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.

failedforme,

I understand your frustration but as someone who was not self-pay I obviously can't totally relate. I don't think that the lap band helps everyone and weeding out who will do well and who won't is a very important step some surgeons/patients seem to be missing.

I had the lap band and never did well except on Medifast prior to surgery and ended up gaining it all back and felt very depressed and like a failure due to it. I finally had mine removed but it was covered by insurance due to the GERD that the band caused and also due to failure to lose weight with the band after 14 months.

I've now revised to RNY and have now chosen the correct procedure for me and it's working. I hope you can come to some resolve with your situation as I know how much stress and pain a failed WLS can cause a person. Good luck to you, Nancy.

failedforme,

I understand your frustration but as someone who was not self-pay I obviously can't totally relate. I don't think that the lap band helps everyone and weeding out who will do well and who won't is a very important step some surgeons/patients seem to be missing.

I had the lap band and never did well except on Medifast prior to surgery and ended up gaining it all back and felt very depressed and like a failure due to it. I finally had mine removed but it was covered by insurance due to the GERD that the band caused and also due to failure to lose weight with the band after 14 months.

I've now revised to RNY and have now chosen the correct procedure for me and it's working. I hope you can come to some resolve with your situation as I know how much stress and pain a failed WLS can cause a person. Good luck to you, Nancy.

Good luck to you too!! I really hope your RNY works for you! I'll cross toes n fingers for you!

I am depressed it hasn't worked. I'm going to go have a 100% defill this week and I'm just going to leave it for a few months.

Then see what happens. I want to try and make it work, IF and that's a Big IF, It's possible for me to. Only time will time, if not then I'm having it removed and I'm going to tell the clinic that I think THEY should DO something about this!!! Because I can prove I have tried everything to make this work.

Sorry it didn't work for you but Happy for you that you have now found our answer! Good Luck!!

Thanks and good luck to you too!!

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

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

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.

:frown: Thank you for posting this. I have been looking into having the band and had nearly decided to go ahead. I have looked and looked for information such as this. I am not sure I will be going ahead with it now. One thing that was worrying me was what would happen if things went wrong as I would be paying privately for it, I could not afford the money to put things right (I hope that makes sense). Thank you again

I do believe there is a very high percentage of complications with long term use of the band. I have come to this conclusion from reading lots of threads like this & hearing about studies that are starting to emerge, & because of the 3 people I know who have had the band all have had complictions eventually. Granted, this is not a big enough control study to be considered scientific, but interesting. I had to have an unfill due to slipage after less than a year & a half. I was refilled after 4 months and am now 2 months post refill, I am an older & wiser bandster. Now I realize the pitfall & the draw backs for me at least, but am still hoping to make it work. I fall in the middle 1/3 that "fabfatgrl" described. I'm benefiting from the band right now, losing very slowly, but losing steadly. Even though I have acid reflux off & on & do feel my quality of life so far as food consumption goes is compromised, I like not overeating. I feel like I'm walking a thin line, trying to avoid the more advanced problems like nighttime reguritation that indicate slippage. I expect that eventually I will unfill my band again, but hope to be able to do it at the right time so that I can refill it again as needed. Fortunately it seems that in the vast majority of cases the complications are cured by unfilling or at worst removing the band. I have lost 60 pounds & only want to lose 20 more, but I know how hard it is to keep weight off & hope to be able to handle my band in a way to have it around when I need it.

Good Luck! I really hope you can lose it all! I understand what you are saying 100% I too feel the quality of my life in regards to food is compromised also...I guess on really can't have their cake and eat it too eh! :-(

I'm sorry you still have reflux..is there nothing you can do about it??

As for me, well it's been 1 week since I had a de-fill and I have lost 3 lbs...I'm not jumping for joy, because I have to wait and see what is going to be the end result. There is restriction and I'm not hungry anymore...which I can tell you..I find very WEIRD!! That's never happened before, and I'm praying it is permanent. My tummy is still swollen and yesterday had puffed out again, around band area, so I felt ill, but it might of been the shorts I was wearing? the band of the shorts landed right where the LB is..?? I thnk it was too tight, as a result I got very nauseated and gas and blah.

I'm still willing to keep on going...I mean I paid SO much...I Have to give it a 2nd try.

Good luck with yours and I really hope you can do something about reflux.

Thank you for posting this. I have been looking into having the band and had nearly decided to go ahead. I have looked and looked for information such as this. I am not sure I will be going ahead with it now. One thing that was worrying me was what would happen if things went wrong as I would be paying privately for it, I could not afford the money to put things right (I hope that makes sense). Thank you again

I'm just gonna cross my fingers n toes and pray this 2nd try works for me...Ultra...I understand the paying for it privately..as I did too...that's why I'm so desperate for this to work (my 2nd try) It IS very expensive for fills and de fills and the surgery it's self...

