I had the Lap Band surgery in April 2009 and the first year I was successful and lost 67 pounds of the 90 pounds I needed to loose. After the first year I started having problems with the fill, either too much or too little. In 2011 all the Fluid was removed because I could not even drink Water. I have since gained all but 20 pounds back and have a problem with the empty band. It has prolapsed and will be removed on Monday, December 7, 2015. I too was not told this was a temporary fix and would never recommend this surgery to anyone. I have a friend who constantly has to get changes to her fills and has not been able to maintain her initial weight loss.
I am having surgery to remove the band on Monday December 7, 2015 and will be contemplating the sleeve. I am 66 years old and would like to know if anyone on this forum has had the sleeve surgery with few complications?