Dr Keshishian is a well respected bariatric surgeon who is well practiced in all types of WLS. In his own words :

Adjustable Gastric Banding

The adjustable gastric banding was approved and became widely used in the United States starting in 2002-2004. The early resulting data was acceptable in regards to the excess weight loss and the complications rate associated with it.

As more and more scientific data was published, it became clear adjustable gastric banding was not as benign or effective as initially thought. The associated weight loss was significantly less for the majority of patients. This information was even present in the literature provided to the patient by the manufacturer. Additional patients started developing Delay complications associated with the band, which includes esophageal dysmotility, a worsening of reflux, and continuous nausea and vomiting, in addition to inadequate weight loss.

In my opinion, the adjustable gastric banding procedures are inferior to the alternatives available. The specifics of different surgical outcomes are outlined on the poster available on our website. Adjustable gastric banding should be considered as a last resort, if at all, as a surgical procedure for treatment of morbid obesity and its associated comorbidities. Other complications that continue to plague adjustable gastric banding include slipped band, erosion, esophageal dilatation, and the required need for frequent adjustments.

The LAP-BAND AP® System

http://www.dssurgery.com/procedures/adjustable-gastric-banding.php?subnav=2

http://www.dssurgery.com/images/weight-loss-surgery-poster-large.jpg

Ivy is not defending her friend. It is pretty obvious that Ivy is just another one of her aliases.

If you want to believe I'm an "alias" that's your perogative but I don't actually know anyone here.

If you want to believe I'm an "alias" that's your perogative but I don't actually know anyone here.

Ok really? We're not quite that stupid.

There is no way you just join this forum and immediately run to only this thread.

I personally don't care if you're a friend, a sock puppet, or someone she knows online from somewhere else but please don't insult our intelligence. All it does it kill any smidgen credibility you may have had.

I have been a member here for a while but it's usually not worth the trouble to post. I keep getting messages from Alex, asking me to share my story but I have no interest in sharing something so personal with a group of people who will add insult to injury. I've read enough to know this. Good luck to you all. I hope your experiences are better than mine was.

When I first discovered I had a band complication, and posted about it, I got people coming and talking about similar things that had happened to them. To me, it would have been easy to then think "omg, this band is a disaster! It is a scam! Just look at all these people who are saying it didn't work!"

But I've been around a while now. There are LOTS of people for whom the band worked, and worked well, including me actually. It's not a scam, it is a procedure that has risks and the possibility of not working and the chance of you not losing the weight that you thought you would lose, but it doesn't make it ineffective or dangerous to the EVERYONE, as you seem to insinuate Ivy.

I read you saying tings like 'oh you'll find out I'm right' and I think hold the phone, Josephine, what about my success? What about my lack of complications until the leak? What about me? My experience is obviously better than yours, and I don't even know what yours is!

I have a friend who got the lapband on my recommendation and has lost a grand total of 20lbs, because she happily eats around the band. I have another who lost 100% of her excess body weight and kept it off for a year. I have one who had to have an emergency removal due to erosion due to nothing she herself did and suffered greatly. None of them blame the band. We all react differently and will behave differently with the band. But we're adults - we traded off the risks for the chance at losing the weight. For some, they don't lose, for others, they lose at the expense of developing other health issues, and yet for others, they lose and live happily ever after (and despite what anyone might have read in this complications forum, MANY people like that exist). You won't know which one you'll be until you have the surgery, whatever surgery that is. Yes there are risks, yes we should talk about the risks, but scare-mongering isn't the most helpful way to help people who have complications, imo. I think support for each other should take better forms than that.

When I first discovered I had a band complication' date=' and posted about it, I got people coming and talking about similar things that had happened to them. To me, it would have been easy to then think "omg, this band is a disaster! It is a scam! Just look at all these people who are saying it didn't work!"

But I've been around a while now. There are LOTS of people for whom the band worked, and worked well, including me actually. It's not a scam, it is a procedure that has risks and the possibility of not working and the chance of you not losing the weight that you thought you would lose, but it doesn't make it ineffective or dangerous to the EVERYONE, as you seem to insinuate Ivy.

I read you saying tings like 'oh you'll find out I'm right' and I think hold the phone, Josephine, what about my success? What about my lack of complications until the leak? What about me? My experience is obviously better than yours, and I don't even know what yours is!

I have a friend who got the lapband on my recommendation and has lost a grand total of 20lbs, because she happily eats around the band. I have another who lost 100% of her excess body weight and kept it off for a year. I have one who had to have an emergency removal due to erosion due to nothing she herself did and suffered greatly. None of them blame the band. We all react differently and will behave differently with the band. But we're adults - we traded off the risks for the chance at losing the weight. For some, they don't lose, for others, they lose at the expense of developing other health issues, and yet for others, they lose and live happily ever after (and despite what anyone might have read in this complications forum, MANY people like that exist). You won't know which one you'll be until you have the surgery, whatever surgery that is. Yes there are risks, yes we should talk about the risks, but scare-mongering isn't the most helpful way to help people who have complications, imo. I think support for each other should take better forms than that.[/quote']

Well said!

