Gastric Banding Gets Low Marks...

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/20919

Very interesting, thanks for posting this.

That is interesting, but I am 13 months out from surgery and 15 pounds BELOW my doctors goal weight so I have lost more than what that article claims. And I know of a lot of others on this board with the same fantastic results. I love my band and I went into it knowing it might have to be removed but I just had my yearly upper gi and everything is perfect and I have had absolutely no complications. I will not let myself dwell on these statistics anymore. If anything happens then it does and I will deal with it then. I will decide to either replace my band or revise.

Well said.

It is good to see articles such as these so that we are well informed but when viewing them one should also view the risks of staying obese. Before going into surgery each person needs to make an informed decision and weigh up the pros and cons of doing nothing or taking a chance and having surgery. And each type of surgery has it's own particular sets of risks. There are certain things that a person can do that can help to minimise the risks but obviously it is not possible to eradicate them completely.

Once the decision has been made then it is best to not dwell on things that may or may not happen .

Yes my band may slip or erode but so far it hasn't and me thinking about it constantly won't help. Fear of what might happen can be very paralyzing and the negative energy it produces quite self destructive. I prefer to be a glass half full person.

Oddly enough, I didn't post it for those of you having no issues. I did it so that...

1) Those of us having a laundry list of complications know that we're not insane.

2) People that are considering this surgery know more than the "rah, rah, rah" stories.

As with any surgery, there are complications...they should be more easily found than what they are. And what are the chances of success 5 years down the road, 10 years, 15 years??? Those who ARE having success need to know that once they reach goal and maintain for a couple years, they can't let their guard down. It's FOREVER and these numbers prove it.

I must have been extremely lucky. My Dr told me about the complications prior to surgery. He also gave me a booklet which spoke about them in greater detail. I thought his approach was the norm but obviously not.

Generally I find that if I want to know something Google delivers the goods. There are lots of articles on the net about complications so anyone that has the net has the ability to find as much information as they want.

Alex is also very good in posting all the articles that appear in the press about the band, both good and bad.

Thanks for helping.

I agree. It's very important to be well-informed. As a person who used to review medical publications for a living (for 10 years in a law firm looking at products that "failed") I am pretty well versed in how to read studies.

No single study is conclusive. One has to look at a battery of studies over a period of time and there are many elements to consider. Here is an excerpt (I didn't write this excerpt) that discusses some of the limitations from this study. I am NOT saying that the lapband does not have issues ---or even claiming that in the long-term it's going to be a failure OR a success. I'm simply suggesting that as lay people reading medical studies we don't completely understand all the elements in the study and how they relate to an entire body of research.

keep reading! keep being informed and aware! Keep asking questions and keeping an eye out for issues--Absolutely! AND don't panic when one or two studies come out---because it takes a lot of studies to show a significant trend in the literature.

Here's what was written about the study reported above:

Study limitations to consider included surgeon experience, surgical techniques, gastric band specifications, follow-up care, and patients involved in the findings. Specifically:

• The patients were some of the first LAGB patients to be treated anywhere in the world, thus surgeon experience was not at the level seen today.
  The gastric bands used in the 1990′s are not the same ones used today; the newest generation of gastric bands are much improved over earlier versions.
• Surgical techniques have advanced significantly since the 1990′s.
• Follow-up care has changed dramatically since the 1990′s.
• The study evaluated LAGB patients from only one location, rather than multiple centers.
• The study sample was small, the study conclusions did not include the outcomes of all the patients contacted, only the outcomes of the patients who responded.

This study may identify some of the long-term outcomes to consider, but many other studies have shown Lap-Band surgery to be a safe and effective surgical treatment for obesity. Individuals who are interested in lap band surgery should not let this study discourage them from seeking treatment, rather they should discuss the benefits and risks of all the options with their doctor. Then decide if lap band surgery is right based on the current level of surgical care and gastric band specifications as well as personal health conditions.

I am really happy to see your posting. My surgery is on the 15th and I am very nervous and scared after reading these post. I went into it ok but my family starting scaring me and I started 2nd guessing my self. But seeing your post brought me back to my original thought of I need to make a change and the band is what is going to help me.

Well said.

It is good to see articles such as these so that we are well informed but when viewing them one should also view the risks of staying obese. Before going into surgery each person needs to make an informed decision and weigh up the pros and cons of doing nothing or taking a chance and having surgery. And each type of surgery has it's own particular sets of risks. There are certain things that a person can do that can help to minimise the risks but obviously it is not possible to eradicate them completely.

Once the decision has been made then it is best to not dwell on things that may or may not happen .

Yes my band may slip or erode but so far it hasn't and me thinking about it constantly won't help. Fear of what might happen can be very paralyzing and the negative energy it produces quite self destructive. I prefer to be a glass half full person.

Thanks for the article. I'm 30. Had band put in 2 and a half years ago. Have had 2 prolapses. Had a baby, and then refilled and having pain, heartburn. My Band isnt right. Very compliant. Regretting my choice to get the band. I was self pay and now i'm not working, have a baby and my spouse just got layed off. No insurance, cant afford to pay 250 for each fill/unfill/checkup. My tech has seen it over and over and over and over again. Once you have a prolapse, and especially a second, it will just keep on happening. Have had gallbladder attacks, so painful, made childbirth seem fun. My dr's office doesnt seem to care now that they got my dough and I'm out of contract and out of money. ;(