Does anyone have the stats on how many bands slip? I haven't found any numbers any where. I keep reading about all these people that have these problems. I am just wondering how offen this happens.

I really have no idea what the official stats are but my nurse told me this week that in all the bands they have done at the office she has only seen two slips ever and they are very rare.

We worry about things like erosion and slippage but what about comparing it to the stats for strokes from high blood pressure or heart attacks from high cholesterol or blindness or amputation from uncontrolled diabetes among the obese.

Medicine and surgery in general is based on "risk vs benefit" so yes there is some risk, but there is future risk without the surgery.

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to know the stats on slippage and erosions. Yes, you do have to weigh risk vs. benefit, but you can't truly do that unless you know the risk, can you?

What's really interesting to me is how few of us know the answer to these questions, but have the surgery anyway. (I include myself, because I intend to have the surgery as soon as I get insurance to clear it)

Oh absolutely I believe in asking questions related to complications, but often people don't weigh one thing against another.

Surgery is a big and frightening step. Being informed is key.

I'm fairly sure I've seen stats online. Try a search of "lap band complications"

My personal experience: I've had my band for nearly 5 years and had no problems until just recently. I somehow ended up with food poisoning that was serious enough to land me in the hospital for 5 days. I have slippage b/c of all of the vomiting with the food poisoning--but have never had a problem all these years until now.

I'll go in on Feb 27 to have the band replaced.

The band slippage does concern me, especially since I just finished up with a cold/flu with horrible uncontrollable coughing. Anyone have that and have the band be ok?

I wouldn't say this is the national percentage but I asked my surgeon when I went for my consult what the slippage percentage was and he said 5%. And they have never had one with the group I'm with.