I commend you on your research and hope you come to a decision you feel comfortable with.
As for me...I am approximately 1 & 1/2 months out of surgery. I have had 0 issues, problems, etc. (including no PBing, stuck, or probs with food). I have not experienced any nerve pain, port pain, etc. I never got the horrible gas in the shoulders after surgery like some got, mine stayed around the abdomen area & was not bad.
I have the Lap Band brand and my surgeon made that decision. I read lots of information before my surgery and talked with a fellow bander who gave me even more information. I feel like between my surgeon, his staff, my research, & the nutritionists, I had a great deal of knowledge going into this journey. This forum was amazing in letting me hear the good and the bad from people who already had the band.
I know I am not far in this journey and have a LONG way to go, but I am so much further than I was 2 years ago when I first began my documentation with insurance. I know there may be a time when a certain food may not agree with me or I may get stuck or sick or something, but when I imagine myself without the band getting bigger and bigger and missing out on things with my family, I'll gladly take a little potential inconvenience down the road.
I think one thing that has helped me is to track what I eat on my phone. I was successful with weight loss several years ago, but without the band to help curtail hunger, I slipped back into my old ways and regained all my weight plus. At least now, I have something to help keep me satisfied with less, plus a team of nurses, nutritionists, a surgeon, etc. to help keep me on track.
Good luck in your decision. I wish you the best.