What Would You Do If Something Happened To Your Band?

[spoiltmom 44]

This is something that has nagged at the back of my mind ever since I was banded. My band worked, I'm skinny now and don't have high blood pressure or GERD anymore. My self esteem is great and I love the way I look but wait, what if something happens to my band? For me I guess I would try the sleeve next.

Not to be a Debbie Downer but have any of you thought about this? What would you do?

[Cazzy 725]

I would thank the band for all the help it has given me and wave it goodbye.. I would hope i had learned enough about eating healthy food that i wouldnt need anything else done. my choices over food are not the responsibility of the band they are mine so why would i change that .. i might eat more i hope not but i wouldnt choose any different food because of it

would i get surgery again, I dont think so it took me 37 yrs to put on 250lb i havent got 37 years left to live lol

[spoiltmom 44]

It's funny you say that because with my band I'm actually not able to eat a whole lot of healthy foods like veggies or lean meats. I was a die hard Weight Watcher fan before my mind and I know everything about healthy foods but I have a huge appetite so diet alone wasnt working for me.

[DonnaMP 13]

I would wave it g'bye! Wouldn't get a new band. If I needed something, i'd go with sleeve...no more band

[Cocoabean 430]

I would revise to something else. If I could not keep a band, I'd work with my surgeon to choose what was best. But I know myself, and I know that I NEED surgical intervention to keep the weight off.

If my insurance would not pay for revision, then I will be right back to being obese, and will be looking to change insurance companies to one that will cover it. I am fortunate to have some choices.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

If I lost my band, the next step would be sleeve for me. I've always sort of thought of it as the natural progression. First diet alone- that failed, so I got banded. Should the band fail, next would be sleeve.

As Denise said, I too need some sort of surgical intervention.

[elcee 3,343]

I think I would probably revise to a sleeve.I would not want to be without something to help me keep the weight off. I know many people say that they have changed their eating habits enough to be able to keep the weight off and if they can manage this then I really admire them. For me getting a band had nothing to do with not knowing what I should/shouldn't be eating. I have always eaten healthy food and I eat the same food now. I have never really eaten eat deep fried food, very rarely go to a fast food joint, do not load my food with butter or cream or anything like that. For me the band has always been about controlling hunger. Without the band I know that my hunger would come back and that I would be unable to only eat the small quantities that i need to eat to be able to maintain my loss.

I know this because I am in the process of having my band slowly refilled after a problem about 2 months ago. I have no restriction and it is awful. I am constantly hungry. I eat what I should do and it "doesn't even touch sides"! I can finish a meal and still be hungry. I am hungry in-between as well and I hate it, I have not felt like this for almost 3 years.

I often wonder how many of those that have their bands removed and do not opt for a revision actually do manage to keep their weight off. I am sure there are very few if any, it is not something that they are likely to come back to LBT and report though is it!

[LauRN 2]

I was banded the end of January, was in the zone, had lost 30 lbs. I developed a leak and have been an entire miserable month without my band. I'm having it repaired tuesday. I have been starving and depressed, have binged, been anxious and gained some. I don't know how much but I FEEL HORRIBLE. I never want free reign again. I'm such an addict. The initial adjustment to banding was difficult but this is so much worse.

[hopetolose 192]

I have a question... If you revise to a sleeve and are at goal how does that affect more weight loss? Dont you tend to lose faster with a sleeve? This might be a question for Jean, as she is just about to revise.. And I think she was at goal unless she has gained a little while waiting...

I think I would revise. I would like to think I have changed, but I still rely on my band alot to keep me in check.

[Humming Bird 275]

Like others, I would still need some surgical intervention. I know I would gain back way too much weight without something. The band has made my life so much better. If something happened to my band I would first be devistated, beg for another band, and if that wasn't an option then maybe look to the sleeve.

For me it would not matter if insurance covered it or not because I was self-pay anyway.

[Jachut 487]

Statistically, virtually nobody keeps their weight off if they remove their bands.

Like you Spoiltmom, I know all about healthy food and like you, I eat less healthy food now I'm banded. It just doesnt appeal. My eating habits have probably gotten WORSE with the band, but I eat less.

ive been unfilled for months on end and I know that I can swap to eating more but healthier foods and not gain. Whilst I was unfilled, salads and apples and wholegrain bread all tasted great again. But I can only do it for so long, by the end of six months I was desperate for a fill and starting to lean towards treats like muffins and pizza and mcdonalds. I was beginning to gain.

Now, I've been forced to face this very issue. My band never felt the same after being unfilled and I've inadvertanly overfilled it, causing a pouch dilation (which is why I feel less restriction than I would expect) and lately, heartburn which is constant. I see my surgeon in a couple of weeks - I'm pretty sure I'm looking at another unfill - but no idea whether that will be a total unfill plus weeks of liquids (afterall, I might just be tighter right now because of the tummy tuck) or just a slight unfill, which will be no problem at all.

I would get another band no questions. My clinic doesnt do the sleeve, but if I stay with them I'm covered for any revision with no out of pocket costs. I've had over six years with this band and it was only the unfortunate cancer diagnosis which disrupted things for me. It has worked so well for me I wouldnt hesitate to repeat the procedure. I'm less afraid of a sleeve than i was, afterall I'm managing all right with half my guts missing as it is, really what's a bit of my stomach? But its just not an option with my surgeon and I'm not sure being so slim that I could convince someone else to do it. So this time around, definitely another band.

I would not fool myself for a minute that I could maintain this weight without something. I doubt I'd get as fat as I was, purely because of the amount of exercise I do, but I like being how I am now and dont want to change.

[1shauna1 129]

I would just leave it removed. I did know about eating healthy, etc. before hand; just got the band to help with my willpower. However, I probably don't have the finances to pay for another surgery, and its' just been way more difficult than I thought it would be. So, I would hope I would build on my current losses and keep going.

[spoiltmom 44]

I have a question... If you revise to a sleeve and are at goal how does that affect more weight loss? Dont you tend to lose faster with a sleeve? This might be a question for Jean, as she is just about to revise.. And I think she was at goal unless she has gained a little while waiting...

I think I would revise. I would like to think I have changed, but I still rely on my band alot to keep me in check.

I would think that revising to the sleeve would help you keep the weight off and without it you would just regain.

It's interested to see all the thoughts on this. I know I would need surgical intervention to stay where I am at.

[Cocoabean 430]

I have a question... If you revise to a sleeve and are at goal how does that affect more weight loss? Dont you tend to lose faster with a sleeve? This might be a question for Jean, as she is just about to revise.. And I think she was at goal unless she has gained a little while waiting...

I think I would revise. I would like to think I have changed, but I still rely on my band alot to keep me in check.

I would think that revising to the sleeve would help you keep the weight off and without it you would just regain.

It's interested to see all the thoughts on this. I know I would need surgical intervention to stay where I am at.

My thoughts would be the same, as the sleeve is restrictive only like a band. Of course it would depend on how many calories you can consume after the immediate post-op phase.