I am having my band on Oct 11 and I read a lot about removal.

Here is a 12 year study from Favretti

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

Obes Surg. 2007 Feb;17(2):168-75.Links

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in 1,791 consecutive obese patients: 12-year results.

Favretti F, Segato G, Ashton D, Busetto L, De Luca M, Mazza M, Ceoloni A, Banzato O, Calo E, Enzi G.

Department of Surgery, Regional Hospital - Vicenza, Italy. ffavret@tin.it

BACKGROUND: This study examines 1,791 consecutive laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures with up to 12 years follow-up. Long-term results of LAGB with a high follow-up rate are not common. METHODS: Between September 1993 and December 2005, 1,791 consecutive patients (75.1% women, mean age 38.7 years, mean weight 127.7 +/- 24 kg, mean BMI 46.2 +/- 7.7) underwent LAGB by the same surgical team. Perigastric dissection was used in 77.8% of the patients, while subsequently pars flaccida was used in 21.5% and a mixed approach in 0.8%. Data were analyzed according to co-morbidities, conversion, short- and long-term complications and weight loss. Fluoroscopy-guided band adjustments were performed and patients received intensive follow-up. The effects of LAGB on life expectancy were measured in a case/control study involving 821 surgically-treated patients versus 821 treated by medical therapy. RESULTS: Most common baseline co-morbidities (%) were hypertension (35.6), osteoarthritis (57.8), diabetes (22), dyslipidemia (27.1), sleep apnea syndrome (31.4), depression (21.2), sweet eating (22.5) and binge eating (18.5). Conversion to open was 1.7%: due to technical difficulties (1.2) and due to intraoperative complications (0.5). Together with the re-positioning of the band, additional surgery was performed in 11.9% of the patients: hiatal hernia repair (2.4), cholecystectomy (7.8) and other procedures (1.7). There was no mortality. Reoperation was required in 106 patients (5.9%): band removal 55 (3.7%), band repositioning 50 (2.7 %), and other 1 (0.05 %). Port-related complications occurred in 200 patients (11.2%). 41 patients (2.3%) underwent further surgery due to unsatisfactory results: removal of the band in 12 (0.7%), biliopancreatic diversion in 5 (0.27%) and a biliopancreatic diversion with gastric preservation ("bandinaro") in 24 (1.3%). Weight in kg was 103.7 +/- 21.6, 102.5 +/- 22.5, 105.0 +/- 23.6, 106.8 +/- 24.3, 103.3 +/- 26.2 and 101.4 +/- 27.1 at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 years after LAGB. BMI at the same intervals was 37.7 +/- 7.1, 37.2 +/- 7.2, 38.1 +/- 7.6, 38.5 +/- 7.9, 37.5 +/- 8.5 and 37.7 +/- 9.1. The case/control study found a statistically significant difference in survival in favor of the surgically-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: LAGB can achieve effective, safe and stable long-term weight loss. In experienced hands, the complication rate is low. Follow-up is paramount.

PMID: 17476867 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

There are a few comfort factors to keep in mind when you read the board.

1. Messageboards more and more are migrating away from information and into support. Many of the people who come here are looking for help. Most people looking for help have some kind of a problem they're dealing with. E.g. the sampling of issues here is greatly magnified over the sampling of issues across the banded population.
   
2. Band problems cause a sort of small scale mass hysteria, especially among researchers and newly banded folks. The posts about complications tend to be more dramatic in and of themselves (the way they're posted, the visual panic, etc.), but also bring a lot more traffic (hysteria). A thread about "OH SWEET GUMBY MY BAND HAS SLIPPED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" is, by nature, going to bring a lot more hits (and therefore a lot more visibility) than "5 yrs, no problems yet" will. More hits = you're more likely to see it.

What you say is so true...every bit of it. In addition, the support factor is very, very important to most people, and people love to cry on others' shoulders and be there for the others as well. It's just human nature, and I'm fine with that. I don't mean that negatively in any way, trust me.

I prefer more of the information side. Granted, I love to rant when the scale isn't moving, but it's more to vent than to seek comfort from others. I would love to see more real info about what is working for people as far as Protein intake, excercise, calorie intake, types of foods that are working, supplements, and the like. I've basically been branded as obsessive by the needier folks who still eat ice cream every day and think walking for ten minutes twice a week is adequate and then wonder why they aren't losing what they would like to. (Okay, yes, that was sarcastic...BUT TRUE! LOL) I'm a "bottom line" kind of girl...give me the info and I'll work with it. If I don't, then I know I only have the person in the mirror to blame, right?

I am just starting to look at the other threads outside of the monthly support group area, so what I am looking for may be here. Shoot me links if you have them!

Sometimes I think I might have made a mistake in having the banding done .But it is all worth while so far .I eat almost anything I want to try. I even ate some steak, small amount, it tastes so good to be able to eat something that I reallylike .I've lost 25lbs.sence this has all started I'm lucky so far nopbing up anything so far,a little gas pain so far,I sip a little h2o with my meals and stop at the first sign of being full .I found out that if you count the times you swallow water while you drink don't go past 3 swallows and stop before you go no this has helped me .:whoo:

Why do you think you might have made a mistake, aren't you happy with your band?

"OH SWEET GUMBY MY BAND HAS SLIPPED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*DEAD*

That, my dear, was frickin halarious.