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As you wrote your note, you're actually asking two questions: Does the band work? and Does the band work and remain viable for the long haul. You're going to hear the good, the bad and the neutral in response to both questions. In answer to the first, the band works if the owner works it, as "they" say in the street. It will not work for losing weight f not considered and used as an aid, a partner, so to speak. It usually takes a few adjustments to get it set as an optimal aid. Because it's fickle, adjustments to loosen or tighten may be needed from time to time; there's no way to predict. Then there are the band owners whose bands are just right for them out of the gate. Second question: The band isn't perfect and many have revised to other surgeries. They include those who had legitimate cause and I have no doubt that others just didn't work their bands or abused them. With a band, as with any of the bariatric procedures, regain is always a possibility. Maintenance for the long term is the individual's responsibility and demands vigilance. One downside with the band is that it requires pretty much life-long attention, e.g., annual esophagrams (a.k.a. barium swallows) to be sure it's in place and that liquids and food continue to move from mouth to stomach as they should. Slips are always a possibility; some can be avoided (by not gorging and/or eating too quickly and the like) and some not (perhaps a wrenching movement, which doesn't mean, by the way, giving up ice-climbing or whatever dare-devilry is your passion, which reminds me: No need to give up sex, either). One band star is @@Alex Brecher who founded BP. He had surgery about 14 years ago and has maintained his boyish figure since reaching his goal as far as I know. He's not your deciding factor, of course, but, if he stops in, may be able to give you perspective that I can't. I'm one of those who was doing wonderfully, with goal in sight, but was thrown by a life event and regained most the the weight I'd lost. I'm back on track now. For a while I thought my band might have breathed it's last, but my July esophagram was good and the band is doing its thing. I must take care to pay attention to the signals it sends -- again, that personal responsibility thing. To make a long spiel longer, I'll end by suggesting that you read your replies and compose a list of specific questions to pose to people at the surgery practice you're considering. Also attend its support group to ask and listing to people face to face. This last is not to advise you to abandon BP. All the best.

I agree- see someone else. I had GERD and Barrett's esophagitis with a Barrett's polyp. My surgeon did not even give a 2nd thought to doing gastric bypass because of the history. He told me that anyone with bad GERD before surgery could have it worse after a sleeve, and in those cases, bypass is the better option. My GERD is gone now. If you have GERD now, you may end up with a revision to bypass down the road, and IMHO, why not just get the bypass now and be done with it.

I'm having revision to RNY as well (plus hiatoplastic and gastropexia). I'm going in on February 25th. I was satisfied with the MGB for over three years until my hernia came back.

Everyone is different. There is not even an average really from what I've read on the boards for over 2 years. For me, I was stuck at 2oz of dense Protein until I was over 4 months out. I stuck to mushy/soft protein such as deli meat with cream cheese, chili, ground meats with some sort of sauce, chicken/tuna/egg salad well into my 3rd month post-op because I could get in the calories and protein goals without having to use shakes which made me puke so I stuck with what worked. I was moved to "regular" food on week 4 of my post-op diet, but I really had a tough time getting in a decent amount of food until 3.5-4 months out. I could eat puree meats, or chili, or meats with some sort of condiment, so those are little tricks I used to get in more protein from food sources. Some don't really struggle after the first 6 weeks, or they just supplement with shakes. I didn't have that as an option so I stuck with what worked for me. A lot of it was also the fact that I did have a leak and lost additional stomach tissue with my revision from the band so I had more trauma than most, but then there are others that report the same thing and they had zero issues with their sleeve nor had any complications.

You are doing remarkably well!! Congrats to you. I have my revision surgery May 31st and can hardly wait!! Sorry about the scar tissue issues, but a BIG CONGRATS on your sleeve. Sleeve life is awesome! I still can't believe how successful I have been. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and lots of weight loss!

there's a new procedure call ROSE for people who has had the RNY years ago with weight gain.. I don't know if that's what they are going to do for your friend. ROSE, which stands for Restorative Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal, is a new, safer, incisionless, gastric bypass revision. It is not a primary method of weight loss surgery, but a follow-up procedure that is specifically designed for gastric bypass patients with weight regain. The ROSE procedure is indicated for gastric bypass patients who were initially successful in losing the excess weight but are now regaining some of the lost weight because the stomach and stoma have stretched out and no longer effectively control hunger and food intake.

