OK, as somebody who has been banded 6+ years, I have to say that at least 60% of the people I know who were Banded around the time I was Banded or soon after no longer have their Bands. I know that if I post something like this in the General forums... I get a lot of hands over eyes and mouth saying "no no no ... that can't be true..." because most newly Banded people do not want to hear this. I can't find any concrete statistics from Inamed/Allergan.. nor do I think they keep them (or want to keep them)... but I did find this study:

A 10-year experience with laparoscopic gastric ban...[Obes Surg. 2006] - PubMed Result

RESULTS: Between June 1997 and June 2003, LGB was performed in 317 patients, 43 men and 274 women. Mean age was 38 years (19-69), mean weight was 119 kg (79-179), and mean BMI was 43.5 kg/m(2) (34-78). 97.8% of the patients were available for follow-up after 3 years, 88.2% after 5 years, and 81.5% after 7 years. Overall, 105 (33.1%) of the patients developed late complications, including band erosion in 9.5%, pouch dilatation/slippage in 6.3%, and catheter- or port-related problems in 7.6%. Major reoperation was required in 21.7% of the patients. The mean EWL at 5 years was 58.5% in patients with the band still in place. The failure rate increased from 13.2% after 18 months to 23.8% at 3, 31.5% at 5, and 36.9% at 7 years. CONCLUSIONS: LGB appeared promising during the first few years after its introduction, but results worsen over time, despite improvements in the operative technique and material. Only about 60% of the patients without major complication maintain an acceptable EWL in the long term. Each year adds 3-4% to the major complication rate, which contributes to the total failure rate. With a nearly 40% 5-year failure rate, and a 43% 7-year success rate (EWL >50%), LGB should no longer be considered as the procedure of choice for obesity. Until reliable selection criteria for patients at low risk for long-term complications are developed, other longer lasting procedures should be used.

I guess I'm feeling bad because I one person I tried to convince to try the Band has just had to have her Band completely unfilled due to severe reflux... and she is barely one year out. She's loss maybe 40% of what she needed to, but is now, regaining. I think that so many of us try to paint the Band as positive that we don't talk about the negative... and that we don't accept/realize that this surgery really isn't successful for a lot of people... this study shows a nearly 43% failure rate at 5 years.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding versus Rou...[surg Obes Relat Dis. 2007 Mar-Apr] - PubMed Result

"Weight loss failure (BMI >35 kg/m(2) at 5 yr) was observed in 9 (34.6%) of 26 LAGB patients and in 1 (4.2%) of 24 LRYGB patients (P <.001). Of the 26 patients in the LAGB group and 24 in the LRYGB group, 3 (11.5%) and 15 (62.5%) had a BMI of <30 kg/m(2), respectively (P <.001)."

This study shows a failure rate of 35% at 5 years for the Band.

I wonder what the real figures are. I'd love to know.

Even though I am not happy with my band lately, I have to agree with another poster that the pars flaccida technique was a likely culprit. Also, earlier on, they were shy on filling bands and didn't know how to do them successfully. So, the success rates would reflect that.

Now... I do think the band is a wonderful weight loss surgery tool, but yes, it does have its faults. If I knew I'd obstruct when my allergies get bad or if I get a cold I'd obstruct or that I'd obstruct when I swim or that I'd obstruct after flying or... etc. I might have reconsidered the band...

I havn't been on the forums in AGES, This coinsides with what the OP sort of said about many bandsters not wishing to hear negatives about the band. I have found other bandsters to be the least supportive with exception to others whom have also sufferd complications and difficulties.

It's as if. If they don't hear it wont happen to them, Ignorance is bliss! The moment those people start understanding that the band can fail it makes them vulnerable to faliour.

I would LOVE a offical statitic of the faliour rate of the band but I still feel its very much a fashionable op to have and untill the trend subsides we really wont get any were. I invisage the band being totally disscountinued in the future as a weight loss procedure because it's just not working on the whole. And for those who it has worked they are wether they acknowledge it or not are at as much risk of faliour & complication as people who experience it very early on.

The risk is wide spread not isolated its more a case of when than if as far as i am concernd from what i have seen over the past five years and three years of them banded.

