Can anyone tell me if they know anything about band replacement. My surgery date is set for march 6th and I've been scared the past few days cause I have found research that claims the band will need to be taken out and replaced at least every 10 years if not more.......makes me not want to do the surgery if that's the case

did you discuss this (research) with your doctor?

nothing is guaranteed in life..but i accept this..i expect my band to be with me forever...wasting time worrying about something that may or may not happen is just silly..embrace this tool and think of how much healthier you are about to be this year.

things do happen...complications arise...that is what life does..so you can either take the risk or put it off and get bigger....i chose to take the risk and am down 101 pounds....

Can you post the link to this "research"? There are some disparaging studies around that only use patients/cases from the mid 90's when the band was first introduced. Many revisions to the band have taken place over the last decade. I've also done much research and I've never seen any studies that suggested the band is only good for 10 years?

But, if it is only good for 10 years or even less, I'm good with that. Better to be healthy for 10 years than die in less than that time.

tmf

I hope that what I'm finding is bogus. I have wanted this surgery for 10 years and I'm only a week away. I need to lose 200 pounds and my surgeon thinks I will be a good candidate for success. Here's a link to one of the websites http://m.voices.yahoo.com/why-not-adjustable-gastric-band-6696774.html

Cassandra James is not a health care professional and knows nothing about the lap band. She's one of those typical naysayers who will call you lazy(it's in her article) for using surgery to lose weight. I'm glad you posted this because this is an illustration of the ignorance of people who know nothing about the struggles the obese must suffer.

Virtually nothing in this articlel is true. Do you think for one second that surgeons would use this technique if 60% of the patients would fail. The malpractice insurance to cover so many claims would be overwhelming.

tmf

let me add, to be a success, a person has to help the band. if you do this, you stand a great chance of losing. if not, you wont.

"If you have a choice of losing weight with diet and exercise (which most people do, if they're honest with themselves), or having a lap band fitted, think carefully, and choose the diet and exercise program before the 'quick fix' of an adjustable gastric band." Cassandra James

So now we're also dishonest?

"The Lap Band is the 'Lazy' Way To Lose Weight - Although most gastric band users say they've "tried everything" to lose weight, they really haven't. It's extremely rare for a person not to be able to lose weight with diet and exercise but, in today's 'quick fix' society, many would rather do what they think is the 'quick fix' of lap band surgery without realizing it's a life-changing surgery and often not for good reasons. Stop thinking about easy ways to get thinner, stop eating as much and start exercising. Almost everyone can do it. You can too." Cassandra James

And Lazy?

"If you have a choice of losing weight with diet and exercise (which most people do, if they're honest with themselves), or having a lap band fitted, think carefully, and choose the diet and exercise program before the 'quick fix' of an adjustable gastric band." Cassandra James

So now we're also dishonest?

"The Lap Band is the 'Lazy' Way To Lose Weight - Although most gastric band users say they've "tried everything" to lose weight, they really haven't. It's extremely rare for a person not to be able to lose weight with diet and exercise but, in today's 'quick fix' society, many would rather do what they think is the 'quick fix' of lap band surgery without realizing it's a life-changing surgery and often not for good reasons. Stop thinking about easy ways to get thinner, stop eating as much and start exercising. Almost everyone can do it. You can too." Cassandra James

And Lazy?

what a complete crock of crap....reading that was...

Della, thanks so much for posting today. It's always good to squash these myths and rumors as soon as possible. You have made a great decision to make yourself healthy for the rest of your life and you are not lazy and you are not ignorant. Your research prior to this dishonest article should show that the band is not only safe but effective. Does it work for everyone, no it doesn't.

"Pay attention to your dreams and not your fears"

"A lie can travel half way around the earth before truth puts it's boots on". Mark Twain

I spent 40 years of my life pre-Band trying all those magic ways as applied to *my* life.

As a result I was morbidly obese and suffering a handful of complications INCLUDING literally going blind.

And now celebrating in my 9th year postOp, I can certify the Band is NOT "easy" or for the lazy indifferent couch potato.

I'm sure without the Band by now I'd be dead or worse.

Although I have gained a few pounds this last year, my at 8 years postOp my weight was less than when when graduating high school in the JFK era.

Disagree with the conclusion of Ms. James.

As stated above me, unfortunately what you linked to isn't a study, it's nothing more than a poorly written blog stuffed full of complete myths and complete crap (sorry for the vulgarity but it's true).

If you would like to read an actual study, here is one:

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The study, the longest and most comprehensive yet reported, appears in the Annals of Surgery, and finds a significant number of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (lap banding) patients maintained an average weight loss of 26 kilograms for more than a decade after their procedure.

Researchers analyzed the results in 3,227 patients who had gastric banding surgery in Australia between 1994, when the procedure was first introduced, and 2011. The patients in the study were averaged at 47 years-of-age and 78 percent were women.

Of those patients, 714 had surgery at least 10 years ago and, on average, had maintained a weight loss of 26 kilograms, or almost half of their excess weight.

The weight loss results were similar for the 54 patients in the study who had undergone treatment at least 15 years ago.

