2Anne

I've noticed most people posting here had their band put in during the last five years or so.

I had mine done in 2001 and had it removed last October in 2015 after 14 years. My surgeon never advised me that it should come out after ten years,especially with old technology. I had the band removed due to pain in the port area and worries about how long I had it. My total weight loss never exceeded 65 lbs and if was 280 lbs when I had it put in.

The side effects of the band was bad acid stomachs(told by the removal surgeon this was normal!) and extreme hunger.

The surgeon Mr Sutton who removed my band had a lot of problems taking it out and the operative report makes horrific reading. There was acute inflammation and bad adhesions. The band was eroding into my stomach. Because I have had a band I cannot have the gastric balloon and certain other surgeries. My stomach looks like a patchwork. At my age I would not wear a bikini(I'm 69 now) but if I was younger would consider myself disfigured.Its a total mess.

Also after having the band removed I had developed a huge appetite that was out of control.and I think the band irritation had caused an over-secretion of Ghrelin. This is my theory anyway and I had to fight this for 9 months as recently it has subsided. I put on 12 lbs and it could easily have been three times this amount re the extreme hunger all the time. Even after a big meal I was hungry and never felt satisfied.

If you have had a success with your band you are fortunate. I wish I had never had it done but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I spent £13000 having the band inserted as there were problems,and over £4000 having it removed. Its a lot of money and having had a recent consultation with a Bariatric surgeon have decided against revision surgery.

I'm sure my experience is not unique and the GB has many failures. My advice is look before you leap because I made one hell of a big mistake!!

Hi Shelly,

I too am considering Lap Band. I went to a seminar and the doctor told me things that helped me lean more torwards the surgery. He said that people who loose a substantial amout of weight without WLS almost always gains a portion of it back if not all of it. Losing weight has never been my problem, but keeping it off is my problem.

The doc also said that people who lose weight on the band, change their eating habits and decide to have the band removed always gains back the weight, even if they change their diets. He said that there is really no medical explanation as to why this happens, but that it does.

It makes me wonder if once our body grows fat cells if they ever die? Maybe they (fat cells) still remain once the fat is gone and lurk around waiting for us to feed it just one crumb of fat to blow us back up?

After seeing Oprah and the biggest loser winner balloon back up despite all their efforts, helps me to make the lap band decision.

Professor Yeo at Cambridge University is leading this bacterial research in the UK Dairy Mary. It's groundbreaking and very promising.

Research in the UK has showed that the 'wrong' gut bacteria causes obesity. The research is very exciting and may pave the way for bacterial treatment. That appt. you have Reallyrosie sounds very interesting.

Sorry you are having such a bad time Babbs. Obesity is a filthy,rotton disease. My surgeon who is tops told me ALL bariatric surgery fails in two years. Maybe there will be a chemical fix up the road.

After what you've been through you deserve a medal plus achieve thinness.

Well done Polara,fantastic achievement.

Tsaverco how is your skin after your weight loss? 70 lbs should be OK but depends how fast you lost the weight. Does any GS here need skin surgery?

I am a little over a year out and have gained about 7 pounds over the summer months. I have lost the focus I had at the beginning. You have to use your tools and fight old habits every day. September is a good time to re focus and get it back. Using Forums, websites, Facebook has worked well for me to stay thinking about what I need to do and to stay focused. Weight loss is a battle before, during and after surgery but I feel great and I have lost 70 pounds so it is worth the battle.

I spoke to my bariatric surgeon recently and he said ALL Bariatric surgery fails in two years as the stomach stretches. He offered me the Sleeve or Bypass even though I'm 69 (I weigh 230) but its a lot of money for a failure in two years and it's put me right off surgery.

Rosie I'm sorry to hear about your heart problem. Spironolactone is not normally associated with weight loss but lasix is. It sounds like you have been storing Water which will happen with a dysfunctional heart. It is possible you will lose more weight on this drug combination.

Keep close to the medics. Best wishes.

After I had the gastric band removed my acid stomachs went and I stopped bringing up mucous after eating. I used to take tums all the time.

Since the band was removed all these problems have gone.

The surgeon I saw about having the Gastric Sleeve said the acid reflux etc would return with the sleeve.

Constant acid on the Oesophagus can cause Barrets Oesaphagus a pre-cancerous condition.

Oregon Daisy I could put you off sweets for good by hypnotherapy.

This would solve your weight fluctuation. Go see a qualified hypnotherapist who has a good reputation. This will really help you.

I have put people off sweets and chocolate for good.

Just for interest-I am a professional Hypnotherapist and find with therapy it's possible to get amazing results.

For instance I have a shark phobia and can now swim in the ocean with Hypno,used to be a compulsive clothes buyer and no longer have this problem with Hypno. Have stopped dozens of people from smoking cigarettes and rid them of life limiting phobias against needles,vomit,spiders,birds etc. But have had little or no success with weight. This includes doing the virtual gastric band.

Yes! There are people who will do well with paying hundreds of dollars for Hypno but maybe these same people would become Weight Watcher of the year they are so determined.

