JACKIEO85

Mis73 unless someone says what YOU want to hear you bash them!! You genuinely think this woman is lying!!? And you asked if she follows up with the doctor and she said yes - she didn't say I follow up with my original surgeon. God you're crazy- you're the only one that sounds psychotic! For gods sake you googled the woman!! Are you saying no one has complications!!!?? Tons of people do! For everyone that does there's so many more that don't. Regardless - this band is not the safest thing! The safest thing is losing weight without it! This thread along with many others convinced me to cancel my surgery. That is my choice. There are many things to consider 20-40-60 year from now and I'm not willing to take those risks! Just because you are so what?!!! Don't read these threads if all you want to read is rainbows and butterflies! That poor woman's story was so nice and so genuine! And I'm glad she told it!

I appreciate you all sharing the good, bad and ugly with me. What I don't like is the demeaning and condescending tones some of the posts have had. This is a support forum, so we should support and respect everyone's views because hopefully they are all based on experience and not hate stemmed from your own decision. So, I must say that I value the opinions of those that have had the band longer (regardless of manufacturer) than those that are less than 5 or so years because I'm looking for long term support.
~~~~~~~~AMEN~~~~

ASK YOUR DOCTOR to do an Upper G.I.
The patient usually presents with dysphagia, vomiting, regurgitation and food intolerance. The diagnosis is made by upper gastrointestinal series. Complications related to band slip include gastric perforation, necrosis of the slipped stomach (type-V prolapse), upper gastrointestinal bleeding and aspiration pneumonia.
this is from a link to http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3038361/
Complications associated with adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity: a surgeon’s guide
Sure hope you get some answers GOOD LUCK

NO reason to Be Scared, just follow your Doctor's recommendations.
People come here for support and to report band problems, THAT isn't going to stop and attacking/calling them names isn't going to make them go away, probably make them even more persistent
Everything here is personal experience, nothing changes that, some think it's Gospel, it's not. NO matter what WLS COMPLICATIONS are a Risk we ALL agreed to take.

I was at a Dr. Today! I had another upper GI to review the band just today. Did not have great news, decided to make sure people hear both sides of the story.
I wish some one would have been honest with me!
All the people promoting these have great stories with very little complications.
Get a room full of people who have had issues, then make your decision.
No one is tracking our bands from years ago.
Even though we are registered!
Just being HONEST!

ASK YOUR DOCTOR to do an Upper G.I.
The patient usually presents with dysphagia, vomiting, regurgitation and food intolerance. The diagnosis is made by upper gastrointestinal series. Complications related to band slip include gastric perforation, necrosis of the slipped stomach (type-V prolapse), upper gastrointestinal bleeding and aspiration pneumonia.
this is from a link to http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3038361/
Complications associated with adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity: a surgeon’s guide
Sure hope you get some answers GOOD LUCK

I remember coming here back in 2003 when my friend also had lap band surgery and was a member here. But I didn't like the formatting,(didn't care for ObesityHelp, either,) so I chose Spotlight Health as my support board. Then that site kind of fell by the wayside and a group of us had a smaller, more intimate site where we all supported one another. But I remember visiting this site every once in a while. I was having such huge complications and as part of my research, I sought out every bariatric site available. And that's when I realized I wasn't the only one having horrible complications from the band. I had to do my own research to stay alive. It worked, too. If I had left my fate in my surgeon's hands, I'd be six feet under right now.

A night cough and reflux were my ONLY symptoms of my slip. No pain while eating or at all. Had reflux for about 4 mths before I found out I even had a slip (was worried they'd unfill me, and they eventually did). Had an xray where it showed a slight slip. SO they unfilled me by 1/2 (I had 10cc, they took out 5) and let it rest for 4 weeks.
You really need to be seen by your dr. a slip doesn't correct itself if you have one. And it can cause lasting problems if not diagnosed. It can cause permanent damage to your stomach (I fear that I will wake up next week after having my sleeve revision without a sleeve cuz there was too much damage to my stomach).
