fabfatgrl

I'd get flamed beyond belief if I posted that in the general forums. :eek: But having said that, you may have completely different results...and I hope you do. I think that the Band works as promised for maybe 1/3 of patients. It works OK, but maybe not great for another 1/3. (These people lose some weight, but may still be MO or obese... or they lose weight but have to live with an amazingly bad quality of life in terms of food intolerances, reflux, etc. And for the final 1/3, it sucks. But that's just my opinion. I'm in the middle category, BTW.

The Sleeve is not a bypass because no intestines are bypassed. The risk of leaks are about 1%. Bands can be deadly, too. VSG has the same operative risk profile as the Band which is why it was first conceived as an operation for super MO patients who were too large to undergo other WLS safely.

Actually, WBB... sleeves are often cheaper than Bands as the surgeon does not have to pay for the medical device. Most surgeons charge about the same for both (surgeons that do both, of course)... but really, there isn't a $3,000 difference. Also, people's financial situations change. I've been Banded for six years now. My Band cost $10,000 back in 2001... plus airfare. Fills were $650 a shot back then plus airfare... now I pay $350/fill or unfill. My financial situation is different being a stay-at-home Mom vs. a single professional person. I honestly never expected to be still paying for fills and unfills six years later. I had assumed one would find the sweet spot and that would be that. But since I've been Banded, they've learned that our Bands naturally lose some fill over time. Not a lot, but enough to get out of one's sweet spot. Fills and unfills are likely a part of one's life long term. Wow, what an insulting comment and an ignorant one as well. Do you really think that every person who does not lose all the weight did not really want to? Gee... why did you even have weight loss surgery when if you had really wanted to, you could have just stuck to a diet. People do not lose all of their weight for a wide variety of reasons including Band issues... such as needing unfills due to GERD or slippage. It's not just a matter of willpower. If it were, none of us would have ever gotten WLS. I never said it would be. I said it was right for me at the time. However, my Band has not worked as advertised since my first pregnancy. Am I glad that I did not have to worry about how my weight loss surgery would affect my pregnancy? Definitely. But, there are plenty of women who have healthy pregnancies with other weight loss surgeries... even the DS. So, it really is a personal choice.

I'd love to see a separate board for long-time Bandsters... maybe 3 or 4 years or more out? I realize that usually the people on boards are newbies.. but it would be nice to have other long timers to chat with.

Gastric Bypass Lowers Risk of Death - TIME So in the well publicized studies on how weight loss surgery increases life expectency... one thing caught my eye: "...after 10 years, bypass patients had maintained a 25% weight loss, compared to a 16% loss in patients who had stomach stapling, and 14% in those who underwent a banding procedure" That sucks!

Usually, slips or erosions would be eliminated from any study. As this appeared in a peer-reviewed journal, I have to believe that was the case. I understand trying to be positive... especially as many of you are recently Banded. But, I want to point out that even if these stats are true, it still makes the Band a very powerful weight loss tool. If you can maintain any weight loss long-term, you're better off that you were without the Band. This study shows that the people kept off 70% of what their maximum loss. That's very impressive over 10 years. If you assume that with the better Bands, operative technique, and even after care you may lose more, then you'll be keeping off a lot more as well.

RNYers suffer from regain and head hunger, too. Just go to an WLS Graduates boards and look at all of the RNYers posting about regain. Some end up even larger than they were before surgery. Regain after the honeymoon period is not a phenomenon unique to the Band. You hear RNYers saying..."Oh...I should have had the DS." I've always had to count points and exercise to achieve weight loss with the Band. But the gigantic difference is that I can do this with my BAnd.... I can stick to my points range... where before Banding, I was starving. Don't worry, you're not alone

