would you consider taking the band out? I have mixed feeling on the subject but I am new to being banded.

Ha - I'm not thinking I will ever reach my weight goal but I am leaning toward keeping it in unless I have problems because the band has made me realize and confront all of the behaviors etc that made me fat. While I've made great strides in dealing with these behaviors I do not trust I am 'cured' - without I could easily fall back into old habits.

I have given this question a lot of thought. I do like that it is reversible but I don't think I want to be without it. I don't ever want to go back to where I was!! A lot of people asked me initally if it would be removed when I got to my goal and I asked my surgeon about it and he said that he could remove it if that's what I want but he encourages people to remove all the liquid from it first and see how that goes. If you remove it, you don't have to worry about slippages or erosion but if you keep it, it will be there if you need it. I'm interested to see what others feel.

im newly banded, but i voted mixed feelings too. when im an old woman, i wont care so much maybe. I would like to keep it as long as possible.

Never, never, never, barring ang unforseen medical situation.

As explained by my Physician, its a lifetime program.

I am two years post op, totally at and beyond my 3 times adjusted goal, and cannot even think about taking it out. To me that would just be insanity. Thats why I got it in the first place, to help me do what I could not by myself.

2 years post op, 210 pounds lost!

430 to 220! Starting BMI of 54, 24 now.

Life is good, good, good!

Why would I want to give up the one thing that has given me this new life?!? It is meant to stay in for life as a lifelong tool. Only complication would make me want it out.

The only reason I would say maybe---mixed feelings, is that they continue to improve upon what they have now. The new band for instance is adjusted by remote...no port, no tubes...no needles. I might say remove mine once I reach goal---if another option was available that my Dr. and I decide together would be ideal for lifetime control. You know maybe that magic pill we all dream about!!!!

Kat

They would have to fight me to get my band.

IF, for some reason, I wanted my band gone when I hit goal - well, I can't even suppose, because it would never happen. So let me say it this way:

If I for some reason didn't want restriction anymore, I would see about getting an unfill. I would definitely want the peace of mind that would come with knowing my band was there, and could be filled back up if I needed it. There's nothing about my band that bothers me enough to give up the peace of mind it brings, or to be worth another elective surgery.

See, I've been at my goal before, I could just never stay there. While on one hand I KNOW I would never let myself get up to almost 400 lbs again, I also don't fully trust myself to keep all of the weight off, and I simply would not accept something in between.

The new band for instance is adjusted by remote...no port, no tubes...no needles.

I've read about that and it makes me a little uneasy. I can imagine sitting there, drinking some tea... my husband gets home from work, hits the remote to raise his garage door, and all of a sudden I'm restricted...

I put "Never", but I agree with what Kat said... I don't even intend to have it removed, but whether I'm at goal or not, if the technology grows to where it would be better to have a newer model, I would probably upgrade. I really really like the idea of the remote control band!

I have never heard of the remote control band!!!!!!!

wheets you tooo FUNNY!!!

No, unless it was to replace it with an unpdated model. I expect it to be with me for life, and if something went wrong, I woudl replace it.

I'm not averse to reducing fill till I reach a point of maintenance though. Which I seem to be at 5kg from goal, lol.

For me, the WHOLE point of getting the band is that it will be there after I hit goal to help with Maintenance.

I know it will take me LOTS longer to form good habits than to re-learn the bad ones, so I am clinging to my Band like a life vest in the ocean!

Yes, I agree with that. I think of it more as a maintenance tool since every spurt of weight loss so far has been due to me knuckling down and doing what I always had to do to lose weight. The band stops me putting it back on when I stop dieting. Which I always do. But after a months' breather I can get going again, lose a few more kgs. This has been my pattern all the way, diet hard, lose weight, stop and maintain for a while.

I truly dont think the band has "made" me lose weight. I've never gotten good enough restriction for weight loss to happen automatically.

But I never gain anymore.

Remote Control Easyband:

http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=14680

Remote Control Easyband:

http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=14680

I want to know how it reacts if, God forbid, you ever need diphibulation.

That certainly will introduce a lot of voltage into the body, I would think best case it would burn the system out causing the need for a replacement (should you survive the heart issue). Worse, what if it causes the band to contract dramatically and then burn out... OUCH!

hmm... Saline sounds good for now.