Could this be considered a band bully

[CarmenLeAn 99]

Hi everyone.

I have another group on Facebook that is a Bariatric Friendly page. It's memebers vary with by-pass, sleeve, DS & band. The group is very supportive of one another no matter which surgery you have had.

This gentleman was banded a year ago and has only lost 65lbs (which I think is great). He is greatly discouraged by his slow weight loss and was asking for some support and advice on how to kick start his losing again. People were offering suggestions. I told him he was doing great and what was working for me. Also suggested he contact his nut & doc to see if they could help.

Anyway this other guy ( I think is sleeved) had the nerve to tell Daniel that he was sorry, but he had the least effective tool and that most doctors have quit doing the band because of this low success rate. Then proceeds to tell him that congress is looking into the band because of it's complications.

This really ticked me off, but I didn't say anything because it's not my place too. I did contact the admin. Am I being to sensitive or is this guy out of line? By the way, my doc only does bands. Thanks for listening

[tmposton 49]

I think you were not out of line at all. My thinking is that people think their method is the best. Territorial I suppose. Yes, we lose weight at a slower pace but we keep it off better. At least that's what I'm told. The slower the loss the longer the results. This, I'm sure, does apply with all of us with the tools as well as those who don't. No matter which route we decided to go or which one our physicians recommended, we are all in this together and should be supporting the weight loss journeys - NOT the tools!

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

I don't usually come to the band forums but I clicked the link on the right to see what the topic was about. I'm saying that because I don't want to come across as trolling for an argument.

At least two of the things the poster said are true -- of bypass, sleeve and band, the band has the lowest expected weight loss and therefore, is considered the least effective. And, many doctors are not doing the band any more because of the complications and the lower effectiveness (the doctors at my hospital which is a center of excellence don't). Even on the Realize Band website, the stats show a bander loses about 41% of excess weight loss where bypass and sleeve patients are over 60%. I haven't heard anything about Congress investigating the band's safety.

Having said all of that (which are facts, not my opinion) I don't think what the poster did was right or appropriate. If someone's trying to make a decision of which surgery to have, it's appropriate to quote facts or give your personal opinion if asked. But in a support group setting for patients who are post op, telling them they made the wrong choice isn't supportive and not helpful.

I think you did the right thing contacting the admin and in the support you gave Daniel. You're the kind of person I would want to have in a support group meeting no matter what tool you have.

[2muchfun 8,927]

There's a lot of that even on this forum. But, Alex put the kibosh on the nay sayers about 6 months ago so the dissing has quieted down a lot here. Here, it's mostly banders who didn't find success with the band for some reason and have had their band removed and/or revised to sleeve/bypass.

There are so many reasons for band failure and the % is up around 10% so there are a number of band haters out there. Not all hate the band now of course.

But, there are also a lot of surgeons who no longer offer the band for their own selfish reasons. One is, aftercare. Some docs don't want to hassle with patients for years after surgery providing guidance, fills and follow-up. They just want to make money off the surgery and move on. They tell their patients they don't offer the band any longer and make up horrible stories. Some of these docs just are not good with people and that's why they became surgeons. jmo

And Ginger Snaps is right. The band on average, is not as effective as the other WLS techniques. It doesn't mean that all other WLS techniques work better all the time.

[gowalking 10,790]

The band has worked phenomenally well for me...so much so that I feel I should put in a disclaimer in case anyone else thinks they will lose as much or as quickly as I did. I still don't know why I've been so successful...it certainly wasn't anything more than so many others do. But there it is....

Even so, I'd never try to scare someone out of making their own personal decision. And I'd hope that no one would make a decision based on what they read on this forum. It should be just simply what it is....advice and personal experience.

[Bandista 7,466]

When will people get it that it's not about which surgery we had but about listening to the body?

[NolansNana 210]

Exactly! I congratulate everyone, despite what surgery they choose. Its about doing what's right for you. Everyone is different!

[2muchfun 8,927]

If not for the band, there are many people who would not even have WLS. I know I felt that way. And, I'm sure some feel the same about their own WLS technique. But most of we banders aren't ready to have parts of our body removed or cut up and reassembled and that's a huge reason we went with the band.

[CarmenLeAn 99]

You are right 2muchfun. That's the whole reason I had the band. The other WLS surgeries scared me to death. This was the right choice for me.

[SandyM 1,956]

Exactly. We all have our own reasons that apparently are working. Who gives anybody the right to say what's best for someone else?

[B-52 7,113]

I could have not asked for better results from the band....don't know how I would have dome with other procedures, but what does it matter....

I asked my Dr. once why all the discussion concerning the band versus other procedures, popularity, success rates, etc....

He even asked me why I did not go for the sleeve....said it would have been easier. (?)

He said he generally recommends other procedures over the band, and that he does not get as good results with the band as compared to others....reason is not because of the band, but because of the patients....patients have too much control with the band, It is adjustable, and the patient can choose how the band is adjusted to their comfort levels...

If a patient feels they are too tight, then he is obligated to remove some Fluid, when in reality the band was not too tight but that the patient wanted to continue eating the way they wanted to.

The opposite is true also....

Too much leeway, and hard to get everything, the band, the patient, and the diet (eating habits, foods) all in synch.

The PA there, whom I get along with very well, is always telling me stories about band patients coming in to get Fluid taken out due to upcoming weddings, holidays, or the simple fact they want to be able to eat their favorite Desserts again....

All she can do is roll her eyes...people just don't get it...she thought they wanted to loose weight. Guess not.

Whereas other procedures, it is what it is....no adjusting, other than the patient....learn to live with it or not.

Edited August 2, 2014 by B-52