The RNY pouch is made from the persons intestines. They still have their full stomach but is considered "blind" because the pouch acts as their new smaller stomach. I have read of people having it "took down" I have also heard of them banding the pouch. I suppose they could make the pouch smaller. I have seen people talk about revising from the RNY to the sleeve, which I guess would mean the pouch would be taken down and then their old full sized tummy would be sleeved. I am not sure if they would leave the intestines rerouted I guess if the person was having nutrtional or protein deficiencies, they would undo that part maybe? It would depend on the dr and the particular patients issues. It is sad that after this long she's still having problems and has had that many operations. I would probably get othet bariatric drs opnion before more surgeries if I were her.

When I started this process, I weighed 235. I set a goal of 150 for myself. When I was in college, I took a full load of classes, worked full-time and worked out 2-3 hours EVERY DAY at the gym. With that schedule, I weighed 150 and was a size 10. I thought that if I got THERE, then I would be at my 'best.' Well, I got to 150 and knew I wasn't done. So, I revised my goal to 143, because that put me at a healthy BMI. 143 came and I have still been losing, and I knew I'd eventually get to the 100 pounds lost mark. I MADE IT!!!! WOO HOO!!!

I posted the attachment for the difference on a thread under Insurance I titled: Aetna Revises Policy downward from 5 years to 2 Years! Check out the attached pages that compare the old Aetna clinical policy bulletin to the new one they just posted on their website with a revision date of Feb 8, 2008 -- reduced the time for severe obesity wording from "at least 5 years" to "at least the last 2 years" . This was the ONLY change I could find in comparing the whole document with regard to anything to do with Lapband surgery qualifications.

Can anyone tell me their experience if they had a revision done because of slippage? My surgery is on Friday and I'm really worried.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Thanks.<o:p></o:p>

Hey Crishell! My 2 year anniversary is Jan 11th. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I am about 8 lbs from my initial goal of 180 and am in my initial goal size of a 12 after my high of 330 lbs and a size 28. I had a tummy tuck in October and am feeling pretty good, although I definately got off track over the holidays! I've revised my goal for the new year and am now trying to get to 165 and a size 10 by July when I hope to have a thigh lift and finish my lower body lift. I'm 5'11, so at that point I will be on maintenance. I can't say enough good things about my band, and hope all my Jan'07 friends feel the same! ~Lori

I can't find my surgeon, he packed up and left town. told me to go to Mexico if I need revision cause I will slip my band sooner or later. I don't remember him telling me anything before the surgery

Unless Sharon Osborne had a revision of some sort I remember her clearly saying that she had GB not lap band. My BIL plays for the Jets and Rex Ryan has Had lap band surgery as Loseit said. When I saw a pic of Drew Carey I did think that he had surgery but then on the other hand Men really do lose faster and more dramatically than women do. I never thought that JHud had surgery but I wouldn't be surprised. She said that she lost it doing WW and because she's an actress I don't think she would have surgery because what if she wants to do a part where she has to gain a lot. One thing I do know for sure is that if I were Oprah I would have had the surgery long ago and it would be called the O-Band. I know she's mega-rich and famous but I feel sorry for her weight loss struggle. She is clearly uncomfortable in her own skin and I know all too well how that feels. Dee