Anyway, the only symptom I had was a cough and reflux.

I had my lapband with dr Almanza Dec. 18, no issues at all. Would do it again.

I think people need to relax about Mexico..I had my surgery as thousands of others, by some of the best surgeons in the world, the one that did my surgery actually teachs other doctors in the US...all I say is...do your research, find a fill doc that will work with you and good luck!!

i have no problems going to mexico... if it saves me $5000+!

Yea i'm self pay and i'm going to mexico to a surgeon my director of nursing just went to A month ago, no one has ever died from this surgeon. I think people are predjudiced because it's mexico. If we said england or something people would think it was cool. I'm not prejudiced but i am going to save 15,000 or more by going there...

To the other poster, there have been MANY many successful lab-band surgeries in mexico. you only hear about the negative, and I've not heard of one HORROR story yet been researching mexico surgeries for a year. I'm a nurse and would not go somewhere for anything if I thought my life was in danger. Most complications have been incision site infections and this happens in the states and is usually due to the patient touching the incisions sites with dirty hands. do your own research & from people who have actually had surgery in mexico....

With the ridiculous fees these doctors want, they can ALL kiss my ass! I'm going back to Mexico.

Again, saying that your truth is the only truth is just not reasonable. Suggesting that ppl who post about their complications or disagree with your opinion, are lying is very disrespectful. I'm appalled that since I now have a known complication I'm considered full of BS or just outright lying about it. I'm pretty disappointed in this. I guess there's no room on LBT for those who aren't so called "cheerleaders".

You're going to feel like crap, it's going to feel absolutely impossible, but believe me, you CAN do this. It's not fun, hell I wanted to die during my pre-op diet. Or at least gnaw off a limb, but it's true, after the first few days your body adapts and you suddenly don't feel so horrible.
I was on the same pre-op as you - Protein drinks and one very small meal of steamed veg. I survived the two weeks even though I was so sure I would expire from lack of food, and you can survive too. Hang in there. Take it one day at a time. One hour at a time. Just plan to get through to the next shake and try not to think too far ahead.

It should concern anyone with a band. My situation isn't unique. I'm just starting to really understand what is happening to my stomach/esophagus due to the band. These issues weren't included in my informed consent.

Wow this is a scary thread, ive only been banded almost 6 months and I never thought about the what if this happens or what if that happened, I think I was just so over weight I knew if I didn't do something heck the weight would kill me, but every ones body is different so best thing to do is pray do your research and be confident you made the wright choice, good luck..

I can't believe how everyone attacked the person with a negative experience- I want to know good bad and ugly you're all just pro-band so you're mad!! I'm afraid for my future and I want to be able to bring this up to my doctor before the band is placed!! Whoever started this thread wanted opinions! Jeez let the person have one

I forgot to answer your question. My background is that I am 40 years old. I am the Executive Director for a non-profit. I am in graduate school.
Did I do everything 100% perfect? No, of course not. That is not realistic. But I did it 95% perfect. I also could not eat any fresh fruits or veggies for ten years. I threw up all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME. I took tiny itty bitty bites. I chewed and chewed. I stayed away from carbs. But the band didn't work, and it was like I didn't have a band at all after awhile. I was starving all the time, and then I started throwing up in my sleep. I threw up liquid if I was trying a liquid diet to get things to calm down. I threw up chunks of food that I ate five hours before. Again, I do not mean to scare you, but this is my story.

I was part of a study and had to go to the surgeon's office every month for the first year, every quarter for the second year and third year. I saw a dietician 18 times in this period. I had blood drawn at every visit. I had to diary everything.
I'm sorry you are frightened by my posts and feel the need to be defensive and question my motives. I don't blame you. I have been through so much with my band that if I can prevent one person from having to go through what I did, I will take the anger. Again, I am sorry that you are scared.
I was not on the forums for a long time because I was out enjoying life. When I started to gain weight, I thought that I was doing something wrong and I was ashamed. I have since learned from my surgeon that I did everything right, but the band is just not the tool we hoped it would be. This is my story, and if you do not like it because it does not align with what you think you know, then I can not do anything about that.
I do know how scary it is to face WLS and to place all of your hopes and dreams in this device. I have done it. And I'm sorry to say that it broke my heart in a million pieces.

I do not mean to "scare" you but instead to educate you. Talk to your surgeon about your concerns and options.

Missy,
Here is the information you requested:
Ø From Himpens, J., Cadierei, G., Bazi, M, et al: Long-term outcomes of laparascopic adjustable gastric banding. JAMA Surgery 146 (7), 2011. Retrieved from http://archsurg.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1107072:

· “However, because nearly 1 out of 3 patients experienced band erosion, and nearly 50% of the patients required removal of their bands (contributing to a reoperation rate of 60%), LAGB appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes.”
· “Our team performed the first laparoscopic adjustable band gastroplasty in October 1992. Use of this technique has since grown exponentially, first in Europe and Australia, and subsequently in other parts of the world, including the United States. In Europe, since 2004, we have observed an important shift in treatment away from LAGB and in favor of the gastric bypass. In contrast, in the United States, an opposite trend has been noted, and in 2009, a greater number of adjustable band procedures were reported compared with gastric bypass procedures. Opponents of the adjustable band claim that this technique can result in a mediocre quality of life and a significant number of complications, and that there is a tendency for patients to regain weight after some years.” Ø From Doherty, C., Maher, J. and Heitshusen. (2002) Surgery, 132(4): 724-728. Doi: 10.1067/msy.2002.127687.

· “Long-term data indicate a progressive loss in efficacy of adjustable gastric banding for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity.” Ø From Dr. Mitchell Roslin, MD, FACS, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, etc. Choice of Bariatric Procedure: A Philosphy Obtained in 20 Years of Bariatric Practice.(2013)

· “The band functions to create a high pressure zone just past the esophagus, the tube that transports food from the mouth to stomach. As the pressure is raised, the esophagus has to work harder. Until the pressure reaches a certain point, the patient feels little restriction. Once too high, the pressure has an adverse impact on the muscular esophagus. This results in patients having heartburn or dysphagia when the band is too tight, and then feeling no restriction when loosened.”
Ø The New York Times reported on October 30, 2012 that Allergan, the company that manufactures the Lap-band is now looking to sell the medical device portion of the company. “It is very odd, if not concerning, when a company wants to unload its once prized product,” said Dr. Amir Mehran, board certified bariatric surgeon and Medical Director for the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence in Beverly Hills, CA. “It makes one wonder if they are concerned over long term side effects of the device (as is now being seen overseas), and they don’t want to be owning it once that happens in the U.S.”

Oh, and there is a current study underway of the clinical trial folks like me as to the long-term results. This will be concluded in another year. However, early indicators show that most have revised or had the band removed after ten years.
Also, in the March 2013 edition of Bariatric News, there is an article called 'Prepare for revisional band operations, says surgeon." In the article, it notes that "every single band implated at the hospital in 2000 has now been removed, half of the bands implanted in 2005 have been removed, and 10% of the bands placed in 2010-2012 have been removed."
I don't wish this on anyone, Missy. It looks like you have fought hard and that your band has worked for you to lose a lot of weight and I am very happy for you.
I started at 306.5, lowest weight was 220, and after the band had to be completely unfilled due to extreme GERD, I am now at 316.
Here is what bothers me: we should not be shaming people who have had complications with their band and come here to talk about it, or to tell their opinion/experience. Shame is not helpful and tells me that the person doing the shaming most likely feels intense shame themselves and they are trying to pass it around. Everyone here has worth and deserves patience and the oportunity to tell their side of the story.

I don't know how much smaller a bite I can take! I'm probably too tight. I was considering an unfill and then it got a little better but maybe I need to have it done.