http://www.soard.org/article/S1550-7289(13)00338-9/abstract

yeah not sure why this link doesn't want to work tried to fix it multiple times so I decided to copy/paste the abstract, you can just search the site and find the same.

Abstract Background

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) is widely used for the treatment of morbid obesity. Many patients benefit from this procedure initially, but experience complications after a few years. The treatment for many complications is revisional bariatric surgery. A number of patients, however, request only band removal without secondary bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the perioperative and medium term outcomes of patients who had their LAGB removed without secondary bariatric surgery.

Methods

Patients were retrospectively selected using a prospectively collected database. The LAGB had to be in situ for at least 1 year, and minimum postoperative follow-up had to be 12 months.

Results

Thirty-eight patients who had their LAGB laparoscopically removed between 2000 and 2010 were included. Median follow-up after LAGB removal was 3.0 (1.4 to 8.9) years. Only 2 complications (5%) and no mortality occurred perioperatively. In the 21 patients who did not undergo additional bariatric surgery, the median excess weight loss (EWL) decreased from 41% (–12% to –100%) at band removal to 9% (–10% to 90%), 0% (–20% to 78%), and –11% (–12% to 56%) after 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Percentage weight loss (%WL) was 17% (–54% to –5%), 4% (–47% to –9%), 0% (–41% to 11%), and –5% (–29% to 9%) after these same time intervals, respectively.

After a median 2.1 (.5 to 9.9) years, 17 patients underwent either a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (14 patients) or a Scopinaro (3 patients) all because of weight regain. The current EWL and %WL in these patients is 67% (24% to 113%) and 30% (12% to 53%), respectively compared with –11% (–33% to 57%) and –4% (–14% to 34%) in patients without a secondary bariatric procedure (P< .001).

Conclusion

Patients who have their LAGB removed are guaranteed to suffer from weight regain. It is inadvisable to only remove the LAGB without performing an additional bariatric procedure when deemed technically feasible and safe. In this study, no patient was able to maintain the weight loss achieved with the LAGB after its removal.

I haven't removed my band just found this interesting because I have LB friends that have opted NOT to revise after removal and Yep, I guess what they say is true your going to regain ;( Hoping that day never comes but dang it happens.

Edited January 27, 201412 yr by JACKIEO85

The link does not connect.

why are you having your lapband removed?

My doctor told me the same thing.......most all people gain when the band is removed. I hope that is a decision I never have to make.

Gaining weight after band removal is not a necessity. If you stop dieting and lose portion control of course you are going to gain the weight back. Some people still have restriction once the band is removed because of the scar tissue. I do not believe that band failure is as common as most think. Of course there will always be a complication to any weight loss surgeries but most patients who have their bands removed is because they did not comply with their program their doctor put in place for them.

It depends. I was blessed to have been able to have mine removed. My quality of life improved dramatically and no more weight gain then I would have had with the band. But I can eat more healthy foods now.

As someone who a) followed all the "rules" and still suffer with the permanent damage to my stomach, esophagus and heart, hearing people who have had no complications and still have their band responding to this post with statements that blame the patient is frustrating.

Most people don't understand the bio mechanics of how the band can affect our digestive system or even how the band works to quiet appetite. This is true, even among non-bariatric medical professionals...I know, because my own providers have been nearly as frustrated as I in determining if my symptoms were band caused or not. When common sense was applied to the equation, a very qualified doctor asked me if I had any problems swallowing before banding. I answered that I had not...he shrugged his shoulders and said, let's get it out! 90% of my GI symptoms have resolved. I am dealing with cardiac problems that are due to the achalasia I developed while banded.

My cardiologist and electrophysiologist are in agreement that it's pointless to do catheterization/ablation when the arrhythmia is caused by something outside the heart.

The anxiety and stress the band and complications have caused is enormous.

Also, good surgeons will remove as much scar tissue as possible. The only post band "restriction" I have is when food is stuck in my esophagus due to achalasia.

Here's the link:

http://bit.ly/1hRAoMM

.

Edited March 22, 201412 yr by Band2Sleever

Well, that's depressing...

I think it's misleading, bordering on threatening, to declare people are "guaranteed" to regain their weight.

I hope studies/articles like that will not deter people from having their band removed when it may be medically necessary or scare them into more weightloss surgery before they may be ready.

I believe it's possible to continue to lose weight after lapband removal (and with no further surgery) despite the numbers listed in the article.

One can learn an awful lot before, during, and after being banded that will assist dramatically in continued weightloss if the band needs to be removed.

It's good to get documented info and read different studies while researching, but no one can guarantee anything --- you may lose weight after being banded, you may not. Not everyone does.

You may gain weight with band removal, you may not. Not everyone does.

I take responsibility for my health and do what is best for me, using my own intelligence and common sense to act accordingly.

I guess the "guarantee" of weight gain really struck a nerve here!

and Im not intending this to be a negative comment toward the person who posted the info....just what the info, itself, said!

~hiddn

I agree. This is just one research study on 38 people who had their band removed. I can't find the profile for @@JACKIEO85 so can't ask if her surgeon gave her other examples of research,

When my surgeon took my band out he explained that in his experience EVERY person whose band he'd taken out for serious complications regained a large amount of weight. I asked him if people would regain a bit, then stop, and he said "no" not that he'd seen. I also asked if he saw people regain even more weight than before they started with the band, and he said he'd never seen that happen... but this was because people had converted to sleeve or bypass before they git that far.

When I had the band removed (2nd operation to sort it out, both unwanted!) I tried to be the ONE patient who would beat the odds. For TWO years I tried so hard to follow the exact same lifestyle. I really did not want a third surgery,so was willing to do everything hat I could to prevent this. I exercised 3 times a week at the gym and kept on running at the weekends running. And I watched my diet like a hawk, tracking everything and telling myself that I had to keep to small portions... that it would SAVE me from another surgery (and I would much prefer this).

Given that I had 10years of experience with the band, how hard would it be to just carry on eating the same way? Just carry on doing EXACTLY the same, it should be straightforward, right??? However, I truly struggled with portion sizes, soon they were back up to what I would call a normal adult plateful (meat/veg/rice) which was triple the amount that I used to eat with the band in place. When I had the band I became completely used to having small child-sized portions at home or eating out. I didn't feel deprived and I used to just take far smaller servings than other adults (padding my plate out with some lettuce so it wasn't noticeable and eating of the children's menu in restaurants).

What I found the strangest was that after I had the band removed my taste for CARBS and the devil's food (SUGAR) came back. Gradually at first, and then with a vengeance. What started as a one-off slice of toast and marmalade (which I never ate when I had the band in!), turned into 4 rounds of toast and marmelade most days for Breakfast, or alternatively two pain au chocolats. My lunch with the band in used to be a tuna salad ONLY, but somehow that turned into a tuna baguette, and a packet of crisps (USA: potato chips) too ... . I almost never ate Pasta with the band in, but afterwards I suddenly for the taste for it again. I'm sure you get the picture by now.

So, I end up here. Feeling like a failure because I have failed to follow the same eating habits without the band as I did with the band. I am almost in mourning for my banded-days... the control that I had... the sense of freedom from food.

So, regardless of if the research says 100% of people regain, or 10%, this is the position I find myself in.

It is definitely worth trying to get on with life without further survey after band removak. But having tried this for TWO years I have come to the decision to have a gastric sleeve.