KreemyPeach

Today is May 11th, 2022. I had my band removed 6 days ago.
I have had it for 10 years (I am currently 43). I never had it filled after year 3 (I believe I only had it filled 3 times the first 1-2 years, then felt I was too restricted, losing weight too fast so I had some of the fill taken out. I am 5'4 and started out around 245 and got down to a low of 145-150. Once I had some of the fill taken out, I did gain 15-20 pounds. I was comfortable at the 163ish mark, was still a size 6-8.
Then, more recently (so year 8 or so, I would randomly throw up/gag in the mornings, painfully, losing appetite). So, I had it completely unfilled November 2021, gained a few more pounds (likely overate @ holidays) :) .
Anyways, today I am going for an early post-op followup (day 6 after the band removal) -- I am still in a lot of pain. The surgeon had told me that my surgery took twice as long as it should have because part of the band prongs (?) had to be DUG out from my intestines. I now have extra incisions - I was in so much pain after surgery. I needed help by my husband to go to washroom (could not go from standing to sitting on my own), was actually in tears and that was with pain medicine. That intense pain did somewhat subside a bit after day 2-3. However, I am still experiencing pretty intense pain when going from laying down to standing up. I also, similar to a poster above, feel a large hard bulge where the largest incision is (where the port used to be). The surgeon did mention some hematomas (bleeding) may develop, can be painful and should go away on their own (ugh, that sounds so awful! basically internal bleeding - scary!)
Either way, I feel like I was a guinea pig with the FDA, there was not enough long term research done yet, to really know all the risks and how very common they are with lapband. Which, yes, someone had to be the experiments, I get it.
My surgeon says he quit putting them in back in 2018. I know and understand it's elective surgery and I signed off on it --- I just wanted to share my experience and hoping the damage this band has done to my body will repair itself completely! For now, I am just glad it is OUT before it did even worse, possibly permanent damage. My suggestion (and any good bariatric doctor will tell you) - is if you've had it for 10 years, get it out. There are other options (sleeve is one), I personally am not electing to have one but to each their own -- this is just a PSA (public service announcement).

Oh wow! That's really scary! I have had my band for 20 years! I had similar issues and had a slippage early on that required a second surgery.

I am going to get it taken out next month. I was hoping the down time wouldn't be as bad as when I got it. I don't have a high threshold for pain so I'm concerned with how I'll do. I appreciate hearing about your experience and I'm glad I also made the decision to get it removed.

Do you think the issues with the band could prevent further WLS to be more challenging?

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Is it a haematoma? A swelling caused by bleeding in the area from the removal of the port damaging the area. If it is protruding it’s from the amount of blood that’s clotted. Generally they disappear but if it persists give your doctor a call.
Give your doctor a call/visit anyway to find out what it actually is.

I had the lapband procedure done in 11/16/08. Prior to having the surgery, I spent months reviewing every doctor. When I met with the doctor, he told me there were minimal risks and he himself had the band done over 10 years before with no problems. Almost immediately after the surgery, I started having problems. Within a few short months, I began passing out anytime I would stand up. My husband took me back to my doctor and he said there was no way it's the band and sent me home. A few months went by and I became sicker and sicker. I went months and couldn’t even keep down Water. During an office visit with the surgeon, I passed out in his office. He still insisted it wasn’t the band. I complained multiple times about having very bad pain on my right side over the last few months. I was constantly told I must have the flu. He still proclaimed it wasn't the lapbands fault.
After a few months of me not getting better and having to crawl even to the bathroom in order to avoid passing out, my husband forced me to go to the ER. They admitted me with a blood pressure of 80/60. The ER doctor told my husband if he hadn't brought me in when he did I would’ve died with another 18-24 hours.
The only er doctor did a scan on my right side and said I needed emergency gall bladder surgery. I was told this was very common in patients with lapbands. I repeatedly told the ER doc that the lap band doctor kept saying there wasn't anything wrong with the band. I spent 10 days in the hospital just to get well enough for them to even do the gallbladder surgery. After the surgery, I started to get a little better for about a week or so.
My husband convinced me to go see another lap band doctor since I was still having really bad stomach pains. The new doctor admitted me to his hospital to do an endoscopy. I was told the lapband has eroded so severely into my stomach that he was not comfortable removing the band himself. He gave me a picture of the band visible from the inside of my stomach. We were told this was extremely rare for someone who only had it less than two years for it to be this badly eroded.
I feel my original doctor consistently defended the lapband to the point that he almost killed me. I now have a hole in my stomach and a separate hernia that was caused by him not wanting to admit the band was causing me so many health problems. I suffered during those 20 months so severely that I missed almost a full year of work. I think people should know this thing is not the way to go for weight loss surgery. It can kill you. I want people to know how bad these things are.

