Hi, Everyone;

I'll assume that some of my comments won't be all that popular here, but if you want honesty about the Lap band, I'll be happy to give you my point of view.

I have a Lap band. It was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life. I had it "installed" at one of the finest medical centers in the world, by a well-known surgeon.

It has almost killed me. And, I am entering the hospital on May 7th for a 4th and final surgery that MAY be fatal for me. The lap band will be removed, the big hole in my stomach that it may have created will be repaired (hopefully), and my colon will be opened up so that they can remove the Lap Band tube that burrowed it's way inside.

It's a long story, with lots of twists and turns.

My purpose for becoming a member here and sharing my story is to let potential Lap-Band recipients know that there is a "dark side" to the lap band. It should not be a quick or easy decision. It's only one option.

I hope my comments here will be taken seriously.

David

I watch that big medicine show and someone was having complications and they could not even find the band.

That's not the same thing because the band they had was nothing like our band. It was one of the very first ones done and the band technology and surgery technique is nothing like what we get today. It wasn't stitched in and I think it wasn't adjustable, either.

So, in 10 years, are we all going to have to have our bands replaced?

I think it's unlikely. Remember there is that study of patients with a band for 12 years. .... and those were older bands. I think if they can keep their bands for 12 years, then today's bands should last much longer.

The main problem I have with the band is that it does seem like the longer you have it, the greater your chance of having a slip. But that doesn't mean everyone will have their bands removed by the time they are 10 years old. The slip rate is higher than I'd like, but not that high.

My dr. said he thought in other countries they started banding people in the late 80's.

The very first adjustable band was placed in 1986. The band technology we have today was released in 1993 (Realize) and 1996 (Lap Band). Both bands have newer versions. The Lap-band AP system is a newer version of the original 1996 Lap-Band and there is a new Realize band too that isn't available in the US quite yet. (But due to be released this year??)

I do think we are guinea pigs. I think that the diet industry has been focused for so long in the wrong direction and they are just recently starting to understand what causes obesity and how to cure it. Bariatric surgery is one of the first treatments that actually works -- compared to diet and exercise which mostly doesn't.

Now that we have a way that mostly works, I think it will be possible to take that knowledge and get better and better at it. The new VBLOC device is an interesting direction. Right now it seems like weight loss isn't as good as with a band. (I think I read 20% of excess weight on average vs. 40+% with the band.) But it's much less invasive and maybe they can learn to make it work better. Also, even if it doesn't work for everybody, for some people it's exactly what they need and will work perfectly without many of the risks that other bariatric surgery has.

The person on Big Medicine, if we are both referrring to the same person ( female) had a Molina band.

wasa,

What is the sleeve? brandyII

.

My surgeon said that "they" (I always wonder who the hell those "they" people are!!) are working on a procedure using a scope down the throat with no incisions!

It's called Stomaphyx. It is being used currently to correct RNY complications where they've stretched their pouches. It is experimental for a WLS by itself. There are some wrinkles to iron out yet, but the prospect is looking very good. It's a very cool little tool, and it used with an EGD scope so no incisions!

My surgeon says there are many new options on the horizon in the Bariatric/Weight Loss Surgery arena. Many are still in trials. I think there will be lots of options for 'us' in the future. Maybe just in time for our bands to fail! LOL

~C

Happy Birthday Brandy---hope you have a wonderful day, and get to spend time with those you love, and have your day filled with things you enjoy!!!

My surgeon told my DH, my SIL and I , that the components of the band would outlive us all---my SIL and I were being banded. He said however, the big advantage of the band was the fact that it need not be permanent, if something better were to come along, we would be candidates for it, where as bypass patients likely would not.

My fill Dr. who is a surgeon as well, he just did not happen to do my surgery---was telling us about a new band that will be remote control adjusted, that is being worked on. Which would eliminate the port and tubing, and also fills, which minimalizes later onset infections.

You would not adjust your band---your Dr. would still do that, but with a special remote as opposed to the big needle! He said it would also allow all emergency rooms to be equipped with the remote to alleviate a too tight situation--OR there are thoughts it might be able to be controlled over the phone such as many pace makers are now.

With our bands being removable, and our insides intact, we will be able to change with the times as need be. Providing we properly care for ourselves now. If we allow an infection to build, and do not treat it, we risk permanent injury to our stomachs, as well as other organs that would make us ineligible for the advancements they will surely make over the next several decades.

I look forward to seeing the developements----and knowing that should ever any of my kids, or grandkids, have the obesity issues I did, that there will be newer, safer, helpful things out there for them!

I love hearing on here about young people taking charge of their lives now, not living out the next 20 years, suffering from low self esteem, and health issues related to obesity.

Kat

knottafatty4ev,

You are sooooo right about that. Fenphen, or whatever that was called was working so well when I had it for a month then the FDA came in and swiped it away from my pudgy little fingers!!!!!

