Goodbye band

Hi all, just a little background first. had my band in for 10 years, it slipped and I had it re-positioned 4 years ago, its never been right since! pleaded for sleeve or bypass but with no luck! couldn't cope any longer so i am now 7 days post band removal and healing well.
I just wondered if anybody has done the same? I still can't eat properly it feels like the band is still there, wondering how long before i stop feeling sick when eating? I know I'm only 7 days post op i need to be patient!
Sorry for the long post!

Hi and welcome. There are a few members here who have had bands removed with a gap before having another op such as sleeve or bypass. I'll hopefully be doing it in one go.
I expect you are sore from the op and swollen so you will feel like it is still there until it all settles down, take it easy while you heal.

What was the reason given why you weren't able to secure a revision? If you don't mind me asking?

Chrissy

I had my band converted in the same op. Although I liked parts of the band in hindsight it was good riddance

Don't forget that you've had the band in place all that time, so your stomach will still be the shape as if the band was still there, it takes a while to change shape, plus you might have adhesions as it's been in place so long.
Be kind to yourself and take things really gently, especially when it comes to eating and drinking.

Why won't surgeon convert to bypass?

Good luck!

I had a band for ten years and had it removed in May last year .

I then had a bypass in July approx 6 weeks between band removal and bypass..

Best thing I ever did..

My band caused me loads of problems after about 6 years of having it and I was so pleased to be rid of it.

I'm not sure about your stomach staying in the shape as if a band was still in place for a while ..
When you have fills and unfills it changes shape and restriction immediately.

I was sore for about a week internally and stuck to a liquid diet for a few days after it was removed and then a soft diet for another week...

The band caused lots of lesions between my stomach and liver from a slight slip and it rubbing on the liver for so long..

My surgical team do revision from band to bypass in 2 stages to allow for healing ..

Only thing I regret was ever having the band in the first place.. No one really knew the long term results of the band when we had ours placed all them years ago...

In hindsight I would have had the bypass instead

Hi
I have just had a band repositioned how did you know yours wasn't right after? I'm not sure yet I was refused a revision on grounds of my bmi now being under 40 is that why you were? Be interested to hear your story x

I think it's time to stop promoting the band as being the less invasive option. All the messing around with refills, the risk of complications (about 40-50% according to my last surgeon), and long term health problems that have come to light recently have made the band a much less attractive option than it was a decade ago. Perhaps it's time to abandon the procedure in favour of the established RNY and the increasingly popular sleeve.

marcusbm said:

I think it's time to stop promoting the band as being the less invasive option. All the messing around with refills, the risk of complications (about 40-50% according to my last surgeon), and long term health problems that have come to light recently have made the band a much less attractive option than it was a decade ago. Perhaps it's time to abandon the procedure in favour of the established RNY and the increasingly popular sleeve.

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Totally agree.. ...

I also agree!

I don't, but I can't be bothered to argue about it. It works for many people, and the RNY and sleeve were far too drastic for what I wanted. I wasn't overweight enough to need or want a gastric bypass and I've had no problems with my band whatsoever.

Oh and FWIW, once you've reached the optimum restriction, as I have, you don't need any more fills. I like the idea it can be defilled if I want though.

Good luck to the OP.

Banderbird said:

I don't, but I can't be bothered to argue about it. It works for many people, and the RNY and sleeve were far too drastic for what I wanted. I wasn't overweight enough to need or want a gastric bypass and I've had no problems with my band whatsoever.

Oh and FWIW, once you've reached the optimum restriction, as I have, you don't need any more fills. I like the idea it can be defilled if I want though.

Good luck to the OP.

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My own grounds for disliking the band is that between one in 10-20 needs to be removed within a decade. In my case the band severely eroded through my stomach resulting in years of agony, Peritonitis and leaving my career in shambles. It's only after conversion that I'm actually experiencing weight loss, improvement in health and I'm pulling my career back together.

Increasingly surgeons are refusing to fit bands. They can't all be wrong. While around 50-60% experience no complications of note the risk level is too high.

