The longer term the band use, the more likely the complications?

PamFP · December 28, 2008

I have been reading these postings for a long time & certain trends have emerged.

1. Complications frequently begin to occur around one year out.

2. By far the most common of these complications is non-acid reflux and the night-coughing that goes with it. Second is acid indigestion, but an acid blocker usually can control that. I've read several times that it seems those who didn't have acid reflux befoe the band have it after, and those who did have it before don't have it after. I don't know if this is true. I didn't have it before & control it now with Prilosec.

3. As time goes by many people have the band removed due to complications.

4. Long lasting problems after removal seem pretty rare.

I began having the problems described in #2 about 13 months after being banded (banded 1/15/07) . These symtoms came as a surprise to me & I found them frightening. After a few weeks of waiting to see if they would go away, I returned to my doctor who said I had a slip & completely unfilled the band. My symtoms vanished with the unfill. I waited 4 months to get refilled. At that time the doctor said the band was in an acceptable position, though not perfect. He also noted that my esophagus was a little stretched & suggested a few days of liquid to help shrink it some. I had 2.2 in a 4cc band before the unfill, but only got 1.2 on the refill. It's enough. After about a month the problems I had before returned, but this time I have a different approach.

You see in the four months without the band, though I tried to keep to Weight Watchers, I gained 8 pounds. I am at present down by 65 pounds with only about 15 to go, and I want to keep my band, if possible. I do the best I can to manage the side-effects. If I sleep proped up & don't eat for 4 hours before bedtime, I'm usually okay. I also try to be careful not to eat "trouble foods" (stringy,gummy) & to chew really well. If something gets stuck & the band sight becomes irritated, I go to liquids & mushies for a day or so. A lot of my life revolves around babying my band, but you know what ... it's worth it when I look in the mirror.

My general doctor in LA (I had my surgery in Mexico) said none of the complications were a problem as long as I was willing to deal with them & keep vigulent as to how severe they become. She said it's probably the stretched esophagus that causes any food that hasn't passed into the stomach to come back up when you lie down.

I expect I will have the band unfilled again up the line, and hopefully will get it refilled again later. This is what I aim for.

Does my experience resonate with any other long term bandsters?

lapbandtalker · December 29, 2008

Sounds like LCD tvs...I'm looking to buy one but so many consumers have problems a year out....

anyways, I am concerned - in the back of my mind, that something will go wrong...some sort of complication. But I made the decision when I went into this that this is a one shot deal. Any complication that needed doctors care/procedure - I'd just have the band removed.

I'm self pay and just can't afford out of pocket expenses for things to go wrong, and maybe go wrong again.

But I am over a year out and have no problems...yet. Right now I'm working really hard at getting a good, sound nutritional behavior going...so if something does happen I'll at least be on the right track.

Sounds like your general doctor is a good resource for you.

WASaBubbleButt · December 29, 2008

I have been reading these postings for a long time & certain trends have emerged.
1. Complications frequently begin to occur around one year out.

2. By far the most common of these complications is non-acid reflux and the night-coughing that goes with it. Second is acid indigestion, but an acid blocker usually can control that. I've read several times that it seems those who didn't have acid reflux befoe the band have it after, and those who did have it before don't have it after. I don't know if this is true. I didn't have it before & control it now with Prilosec.

3. As time goes by many people have the band removed due to complications.

4. Long lasting problems after removal seem pretty rare.

I began having the problems described in #2 about 13 months after being banded (banded 1/15/07) . These symtoms came as a surprise to me & I found them frightening. After a few weeks of waiting to see if they would go away, I returned to my doctor who said I had a slip & completely unfilled the band. My symtoms vanished with the unfill. I waited 4 months to get refilled. At that time the doctor said the band was in an acceptable position, though not perfect. He also noted that my esophagus was a little stretched & suggested a few days of liquid to help shrink it some. I had 2.2 in a 4cc band before the unfill, but only got 1.2 on the refill. It's enough. After about a month the problems I had before returned, but this time I have a different approach.

You see in the four months without the band, though I tried to keep to Weight Watchers, I gained 8 pounds. I am at present down by 65 pounds with only about 15 to go, and I want to keep my band, if possible. I do the best I can to manage the side-effects. If I sleep proped up & don't eat for 4 hours before bedtime, I'm usually okay. I also try to be careful not to eat "trouble foods" (stringy,gummy) & to chew really well. If something gets stuck & the band sight becomes irritated, I go to liquids & mushies for a day or so. A lot of my life revolves around babying my band, but you know what ... it's worth it when I look in the mirror.

My general doctor in LA (I had my surgery in Mexico) said none of the complications were a problem as long as I was willing to deal with them & keep vigulent as to how severe they become. She said it's probably the stretched esophagus that causes any food that hasn't passed into the stomach to come back up when you lie down.

I expect I will have the band unfilled again up the line, and hopefully will get it refilled again later. This is what I aim for.

Does my experience resonate with any other long term bandsters?

I'm going to be really honest here. My experience on various band boards is that those who had surgery:

0-6 months ago are in love with their band and in love with their doctor.

6-12 months ago are in love with their band. They figured out they are doing all the work so they like their doc but love their band.

12-18 months ago they are having band problems but the scale is moving so they can put up with it.

18-24 months they are sick of the problems and considering revision.

Check out any thread where a newbie asks if people would do it again. You can predict what the outcome will be. Comments such as, "I had my band place 2 months ago and I'm down 30#!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my band!!!"

You can't really get a good idea of how people will love their band until they have had it for a year or two. Those are the people to listen to when researching because all newbies love the initial weight loss.

My band did a great job regarding weight loss but I paid dearly for each pound. A sleeve is easier and better weight loss with fewer long term risks and complications.