I have seen many clients and tried to help with weight. I can stop addictions like to chocolate, cake and Cookies and if the weight s related to one issue like this it works. However I have given myself many sessions to control appetite and anxiety eating without success so if you are trying Hypno and it's costing a lot of cash which it will do my advice is try another route.

Finally fit-hope it helps. Anything is worth a try.

I know I have an abnormal relationship with food and hunger makes me hyper-anxious/overeat. Just have to keep on fighting the obesity monster.

Best wishes to you and your friend.

Strange fruit I am just the same as you in that I cannot eat more than 1000-1200 C a day without putting weight on and need to be on 800C or less to lose.

For this reason I do not think the surgery would work for me long term as once the stomach stretched I would be back to square one.

It's fine for people who have huge food addictions and control quantities with surgery but my own obesity pattern is like Strangefruits.

I saw the surgeon last Wednesday. He said he would do either the gastric bypass or sleeve on me but said that in both operations after three years the stomach stretches and weight gain is almost certain. Know two people who had the bypass who weighed over 350 lbs have both regained all their weight,even after one had loose skin removed.

I'm not paying £10K for this and have decided to pursue other weight loss options.

I'm pleased to hear that others with the sleeve are doing well and can only say-long may it last and best wishes.

No VSG Ann,not only was it said about the 5%success rate they put it on the screen,but do bear in mind these people weigh 600 lbs and one weighed 980 lbs to start with and they have very serious issues with food.< /p>

I'm sure you are right and most people do well with surgery.

I totally agree with you Kindle that there are many complex issues with obesity and we need a multi-directional/agency approach to help sufferers. On one TV prog.about a doc in Texas doing operations on 600 lbs people he said only 5% of people given a gastric bypass make a successful recovery which is quite depressing.

I am very interested in this John Hopkins research.

Years ago when I was 21 I weighed 226 lbs and my doc gave me a fantastic drug called Ponderax. This had an amphetamine effect and removed appetite. I lost over 84 lbs but unfortunately this drug was banned as it caused pulmonary hypertension and heart damage. I have struggled ever since and with the new research now understand that my metabolism is damaged and unless some affirmative action is taken I will only get bigger.

This new technique of an injection is certainly worth a go. Surgery is dangerous and invasive even though the outcome can be good. At my age-68,I would prefer not to go under the knife.

As well as grehlin there are gut hormones which stimulate appetite and apparently these go with a gastric bypass.

I'm having a consultation re the gastric sleeve next Wednesday BUT was given an article today from a newspaper stating there is a new technique that will supersede WLS as its non-invasive,cheap to do and is performed under a local anaesthetic.

This consists of injecting small balls into an artery near the stomach which block blood vessels/grehlin production. It's been researched at the John Hopkins USA and has been very successful. Appetite is reduced and people are losing a lot of weight with this. It will prob take a year or so to come on line but sounds very promising. I did want to post this as a new topic but can't find a way to do it.

There seem to be a lot of people here who have a serious problem with emotional eating. Its a good idea to work on this and I have a book that's quite good that you can buy off Amazon.(No I didn't write it!!)

The food and Feelings Work Book by Karen Koenig

This allows you to do a self-assessment/improvement plan and would be quite helpful to those who crave comfort foods. This book was recommended to me by a Psychologist.

My problem is I get very hungry- especially in the afternoons and can binge after dieting as it makes me feel deprived. Once you get obese its hard to move out of it whether you have had surgery or not.

Read -The food and Feelings Workbook by Karen Koeng all about emotional eating. Amazon sells it. Might help.

Read -The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karen Koeng all about emotional eating. Amazon sells it. Might help.

Read -The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karen Koeng all about emotional eating. Amazon sells it. Might help.

Read -The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karen Koeng all about emotional eating. Amazon sells it. Might help.

Read -The Food and Feelings Workbook by Karen Koeng all about emotional eating. Amazon sells it. Might help.

There is a very helpful book on emotional eating you can get off Amazon. It was recommended to me by my bariatric psychologist.

The food and Feelings Workbook by Karen R.Koeng

This may help those in this battle.

I tend to binge out of frustration at continual dieting!

Good Luck!

Green1 get the band Xrayed to make sure it's in the right place before you remove it. From what I see the American insurance. People won't pay unless there is a medical reason for removal.

Best wishes for a good outcome.

I had my lap band removed in October 2015 and had it for 15 years. It was mostly useless and I felt hungry much of the time and needed heavy dieting to keep my weight stable. I could not eat large portions with the band and have gained 9 lbs weight since removal. I had to go private for removal in U K and it cost me approx.$6000 and as the band was embedded I now have a lot of wound scars.

I'm thinking about the VGS and don't recommend the band.

Thanks for the support VSG Ann,you are a great role model.

I have an appt. on 27 th April with a bariatric surgeon who is very high ranking in the UK NHS. Just hope he will approve me and I can do the same as you.

I get so hungry with constant cutting down on my eating and as I write my thin husband who is against my surgery is tucking in to a huge piece of cake.

Will keep posted but you have had a fantastic result. Very well done.