Dr Keshishian is a bariatric surgeon who currently specializes in DS and VSG, but who formerly did all types of bariatric surgery. For those needing advice regarding revision options (those with major damage to stomach, esophagus, etc) he is the expert, patients and other surgeons rely upon for advice. In my original post, there were two links, relevant to those considering revision. It's really too bad that so many of you who responded in such a judgemental way, can't handle reading about serious complications without losing your collective mind! S**t happens, people need resources, I'm trying to help THEM. You don't need help? Fine...but don't stand in the way of those who do. It amazes me how the gang mentality rears its ugly head when there is mention that a Lapband might not be all its cracked up to be or, heaven forbid, actually CAUSE harm.

I got a horrific Dx yesterday. My esophagus showed NO activity at all on the manometry. Last month I was Dx with gastroparesis. I didn't have this problem 3 years ago. It's f'ing scary being me right now.

I really do understand why you feel so negative about the band; and your discomfort and pain are very real but as cognitive creatures we need to temper ourselves to remember our experiences are singular and no one person's experience (positive or negative) is representative of a universal experience that will be shared by all of our fellow members of humanity.

Frederic, you have quite a way with words . I don't care if someone reads my posts and disagrees or thinks they're negative re bands, that's fine. It's the atmosphere of hostility on this site that is appalling to me. We're adults. We should be able to read posts that we may not agree with (read the entire post, links, etc) and not lose our minds about it, not become rude or hostile or tell the OP they should have worded it differently or clarified which forum they posted.

I've been polite. I've tried to share knowledge and experience. I've been attacked, vilified and stalked. I've remained polite. I'm only posting negative band experience on the complications forum and truly being supportive of those who have bands, have chosen to get bands and will only advise against it when the OP is asking openly for help deciding between band and sleeve. So what's the problem? The way I see it, it's that minds have been poisoned against me and there's not much I can do about it. I've tried.

I've been Dx with a terrible disorder that my band has caused. For those who think banding wont involve re-routing of the digestive system, think again. I could lose my entire esophagus.

This Board or forum is for EDUCATION & INFORMATION, The good bad or ugly.

The #1 lap band board has numerous Forums, what I have trouble understanding is Why anyone feels the need to defend the Band? If it works for you Fabulous. If not then POST away!!!

We don't know as individuals what others are here looking to learn,or what they were or weren't told prior to surgery.

I personally don't care how long anyone has been here if you have information, personal or factual if it pertains to me I'll decide.

But personal attacks because of information posted is deplorable.

KARMA IS TRULY A WONDERFUL THING

This Board or forum is for EDUCATION & INFORMATION, The good bad or ugly.

The #1 lap band board has numerous Forums, what I have trouble understanding is Why anyone feels the need to defend the Band? If it works for you Fabulous. If not then POST away!!!

We don't know as individuals what others are here looking to learn,or what they were or weren't told prior to surgery.

I personally don't care how long anyone has been here if you have information, personal or factual if it pertains to me I'll decide.

But personal attacks because of information posted is deplorable.

KARMA IS TRULY A WONDERFUL THING

Wonderful post. Thank you. I love hearing the good, bad and ugly. It is the only way to learn everything. Being mean to others is awful, that is why we read the Enquirer.

So much passion and emotion on here. The truth of the matter is that all WLS is sad. Is sad that we would get to this point, to even have to think about it. (I understand there are a few with medical issues and could not hep their weight gain) but most of us was an addiction to food that developed from a bad relationship with food. My biggest wish right now is that ALL of us that have endured all this suffering invest as much energy into preventing this from happening to future generations. our children, and our children's children. (too late for my children) but I'm going to be a grandmother and I will be damn if that baby will be obese. I will do everything in my power to make sure that he has a healthy relationship with food from his birth. I'm 24 days post op, and its been an extremely difficult recovery because of nerve damage, one of the many risks of any surgery. My daughter is twenty-six years old and she had gastric bypass surgery ten years ago on her sixteenth birthday, a year ago she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which has been linked to vitamin deficiencies If God himself showed up and gave me the opportunity to change one thing in my life, I would change the way that I fed my children. (and I grew up in the system without any parents) And I would not change that given a chance. Please people lets prevent this from happening to future generations. enough is enough.

My parents fed me very healthily. We did not have a house full of junk food. We did not eat lots of Snacks. My Mum always cooked from scratch. We did not have soda except as an occasional treat. Probably the only thing "wrong" was that Dad made me finish everything on my plate , even things I hated such as peas.

The truth of the matter is that it does not take a lot to become overweight, then obese etc. We may have a vision of obese people stuffing themselves with candy and fries and for some that is probably true. But there are many people out there that got fat eating just a little bit more healthy food ( and some treats)than they needed and not moving enough.Plus I was always a bookworm, hated exercise since I was a child, and that also contributed to the problem.

Wonderful post. Thank you. I love hearing the good, bad and ugly. It is the only way to learn everything. Being mean to others is awful, that is why we read the Enquirer.

nice totally agree

I was born big and have always been guilty of cleaning my plate but my eating habits are vastly better than the average American. The whole reason my doctor recommended WLS is because any average person would have been losing (a lot) of weight if they watched what they ate and were as active as I was.

The truth is some of us are simply burdened with a physiology that is not equipped for modern living and evolution can't keep up.