I hear what you're saying re: operative technique. But, I thought that only affected slippage and erosion... not weight loss. Here's a 12 year study out from Favretti & Co. I know Favretti was one of the Lap-Band pioneers... my doctor trained with him in 97, I think. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in 1,791 c...[Obes Surg. 2007] - PubMed Result This study examines 1,791 consecutive laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures with up to 12 years follow-up. Long-term results of LAGB with a high follow-up rate are not common. METHODS: Between September 1993 and December 2005, 1,791 consecutive patients (75.1% women, mean age 38.7 years, mean weight 127.7 +/- 24 kg, mean BMI 46.2 +/- 7.7) underwent LAGB by the same surgical team. Perigastric dissection was used in 77.8% of the patients, while subsequently pars flaccida was used in 21.5% and a mixed approach in 0.8%. Data were analyzed according to co-morbidities, conversion, short- and long-term complications and weight loss. Fluoroscopy-guided band adjustments were performed and patients received intensive follow-up. The effects of LAGB on life expectancy were measured in a case/control study involving 821 surgically-treated patients versus 821 treated by medical therapy. RESULTS: Most common baseline co-morbidities (%) were hypertension (35.6), osteoarthritis (57.8), diabetes (22), dyslipidemia (27.1), sleep apnea syndrome (31.4), depression (21.2), sweet eating (22.5) and binge eating (18.5). Conversion to open was 1.7%: due to technical difficulties (1.2) and due to intraoperative complications (0.5). Together with the re-positioning of the band, additional surgery was performed in 11.9% of the patients: hiatal hernia repair (2.4), cholecystectomy (7.8) and other procedures (1.7). There was no mortality. Reoperation was required in 106 patients (5.9%): band removal 55 (3.7%), band repositioning 50 (2.7 %), and other 1 (0.05 %). Port-related complications occurred in 200 patients (11.2%). 41 patients (2.3%) underwent further surgery due to unsatisfactory results: removal of the band in 12 (0.7%), biliopancreatic diversion in 5 (0.27%) and a biliopancreatic diversion with gastric preservation ("bandinaro") in 24 (1.3%). Weight in kg was 103.7 +/- 21.6, 102.5 +/- 22.5, 105.0 +/- 23.6, 106.8 +/- 24.3, 103.3 +/- 26.2 and 101.4 +/- 27.1 at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 years after LAGB. BMI at the same intervals was 37.7 +/- 7.1, 37.2 +/- 7.2, 38.1 +/- 7.6, 38.5 +/- 7.9, 37.5 +/- 8.5 and 37.7 +/- 9.1. The case/control study found a statistically significant difference in survival in favor of the surgically-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: LAGB can achieve effective, safe and stable long-term weight loss. In experienced hands, the complication rate is low. Follow-up is paramount. PMID: 17476867 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] So, on average, people were maintaining a 26 kg weight loss 11 years out... or about 58 pounds. That seems to be on par with the Swedish results, actually. And hey, I've maintained that much off for four years with no fills (well, short lived fills )... and prior to Banding, the most I'd lost was 21 pounds and I maintained that for less than two weeks. My surgeon used the pars flaccida approach.. back in June 2001.

As somebody who has been banded for 6 years, and has friends who were Banded in the Trials, I have to disagree. I think that the statistics sound very true to me. If you look at a previous post of mine, this means that a 300 pound person managed to lose 60 pounds and keep off 70% of that over the course of 10 years. That's not too shabby, actually. Remember, averages for the Band are in the 50-60% of EWL at 1-2 years. So, a 300 pound person, probably needs to lose 120-130 pounds. That would put them at losing 60-70 pounds... and hopefully, if they kept off 70% of that for 10 years they'd be doing very well. Most long-term Bandsters that I know end up with reflux issues and such that causes them to have small unfills and such. So, a small regain is not unusual.

I gained 26 pounds with my last pregnancy... completely unfilled. Today, I am 7 weeks post-partum and have lost 28 pounds... without dieting, a fill, or any effort. Just wanted to let you all know that... don't freak out too much about the unfill factor.

They were all adjustable bands... those are the only kind that Bioenterics and Obtech made. Non-adjustable Bands are only associated with the VBG. Those were in a separate category (that sadly did slightly better than adjustable Bands). From the History of the Lap Band Page (1st link): June 1986 First use of open adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) September 1993 First laparoscopic adjustable gastric band used in Europe

They are adjustable bands. They have the non-adjustable Band, VBG, as a separate category.