I got the lap band because I had high hopes and thought it wasn't as drastic as gastric bypass but I think, unless after all my doctor appointments this week, if I can't get this thing working then I should have gotten the bypass.

I will be honest about something today, I actually tried "alli" to see if it would help me while on the band and work in case I did eat too much fat or sugar, it basically kept me from being constipated, which is a good thing but not worth the money! Didn't have those nasty side effects that people talk about like when they made potato chips with "olean" or whatever that fat substitute was.

Anyway I'm not bitching that I got the band because I made the choice out of desperation but I'm still not succeeding and still want to! brandyII. I hope this didn't sound like an off the wall ramble, lol.

Headhunter: You have been added to my blocked PM list of users. :thumbup:

All my love, Shortgal!

The OP has PM'd me AGAIN! Says I am ignorant but then asks if I want to "hear" his whole story, because he's willing to share with me.

why would he want to debate with someone he thinks is ignorant?

I think I already said in this thread that I am bored with his story, as it takes too long for him to tell it all and I've lost interest.

If he has a problem, I am sorry about that, but I can't do anything about it or help him with his problem, so why PM me?

I don't understand why he thinks people would want to debate with someone that's called them ignorant. That's the type of behavior I was talking about earlier. If he seriously wants to discuss something with people, he should stop insulting them and be freakin' polite! Honey vs. vinegar, and all that. :thumbup:

Kat,

Thanks, I'm with my dh and my (what's short for wonderful daughter) wd? Anywho thanks and I think that's a good point that you said about your surgeon saying that we could get the newer improved ones. I just wish my wd didn't have to go through something so drastic as the gastric bypass and there was something that they could come up with now, she's only 19 and it really breaks my heart but if she doesn't do it now she will only live in her emotional hell!

I have looked into that new band with the "remote control" I'm not an engineer obviously, but I can see some issues with that. Does it mean we're in complete control of our band fills per se? That would be weird to me, I don't know why but it would. Hey I had problems going from an electric typewriter to a computer but I did it, lol. Take care, brandyII.

Ok, I'm trying to get down forum lingo but what does OP stand for?

Speaking of "Big Medicine", the main reason I thought it was a safe option to get the lap band is because their own daughter/sister was given the lap band, I assume they did it. I saw the episode where she was living in OH and couldn't find someone to take out her fill correctly and they flew her to TX to do it themselves. You'd think they'd be able to locate a person for her to do her fills in OH for her! Anyway that had a big influence on me whether that was wrong or right it did, brandyII who is now older than possibly the next president of the US jeeeessss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When did I get so old?

I have stayed clear of all of the drama here on purpose as I did not want to get caught up in it and constently get email alerts on this. However, after going through the website, I found an interesting thread started by this OP in the "General Lap Band Surgery Discussion" area.

Take a look at it and see what you think. I decided I could not just sit here staying neutral. While not out and out calling him a liar/troll, he does seem to be starting threads to get reactions so he can "interview" all of us for his e-books. As I recall from the IM site that was brought up, he stated he wanted to do two books eventually. If nothing else, he is doing his interviewing on the cheap this way.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/what-your-moment-decision-59267/index2.html#post809810

I don't understand why he thinks people would want to debate with someone that's called them ignorant. That's the type of behavior I was talking about earlier. If he seriously wants to discuss something with people, he should stop insulting them and be freakin' polite! Honey vs. vinegar, and all that. :thumbup:

Also, if he is going to take the time to type his story into a PM, why not just do as we have been asking him to for days now and just post it here for all of us to read?

I have stayed clear of all of the drama here on purpose as I did not want to get caught up in it and constently get email alerts on this. However, after going through the website, I found an interesting thread started by this OP in the "General Lap Band Surgery Discussion" area.

Take a look at it and see what you think. I decided I could not just sit here staying neutral. While not out and out calling him a liar/troll, he does seem to be starting threads to get reactions so he can "interview" all of us for his e-books. As I recall from the IM site that was brought up, he stated he wanted to do two books eventually. If nothing else, he is doing his interviewing on the cheap this way.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/what-your-moment-decision-59267/index2.html#post809810

Yes, and that is not the only place the troll has been.

And one could think that he has not been back on this thread to finish his story because there is no story to tell, or at least one that is believable.

So instead has he left his own thread to troll the other ones?

He comes across as sweet and caring in some of the posts but the PM's to me are definitely a harsher tone and that is why I have blocked him on my PM list.

Brandy--OP is short for Original Poster--the one who started the thread.

Usually daughters are referred to same as husbands....

DH, DD ... Darling, Dear, Damned-----your mood, you decide-husband or Daughter, or DS for son.....you get the idea!!

There is a sticky on one of the threads, maybe the FAQ--not sure, but it has a list of all of the acronyms commonly used around here....anyone seen it lately???

Kat