. As far as the individuals that had the band and regained their weight - it must be remembered that the band is only a 'tool' and it is up to the individual to change their lifestyle with food.
   — willpowerless

January 17, 2006
considering the lapband has only been around for 13-14 years, no one can say how long it will last, though the materials that make up the lapband have longer life span than you do. in all my research not single doctor has discussed the need to replace it--and you know what? if in 15 years i have to, it will still be the best investment i ever made for myself. think of it this way: most of us think nothing of dropping 20g on a vehicle that we will probably replace in 15 years... as to previous comments: many surgeons are pro-band NOT because its "easy to install the thing" but because it is working for SO MANY people, WITHOUT the severe risks and complications of other wls. you will find many more that are pro-bypass (certainly quite a few on this board) and one might wonder if that's due to the sizable price difference between the two surgeries (doc's pocket quite a bit more for a bypass--roughly 10g more). also the band requires follow up, which many surgeons don't want to bother with. i guess what i am saying is when researching for yourself, its always good to question the motives and intent of those who are providing your information. if you want bandster info, talk to other bandsters. good luck!
   — jessicamegan

January 17, 2006
As with all weight loss surgeries, the LapBand has advantages and disadvantages-- long-term risks as well as benefits. The rate of replacement is about 5% (meaning that 1 in 20 LapBand patients will probably need to have the band surgically replaced or adjusted). For many, the modest rate of weight loss from the band is a small price to pay for knowing that their anatomy has not been permanently altered-- a very personal decision, but one for which even LapBand critics can find medical justification. Although the LapBanders who post provide insight into their decisions and guidance to those considering the proedure, the last poster (Jessica) failed to provide anything more than conjecture and myth to corroberate her devotion to the LapBand. First, I have found in speaking with numerous bariatric surgeons (whether they perform the DS, RNY or LapBand) that they choose bariatric surgery because they enjoy the follow-up with their patients; you would be hard-pressed to find reputable RNY surgeons who do not advocate at the initial consultation that you will require regular follow-up. Certainly, it is true that LapBand surgeons charge $200-$300 per fill (which is required at least 3-4 times per year for the 5-6 years the average patient takes to achieve a significant weight loss); however, it would be unfair to suggest that the LapBand surgeons merely perform the procedure for the long-term income stream for the fills. Secondly, depending upon the state you are in, the difference between what a surgeon will be paid for an RNY and a LapBand can be merely a few hundred dollars. Third, given the amazing overlap among surgeons who perform both the RNY and the LapBand, it is hard to imagine that they have all joined the conspiracy previously mentioned against the method which, according to the prior poster, "is working for SO MANY people, WITHOUT the severe risks and complications of other wls". As we all know, no surgical means of weight loss is without some risk. Although Banders tend to not have the same nutritional issues that confront DS patients, and to a slightly lesser extent RNY patients, LapBanders (on average) do not have the same extensive and sustained weight loss as the DS patients. Although Banders will not have the same risk of intestional blockages or stenosis (narrowings of the stoma) as RNY patients, they will have a comparable percentage risk for band erosions and slippages that will also require re-surgery. Consequently, in choosing a surgical means to assist with weight loss, we all choose certain risks and benefits-- the trick is in making a personal assessment of how we can live with those risks and benefits.
   — SteveColarossi

January 19, 2006
As usual, we've gone rather far afield from the poster's original question. I gotta back Jessica. If it does need to be replaced, well, I will replace it. I don't mind investing in myself. It's why I had surgery to begin with. I also agree that, in most instances, you will get the most insight on the Band from a Band patient. At the risk of going OT, let me say that my surgeon charges $90 for a fill, and I know of some surgeons who consider fills part of the surgery and don't charge at all. Fills are given on an as-needed basis, not on an inflexible schedule. Fact is, no one can project a need for fills well enough to set up a schedule of any type. So. Will it last? I don't know. Will I replace it if necessary? Of course. It's a non-issue for me. Best of luck to you!
   — Jeanie

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