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Higher complication rates with Lap-Band vs Realize band: SpringerLink - Journal Article

PLEASE POST TO LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR 2ND BAND EXSPERIENCE. I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!! I have been reading searching for others who have had their bands completely replaced. I am also facing this and would deeply appreciate hearing from others to know how you feel about doing so. Was it worth it in terms "pain for loss"? Have you had more complications? Are you doing well? I am 30 mths from the 1st banding surgery and haveloved having my band. At 15 mths had to have 2nd surgery to fix a tube herna (poked up at bar line and became a problem). Also, the clinic has had on-going issues hot being able to get me to a substainable fill level in my Vanguard Inamed band....but in spite of all this I have lost (today) 71 lbs. and I'm around +28 lbs from my goal to get to 24 BMI. So here it is the time of year where there is food everywhere and I have no band to guide me; I'll never make it through Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, what do you think; would you do it over again? Thank-you, Judy

I know Dr. Alvarez and his team quite well. I also researched his background, the number of VSG's he had performed, and his complication rate. His surgical record was impeccable, and his compassion and care is first rate. I'l see him again in July for the VSG surgery. His nurses, his coordinator, etc; they treated me as if I was royalty. Lovely facilities and upgraded suites with internet in the rooms. If you need more info on Dr, A; I would love to share it with you:kelleyanita@sbcglobal.net

I hope that they are able to do it in one surgery with no complications. I know that dealing with two surgeries would be stressful AND very expensive. Hopefully the damage won't be very extensive. As for the recovery after the band removal, I don't know. I have known only a couple of people that had their bands out without getting a revision, but they didn't really talk about anything special as far as the diet. I'm sorry that I couldn't help with that part. Good luck and many prayers for you with your surgery.

Ok so I typed up a big long response, then hit some keyboard combo and there it all went bye-bye. I'll try again, a little shorter. To answer your question re: removal, it was a piece of cake. The worst part of it for me was the sore throat from the tubation & such... easily a few times worse than strep. And it lasted like 4 days. But that's not the surgery, that's ancillary. As for the surgery itself, a little sore where the port had been put in (they really want to make sure those things don't move around), but I expected that. I also ended up with an infected incision - but again, that's ancillary. Overall I would rate it just slightly more painful than having the band put in, which was EASY. There were no specific dietary requirements after that. My restriction stuck around for about 2 weeks, but only in terms of not feeling hungry & getting full quickly. Starting the day of, I could eat what I wanted when I wanted. And after a few years of living with a slipped band, I can't begin to describe how awesome it was to be able to drink in the morning if I was thirsty. As for 1 vs. 2 surgeries, my thoughts/experiences below. I'm not factoring in $ since I was covered under insurance, and the $ is all you. Just my thoughts... The risk of complication for a well-healed stomach going into a sleeve is just slightly higher than a "virgin" stomach. The risk of complication for a back-to-back procedure sky rockets to about 30%. I have the exact stats at home, but it's right around there. My surgeon requires 2 months between procedures. That's the timeframe at which he thinks there's the best blanace between risk mitigation and more negative things like weight gain. By "well healed" above, I mean 2 months between. Most leaks that aren't detected at the time of surgery are "hidden" by swelling. The swelling can artificially close gaps that wouldn't otherwise be closed. So as the swelling goes down, a leak can occur. The less swollen you are, the better. You're going to be swollen either way, but you're going to be more swolen if you've just had your band removed a few minutes ago. So it is directly tied to risks. Scar tissue cen truly be a factor. In back-to-back procedures, I'd think there always has to be give & take between scar tissue/adhesions, and sleeve. My sleeve was my 4th abdominal lap and I knew I had pretty major scar tissue. For one, I could see/feel it from the outside. For two, it actally caused be discomfort if I put pressure on my abdomen in the wrong way (like when I would read a book in bed and try to rest it on my stomach). My surgeon removed a _lot_ of tissue, and spent a little more than double his average surgery time doing it. All in all, I'm now glad I had to wait. My 2 months turned into more like 7 because of insurance. But although I initially wanted a back to back procedure, after reading up on the risk rates, seeing what I was like with scar tissue, etc. I'm truly very glad I had some down time in between. I had my band for about 6 years. The length of time you and I have had our bands (yours way longer than mine, but we're both well above the average band lifespan) plays a roll too. The longer it's in, the more adhesions, etc. can form. It makes sense that your surgeon is now indicating a 2nd procedure might be a good idea. All that said, there are lots of people here who had back to back procedures, and are doing just fine.

I decided to have 85% of my stomach removed because it was permanent.... The band I would be able to eat around and the other stories I heard about erosion and the stomach getting mangled scared me. Plus it wasn't permanent. I would gain the weight back as soon as it was removed knowing the way my mind works. The sleeve is permanent and has been used for many, many years. I had the wls 2 years ago and have had no complications. My problem is my addiction to carbs (sugars). That's me not my stomach. I am pretty much at goal weight right now and love my body size. Hang in there.

There have been several recent threads about this. Essentially, the eroding away of body tissue is a risk posed by any implanted device. There doesn't seem to be any specific cause or way to prevent it from happening. As far as rebanding goes, it may be possible once the stomach has healed, but I don't think it's widely recommended. However, when a band is removed your body goes back to being its pre-band self, possibly with an hourglass shape to the stomach. Since no major rerouting was done in the first place, removal of the band is relatively simple and safe. So while erosion sounds really scary, it's fixable and not going to endanger one's overall health if treated appropriately. Based on what we read here it may seem like it's happening a lot, but as far as I have ever heard the general rate of this sort of complication is not higher than 3%. This group here at LBT is not a representative sample, so don't be scared off by the recent incidences. Talk with your doctor and let him or her reassure you and explain what the risks really are.

Happened to me after VBG I 2004. 12-03-2021 I had a revision to RNY do to complications with Gerd hernias and me closed esophagus. They did not repair hernias. I've lost 40lbs and can barely feel either hernia anymore and can eat without issues!

Wow, so ok your refuse to not drink soda, not watch portions and not follow instructions and you think RNY will make is all magically better. I know many RNY patients who have stretched there pouches by drinking soda and eating to big portions. Sorry for being so blunt but I am not sure the band is the problem. Any WLS has risks and complications and rules to follow for success.

Well, you are probably surprised because you list advantages that are really marketing gimmicks and not really advantages. So it is understandable why you are surprised. 1. MUCH less invasive Yea, it is less invasive of a SURGERY, but in reality is more invasive in daily life, and it is only slightly less invasive then getting a sleeve. Some would argue it is actually more invasive then the sleeve, since it creates a restriction point "stoma" to get food stuck on instead of just making the stomach smaller. 2. Reversible if needed. Well, when exactly is it needed to reverse the band surgery? Well frankly, when it fails due to complications......Slips, Erosions, Infections, Port Flips, Acid Reflux. 3. Fewer complications. That may be true for the surgery, but as for actual long term complications, it simply isn't true. In fact many would argue that long term complications are more with the band. I think that is pretty obviously true, but bury your head in the sand and pretend like it won't happen to you, if you want. 4. No malabsorption are vitamin deficiency. Well some people need malabsorption to be successful, and why do I have to take Vitamins everyday on the band, if it is not an issue? 5. No dumping syndrome. Well, true, but if you eat those things that cause dumping with a bypass and you have a band, you are pretty much guaranteed to not lose weight with the band. So what really is the point? What your really saying is that the band will let you cheat and eat sugary stuff without a consequence other then no weight loss. 6. Corrects overeating behaviour. NO it does not correct the behaviour. It prevents it to some extent, but so do the other surgeries, so how is that an advantage over the others. It doesn't truely correct the behaviour, because the people who don't have restriction because the band isn't adjusted correctly simply aren't going to lose weight. If you remove it, you behaviour isn't corrected, you gain the weight back. 7. LIFELONG? Yea right, thats why there are so many banders who have had the band for so long. Please everyone with any research will tell you that for a majority of people 10 years is about the most you can expect to get out of the band before it has to come out, or has to be unfilled because of complications. Man, every one of your reasons are BS. Quit reading the marketing BS of these companies and think about the realities of the band.

Let's see... here are some things to consider. Here's my story. I had a band for 3 years. I was successful until my band slipped and I had serious enough complications that my quality of life wasn't too good and I started regaining weight. Once that I happened I also had to admit to myself that the band was farily unpleasant even when I was losing weight. I hated the feeling of food sitting at the top of my stomach and I had frequent sliming and stuck food issues. But I had just kind of been in denial about all my issues because my weight loss was good. I fought for insurance coverage for revision for over a year so I had lots of time to do research. My insurance would cover a new band but not a revision to anything else. It was a long, soul-destroying process - no point in detailing here . For a revision, I was willing to go anywhere in the country or Mexico and I spent a lot of time reading boards and researching stats. I also found out about the sleeve and spent lots of time researching it and bypass. I also went to an OH conference, met with several surgeons, did phone consults, you name it. I even watched video of all of the surgeons I was considering doing the procedure. I admit it, I'm a compulsive researcher. Surgeons - in Washington I felt the best choice was Dr. Billing at Puget Sound Surgical. He's done more sleeves than other surgeons in the area. He's pioneered a technique he refers to as a "lap-sleeve". He's always interested in learning and sharpening his skills - I found him to be both confident and caring without the arrogance that afflicts so many surgeons. Dr. Billing removed my lap band in October of 2009. Because of the insurance issues we didn't convert at the same time. He would have but his preference was to wait because he was concerned about damage to my stomach and giving it time to flatten back out and heal before doing the sleeve. The only two other surgeons I was willing to go to were Dr. Cirangle in SF and Dr. Aceves in Mexico. In June I did end up going to Dr. Aceves. I had a scheduling issue and had to have my surgery during a specific week. I also lost my legal case and had to self-pay. Dr. Aceves and his staff were fantastic and I appreciated have 3 full days of care in the hospital. Late this summer I developed a serious hernia. My abdominal wall was separated from my sternum to below my belly button. My primary care doc actually sent me to Dr. Billing who did the repair surgery three weeks ago. Other surgeons could have been kinda pissy in this situation - after I, he didn't do my sleeve. But he understood why I had to go to Dr. Aceves and was more than happy to help me. Once again, he was great, I trusted the surgical decisions he made, and I'm doing well. (He also told me my sleeve looked great and took a picture of it for me while he was in there - nice since he wasn't the surgeon who did it). Bypass or sleeve for revision: I did a huge compilation of research on revisions as part of my legal case. You can read my summary. The bottom line is that a sleeve is an appopriate revision for a failed lap band patient. Dr. Billing believes that sleeve will overtake bypass and may completely replace lap band surgery in the next 5-10 years just because the outcomes are so good. He said something really interesting to me a week ago when I had a follow-up. He told me that his sleeve patients, even his revisions, are far and away his happiest patients. They feel great, they have little to no complications and they seem to have little or no difficultiy maintaining their weight loss. http://vsgappeal.blogspot.com/2010/07/summary-appeal-letter-studies-and.html In my case I had regained my lap band weight loss and was back at 236 when I had my surgery in June. I'm already down to 174. I really didn't expect to lose that quickly. What really amazes me about my old band vs. the sleeve is that it's not just about limiting my volume. I don't know whether it's the grehlin being gone or just how quickly the satiety switch gets set off in a smaller stomach but I just don't really crave food or want to eat to fullness. When I first started eating solids I ate too much a few times and it was really uncomfortable. I backed off a bit so I wouldn't get to that point but it's really more than that. I just feel find and completely uninterested in food after a few bites so it's very easy to stop before my little sleeve is packed full. Somehow the sleeve changed how I feel about food - what I want to eat and when I feel like pushing the plate away. I haven't heard anyone I know say that about their gastric bypass. I also was uncomfortable with the other health issues of bypass like dumping and malnutrition. Another suggestion about surgeons: I've met most of the surgeons in the Seattle area who do weight loss surgeries. I think most are good doctors and are well intentioned. But every surgeon's opinion is colored by their own experience. They have what they do well, they have their comfort zones, and some are more willing than others to push beyond them. Sleeve is new and some surgeons are just now starting to look it it. Others, like Cirangle and Billing, have been doing them awhile and feel confident in the technique and in the successes their seeing with their patients. Dr. Lauter has done some sleeves but not a huge amount. He seemed like a great guy to me but it's worth considering that if he's most comfortable with bypass then that's what he's most likely to suggest to his patients. And it stands to reason that he would. All in all I'd say my research shows the sleeve to be as good and in some ways a better revision option than bypass. I prefer Dr. Billing to other local surgeons and would suggest meeting with him if you have the time to come up north. Even if you don't go with him it's good to have another medical opinion. Take care. I'm sure whatever you decide will be right for you. Happy to answer any questions you might have. At just about 6 months in to my revision I'm no expert but I can certainly share my own experiences so far.

I had a rash once that was similar to what you have but it was covering my hands. I had the tingling and numbness. It was really awful. I could barely close my hands to zip zippers, type or anything else. When I had the rash it had nothing to do with surgery though. I went to the doctor and he told me I was having an allergic reaction. At the time their was nothing new in my diet accept for new type of wine I had tried. He said that many times the allergen is never found, but it is often a type of red dye used in many foods. I'm not sure what you are allowed to take right now but I was bet that benadryl would help you. As you recently had surgery, you may be more susceptible to complications so you may want to contact a doctor right away.

Omg! I don't feel alone anymore! I had a horrible time with the Lapband. Put in 2007, don't even know what kind it was. 1st time I went to get it filled port was flipped; surgery again! Went to get it filled again band had a leak:(; surgery again!! Fixed!! Had to wait longer to get filled because of possible tissue damage, then what do u know surgeon moved:( new surgeon filled me once. Then my insurance was cancelled. For a year it was fine and I got insurance again then all of the sudden I couldn't eat anything or even drink anything. The band slipped really bad made my stomach to the shape of a mushroom. The new surgeon replaced the band with a new band, it was supposedly an even better band. Yeah rite!!! Got my 1st fill no problem went to get second fill when they checked to see how many cc's was already in the band there was nothing in there! Band leaked out!!!! Doctor said I had to get an upper GI. I was so mad, sad, disappointed u name I had it! My sister and I got it done at the same time and she has never had a problem. I left that place didn't go back. Forward a year or two; I went to another hospital because I was in my 2nd trimester of pregnancy and having complications not caused the the band had to tests done they told me I needed to get the lapband removed because it had slipped! Had to get it removed by the doctor that put it in (2nd doctor which BTW has a god complex). Finally in mid 2012 he removed the band after a couple of months after having my baby! Woo hoo or so I thought! Turns out the self proclaimed wonderful doctor left the tubing inside! In the beginning I had no problem with the tubing, but little by little I started having stomach pain drs were uncertain that it was the tubing because it's designed to be in the stomach. The pain became consistent to the point of not being able to take deep breaths in order for me to breath I had to press down hard on the area of pain . There was no way in hell I was going back to the "god complexed doctor" I decided to go to the hospital where I had my son. I was dying had emergency surgery by the weight lose surgeon "my hero" Which BTW will be performing my RNY if god permits. And here I am......ready for my next chapter!what do u guys think?

Hello, my husband had a very similar experience as you. We have never heard of it happening to anyone else so it was surprising when I read your story. His was infected from day one. The doc did nothing for years. Finally it got so bad that emergency surgery was required. We relocated and which ultimately saved his life because he went to a different doc. The band and port site were infected. The band ate a hole through his stomach and his organs grew around the holes preventing sepsis. He could no longer stand up straight. He was in the hospital for a month and nearly lost his life. The original surgeon from a private practice never took the appropriate precautions. I too have the band but have never had any complications.

I would not insist on the sleeve. I have had nothing but complications, and my weight loss has stopped after I lost 26 pounds. I wish I had insisted on the RNY!

I was banded in October or November 2010, and lost about 80 pounds. By 2012 I'd had all the fluid removed due to regurg, pain, etc., even with minimal fills. Even with the band unfilled, foods still got stuck and some things were completely off limits. I just dealt with it for a few years, ignoring the problem. Earlier this year, I finally decided to do something about it and saw a bariatric surgeon here in Minneapolis (my band was placed in Omaha). In June of this year, I had a barium swallow xray done, and I was diagnosed with esophageal dismotility, a complication of the band. So, the band needed to come out. (For anyone reading this curious about the insurance approval process, I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and it was pretty straightforward, I just had to show proof of getting fills done (got my records from my old surgeon's office) and proof of a complication (the barium swallow showing dismotility).) I had the band out in August, and will be sleeved on December 7, in just 2 days. My surgeon does the revision in two different procedures because she feels there are fewer complications this way. Though there are other surgeons in the same group who do the revision in the same procedure. Waiting in between is not exactly easy on the pocket book (though I would have hit my out of pocket max either way), and my sick time at work has really taken a hit, but I understand the reasoning. Looking back on it, I'm really glad I've had the time between getting the band out and getting sleeved. I've had time to unlearn all the unhealthy habits I developed while dealing with my failed band. (And yes, I realize the failure was likely partly my responsibility, too, for anyone looking to jump all over me for that one.) I had to sip with my meals to get food past the band, and I definitely wasn't getting enough protein because that was likely to stick, too. Basically, I've had time to practice the "way of the sleeve" to replace the "way of the failed band". Between the band and the sleeve, I also have been hungry. My stomach hasn't rumbled this hard in years! (Maybe because it couldn't physically do so?) Protein shakes have helped, and paying attention to whether or not I'm actually hungry (or have any right to be based on what I've already eaten) or if it's just mental "hunger" have kept me from gaining weight. I've actually lost about 20 pounds now, and not just from the liquid diet I'm on before surgery. While it's frustrating to have to do two procedures, I hope you find the time in between helpful. Good luck! Wishing you the best.

While you definitely want to be aware of the possible risks and the treatments for such issues, personally I would steer clear of a group that posts only about complications. I would just worry it would begin to make it seem like everyone has issues which is really far from the truth. If you feel like you need to keep searching about them I would also make sure to search for the statistics that put it all into perspective of how likely (or unlikely) each issue is to actually Happen to you. I hope this helps.

How did I forget that one!? Yes, this too, very much so. I've been dealing with hypoglycemia since I was a teenager. I worry about it getting worse, too. Also, Dr. Google and I have a very inappropriate relationship. 😂 I'm also in a bariatric complication group on Facebook and it's hard. People say to not read it and stay off. I don't want to have to have more surgeries, though, and I don't want to have the doctors on speed dial. I just want smooth surgery and new life!

So it turns out that they could do the revision in my case once they were in there and checked out the tissue. Surgery was done on 2/6/17 however due to some complications I was just released yesterday. Also Ended up getting a gout flair up starting yesterday that currently hurts more than any of the surgery locations. Supposed to get staples out tomorrow. I gained quite a bit of weight in the hospital which should come off pretty fast as it is excess fluid, then I can start actually tracking how the weight loss is doing.

Most doctors won't do lap band anymore because the results aren't very good - most people don't lose too much weight and many people have a lot of complications. A lot of people end up having to have them removed and getting it revised to sleeve or bypass. Is there a reason you really want lap band rather than sleeve or bypass?

My doctor said nothing carbonated after surgery because it could cause complications. My nut said it can cause you to not feel as full as you should. I did try one sip of soda and hated it I didn't like the taste or the carbonation. It also hurt my stomach. Before surgery I loved coke zero and would drink a six pack per day. Tried the soda last week and I was sleeved on 12/31/12

I was worried about this as well. My employer gave me FMLA paperwork for my surgeon to fill out. I work for a major law firm, so you can bet that the paperwork was pretty thorough. The way the paperwork was worded, my surgeon (in MX) had no choice but to be very specific as to the nature of my surgery. I'm a private person, I actually considered not turning in the paperwork and taking it as vacation instead! I got over it - turned in the paperwork. My HR coordinator made it very easy - she told me I wasn't the first to have this procedure and said she was pleased I was making a choice for good health! I was so surprised! She told me that the law states that surgery is surgery and warrants medical leave - the FMLA would be approved. She said it didn't matter that it was elective surgery (I don't know if that is law or just our firm policy). She said even a boob job would have been covered under FMLA as long as I had the paperwork. She also told me that if I had complications later (even much later) that it would be covered under FMLA and linked to the claim I opened for surgery. I have 2 pools of time off to draw from. My vacation and my extended sick leave. Having the FMLA leave allowed me to draw from my ESL time and not touch my vacation. @@a.conners, from a discrimination claim standpoint, obese individuals are not a protected class (yet). There are no cases tried successfully relating to weight discrimination that I'm aware of.

Thanks for sharing that story, Donali. What a drag! But it could have been a lot worse--once again showing that most of even dramatic lap-band complications really aren't all that dramatic. I'm so glad they were able to repair it easily, but sorry it cost you so much moola. Please let us know if your dent evens out and when feeling returns (which I'm absolutely sure it will). Now: Watch yourself! Don't be doing any calisthenics until this is well and truly healed in place. No more port revisions!! :D

That's how they used to use the sleeve. If someone was too high risk to have the full bypass done due to size or medical conditions they would do a sleeve (safer than bypass, less OR time, fewer complications) and then when the person lost weight and were a safer surgical risk for bypass they would go back and do the rest of the bypass at a later time. They realized people got to goal with the sleeve alone so now that is what they do. Your nurse is incorrect about it not working for a long time, that was the old technique from 20-30 years ago. Today the technique is such that people do very well with it long term. Considering the five year stats just came out about a month ago, she needs to do her research before opening her mouth. ;o) Send her over here, we'll teach her about her profession! HA!

Hi everyone I'm sorry if these questions have been asked before it's been a while since I've been on this site. I had my sleeve surgery done 5 years ago so I have been through a lot of ups and downs and I would say I'm on the more experienced side of being a sleever..... I am at a stage now where I have put on quite a bit of weight, probably over 20 kgs since I hit my goal weight. I lost overall 55 kgs on the sleeve and I was so happy. There has been a few complications such as a hiatus hernia operation, appendicitis and I've recently had surgery on my ankle which has made me put on even more weight. I am trying to get back to my goal weight and I am finding it difficult to shift any weight. I have POS which makes it hard too. I've tried shake diets, low carb diets and I lose maybe a few kgs, then put it back on if I even have one day of eating something such as bread. I'll admit I'm not in the best place the moment, most days I'm sad and down about this and all I want to do is get back to what I was. I wanted to know if anyone has gone through what i am currently going through and have you been successful in losing weight again? I really need advice and some tips and the best people would be the ones who are going through this journey with me. Thank you.