Lap-Band longevity - to what age?

[KarenH 0]

I am scheduled to be banded on 1/25/08. Once I had a scheduled date I started to have severe anxiety. I have begun reading all the posts - especially the problem-oriented ones - which are not easing my anxious feelings any, but I want to know ALL the potential problems.

The one thing I do not see addressed here - and pardon me if I have overlooked something - but does anyone know how long one can be banded for? Are there any banded people out there in their 70's or 80's? As we get older we tend to have digestive issues anyway. Does the band pose additional issues, or does one just become "unbanded" or "unfilled" at a certain age. Has the band been around long enough for there to be an statistics on this? I will address this issue with my physician as well.

I still believe this is the most viable way for me to lose weight and keep it off. Like so many of us, I have tried everything else. I see the band as being the tool to keep me accountable.

Any facts or thoughts on this would be much appreciated. Karen

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I am scheduled to be banded on 1/25/08. Once I had a scheduled date I started to have severe anxiety. I have begun reading all the posts - especially the problem-oriented ones - which are not easing my anxious feelings any, but I want to know ALL the potential problems.

The one thing I do not see addressed here - and pardon me if I have overlooked something - but does anyone know how long one can be banded for? Are there any banded people out there in their 70's or 80's? As we get older we tend to have digestive issues anyway. Does the band pose additional issues, or does one just become "unbanded" or "unfilled" at a certain age. Has the band been around long enough for there to be an statistics on this? I will address this issue with my physician as well.

I still believe this is the most viable way for me to lose weight and keep it off. Like so many of us, I have tried everything else. I see the band as being the tool to keep me accountable.

Any facts or thoughts on this would be much appreciated. Karen

The truth is, nobody really knows.

Theoretically it should last forever. But nobody has had a band longer than 20 years or so and those people are few and far between. The honest answer is... hopefully things will be the same as they are today.

We are kind of test rats in an odd sort of... willing way. We all know going into this that we don't know what will happen 20+ years from now.

There are banded people in their 60s and 70s, but they have not been banded very long. I'm not sure the real concern here is if a senior can be banded, but will their unique issues be a big surprise if they were not banded as a senior.

[steph_co 9]

We are kind of test rats in an odd sort of... willing way. We all know going into this that we don't know what will happen 20+ years from now.

THAT is exactly what I realized when I asked my NP at my surgeon's office this same question. I didn't really like the answer given (which was pretty near word-for-word of what you said, Wasa), but decided that for me - I'll take the risk. I wanted it bad enough. I have a LONG way to go with this band...I can just keep hoping it sticks with me for life. :cry

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

THAT is exactly what I realized when I asked my NP at my surgeon's office this same question. I didn't really like the answer given (which was pretty near word-for-word of what you said, Wasa), but decided that for me - I'll take the risk. I wanted it bad enough. I have a LONG way to go with this band...I can just keep hoping it sticks with me for life. :cry

Well, for ANY new drug or procedure someone has to be the human lab rat. We are it.

[KarenH 0]

I had a feeling that your answers were what I should anticipate. My concern is being banded at age 70 or 80 and the band causing additional digestive issues. I will just keep in mind that one of the beauties of banding is that it is removable at any age. Thank you all for your responses. I am nervous and excited!!! Have a great holiday!!

[BRANDYK 0]

It's normal to be nervous, I was freaking out before I was banded, now I look back and I'm so happy I did it, you will be too.

[shortgal 5]

Not that's she a senior citizen yet, but I've read that Sharon Osbourne had her band removed. I suspect it might have been because of the colon cancer she was being treated for.

But that's one of the things I like about the band, the option is there to remove it if necessary because of some other medical condition down the road.

Unfortunately, like the others have said, the band has just not been around long enough for us to know. I'm sure they ( the docs and manufacturers) will keep making mprovements to the bands based on OUR experiences with it.

Godd Luck to you.

[GayleTX 1]

Pre surgery, I had visions of lying inthe nursing home trying to explain having a band to some overworked nurse's aide and why I could eat that dry pork roast she was trying to shovel down me. But then I realized that if I didn't have surgery and lose weight, I'd be in the nursing home a lot sooner and that same aide would be completely ignoring me because I'd be too fat for her to lift or change my Depends. So I opted for getting the band. Easy decision.

[gkeyt 0]

A lot of us wouldn't make it to our 70s or 80s without losing a lot of weight. And the malabsorptive procedures do weird things down the road...I've taken care of people with RNYs from 10 or 20 years previous who had their intestines disintegrate, or whose stomachs pretty much fell apart. No one knows how the band will do when we are in our later years, but I take that risk over knowing the long term effects of malabsorption.