hi one question

[Lenay 0]

im about to get my surgery do you all know why some people on this site have gotten their bands removed? and how long have most of yall had your bands

[Alexandra 55]

Hi Lenay,

Welcome to LBT!! You've asked two very big questions, and you'll be able to get the answers by poking around a bit and reading old threads. Pay careful attention to people's signatures--many will have their band dates in them as well as their weight-loss progress and/or other pertinent information.

Several people on LBT have had their bands removed, in most cases due to erosion. That's a situation where the band erodes through the stomach wall, essentially wearing a hole in the stomach. The only treatment for that condition is band removal. It's a known potential complication of ANY implanted device, and the statistics we've heard is that it happens to 1 - 3% of patients. There's no clear reason or cause.

There are other reasons to have the band removed, but since it's designed to be permanent this isn't a step anyone would take lightly.