I've posted this on the lap band forum at OH as well....hoping for some of your great insight.

Ok bandsters I'm hoping you can give me some guidance here.

I'm continuing my journey towards the band - my first consult is 2/25. I really do think this is my best choice. At the same time, I've made an appointment with a surgeon that performs DS, RNY and VBG - in the event I cannot get the band covered by insurance. That appt. is 3/17. Not surprising, the surgeon does not do banding - doesn't feel there is enough long term data to support it (he and I had a long conversation)

Here are today's fears (LOL). Since the band is a newer procedure, are any of you concerned about long term issues? 10 years from now are we all going to be getting the bands removed? Will it require additional surgeries over time as we age? (I'm 36 and hope to live a long life once I overcome my weight demon).

It's not like I don't have the same fears on the DS/RNY/VBG side...

Anyone else? Thanks in advance for your insight.

Sharon

Hi Sharon

I have my band now for over a year, and and have had no problems - I had the band placed in Europe, (In Paris, France) where band surgery has been performed for over twenty years, as we believe here, it is the safest weight loss surgery. I had full confidence in my surgeon here. In the USA the FDA approved the band about 6 years ago, I think, and they have such rigorous testing, I would feel very confident getting it over there too! The band surgery is a very minor operation, rearranging none of your organs, and is completely reversible, even tho the band is designed to remain in place for life.

hope this helps!

I met a nurse last week (in Houston) who's had her band since 1987, maintained a loss of 100 pounds, and has had no problems.

Hi Sharon,

Your fears are completely understandable. I found that realizing that the band is an implant like any other helped me understand how I could have it the rest of my life. People have artificial heart valves, knee and hip joints, all sorts of things made of similar inert materials which have been proven over great spans of time.

Of course we are all concerned about future health risks, but that's the MAJOR reason I chose the band. RNY and all the other surgeries make major changes to our basic anatomy so there's obviously a much greater risk of major complications in the short run. My band may require maintenance in the coming years, but not the kind of maintenance that could land me in the hospital for weeks or months at a time. Even a "minor" complication of RNY, like adhesions or a stricture, requires an additional surgery.

Sharon, I like Alex's comment about the band being an implant. It certainly is, and for most of us it's a completely benign one. I hope that Inamed (band manufacturer) and/or an independent medical research facility starts to research the long-term effects of banding. Meanwhile, you're wise to learn as much as you can about your options. That said, please don't let your insurance company dictate your medical care. If your choice and your insurer's choice happen to match, great. But if, say, the insurer will cover only RNY and you don't think that surgery is right for you, try to find another way to get the treatment you seek. Lots of people here have successfully appealed insurance companies' decisions. Some of us threw up our hands and paid for the band ourselves, often going to Europe or Mexico. Our common ground is our refusal to accept the health-care bureaucracy's initial assessment of us. Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

For me personally though.Just my opinion...the entire gastric bypass procedure, the re routing of my insides, the risks, the higher death rate, the longer liquid diet, the malabsorption, the dumping syndrome were things I would never consider, so thank god for the LAP BAND or I most likely would be morbidly obese the rest of my life. . I have a new leash on life..My husband, myself and children are reaping the benefits of my band..I had the same reservations about the band not working or lasting, but working with your band and not making your band do all of the work will help you to maintain the life of your band. Not overfilling, not PBinbg often..are all things that will help with the longevity of your band..however their are rare cases of model bandsters who have had erosion or slippage so there really is no guarantee..but it was worth it for me to go for the band over the bypass..I am almost at goal and have had my band 10 months...

I think your fears are valid, though I can't honestly tell you if there is a scientific basis for them. I've had my band for 18 months now and have had nothing I would call a complication, though I have had to get an upper GI one time and an unfill for 2 weeks. But I don't think that is unusual. I actually have another kind of implant and I have to get it checked out every three months. (Yes, I am the bionic woman)

Still, I have known several people on this board who have had to have their bands removed or are going to have their bands removed due to complications. And it does make one wonder.

When you are making your decision, just keep in mind that the VBG has a high rate of complications and failure and many people regain their weight after having the bypass. So those other procedures are certainly not guaranteed to work forever and they have much more serious side-effects such as Vitamin deficiencies.

Best of luck in your decision. The researching and deciding were by far the hardest part of this whole journey for me.

Nancy

Yes Nancy is right, the bypass patients have a window of opportunity of weight loss, many after 2 years out do start to put wieght back on due to their pouches being stretched and their bodies adapting to the new pouch size..for us bandsters that is what is great about getting our fills for as long as we have the band..we will continue to lose. even if we see a little gain over the years it is controlable by getting a small adjustment

It's a really tough call. I'm doing everything I can to be able to make an educated, thoughtful decision. One thing that does concern me is the "opinion" of the doctors.

The surgeon I spoke with (the non-banding one) didn't recommend one type of surgery vs. the other. He only said that he didn't feel there was enough info for him to do the band - right now, anyway.

I have the banding doc appt first - and I think he also does RNY - so I'll be curious as to his approach.

(sigh) It's a lot to consider.

The surgeon I spoke with (the non-banding one) didn't recommend one type of surgery vs. the other. He only said that he didn't feel there was enough info for him to do the band - right now, anyway.

And you certainly wouldn't want him to use you for a guinea pig either!

You're very wise to research and go in and talk w/these surgeons. Also get some info. on the surgeon himself...how long has he been doing this, his follow-up care, etc.

Sharon, you will find indeed that many doctors have a preference for RNY. The doctor in question may think there's not enough information for him. You might ask him what WOULD be enough information. The band has been approved in the US since June of 2001 and has been in use in other countries for close to two decades. What sort of additional information is he looking for? Given the different physical realities of RNY and the band, does he think another 20 years will teach us something that would make him think banding is dangerous? What is the worst-case scenario of banding? It's removed.

It may not be the final answer for lots of MO people. But that should be OK with the medical community, because LOTS of things we do are a first step towards treatment. You don't go straight to amputating a leg when you have a broken ankle, right? If I fail to use my band correctly and end up MO again someday, the RNY will still be there and I will still be medically qualified for it. Why go right to the most dramatic, invasive, and risky treatment first?

I've had lots of Band-related complications and have undergone several surgeries to remove and replace my ports. If I want another port, I'll need another operation. My incision is hideous and I still don't have a port, but nothing I've gone through has been considered an emergency. I can only worry about today. Just for today, the FDA considers the Band safe, and I HATE being obese, so that's good enough for me. I'll let tomorrow worry about itself.

I met a nurse last week (in Houston) who's had her band since 1987, maintained a loss of 100 pounds, and has had no problems.

My goodness... UNBELIEVABLE, that's like 18 years!!! WOW!

Marie, did she say if she's ever had it replaced? NO problems??? (Im trying hard to now sound shocked, sorry)

She said NO problems and was happy as a clam!

Marie, Im impressed! What's her secret?

...18 years!

Wow, that is great! That gives me lots of hope!