Hi you supportive wonderful people out there. After almost two years of being on the outside I will soon be an insider being banded. Surgery scheduled for 12/2/08. I must be crazy but I have to be on the Optifast diet during Thanksgiving week! I figured if I made it for Jan. i'd have even that much more to lose. It's going so fast now ...

My mind is searching for the negatives now or dangers as is expected. The one thing I don't know about this band is what happens 20 years down the road. I will be 70 and will I have to have it removed? Don't want problems at that age. Justing wondering. I know obesity kills but our bodies get weaker and just wondering if there is a shelf life to the REALIZE band that anyone has every heard of? Or how long was it designed to last? Or I guess there's no studies yet....our 10 year lap banders will be paving the way to this knowledge?

Because gastric banding is so new there are no difinitive stats on how long it lasts. The Lap Band has only been used I believe since around 1994 and was only available in Europe at that time. It was approved in Canada in 2001 and the US in 2005.

The band is intended to last as long as we do but as you know in some cases people have had issues with slippage, leaking and erosion that can require repair, replacement or removal. There have been some improvements over the years both to the band and to how we are educated to avoid these issues. There is no way to tell whether you or I may have problems down the road. Your concerns are certainly warranted though. I struggled with the same concerns especially as the surgery neared.

Edited November 20, 200817 yr by Jodi_620

We had a rep from the Lap Band company speak at a support meeting. He said that a couple of revisions had repaired or improved all problems with their product. He said that the band should last forever:smile:

At the seminar early this week, someone asked the same question. The doctor mentioned a study that had been conducted recently where they removed the bands of people who'd had them for at least 8 years to see how they were holding up. He said the bands were in pristine condition and looked the same as the day they were put in. He said he can't say that they'll last forever, but considering the materials the bands are made out of, and the study that showed they were still fine, they have no reason to believe the bands won't last forever. He said it's like any other permanent implant.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Actually the lap band has been in play here in the USA since 2001, the realize band started clinical trials in 2003, if the web site I use is correct.

Logically, since it is really just "sitting' there (no strain like artificial joints, or a pacemaker, etc)...I can see how it would hold up a good long time as long as we don't vomit too much and get erosion or slippage; and even then it isn't really the "band" that fails, it just comes loose and irritates our stomachs.

I plan on having mine for life. I'm still glad that if for some reason down the road I MUST have it removed, I can; but it's not my plan!

Wow ..this is good news thanks guys!

My doctor stated that the FDA says it should last 10-years. That is the only info I have. Sorry.