:help: Hi everyone, I am trying to decide which type of WLS I want, and the band had just about won me over, then I came here and I have been reading many, many posts. I keep seeing people that had the band removed because of corrosion, most seem like that happened within the first 2 years. Does anyone in here have statistics on removals due to complications? I am going to be self paying, and don't know if I can afford to have the band removed via another surgery if I have problems. Any statistics would be very helpful. Thanks!

Only you can make up your mind on which surgery to have. I have not regreted my surgery for one minute. If I lost my band today, I will have accomplished so much with it.

Just remember one thing when you read a lot of negative posts - This is a support board, and more people with problems seem to post more about the problems they are having. Think about all the people that are happy with their bands and don't come on a support board at all. Please don't just make a decision on what you read on a few boards. Do a lot of research on any surgery you decide on. The band was the only choice I would make, and I am very happy I did.

Good luck!

First, I think you mean Erosion, not CORRosion. "Corrosion" doesn't have any meaning in dicussions about the band. Erosion is the complication you see mentioned that requires band removal.

Erosion of body tissue is a potential complication of ANY implanted medical device. The statistics on it with the band are given by most sources as 1-3% overall. There's some thinking that as time goes on that number will increase, but even in Europe where the band has been in use much longer the percentage is not much higher.

Banding is so new that any statistics are still works-in-progress. For me, the chance of a second surgery is an acceptable risk to take. It hasn't happened but I know that it may someday. Ask YOUR doctor what his/her rate of removals or erosions is; that's a number that is going to mean much more to your decision than general statistics.

Welcome to LBT!!

Thanks Betty and Alex - I realized after I was done with the post my error on choice of words....silly me...good at making up words and complications! At any rate, thank you for your thoughts. I am just more confused than I have ever been in my life. I know I want some kind of WLS but I keep flip flopping back and forth between the band and the bypass RNY. I will be meeting with my Dr. soon and hopefully he can help me with my final decision. I am close to getting this all set up and the closer I get the more I contemplate and worry and get excited...just a bundle of mixed emotions on this. I guess quitting smoking 2 weeks ago might be attributing to my confusion and emotions. But if I can quit smoking after almost 25 years, I am sure I will figure this out too! Thanks again! :-)

Beth, my dr. tried to talk me into gastric bypass because the loss is quicker and thus more encouraging. Despite his recommendation, I chose the band because I feel bypass gives you an unhealthy loss (too quick) with the ensuing complications (malnutrition, etc.). I wanted a steady loss, a less invasive procedure, and I wanted to be able to use my stomach to digest my food and absorb Vitamins, rather than bypassing it.

Most band patients don't start steady loss until after a fill (or a few fills) so they can get discouraged -- that's what my dr was trying to get me to avoid (I would imagine he gets a fair number of whining about "when am I going to start losing already!"). But I'd rather wait for the losses to start and do it a bit more healthfully than have a dramatic loss that's not as healthy. So I chose the band.

If your dr recomments bypass, you may want to ask if the above reason is why.