I've found that most of the negative results are outdated, are used as propaganda for the mini-bypass surgeons, and are often not even properly cited, they just pick and choose which part of the report to use. Not to mention that they don't adequately define the "long term complications" or even what they mean by "long term." I'm suspicious of them, just as I am critical of all the raves over the band.

I have had problems with my band for almost all of the three years I have had it. I started having unbearable pain and vomitting about 2 months after surgery. A little over a year and a half later it was determined to be my gall bladder which I had removed. I thought at that time all my problems were over. WRONG.........even after the gall bladder was removed I continued to throw up when I had fluid in my band. I have been banded since 10-04 and been throwing up since 12-04.

Last January I changed clinics and doctors and I am attempting to have the band removed and have a different surgery. I have gained back 100% of everything I lost with the band and I am now even 30lbs heavier.

I have a surgeon who agrees I need the band removed and agrees another surgery (DS) is a good option for me, but my insurance company is saying that I cannot have the band removed because I can't prove the band causes me to throw up. I have no idea how to go about proving the band makes me throw up. I also need to show that I followed the recomended diet. I am not sure how to prove that either since I have no fluid in my band so no restriction, but still throw up from time to time, and can't have fluid put in my band because it makes me throw-up all the time. I would love any advice anyone has for me. I am getting frustated and worried that I am going to end up with some very serious problems with my stomach because of all the throwing up.

Thanks

Dawn

Hi, I Just Had The Lapband Procedure Done 3 Weeks Ago But Im Having Alot Of Complications With And And Want To Remove It.. All I Do Is Throw Up Is That Normal Or Is My Body Rejecting It? And On Top Of That I Had To Do The Surgery Again The Second Week After My First Surgery Cuz My Stomach Was Swollen.. Has This Happened To Anyone??

I've had the band for 10 months and have had no physical problems from it but it has not worked either. I can't eat anything. The recommended 4 oz portion is too much to eat, yet, no weight loss. I've gained 3 to 4 pounds. When I posted it, I got one positive response as to what the reason may be and one response with a definite blaming tone toward me. I followed instructions to the T. Am anal about counting every calorie, exercise more than I ever have in my life, but get nowhere. I can't help but believe there are others out there that have had this same problem occur. I have to admit I was concerned about posting the problem because I knew many responses to others with problems were all negative and played the blame game on the person who posted.

I have heard of people having issues like what you are talking about, Disappointed. Not long ago, my loss come to a screeching halt. I had no pain, my restriction remained similar to always. Nothing really changing, but the weight loss stopped. I figured it to be a plateau, and did not stress. Soon though the problem became apparant--I was growing a huge thyroid tumor! I had surgery, and am now waiting for results of my first blood work up post op.

I also know one old (in membership terms not actual age!) bandster who had similar problems all along, and she suffered from Cushings Disease, and no matter how low she took her caloric intake, she simply did not lose. She worked her band, and all to no avail.

I have no doubts there are cases where this happens, and I am so sorry you are one of them!

I hope you do

How wierd, I must have hit something wrong!!

Anyway, I hope you don't get flamed for being honest, and I hope your band journey improves!

Kat

I have heart of similar situations

My problem is no restriction and my band is filled half to its capacity,

I am frustrated

Janet

My question is on the long term of the lap band surgery. Is there ever a point when you no longer have to do the protein thing or drink the 64 oz of water daily. Will I always eat only a half cup of food or suffer the painfull consequences? Is constipation going to be a life long problem? I have about 90 pounds to lose, what's the average time to lose that many pounds--I have severe back problem so heavy exercise is out of the question. Even long distance walking poses a problem. What happens when you reach your weight goal?

Well, likely you WILL be restricted to a small amount of food forever or suffer painful consequences, or one would hope so, the other side of that coin in rebound weight gain. Two and a bit years on, I find this tiresome sometimes, not at home, but out, like sometimes I think "I wish I could take this darn thing out and just eat easily this once". Not that I have many problems, I can eat anything, but I tire of being "aware" of it all the time to avoid blockages and PB, particularly in social situations where I am talking (dangerous for me!).

