I've been wanting the lap band VERY badly, and have spent a great deal of time reading up on it. However, it seems the more I read the more I am seeing about complications (ie. erosions, slipped bands, and other reasons that make people have to have it removed). It's starting to seem like these things might just be topping out around 2 years. Is this true, or am I just reading the wrong reports and posts? If I get the lap band is this really something I can expect to have for life, or should I expect problems to go along with it?

If Lap Band doesn't work long term, I guess I should throw in the towel. I would never consider an RNY.

Thanks in advance!

The long term average is still something like 0.5% chance of complications. I'm guessing most of your research comes from messageboards/internet. Remember that most of the resources out there are for people with problems who are looking for help, therefore the percentage of complications will seem exaggerated.

I am sure we all thought about this very same issue.

For ME, whether this is the answer that will take me to the grave or not, I just don't know.

But what I do know is that until something better comes along, this is the best long term solution for me.

Good luck with your decision. Good for you for thinking this through carefully.

My intentions are to keep it for life. When I get to a goal I'm happy with, I know if I take it off, I'll go back to old habits. That's why I yo-yo dieted. I have a problem! (Hi I'm Bill! )

Anyway, wheet is right, statistics show very few complications.. but the people who are on the internet talking about all the complications (in a folder ENTITLED 'complications'), may seem like more.. just because there they all are.. But for every one of them, is xxx amount of people without problems.. There are complications that you should be aware of, but I wouldn't bet my money that I'd get one based off of the statistics.

That being said, IF something should happen, I would likely get it 'fixed'.

Thank you all so much for replying! I was thinking (hoping, praying etc.) that I had just been only reading the bad stuff, and that there was much more good. I want this to work for me more than anything. I should know by now not to judge something soley on what I read on the internet. Even if it's medical reports (not just posts by a few people) you can find some really negative things here. Heck, according to what I found on the internet, both of my last two babies had a 0% chance of living (their heartrates were too low) and they were (and are) a-ok. I guess I'll just suck up the possibility that something could go wrong and think about all the things that could go right. Focusing on the fact that this could be the chance for me to live life like a "normal" person is all I need to make everything worthwhile.

Exactly!! I have a .5% chance of something going wrong with the band, and 100% chance of things going wrong without it (health problems). So.. it was a no-brainer!