Longest bandster

[pickles123 0]

Who has had their band for the longest period of time on these forums? Please chime in for those with their original band. And also your results with how your are doing and maintaining.

I am sure the information is out here somewhere; but, I have just been not been able to find it.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Keeping in mind that the band was FDA approved in 2003....I am guessing it will be either Jack (the moderator) or Jachut ... I THINK they've both had their bands since '04 or '05 but I'm just guessing. If it were a contest, I'd bet on Jack..but don't know if his band is original etc.

[pickles123 0]

That is interesting so we know of 2003. I have heard there is a person in Australia that has been banded for 14 years. I am not young and just wondered what would happen when I am 80 and have a lap band. Do nursing homes care for lap band patients? HaHa

[suzy1970 0]

I was banded in July 2004, starting weight was 106 kilograms and now down to 70 kilogram, went dowm to 67 kg but have given up the cigarettes and have gained a little, went in for a refill last week and will hopefully be at my goal of 65 kg in the next 6 weeks.... Since being banded I have had a baby which set me back a little as i was too lazy to go and get a refill , finally did that and looking forward to reaching my goal :biggrin:

Edited August 3, 2009 by suzy1970

[elcee 3,341]

I read a post from someone on another forum recently that has had their band for 10 years. He was an Aussie who then moved to the US.

[suzy1970 0]

Im from Australia, been living in the UK for the past 5 years... My sister was banded in Tasmania, Australia in the year 2000, she was the third person to be banded...

[marmar 0]

so in all honesty they really dont know how long this is gonna last. Im 33 am I gonna have this thing in 30 or 40 years? that is the ? I mean wow how long do they think the piece of plastics gonna last? im kinda scared thinking about it now.

[Jachut 487]

Mine was 05, its 4 years now. Jack's at least 5 years.

Marmar, in all honesty, you probably wont have your band in 30 or 40 years time.

Every bit of research I did, and my own surgeon, led me to believe that theoretically, the band COULD be in there for a lifetime, but that in reality, probably the balloon will fail over time (yet another reason to avoid stuffing round with it too much, fill/unfill/fill and unfill again) and it will need to be replaced.

Also, we just dont know how over a 20 or 30 year time frame our bodies will adapt to the band.

After 4 years, my band works absolutely fine, my appetite and what I can eat low enough to keep me at a pretty thin weight. However, i've definitely learned to eat around my band, I know how to get food in when I feel like a bit of a pig out, I know how to manage it to eat foods I shouldnt eat but want to eat, etc.

I remain dedicated 150% to running for an hour a day. THAT makes at least as much difference to my weight as my band does. I feel more in control of that, more able to guarantee I'll keep doing it than I do making promises about my eating behaviour.

but every year goes by, I figure, thats one more year my body has been used to being thin. I truly think if I can strike up 5 years of normal weight, surely that has to count for something. Surely I can eventually establish a new normal for my body that it wont want to stray from quite so easily?

who knows really? But I'd rather have taken this risk, and this leap of faith than stayed the way i was.

And truly, I'm not the least bit worried about the band failing/breaking. That's easily fixed with another surgery. What, I'd be considering getting my boobs done but a second lapband surgery is the worst thing that could ever happen? I just dont understand that from the lapband knockers - they bleat about how they dont want to have second surgeries whilst in the next post they're talking about their tummy tucks. Makes no sense to me at all.

Then again, our health system here is such that any revision surgery I may need wont cost me a cent.

What I am worried about is my resolve, my continued behaviours, and my body deciding that fat is what it is meant to be. Hopefully none of that comes to pass.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Jachut

[elcee 3,341]

Most prosthesis do not last for ever. That's why they don't like doing hip replacements too early etc. But if in 5, 10 or 20 years something goes wrong they can replace it - I don't see that it will be that awful - no worse than the original surgery and probably better as there shouldn't be a need for a liver shrinking diet etc.

Also if something better has come along by then then we could choose to go for that instead.

As they say "lets cross that bridge when we come to it". i don't believe that we should get ourselves stressed and worked up worrying about something that may never happen.

Plus I would rather have a band replacement than e.g open heart surgery which is a strong possibility for those that remain obese.Not saying i won't need it but hopefully the likelihood will be a lot lower.