Hi

I just saw a very worrying video with a doctor who says the band is losing popularity in Europe and the reason for it is very high long-term failure rates. Is there anyone on this forum who has had their band for 5-10 years? I'm worried and would like to know if you've had complications.

Here's the video:

[ame=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3935926914857694794]The Failed Lap Band: 10 Years Later[/ame]

This doesn't sound very good. I hope that with band manufacturing innovations, we won't have such problems. It's still scary though to think about all this money I've paid to lose my weight might have been a mistake if I develop complications years later and have to have the band removed. Frightening thought.

kinda scary

This all sounds true to me. You have to look at it like this, it has taken 10 years to figure out how to "install" the band and figure out how to take care of the band once installed. The first people to have it done and the first doctor's to perform the surgery had no idea what they were getting into. Now, we have all the research and studies to help our surgeons do the job correctly and for us to take care of our bands. Do you think the first 100 people who had the band knew how often to get a fill or an unfill, do you think they knew what the pain in their shoulder or chest was? No way, it was all new and no research had been done. In essence, Europe and other countires were the "guinea" pigs. I have faith in my surgeon but, there are not too many people on here that have had the band 5 + years. This doctor in the video may only do RNY so of course he is going to "knock" the band and try and scare people from getting the band, he is losing business.

Is this that dude that's all over youtube who only spouts vile negativity about the band? I think it is. This guy seems to have some ax to grind, as far as the band goes. Seems strange to me that when you research it, he pops up over and over.

AudricIan, I agree with you. I just did some research on the doc's website and yes, he only does RNY or the mini-RNY. As I said in my previous post, the band has come a long way in 10 years just from making the band. Through research, Allergan and J&J already know what type of material to use to reduce the possibility of erosion, fill rates, symptoms to look out for, etc, etc, etc. Europeans were the guinea pigs, unfortunately, so they probably will have more problems.

I have not watched the video, but I am not worried about it. I gained my weight from having 7 kids and I'm not having anymore kids, so I feel good that I can keep it off once it's gone! :biggrin:

The major problem with this video is that it is being presented by Dr. Robert Rutledge. Dr. Rutledge lost his license to practice in Florida and California. He now operates a clinic in Las Vegas. He does a procedure called a mini gastric bypass that NO insurance companies will cover. It is a dangerous procedure with significant mortality rates. He has nothing good to say about Lap Band or Gastric bypass (RNY). He is dangerous!

Having provided that background, I will say that we don't have a lot of data yet on the lapband but somehow I doubt that the FDA and well-educated and trained doctors would be condoining and doing lap band if research is showing negative outcomes. The FDA in particular has a lot at stake and they are pretty good at following up; same with the National Institutes of Health.

You have to be careful what you believe and always make certain the source is creditable.