“These results show that when you have a significant problem with obesity, a long-term solution is available,” says Professor Paul O’Brien of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University in Melbourne.

“This surgery is safe and effective, and it has lasting benefits. Substantial weight loss can change the lives of people who are obese—they can be healthier and live longer.”

O’Brien says there are also important ramifications for the control of type 2 diabetes, which was strongly associated with being overweight.

“In obese patients with type 2 diabetes, weight loss after gastric banding can lead to effective control of blood sugar levels without the need for medication in about three-quarters of cases,” O’Brien says.

The patients included in the study had followed the rules of their treating team regarding eating, exercise, and activity and committed to returning permanently to the aftercare program.

All the surgery was performed by O’Brien, an international pioneer of the technique, and Associate Professor Wendy Brown, President of the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand.

There were no deaths associated with the surgery or with any later operations that were needed in about half of the patients. About one in 20 patients had the band removed during the study period.

“In treating a chronic disease such as obesity over a lifetime, it is likely that something will need to be corrected at some time in some patients,” says O’Brien.

“The study shows a marked reduction of revisional procedures with the introduction of the new version of the Lap-Band 6 years ago. Importantly, those who had revisional surgery lost as much weight in the long term as those who did not need it.”

The report also included a comparison of gastric banding—which can be done as a day-surgery procedure—and more invasive types of weight-loss surgery such as gastric bypass that are high risk and require longer hospital stay. The weight loss with gastric banding, and the need for future revisional surgery, was similar to that with gastric bypass.

“Access to weight-loss surgery in Australia remains severely limited for many obese patients as relatively few cases are treated within the public health system. We are working hard to improve access,” says O’Brien.

“We have ample evidence that weight-loss surgery is effective, and it is unfair that half of eligible patients cannot be treated, particularly as it has been shown that gastric banding is a highly cost-effective health care measure. The stigma of obesity, and the assumption that it is the person’s fault, entrenches discrimination against people who could benefit.”

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original article: http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/weight-stays-off-long-after-lap-band-surgery/

Here's the major article that had me stressed, but I'm going to keep pushing forward and do what I know I need to do to not die young

http://center4research.org/child-teen-health/diet-weight-and-physical-activity/not-quite-everything-you-need-to-know-about-lap-bands/

I absolutely love these people who say its a quick or easy fix. There fos! It's by far easy and is still a daily battle. It was quick for me but for many it's not and who gives crap if its quick? Sure still not easy. Who says it has to be lost slow? As long as we're healthier it's none of their freaking business. Sorry that's my rant. Just a sore subject. I've had a close friend comment and say its "the easy way out". Funny thing is the friend that said that is heavier than ever. Guess the hard way doesn't always work. Hmmmm.

Here's the major article that had me stressed, but I'm going to keep pushing forward and do what I know I need to do to not die young

http://center4resear...bout-lap-bands/

You have to remember, whether or not you gain the weight back is entirely up to you. Losing weight is simple math- if you burn more calories than you consume you lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Sure a people will gain weight back and that is 100% their own fault, not the fault of the band. The band is a tool, not a magic cure for fat. When people stop doing what they know they need to do to maintain their weight loss then you can't blame the band for their mistakes.

Oh and btw, the study I posted way overrides any data they state on this link you posted. The one you posted is from 2011 and doesn't cover much data, patients, or years. The one I posted was just released in 2013 and actually covers 10 years of data on over 3000 patients.

I have found nothing about the band easy for one and working in med surg I have only seen 1 or 2 patients in 10 years have their bands removed not because of complications but because they failed the band and did not lose weight. As a matter of fact we have never had a band erosion nor a band slip removed. I work for a large hospital system consisting of 4 hospitals and 16 clinics and we specialize in weight loss surgery. So I would have to say that those people don't have a real clue. I really would ask your doctor how many bands he has removed because of it needing to be changed after 10 years. I would think he would say less then 1% because that is the real number of bands being removed.

I am SO ANGRY about this article on Yahoo. First, what right does this woman have to write this? She is not a doctor, or based on anything I read, in the healthcare field. Second, lazy? I get so enraged when people say this. I have worked MORE since the band.....be it changing what and how much I eat and exercising....since I got the band than I EVER did before. I get so damn sick of hearing people make comments like, "I lost weight the hard way, without surgery." Yeah? Good for you. I am losing weight WITH surgery and it is STILL hard!

Not to mention basically everything that woman said in her article was inaccurate. I am almost 7 months post op. I have NO FOODS that are off limits. There are foods I have MADE off limits by choice because they are not smart foods, but PHYSICALLY I could eat anything I wanted to. Pretty sure my doc has NO plans to replace my band in a couple of years.....WHICH by the way, would go against one of her other points of the band NEVER EVER EVER being able to come out, right?!?!?!?!

OMG I am sorry but I am just seething with anger right now. People like her and articles like that keep people from seeking help for weight loss!! People, who might qualify for and benefit from lap band, might read garbage like that and NOT seek help and end up dying from their weight. It makes me sad and it makes me angry!