Success rate? 1)You call a 43% excess weight loss at 36 months with expert surgeons a success? You need to investigate- and further, 2)The largest or widest band available is NOT the Realize, its the LapBand APL 14cc vs 9cc. also their backing is wider, not the bladder. 3) If your doctor is a proctor - he is getting paid $5,000 per proctoring event and $10,000 per month for advertising from J&J - they offered my doc the same deal and she refused because it' an inferior prodcut. And trust me- she could use anything she wants. 4) If the Realize Band has such great success - please explain why 35 of 36 bands implanted in Canada had to be EXPLANTED. This was such a problem the Canadian FDA sent a letter to doctors asking them not to use it. You can try and make yourself feel better and rationalize it but your doctor did you an injustice by not giving you all the facts and information- don't be mad at me - be mad at him Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band: erosion and other reported incidents leading to explantation The Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) is an implantable, adjustable gastric band indicated for use in the treatment of morbid obesity in adults.1 It consists of a reinforced silicone gastric band fitted around the stomach and an injection port placed under the skin and connected to the band by tubing. The SAGB is designed to reduce food intake and can be inflated or deflated as needed after implantation to meet weight-loss requirements without the need for further surgery. The SAGB was originally licensed for sale in Canada in November 2002. A modified version of the device, the SAGB Quick Close (SAGB-QC), was added to the licence as part of a device licence amendment in August 2004.2 Although band erosion is listed among the possible adverse events in the device labelling for physicians,2 the device labelling for patients states that the overall rate of reoperation following placement of the SAGB is low and that extensive use of the SAGB has led to a method where failure is uncommon.3 By definition, band erosion is "a situation where a part of the band has eroded through the full-thickness gastric wall and migrated into the lumen."4 This represents a total failure of the gastric banding procedure.5 From Nov. 1, 2002, to June 15, 2007, Health Canada received 19 reports of incidents suspected of being associated with the SAGB and 17 with the SAGB-QC. Thirteen of the 36 reports described cases of band erosion necessitating removal of the band. Other reports described incidents such as band slippage, band leakage, abscess, dysphagia and regurgitation. In 35 of the 36 reports, band explantation was reported as an outcome. Although reported rates of band erosion vary across published studies, evidence in the medical literature suggests that the frequency of band erosion is approximately linear over time following surgery, with erosions still being diagnosed 5 or more years after implantation.4 5 Since band erosion is often asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic initially and since the condition is best diagnosed by gastroscopy, which may not be included in the follow-up of asymptomatic patients, the true incidence of band erosion is underestimated in the literature and its diagnosis can be markedly delayed.4 5 Moreover, band erosion is associated with dense scarring and distortion of tissues, which can complicate revision procedures.5 The complication rates and outcomes associated with SAGB and reported in the literature are variable. Although the authors of some studies have concluded that use of the SAGB demonstrates acceptable levels of safety and effectiveness,6 7 others have reported high long-term complication and failure rates and poor long-term outcomes.4 5 The medical literature suggests that, until reliable selection criteria for patients at low risk for long-term complications are determined, alternative treatment options should be considered and gastric banding should be performed only in carefully selected and fully informed patients.5 Andrew Gaffen, BSc, DDS; Gina Coleman, MD; Health Canada References Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band [Canadian instructions for use]. Baar (SWI): Obtech Medical AG; 2000. Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band Quick Close [Canadian instructions for use]. Zug (SWI): Ethicon Endo-Surgery in cooperation with Obtech Medical AG; 2003. Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band Quick Close [Canadian patient manual]. Zug (SWI): Ethicon Endo-Surgery in cooperation with Obtech Medical AG; 2003. Gustavsson S, Westling A. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding: complications and side effects responsible for the poor long-term outcome. Semin Laparosc Surg 2002;9(2):115-24. [ PubMed] Suter M, Calmes JM, Paroz A, et al. A 10-year experience with laparoscopic gastric banding for morbid obesity: high long-term complication and failure rates. Obes Surg 2006;16(7):829-35. [ PubMed] Steffen R, Biertho L, Ricklin T, et al. Laparoscopic Swedish adjustable gastric banding: a five-year prospective study. Obes Surg 2003;13(3):404-11. [ PubMed] Zehetner J, Holzinger F, Tiraca H, et al. A 6-year experience with the Swedish adjustable gastric band. Prospective long-term audit of laparoscopic gastric banding. Surg Endosc 2005;19(1):21-8. [ PubMed]

