Sara,

I went to this web site(http://all-about-lapband.com/problems/failure.html) and this is what I found. But remember that unless you read a true medical study it is only the opinion of a lay person. Lap band was my choice because it seemed less invasive than the alternatives of gastric bypass or gastric sleeve. If you are really concerned over the erosion factor or failure discuss this with your surgeon, no physician wants his patients to go into a procedure with a lot of doubt and concerns. I guess in my OPINION, the benefits out weighed the risks. Anytime a human has something foreign implanted into their body there is a risk of failure and complications, but we all know and there are plenty of studies to support this. Obesity kill! The complications that come along with being overweight far out way the complications of the lap band. The band and any weight loss surgery is a personal choice and remember everyone will have an opinion but also remember we are each individual and how our bodies respond is individual. Good luck with your decision and good luck with your weight loss. The band was my choice and I have no regrets, yes some days it is tuff but I would rather have my ups and down with my band than to continue to be overweight. Talk to your surgeon, when I had surgery I was more concerned with his complicatons rates than lap band failure. Remember please these are only my opinions and have no scientific backing.

Lap Band Failure

Are you looking for information on lap band surgery failure rates and long term success rates?

Lap Band surgery has only been in existence a relatively short time, approximately 10 years. Initial results with lap band were very positive with respect to weight loss and morbidity. Not many long term studies have been done. Here are the results on one eight year study. The study defines failure as losing less than 25% of excess weight. Average age of the patients was 38 years and included 50 men and 270 women.

ComplicationPercent affectedGeneral Complications33.1%

Erosion9.5%Slippage6.3%Port Problems7.6%Thirty three percent, fully one third of all patients developed complications such as erosion, slippage, catheter or port problems. Twenty two percent of the patients required reoperation to fix failures of the lap band.

Now for the disheartening results, only about 60% of those banded that don't have major complications maintain an acceptable excess weight loss in the long run. That means of those without complications only 4 in 10 are going to be successful. Did your doctor tell you that? Did youask him?

In five years 40% of lap bands fail and only 43% have lost 50% of excess weight after seven years. The study concludes that LGB (Laporoscopic Gastric Band) should no longer be the surgery of choice until they figure out a way to either screen out those that have complications or eliminate the complications. The study indicates other longer lasting procedures should be used.

If you would like to read more about the study, here it is.

A reader writes regarding this study...

OK, as somebody who has been banded 6+ years, I have to say that at least 60% of the people I know who were Banded around the time I was Banded or soon after no longer have their Bands. I know that if I post something like this in the General forums... I get a lot of hands over eyes and mouth saying "no no no ... that can't be true..." because most newly Banded people do not want to hear this. I can't find any concrete statistics from Inamed/Allergan.. nor do I think they keep them (or want to keep them)... but I did find this study: lap band faiulres. Lap band is the better choice in my OPIONION hands down. Good luck with your surgery.

http://all-about-lapband.com/problems/failure.html

Thank you very much! I still think lapband is the best of the bariatric surgeries...It just scares me that 1/3 of all people that get lapband are going to have a problem. And I know that it's not been out long enough to have real concrete evidence. All I can do is hope and pray that I am not one of those people.

it's truely more then 1/3 but doctors won't tell you that, and you should also check with your insurance company if insurance is covering your surgery their policy if something happens to your band.

I have had my band for 6 years and have several problems, lost weight only by throwing everything up all the time, gained back most of my weight, only to have my band slip up around my esphigus their wasn't even stomach in it...wanted to have sleeve done, only to find out that my insurance company had a policy that states 1 weight loss surgery per person per lifetime, they didn't care that my band failed me all this time. I had my band removed Saturday 7/27 and I can say this so far I feel amazing, and I can also say that I'm going to take what I know and have learned to do this on my own...I'm still part of the surgical group that did my band which means I can still see the dietician, the exercise specialist, all the nurses, and even the doctors for help.

Just before you make a commitment to have surgery check with your insurance company and their policies is all I can say.