BTW, here's the abstract of the article. I'm not a subscriber, so I can't access the full article... but maybe Dr. Curry or somebody else will post it in the news section. NEJM -- Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Mortality in Swedish Obese Subjects "Results The average weight change in control subjects was less than ±2% during the period of up to 15 years during which weights were recorded. Maximum weight losses in the surgical subgroups were observed after 1 to 2 years: gastric bypass, 32%; vertical-banded gastroplasty, 25%; and banding, 20%. After 10 years, the weight losses from baseline were stabilized at 25%, 16%, and 14%, respectively. There were 129 deaths in the control group and 101 deaths in the surgery group. The unadjusted overall hazard ratio was 0.76 in the surgery group (P=0.04), as compared with the control group, and the hazard ratio adjusted for sex, age, and risk factors was 0.71 (P=0.01). The most common causes of death were myocardial infarction (control group, 25 subjects; surgery group, 13 subjects) and cancer (control group,..." So if one assumes that a person weighed 300 pounds at the beginning, after 1-2 years, they would have lost: 96 pounds with a RNY 75 pounds with a VBG 60 pounds with a Lap-Band/SAGB After 10-15 years, they still would have kept off: 75 pounds with an RNY (Kept off 78% of their original weight loss) 48 pounds with a VBG (Kept off 64% of their original weight loss) 42 pounds with the Lap-Band or Swedish Band (Kept off 70% of their original weight loss) That actually seems quite realistic/reasonable. On a positive note, if you lose 100 pounds, you have a good chance of keeping off at least 70 of those pounds long-term. A hell of a lot better than any diet offers!

That's not true. The first Lap-Band (Bioenterics...which was bought by Inamed... which was bought by Allergan) was in use in Europe in 1994. The Obtech Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band was in use in the '80s. Both were adjustable... and were adjusted regularly. Doesn't talk specifically about Obtech, but... LAP-BAND® - ALB History Broader history: Adjustable gastric band - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you're planning to have your VSG at the same time as your Band removal, you probably want to allow a week off. If you're just having the Band out, then a day or two should be fine. (Although I'd schedule surgery for Wednesday or Thursday, take the rest of the week off + have the weekend to recover.)

Run, don't walk, away from that surgeon. It's pretty easy to get a list of the FDA trial docs and check out his story. I'd actually wonder if he wasn't planning on doing an old-fashioned, useless, high complication rate VBG on her.

The study was pretty extensive: "The second study, led by researchers at Gothenburg University in Sweden, involved 4,047 obese volunteers, 2,010 who underwent some form of bariatric surgery and 2,037 who received conventional obesity treatment, including lifestyle intervention, behavior modification or no treatment at all. Ten years after surgery, researchers report, the bariatric surgery patients had lost more weight and had a 24% lower risk of death than the comparison group. Though the overall number of subjects in this study is much smaller than the first, the results confirm general benefits of bariatric surgery, and gastric bypass in particular: after 10 years, bypass patients had maintained a 25% weight loss, compared to a 16% loss in patients who had stomach stapling, and 14% in those who underwent a banding procedure." Of the long-term Bandster studies, I don't know of any that have looked at that many patients. I think Weiner in Germany had one that looked at 900 patients... but I don't know how many were still Banded at 8 years. I'm going to try and find a copy of the real Swedish study. Remember, Banding began in Sweden back in 1985 with the first adjustable gastric band developed by Obtech. The Swedes have much more experience than Americans with regards to Banding. 14% does seem very low, to me. But, perhaps they average in the weight of those who had their Bands removed as well. If the typical average Bandster loses between 50-60% of Excess Weight, then I would think at 10 years they would be at least around the 30% mark. But hey, what do I know? :confused: As for the person who met Bandsters seven years out who were all at goal... I find that fascinating... as I am over 6 years out. Those would be FDA-trial Bandsters.... and a lot of them had a lot of problems as US doctors weren't very good at follow-up for the Band at the time.