I'm having the same problems, Iron, hair, etc etc, I've had 4 blood transfusions and still need to go for another one soon

Falgune Dusara
I had Slimband Surgery in 2011. Count me in. If you look in another group chat of Slimband group we are still working on it for class action.

Hi KreemyPeach. Could I please have the contact info for Sabrina the fill nurse. I too was recently told that I was"let go" from Slimband support. Mary

I think you should be asking yourself whether you mind that we are all Ladies...lol just joking

Ivanova8, If you can make it up to Second cup Tuesday evening I am sure we can change the meeting time?
If not then please suggest a place, date and time for the next meeting location.
I really would like to meet ALL of you.

I know!
I work with some great people and they have been very complimentary about my weight loss. Only 3 people where I work know I had WLS and they have kept it private.
But even the sweetest people are now asking the numbers questions.
Nope. Not going there folks.
I decided long ago I was not going to give ANYONE outside of my circle of trust the numbers ever.
So my reply to these questions is as follows:
How much have you lost?
A lot.
Wow I know. Like how much?
A real lot.
How much more do you want to lose?
I don't know really. It's slowing down and getting harder so I need to bump up my exercise.
Well you look great. How much more do you want to lose?
A couple more sizes if I can.
A couple more sizes? Really?
Yeah, if it works out that way. If I exercise more it will eventually happen. I'm not in a race.
This was a conversation in the office bathroom this week. I smiled and walked away as I answered.
People will treat me as I allow them to treat me. That includes how they speak to me. I take charge of the conversation and divert it as I can. If I can't then my fall back answer is:
Come on now. You KNOW I'm never going to tell you that number, don't you?

I have been listening to Dr. Duc Vuong's podcast about successful wls patients. He has one of the highest success rates with wls patients in the country. What he says about the one thing that a patient can do to insure success at weight loss and keeping the weight off is to let the overweight food addicted person you once were die. Just let her die. So tonight I lit the candles all over my house....I brought the last alcohol I will drink in a while. I toasted all the coping mechanisms that kept me safe from harm...the fat that kept me unattractive to the men who would abuse me.....the food that made me feel better on cold lonely nights. The thick layer of distance I put between me and the cruelty of the world. And I said goodbye. It is sad, it is hard, I'm not sure how I am going to cope without that protective false self to keep me safe. But she's dead and I am going to let her die. I hope you will all join me in saying "Thank you fat self for all the years of keeping me safe and invisible from the world. But now I'm old enough, strong enough and experienced enough to take care of myself without you."
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
Goodbye.

I am north of Toronto and would also be interested.

Thank GOD I am not the only one! TLBC did not dissolve they had to change the name due to a copyright infingement!!!
I was banded in 2008. I was told the exact same thing during the time I was in the middle of a medical investigation. It is totally disgusting that they think they can do this. I was told that i had no furhter support as they just don't have the manpower. I paid 18,0000 for lifetime of support and adjustments. I was given a final FREE fill in December and going forward I would have to pay $200 for fills.. I called back to get some information from my file and was told that I had to pay $25.00 since my file was in archive and purged from the system. As for Nancy, the BEST nurse ever!!! SHE will always be the BEST and Sharon can suck eggs!! I know where she went and she can be easily found if needed. The government will never approve the band in my opion because it will never be successfull in comaprison to theother procedures. If anyone needs reliable adjustments I know where you can have them done by a credible nurse who worked for TLBC at a resonable cost. Now I havent had any adjustments because I not wan to void my warranty BUT as far as Slimband is concerend we have no warranty. I think it absolutely terrible how they have handled this whole situation. I was thinking of getting a new reoporter to do a story. THere were several done prior on the new owner of Slimband.

OH and the best part was that THEY deleted my account from the community when they got there new program!!! unreal!

Thank GOD I am not the only one! TLBC did not dissolve they had to change the name due to a copyright infingement!!!
I was banded in 2008. I was told the exact same thing during the time I was in the middle of a medical investigation. It is totally disgusting that they think they can do this. I was told that i had no furhter support as they just don't have the manpower. I paid 18,0000 for lifetime of support and adjustments. I was given a final FREE fill in December and going forward I would have to pay $200 for fills.. I called back to get some information from my file and was told that I had to pay $25.00 since my file was in archive and purged from the system. As for Nancy, the BEST nurse ever!!! SHE will always be the BEST and Sharon can suck eggs!! I know where she went and she can be easily found if needed. The government will never approve the band in my opion because it will never be successfull in comaprison to theother procedures. If anyone needs reliable adjustments I know where you can have them done by a credible nurse who worked for TLBC at a resonable cost. Now I havent had any adjustments because I not wan to void my warranty BUT as far as Slimband is concerend we have no warranty. I think it absolutely terrible how they have handled this whole situation. I was thinking of getting a new reoporter to do a story. THere were several done prior on the new owner of Slimband.