I had my first fill on 10-10. It was awesome and instantaneous. Just right and worked quite well. At my 6 month check-up we discussed another fill because I did feel I was starting to 'empty out' more rapidly and occasionally experiencing hunger between dinner and bedtime. Unfortunately, my port had flipped so I didn't get that second fill until I had my port revision last Thursday. Again, it seemed everything was fine, I was on liquids a day or two and then seemed to eat 'normally', but on the 4th and 5th days -- I'm barely able to get 1/4 of my usual Instant Breakfast shake down. Literally one or two bites at a meal and I am full for several hours. My Fluid intake is WAY, WAY down, too! I remember hearing a long time ago that sometimes it takes a day or two to know how the fill "took". Any ideas on what this is? Did this fill just take a few days to "take"? I don't think my port being moved would cause swelling near the band to make restriction more severe....but what do I know!! I'm happy with the weight loss, but dubious how long I can subsist on what I'm able to get past the band right now. Ah, banding -- it's a journey, not a destination, eh?

Jayzer, I am so there with you. After all my research I would not do the band as 82% eventually get a revision to a sleeve. Why go through this twice??? Also, I have my sister who is supportive but there is no way I am telling Mom till afterwards. She has always been after me about my weight and I know what would come out of her mouth..."you can do this on your own, you've done it in the past before" EXACTLY, and have gained it back and then some. The VSG will be just the tool I need to regulate my potions sizes which I am not capable of doing. Please keep me posted on your journey. I have 2 months left of the 6 month supervised diet for my insurance so I should have my sleeve end of Sept or early Oct. By the way, this is not a cop out, we have tried in the past but we (do to genertics or metabolism or whatever) can't keep weight off like skinny people do. WE NEED THIS TOOL!!!!

Welcome Alex and Janie! You have come to the right place for friendship and support! I'm pre op... I'm having a lapband revision to sleeve next month.

Because i was a revision Its taking me longer due to scar tissue.. Liquids for the most part are fine .. I get in probably 36 oz of liquid a day but I cant drink any protein .. it does not sit will with my stomach , I was revised on the 14th and still am not on mushy foods or pureed foods like most people. The closest I can eat and keep down are refried beans .. doc told me to just keep trying .

NOV 19TH...I am so anxious...Im having a revision from a band...so worried it wont work but dont have the time or money for the RNY

My revision from band to sleeve is finally scheduled! September 9! It bums me out that it's not sooner. I started this journey in February of this year. I've jumped through all the insurance hoops and now I still have to wait due to surgeon being busy ????. I have to keep telling myself that September will be here before I know it and he must be good since he so busy. Lol

I had my Lapband January, 2011 - it was nothing but problems the entire time. I had too much restriction the entire time and the weight gain. The last three, or so, years of that torture device, I was unable to eat and in doubled over pain most of the time. I also developed severe GERD. My gastro referred me to a different Bariatric doctor. Long story short - the Lapband caused multiple problems and I had to have an emergency revision to gastric bypass. Dr. Did not recommend the sleeve for me because a high percentage of patients that already have GERD, it makes it worse. Please see another doctor before your situation gets worse like mine did. I don’t think you will be sorry with a revision to sleeve or bypass. It was a wonderful decision for me - not constantly sick anymore!

Hi. 👋 I’m 11/29 revision to sleeve.

Hey, March 7th. I'm having 2nd revision now going to a bypass due to severe reflux

Hi, I am originally from Detroit. I am working in Texas for the Department of Defense. Maybe Sunday as I am preparing to go I will get nervous. I have a lap band now and I am going in for a revision to sa sleeve. I found out Monday that I would be having my surgery on the 24th. He did not even give me the two weeks for my pre op diet. I just hope everything goes ok because I did not do the pre op diet for 2 weeks. Also, he told me that he will not know if he will be able to give me the sleeve untill after he look at my stomach, because of scar tissue from the lap band. I have to think positive that everything will be ok because I really do not want to go under the knife twice to have one procedure. You will be ok. How long will you b in the hospital?

My surgery is Thursday June 9th, my question is has anyone lost a 100 lbs or more? I know everybody is different and loses differently, but I’m curious about losing a 100 or more. Thank you