Hi Everyone,

I'd like to hear from people who've had the Lapband for over 5 years - the longer the better.

what are the chances of going through with life with this procedure without any complications? I feel that slips, leaks, port porblems are inevitable, and I worry about all the things that could go wrong over so many (hopefully!) years ahead of me.

Do we keep this band forever? Or is it safer to take it out in 10 years or so, when your fat cells have stabilized?

Sometimes I worry and think perhaps I could have worked harder on getting my own bmi down from 37 to 32 and worked on staying that way - would have been safer than getting this surgery.... i read that there's no definitive link between bmi of 30-35 and health problems...

Fat cells never stabilise. They always have the potential to expand and multiply.

Yes something may go wrong but most of the complications of the band are minor and easy to fix. If your band slips you either get it unfilled so it can settle back into place or they can operate to remove or replace it, no big deal. Port problems are probably more common early on but if at some stage it needs to be replaced again no big deal.

The plan is to keep the band forever. If something goes wrong then it can be fixed or the band can be removed and some form of revision done. And who knows what they will come up with in 10 or 20 years time - they may have even invented the perfect weight loss pill by then or chocolate that doesn't make you gain weight or maybe we will be like astronauts and live on food pills and special liquids. The thing is at least there are options.

If you had had a hip replacement would you still be worrying because it does not last forever and chances are you will need another op in 10 or 20 years time. Or what if they replaced a faulty heart valve - would you think you shouldn't have done that because it may need to be replaced again in the future. Very few things last forever, especially body parts.

I would say you should stop stressing, relax and if at some stage you need another op deal with it then. No point in wasting time and energy on worrying.

And why would you want to settle on a BMI of 32? That is still obese.

"Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have worried twice."

I love that quote.

Of course it's in the back of our minds that something could go wrong, but I refuse to let the worry eat at me. If I had not been banded, would I live a sad and depressed morbidly obese life for 10 years? Would I have died in those 10 years from obesity related conditions?

All I can do right now is be thankful the band worked for me and enjoy each day as I live it.

( I'm not even close to the 5 year mark)

Yeah, I considered all what you're saying when I was making the decision, and decided to go for it, but I still worry... but I guess how I feel wasn't the main point of this thread, I just wanted to hear from people who've had the Band for longer, what's it like for them? Are there any studies on the percentages of slipages?

Has anyone had it removed without needing to? After you've kept the weight off do you unfill completely and see how you do without the band's support? Will the scars on the stomach ever disappear?

Who's the first bandster on the site?

I am curious as to their experiences...

P.S.

I like your quote Humming Bird - i will try and remind myself of this...

Nearly seven years for me with no major problems - my pouch has stretched out a very little bit which my doctor says is a fairly natural adaptation over time, but that if i respect my band it will serve me gor a long time to come. The scars do fade well but my port has always been visible.

I had my band unfilled for most of last year and it was hrd work maintaining my weight. I dont think i would become obese again (with work) but maintaining a bmi of 20 wouldnt be easy. I have no plans to unfill -but i dont need to be tight to maintain either. I run about an hour a day and thats key.

Personally, i wouldnt swap a bmi of 20 to settle for 32 or even 25, i love having gotten truly "thin"

Thank you! I really needed to see some cases where people haven't had any major problems in the long term