I can't tell you weather to have the surgery or not..that's up to you...just read ALL the info you can on it and then decide if it's for you or not. Good Luck :-)

I'm just gonna cross my fingers n toes and pray this 2nd try works for me...Ultra...I understand the paying for it privately..as I did too...that's why I'm so desperate for this to work (my 2nd try) It IS very expensive for fills and de fills and the surgery it's self...

I can't tell you weather to have the surgery or not..that's up to you...just read ALL the info you can on it and then decide if it's for you or not. Good Luck :-)

Hi after what I have read about the Band I am looking to go for the Gastric Sleeve. I shall keep researching!

I'm self pay too, I had 15k for the original surgery (plus additional fees for psych, etc.)... then 6 months later I had a revision surgery for about 3k. Then the band worked FANTASTIC. I lost 100lb in a year.. then I got pregnant, and now they believe I have a leak. Cost me $400 for fluro to show if band slipped (no) or pouch dilated (no). Now it's going to cost another 300-500 for the test to see if I have a leak. If I do (and it seems I do, they get no drawback immediately after fills and I feel nothing)... yet another surgery, and who knows how much it will cost.

It really really sucks doing this self-pay. If you're self-pay, it just is a crappy situation in general. Any of them could need revisions (met a lady who has had to have SEVEN revisions on her RnY).

When the band works, it works wonders for me.. when it breaks, damn it it's expensive.

I'm self pay too, I had 15k for the original surgery (plus additional fees for psych, etc.)... then 6 months later I had a revision surgery for about 3k. Then the band worked FANTASTIC. I lost 100lb in a year.. then I got pregnant, and now they believe I have a leak. Cost me $400 for fluro to show if band slipped (no) or pouch dilated (no). Now it's going to cost another 300-500 for the test to see if I have a leak. If I do (and it seems I do, they get no drawback immediately after fills and I feel nothing)... yet another surgery, and who knows how much it will cost.

It really really sucks doing this self-pay. If you're self-pay, it just is a crappy situation in general. Any of them could need revisions (met a lady who has had to have SEVEN revisions on her RnY).

When the band works, it works wonders for me.. when it breaks, damn it it's expensive.

:blushing: EEP! leaking? I totally understand the self pay, as thats what I did. I agree 100% with you...If self pay it's a crap situation! It's costing me soooo much, just like you! But I am in the process of giving it a 2nd try and praying it hasn't slipped, If it has, then I will probably get it out, as it's too much Money to maintain. However so far so good (knock on wood) It's only been a week, but I've lost 3 lbs. I don't feel the hunger like I did, there is still swelling, so I'm not gonna jump for joy right now..as this may all be temporary and I may be back at square 1 or worse again when swelling goes down.

Nice<NOT< how they FAIL to mention all the things that CAN & DO go wrong with the band eh!

Good luck with yours, keep me posted. Congrats on baby!

Yeah I don't knock the band, I really have liked it and without it I never would have been the lowest weight I've ever been (except maybe in 4th grade heh!).

If I had insurance, I wouldn't even be complaining. Stuff happens, they all have risks, etc.. I wouldn't mind so much revision surgery.. would suck, but whatever. It's the self-pay that is really a racket. It's like a trap, I keep thinking ok I'll do another surgery.. what if my next baby dislocated the tube again.. another surgery? How often will I need new surgeries and how will I find the money, etc.

But I do want anyone readin' this to know, I don't ever regret the band it's worked miracles for me.. I just regret my insurance sucks.

That's why many doctors wont touch self pay in Australia - it doesnt make for good compliance with follow up care because people exhaust their funds with the original surgery.

Hopefully you get it sorted Fairy.

Well actually just got horrible news. They want to charge me the full cost of an original surgery to fix it. Can't swing that, so... now what. Damn insurance.

Well actually just got horrible news. They want to charge me the full cost of an original surgery to fix it. Can't swing that, so... now what. Damn insurance.

After reading all this I have decided I will go for the Sleeve when I go ahead with it not so much upkeep afterwards. Thanks for all your replies. xx :biggrin:

Good luck with it :biggrin:)

Well actually just got horrible news. They want to charge me the full cost of an original surgery to fix it. Can't swing that, so... now what. Damn insurance.

:smile2: OMG!!! Can your medical cover it? I mean you cant go around with a problem, something awful might happen... I don't know what country you live in...but there must be SOME recourse against the surgeon? How can they possibly charge FULL price??

I'd be looking into that if I were you.

Jachut: IF I lived in the same place as my surgeon there would be NO cost for fillsde-fills and any check-ups, even though I self-paid. Besides that, our medical WONT cover WLS any of it.