My question is what is the life expectancy of the lap band? Let's say all goes well. Is there a requirement to replace the band at 10 years or 15 or 20? Or is this not a requirement? Just wondering about the life of a band. Thanks

My surgeon told me there's no expiration. The band has been tested by a machine mimicing the force of eating for 8 straight years before it has issues (meaning for those 8 years it was under the constant force of eating whereas we eat only a few times a day so you can imagine how many years it should last with normal use)

I hope it lasts a lifetime. I don't want to lose it or go through other surgeries.

I know a few who have had theirs 10 or 11 years, original band. Still working fine.

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – An older kind of Lap-Band weight-loss surgery could lead to severe complications over the long haul, Belgian researchers said… The surgery works by placing a silicone band around the top portion of the stomach to restrict food intake. It has become an increasingly popular option in the battle against obesity, but some experts have worried about its safety. The Belgian team found that as many as half their patients, followed for at least 12 years, needed to have the band removed in that period. And in more than a quarter, the band had gnawed its way through the wall of the stomach.'"

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – An older kind of Lap-Band weight-loss surgery could lead to severe complications over the long haul, Belgian researchers said… The surgery works by placing a silicone band around the top portion of the stomach to restrict food intake. It has become an increasingly popular option in the battle against obesity, but some experts have worried about its safety. The Belgian team found that as many as half their patients, followed for at least 12 years, needed to have the band removed in that period. And in more than a quarter, the band had gnawed its way through the wall of the stomach.'"

This is what a nurse who works in bariatrics, has to say about this study:

"an old study with different bands inserted by a different technique. Only about half of the patients were in the follow-up group. It's likely that people with problems are more likely to return to the surgeon so that inflates the complication rate. Because it's so difficult to get FDA approval many devices are tested in other countries before people in the US get them. They good thing about this is many of the bugs are worked out by the time we see the product. But not always. There's a failure rate and a complication rate with EVERY surgery and EVERY medical device."

I always wondered that. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it

The advice I got was probably. The balloon will fail at some point, depending upon how you treat your band - ie. overtighness is not good for you OR your band, nor is constantly filling/unfilling. The more you can leave it alone, the longer it will last. Silicone is inert in the body and will last a long time, but its not likely you'll have a perfectly working band in 20 years.

I tried to find the report I read a couple weeks ago that said the failure rate is about 60% in the first 5 years but they also included bands taken out due to erosion, slippage and other problems so not sure what the percentage is for bands that just failed due to age.

My surgeon said he predicts roughly 10 years, give or take but that these weren't designed for a person's lifetime.

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While no one WANTS another surgery, I don't really understand the worry about how long the band will last.

Other prosthetics wear out or have problems and have to be revised or replaced.. hip joints, knees, pacemakers, shunts and no one seems to be overly upset about that fact. I don't expect my band to last forever, but I'm going to "ride it till the wheels fall off" while it's working for me.

I've already had three surgeries, think I might have a band leak (and if so, have a fourth surgery). I guess I'm not worried about having to have a replacement surgery years down the road. I do wish I had a frequent surgery card, though.