Both groups are supposed to chew their food very well. Bandsters face food getting stuck or possibly PBing (regurgitating the food, not quite like vomiting). RNYers can also have food get suck in their stoma, which can be much more serious than a Bandster getting food stuck. It may require endoscopy to fix. For a Bandster, in the worst case, a doctor could do an unfill... which is a painless, 2 second, outpatient procedure. I think both surgeries have their advantages and disadvantages... and you need to decide which will work for you. With the RNY, you will need to be vigilant with Vitamin supplements--as you are bypassing a portion of your duodenum that absorbs some of these Vitamins. You risk anemia and osteoporosis. Bandsters do not have the vitamin issues, but in general, we don't lose as much as RNYers at first. Some studies show that weight loss between the two groups is about equal at 5 years. A lot of Bandsters find as they get more restricted, there are certain foods they cannot tolerate anymore... bread and Pasta are common ones, as well as big hunks of steak. I'm not sure about RNY food intolerances. RNYers talk about dumping as a good thing as it keeps them from eating sweets. But many stop dumping after a year or so... and then it's up to them. With the Band, you have gradual restriction... and slow and steady weightloss. Many prefer this as it leads to less skin issues... as well as a more normal weight loss appearance to others. People aren't necessarily going to know you have had surgery unless you tell them. The reason I didn't get an RNY was because of the bathroom issues. I have IBS, adn couldn't risk that. Go to an RNY board (try ObesityHelp) and ask them why. Also go to the complications boards... and revision boards. That should help you get a good picture of both surgeries. Oh, I'd also add the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy to surgeries you are investigating. Good luck. :confused:

This isn't a US study, but a Swedish study. The Band has been done there for ten years. This is not the VBG. :confused: Does this refer to the Swedish Band (Obtech, now JNJ)... could be. Still, it works very similar to the Inamed/Allergan Band. The study itself is not ten years old, but looked at people over a ten year period. I'm really surprised by the Banding figure. That means that people who were Banded and needed to lose 100 pounds, only kept off 14 pounds by the end of 10 years. RNYers didn't do much better, to be honest... with 25 pounds off. The VBG group (most likely the stomach stapling) kept off 16 pounds.

If you can't afford fills, then the Band is a waste of money. Look at a set-and-forget it surgery like the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. If you can afford fills, then the Band might work for you. But I think you also need to be realistic. Statistics show that it is unlikely that you will lose 100% of your excess weight... with the Band or any other WLS. Some do... and keep it off forever. Some do... and then regain as time goes on... perhaps the only way they lose was too be super restricted... and some never do. The great thing about the Band is that 1) it's adjustable... both for more restriction or less. No other weight loss surgery offers that. I would ask you why are you choosing the Band over any other WLS. Knowing your own reasons may tell you if it is worth it for you. The Band was totally worth it for me at the time... however, if I was making a surgery decision today, I'm not sure I would choose it. I, too, have met too many people with eroded and slipped bands. My Band has had problems with being refilled after my pregnancies... and I'm now finding that I am not alone in this problem. I'm still trying to fix it, though... am going to see yet another new surgeon for my latest fill.

I was Banded in 2001 (in Mexico, one week after FDA approval). I was friends with people Banded earlier... and knew one girl from New Zealand who was two years out when I was Banded. Sadly, she ended up converting to an RNY (well, not sad for her)... after she had two slips.

Hi All: I've gone through three pregnancies Banded... so if you have any questions, let me know. In general, I was unfilled for all three. With my last pregnancy, we talked about possibly adding a small fill in the third trimester, but didn't. Good news is that with each pregnancy, I've dropped 20-25 pounds within 3-4 weeks of giving birth, without effort. Band/port has never affected my labor. All were vaginal births. Even with complete unfills, I still PB a few time each pregnancy due to whacko pregnancy hormones. Can also experience this after birth. Good luck all of you pregnant mamas. I started the Pregnant Bandsters Yahoo Group years ago, but am getting ready to close it as I don't have time to moderate it. If anybody's interested in being a co-moderator, let me know. Karla

Has anybody tried this? Rxchefs.com? It's by the same group that does the Zone Diet and ChefsDiet. Basically, they send you three premade, frozen meals designed for bariatric patients... around 900 kcal/day.

Maybe they think that everybody spends $40/day like Rachel Ray? We spend about $100-$125/week for a family of five (although the youngest isn't eating anything yet.) If I was to do something like this, it would almost double my weekly food budget, because I'd still have to cook the normal meals for my family. OK...so if this isn't the solution, when are they going to invent the Jetsons food-a-rac-a-cycle?

I always took my meds before my meals with a little Water. Honestly, I usually allowed myself as much water as I wanted prior to beginning my meal... rather than following the no drinking before/after rule. No drinking after made sense to me... but not before. If you're not as liberal as me, then I'd take it prior to your meals with as little water as possible (like a dixie cup full). :mad: