Failed Lapband

[SweetGisy 41]

Hello everyone! Here is my lap-band story...I got banded on 8/2014 SW:369, I am now almost 3 years out and weigh 335lbs. Clearly I failed my lap-band. I try not to be hard on myself but its almost impossible not to be. Post-op I had 2 pregnancies (1 of which was a demise) So needless to say my weight was up and down, at my lowest I went down to 312lbs. I recently had a baby boy 12/2016 highest prepartum weight was 345lbs, I came down to 335lbs postpartum, had a fill on 5/3/2017- initially I went down 6lbs and now I'm back up! I am not a victim here..I know my eating habits play a major role. There are days where I am your regular Jillian Michaels and others where I'm eating like a 15 y/o boy going through a serious growth spurt.

Nonetheless, I feel defeated. I am scheduled to have another fill on 6/5/2017, but called my surgeon and asked for a VSG consult instead. I am lost, confuse..torn all of the above. Part of me feels like I just need to get back on track and remain consistent..the other part of me feels the band is just not enough for me and the amount of weight I need to lose. Help! I could really use some advice. Thank you in advance!

[Matt Z 4,138]

I can relate to this. I was banded back in Nov of 2011. Whereas I did lose about 60 lbs in total, I only lost 38 or so after the band. I tried my hardest, tracked all intake and expenditures. I just couldn't break 300. I'm currently floating between 300 and like 315. I felt defeated. I felt like a failure. I stopped going to my surgeon for check ups. I just kinda gave up on the band. Recently I decided that I have had enough of the getting stuck on good for you foods and was just done with failing at weight loss. I was nervous, anxious, and a bit scared to step foot in my doctor's office. But with my wife in tow, I did just that. I was relieved to find out that my experience, wasn't abnormal at all. I wasn't a failure. The band was over hyped and typical results were WAY less than promised. My doc told me that some companies have stopped making the band or replacement parts all together. One is in the process of selling their part of the company that does bands altogether. So, please do NOT take all the blame!

I'm currently working towards revision to bypass. I thought about the sleeve, but my doc will not do band to sleeve revision due to scar issue build up under the band being directly in line to where they staple when they sleeve. Scar tissue doesn't heal to scar tissue the same way that healthy tissue heals to healthy tissue. So, if I wanted the band she would refer me to another surgeon in her office, but she wouldn't do it because the increased risks of leaking were just too great for her to justify doing the procedure. That and going from a long term band installation to sleeve will *not* have the same outcome as those going from nothing to sleeve. As I'm already used to the restriction, it won't be as effective. So, I'm going to revise to the bypass.

Just understand, that the band was not the product that it was reported to be. You are not alone in the failure. The band failed you, not the other way around.

Stay strong. Stay positive. Stay focused.

[neenee717 37]

Just went from band to sleeve in one operation. 8/31. It was rough! Doc said so much scar tissue be bad to maneuver through and he's a surgical pioneer and professor in Bariatrics

[neenee717 37]

I had my band 7 yrs. don't miss it but the recovery for me with all scar tissue was much jarder

[Strivingforbetter 246]

I was banded two years ago and lost very little weight. Over time, I even gained 30 pounds with the band. Needless to say, I felt the surgery was a complete waste of time and money for me. I know many people have been successful, but I wasn't one of them. I revised to the DS this past June, and have been thrilled with the results. (I too had a lot of scar tissue from the band.) Revising to the DS was the best decision I've made for my health. Don't feel like a failure. The band just doesn't work for some people. I had about 8 fills and never felt a restriction.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Strivingforbetter

[tankheadmommy 94]

Hello everyone! Here is my lap-band story...I got banded on 8/2014 SW:369, I am now almost 3 years out and weigh 335lbs. Clearly I failed my lap-band. I try not to be hard on myself but its almost impossible not to be. Post-op I had 2 pregnancies (1 of which was a demise) So needless to say my weight was up and down, at my lowest I went down to 312lbs. I recently had a baby boy 12/2016 highest prepartum weight was 345lbs, I came down to 335lbs postpartum, had a fill on 5/3/2017- initially I went down 6lbs and now I'm back up! I am not a victim here..I know my eating habits play a major role. There are days where I am your regular Jillian Michaels and others where I'm eating like a 15 y/o boy going through a serious growth spurt.
Nonetheless, I feel defeated. I am scheduled to have another fill on 6/5/2017, but called my surgeon and asked for a VSG consult instead. I am lost, confuse..torn all of the above. Part of me feels like I just need to get back on track and remain consistent..the other part of me feels the band is just not enough for me and the amount of weight I need to lose. Help! I could really use some advice. Thank you in advance!

How are you doing? Did you get a revision surgery?

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

[SheLand 8]

I had the lap band back in 2011 lost close to 70-75 pounds
But I have regained it all back
No restriction except I get choked on grilled chicken [emoji849] looking to have band removed and sleeve done in jan

[Strivingforbetter 246]

On 11/26/2017 at 8:02 PM, SheLand said:

I had the lap band back in 2011 lost close to 70-75 pounds
But I have regained it all back
No restriction except I get choked on grilled chicken looking to have band removed and sleeve done in jan

I hated getting that choked, stabbing feeling when I ate chicken with the band. So glad that useless monster is gone.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Strivingforbetter