Other than that, I dont count Protein, dont count calories, dont obsess over drinking Water and never did. I find maintenance eating IS easier than losing weight eating, I'm much less stringent these days and enjoy a very normal lifestyle, but you do have to think about long term health. You can maintain your weight on crap food if you eat small amounts, and that's not ideal.

As to exercise, well, where there's a will there's a way. I run regularly but do suffer from sciatica, a heavy and aching right leg and chronic heel bursitis on the right side, it really makes life misery sometimes, but I can run strangely enough where I cant walk fast. Its more the day to day drudgery of this condition and not actual pain or discomfort while I am exercising that bothers me and I'm still doing the rounds of various therapies to try to find something that will a) identify what the problem actually is after more than five years and :biggrin: relieve the problem. I've had GREAT success with acupuncture lately. But I keep on running because I'd rather run, stay thin and fit and have discomfort (not bad pain usually) than stop running, mimise my symptoms, get fat again and get the symptoms back due to obesity anyway. And every single professional I've seen has advised me to remain active. But its a matter of finding an activity you can tolerate - swimming for example?

I wonder if the study disclosed the failure rate for each surgeon who performed the operation, and if that specific group of surgeons contributed to the high failure rate.

Another thing, how does this failure rate compare to those in Europe and other countries who have been using the band for a longer period of time? Hmmmm....

Here is another study with a much better outcome, based on one surgical team.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in 1,791 c...[Obes Surg. 2007] - PubMed Result

My question is on the long term of the lap band surgery. Is there ever a point when you no longer have to do the Protein thing or drink the 64 oz of Water daily. Will I always eat only a half cup of food or suffer the painfull consequences? Is constipation going to be a life long problem? I have about 90 pounds to lose, what's the average time to lose that many pounds--I have severe back problem so heavy exercise is out of the question. Even long distance walking poses a problem. What happens when you reach your weight goal?

While I am not exactly long term out, I thought I would add my .02 cents worth here. Like Jachut, I do not count every calorie, or protein gram, or ounce of water. I do attempt to make my diet as healthy as possible, and with that in mind, I do keep the thought of protein first as opposed to starches, that kind of thing, and I do try to get plenty of fluids in, it does help a lot with my weight loss. I choose to drink iced tea as opposed to water, but I go with de caffeinated and sugar free, so it works for me! I may not get in 64 ounces every day in the winter---but easily in the summer. I have found if I think I want something to eat, to try to drink a glass of water or tea, and many times it is thirst I am feeling, not hunger. I really don't feel much hunger any more.

I do eat more than a mere half cup of food at each meal. I don't eat anywhere near the amounts I used to, and yes I too on occasion find something that tastes so good, I WANT to eat more....but cannot. Which to me is a saving grace--or I would have my 100+ pounds back on in nothing flat I imagine!!!

I do not have super tight restriction, by choice. It is taking me longer to lose my weight, but I am doing so in a very normal life style, no serious difficulties, and no food restrictions.

Swimming is a very good option for back pain. You also need to consider the fact that even without exercise, with just the diet change, you will begin losing weight. With every little bit lost, exercising will become easier, and possibly less painful. I have (almost said had, they are doing so well!) bad knees, and the weight loss has improved that more than I can even tell you!

While I am not quite at goal weight, I do know you can maintain very simply. I have been acting as though I am at goal, and have been very complacent. I had to have surgery recently, and have been babying myself some. I eat normally with my family, dining in or out. I have my smaller portions, but eat the same foods they do. I have not exercised much---between the sub zero temps and the surgery, I am not getting out a lot. This "time off" has eased my mind completely---I know now that when I get the last bit of weight off, maintenance is not going to be an issue! It took a load off of my mind to figure that out!

Constipation, I personally eased by adding more Fiber. I eat fresh fruit of one kind or another each day, and have Cereal for or with my Breakfast usually, and if not, I will have a small bowl of some type as a snack during the day, and also have a handfull of almonds as a snack each day. These things have made it less of an issue, along with drinking my fluids. I have heard it is not uncommon for those who eat less to only have BM's every 4-5 days. Less in, less out.

It is not a perfect solution. The band does have drawbacks, but in my case, and in my opinion and experience, they are far less debilitating, and restrictive than morbid obesity was.

Good Luck!

Kat