I haven't been on this forum in years... literally. Long sad story short I had a Realize band placed in 2010. By sheer force of will I managed to lose about 80 pounds while I went through fills and waited for the band to do something. All my loss was via self-control and acting on guilt for spending so much of the family's money on the surgery. I got to 80 pounds and the program I was in told me more or less that I had lost all the weight I could expect to lose and that they wouldn't fill my band any further.

I got pregnant... gained some of the weight back... had a baby... lost the weight again. I was still 200 pounds at my lowest. After years of constant port pain I decided I was done with the band (huge waste of money and time) and got into a program at a different hospital to remove the band and revise to bypass.

My band was removed this past May, and my RnY date is mid-November. My weight is back up to where I was pre-band. Part of me is still worried that this surgery will be like the last and I'll regret it, too. I knew the band was a tool, not a magic pill, but I wanted it to do SOMETHING!

My surgeon refuses to do straight band-to-bypass revisions. He insists on months of healing between. It's been hard to wait, but it did allow me to confirm my suspicion that the band really didn't do anything for me except drain my bank account.

Curious how other "failures" like myself have navigated telling people that you're having surgery again. I only told family the first time, but they didn't keep it quiet and word got around...

I did not have a good experience with the Realize band.....I just had revision surgery, he took out the band and did the gastric bypass....I told my doc that if he did not do the revision i might not come back for the bypass....so he did it all in one four hour surgery!

Hi, I had the lapband as well and lost 100lbs. like you, with a lot of hard work. Then it tightened too tight but wasnt slipped or stretched and they took Fluid out. Then it did it again. Each time going in was 300.00. The last time they tried to refill it, I got GERD so bad I couldn't stand it. So only partially filled now and almost back to preband weight. I am going through the revision to rny and I am worried about what family will say about another surgery. My husband is super supportive and Im so thankful for that, but Im worried about what his family will say for sure. Good luck with everything!

Jen

Hi, I had the lapband as well and lost 100lbs. like you, with a lot of hard work. Then it tightened too tight but wasnt slipped or stretched and they took Fluid out. Then it did it again. Each time going in was 300.00. The last time they tried to refill it, I got GERD so bad I couldn't stand it. So only partially filled now and almost back to preband weight. I am going through the revision to rny and I am worried about what family will say about another surgery. My husband is super supportive and Im so thankful for that, but Im worried about what his family will say for sure. Good luck with everything!

Jen

Yep, that's why I'm not telling anybody this time around!

Oh my word!!! Those Lap Band's are BIG TIME TROUBLE!!! Now I know there are peeps that had them and have had great results but...my hubby had his for 13 years! He lost 100#'s but at one of his fills, they punctured his port. Back into surgery they went. He finally got to where he couldn't hold down anything!! Not even Water. So we found a different surgeon and he was scheduled to have a revision to the RFNY. When they got in there the band had eroded into his liver. They backed out taking the band and his gallbladder out. Telling him that after he healed in 3 months they would do his RNY. He developed abscesses and was deathly sick for 9 months 3 of which he doesn't remember at all. We really almost lost him. Then 3 years later he finds out he has Cancer in his kidney!! The VA didn't tell him for 3 years. He now weighed 420#'s. We started the process again. In Portland, Oregon. They wanted him to lose 25#'s and get his A1C down to an 8. He just couldn't do both. If he lost the weight his A1C would go up, if he got his A1C down his weight went up. So once again we had to find another way. Now granted he has insurance that would pay for it but we had to do something quick. Off to Mexico. When they got in there his whole right side was solid scar tissue, so they couldn't do the RNY and ended up doing the Sleeve. This was in June his progress is real slow. He has lost 60#'s but that is just a small drop in the bucket he needs to lose 90#'s more. They can't do anything for his Cancer until he loses a total of 150#'s. Now I think he is dealing with mind hunger he just can't get it together. I blame most of his problems on the Lap Band!! The Dr that did the first surgery said he wasn't in good enough condition to have anything but the Band. That man was in very good condition at that time. She used a large band he was the first men to get that brand. So sad!! I sure can't do it for him. But I am so scared that I'm going to lose him!! Now he wants to see his old Bariatric Surgeon to see if there is anything they can do for him!! I hope everything works out.

I feel your pain Rachael412... I too had my lapband in 2007 and lost maybe 40#... then the struggle began... i managed to keep it under control till 2012 when I got a stomach bug and was throwing up so much that my stomach swelled and caused such restriction that I had to go to ER to get emergently unfilled as I couldn't even swallow my own saliva.. 4 years later still had no Fluid in band due to insurance no longer covering fills... I had left shoulder pain (referred pain from my band) for 9 years! I finally had that bastard removed in July. My surgeon also told me I had to wait 6 month to get converted to RNY (for "healing")... I am hoping to get it done before the end of the year.. Good luck to you. Yes, I also worry about "failure"... my sis had RNY from the get go and she's been up and down... now on the down again.. here's to US doing the downhill again!!

PS... I have not had left shoulder pain since the day they took that damn band out, confirming it WAS the band causing it..

Edited October 29, 20169 yr by beeblers

I had the band as well in Feb. 2011 not back at the weight that I started but I don't do anything I will. Getting the Bypass November 14th as in telling people I told my family and they are is support of me doing whatever it takes to make me happy and healthy. I told the same friend I told when I was having the band and she is my corner as well! you just have to start thinking of yourself and what is best for you nobody is carrying this weight but you, and feel misery each day but you. You have the right to get you life together the way you see fit. This is no ways easy to come to this decision, this is a serious surgery your not getting your nail done and trying to fine the right color to put on. This a life altering situation for us. and you deserve to look good and feel good about yourself by any means necessary

I also had issues with the band. After my sons birth the lowest I got to was 205. I bounced between that and 220ish since. Then the band failed completely and I rocketed up to 260 in a few months. I exceed my pre band weight by 30lbs! I'm now 5 weeks post op and at my pre band high weight. Hopeful I can get down to my band low weight once again