I have been doing research on the LB and was pretty set on doing it, but then I came across this and am having second thoughts. What is your opinion on this?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVYXk_ZPis8]YouTube - The Failed Lap Band:10 Years Later[/ame]

While listening to this video, I wonder where the research (that he cited) came from; often when your talking through your hat you don't the give details needed to verify your information. He did give the researches names however. But there is good research and there is poor research - I wonder who he is quoting.

I'm going to do some of my own investigating - I'll let you know what I discover. As far as I know, there have been no big problems with the band in Europe - but I can't give you a source for my information either - so I'll find out!

Did you email this Dr. Rudlege person?

MollyA

Reading some of the comments below the video, I'm not sure why people consider a slipped band a 'failure'... all it is is a complication that has to be fixed.

I dunno. I've recently started having reflux issues, which is likely a sign of having a slipped band, and I still don't regret having to get it done. If it needs to be surgically fixed, I'll probably asked to have a newer band, just because the technology gets better as time goes on.

Hi,

I spent a couple of hours researching information from Europe and the outcome of lap band surgeries. I found several articles in reputible journals that reported 10 year retrospective data indicating gastric banding and gastric bypass had reduced death rates from heart disease and other side effects of obesity. The benefits outweighted the risks of the surgery. The journals included the British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine and a few others.

I also checked the references in these articles - I found no acticles published by the 2 names that were mentioned in this video. All of the reference lists included more than 20 names. I also searched in GoogleUK the two researchers and found no information.

I also checked the web site listed at the end of the video. Dr. Rutledge, who is in the video, does another type of weight loss surgery. He would benefit from any doubts about gastric banding surgery.

These are the facts as I found them. Interpret them as you will.

The data from Australia where it has been done for more than 10 years now, is mainly positive. Overall its an effective surgery with long lasting results.

If the doctor doing the video didn't have his own agenda in advertising himself to perform your MGB, I might be more inclined to believe him.

Besides that, I'd like to know what Mr Expert would recommend for those of us that didn't qualify for GBP? My BMI was not high enough. Would it have been a good idea to have gained more weight just so I could qualify? LapBand gave me hope to be able to do something more permanent than yo-yo dieting.

I knew going into this that it might not last my whole life. But in the 10 years that apparently he is giving me for my band to fail, hopefully my habits will have changed enough that I won't be able to eat myself to death like I was working towards before.

Besides that, why does he not mention any failure rates and complications for GBP? There are plenty out there. The possibility of dying on the operating table from GBP is higher than LB. Also - there is a greater possibility of regaining with GBP. The pouch can stretch. With the band, you can go back for adjustments.

I could get hit by a car tomorrow...I better never leave the house so I'm safe.

This doctor has been brought up many many times before. Search him name and you'll find lots of posts.

In short, he has an agenda to disparage the lapband so that patients will get the mini gastric bypass from him. It should be noted that this is a procedure that is not well-regarded amongst bariatric surgeons. In fact, I think you'll even find a post from a surgeon somewhere around here that talks about that fact.

Anyone that advertises on youtube and has such an incredibly awful website should give you a pretty good indication of what he's all about. Oh, BTW, the 'studies' that he references are not at all comprehensive and are extremely limited in their scope.

Another thing that I thought was interesting, is that he posted comments to his own video with copies of the polls from THIS website as reference as well, although I didn't find the poll results to be that disheartening...

Such silly stuff, the band has evolved and slip rate is down with the new procedures. And it'll only get better. I would still be crippled if it weren't for the band. I'm young and getting younger by the minute, there's always an agenda with those negative band videos. It's one thing for a failed lap-band patient to do a video. I can't knock them, if they had a horrible experience and it didn't work for them (and it happens), then they need a platform to vent their frustration. I understand that. But a doctor saying these things is blatently ignorant, and trying to support a cause.. perhaps to get the more expensive surgeries to feed their pockets, or perhaps so that their statistics look better, and they aren't reprimanded for not wanting to perform the surgery that takes longer to lose the weight and mess up their personal statistics. Either way, it's bad practice.

Steph, thank you. I was on line till deep hours of the night last night researching and I couldn't say what you said better myself. Thank you.

If the doctor doing the video didn't have his own agenda in advertising himself to perform your MGB, I might be more inclined to believe him.

Besides that, I'd like to know what Mr Expert would recommend for those of us that didn't qualify for GBP? My BMI was not high enough. Would it have been a good idea to have gained more weight just so I could qualify? LapBand gave me hope to be able to do something more permanent than yo-yo dieting.

I knew going into this that it might not last my whole life. But in the 10 years that apparently he is giving me for my band to fail, hopefully my habits will have changed enough that I won't be able to eat myself to death like I was working towards before.

Besides that, why does he not mention any failure rates and complications for GBP? There are plenty out there. The possibility of dying on the operating table from GBP is higher than LB. Also - there is a greater possibility of regaining with GBP. The pouch can stretch. With the band, you can go back for adjustments.

I could get hit by a car tomorrow...I better never leave the house so I'm safe.

Hey Sarah,

Do you think they will charge you as much to fix this compliation if it happens?

Reading some of the comments below the video, I'm not sure why people consider a slipped band a 'failure'... all it is is a complication that has to be fixed.

I dunno. I've recently started having reflux issues, which is likely a sign of having a slipped band, and I still don't regret having to get it done. If it needs to be surgically fixed, I'll probably asked to have a newer band, just because the technology gets better as time goes on.