I do note that your start BMI is too low to be considered for either bypass or sleeve and I'm pleased the band worked for you. The other option would have been a balloon although the restriction is only short term it can help with initial weight loss and reduced appetite.

Banderbird said:

I don't, but I can't be bothered to argue about it. It works for many people, and the RNY and sleeve were far too drastic for what I wanted. I wasn't overweight enough to need or want a gastric bypass and I've had no problems with my band whatsoever. Oh and FWIW, once you've reached the optimum restriction, as I have, you don't need any more fills. I like the idea it can be defilled if I want though. Good luck to the OP.

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No one is looking to argue it's just personal choice..
I thought my band was wonderful for the first 6 years .. It was the next 4 after it caused damage to my liver and esophagus that was a nightmare..
I too had the same mind set as you about not wanting such an invasive surgery as the bypass..
Well I ended up having more unwanted and invasive surgery through the damage that the band had caused when my surgeon spent hours freeing up the adhesions between my stomach and liver and removing a huge amount of scar tissue where the band had been rubbing..

I sincerely hope that you continue to have a problem free time with your band as you are at present ..

However I don't know many banded people who have remained problem free 10 years post band placement...

It isn't the short term that problems arise with the band it's the long term success that is lacking..

Good luck though like I said I sincerely hope you remain problem free xx

Absolutely.

It can also be difficult to get through to anyone on the NHS if you had it done abroad and have complications.

As a fairly recently banded member I have to say I feel really demotivated and scared by all this anti band talk. My surgeon told me the figures for band disappointment were 15%. I weighed this up based on his information and accepted the risk There seem to be few long term banders about who support the band. Perhaps this is because they have just moved on getting on with it

kurstywursty said:

As a fairly recently banded member I have to say I feel really demotivated and scared by all this anti band talk. My surgeon told me the figures for band disappointment were 15%. I weighed this up based on his information and accepted the risk There seem to be few long term banders about who support the band. Perhaps this is because they have just moved on getting on with it

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There are different numbers bounced around. From 5-50% depending on what is being defined. 5-10% is the severe complication rate resulting in band removal. 10-20% for people who don't lose weight in the long term and 30-50% who experience some complication but it's usually resolvable.

Of course there's 50-70% where it works well and over 80% lose weight. Do remember those of us in that 5-10% of serious complications will see those stats as Russian Roulette while many of those where the band works great will see it as one of the best decisions they've ever made.

Here's a study of long term band use:

Fourteen-Year Long-Term Results after Gastric Banding

Abstract

Clinical Study: Fourteen-Year Long-Term Results after Gastric Banding

Background.

Gastric banding (GB) is a common bariatric procedure that is performed worldwide. Weight loss can be substantial after this procedure, but it is not sufficient in a significant portion of patients. Long-term rates for associated complications increase with every year of follow up, and only a few long-term studies have been published that examine these rates. We present our results after 14 years of postoperative follow up.

Methods.

Two hundred patients were operated upon form 01.02.1995 to 31.01.2009. Data collection was performed prospectively. In retrospective analysis, we analyzed weight loss, short- and long-term complications, amelioration of comorbidities and long-term outcome. Results. The mean postoperative follow up time was 94.4 months (range 2–144). The follow up rate was 83.5%. The incidence of postoperative complications for slippage was 2.5%, for pouch dilatation was 9.5%, for band migration was 5.5% and 12.0% for overall band removal. After 14 years, the reoperation rate was 30.5% with a reoperation rate of 2.2% for every year of follow up. Excess weight loss was 40.2% after 1 year, 46.3% after 2 years, 45.9% after 3 years, 41.9% after five years, 33.3% after 8 years, 30.8% after 10 years, 33.3% after 12 years and 15.6% after 14 years of follow up.

Conclusion.

The complication and reoperation rate after GB is high. Nevertheless, GB is still a therapeutic option in morbid obese patients, but the criteria for patient selection should be carefully evaluated.

. . .

Thanks for the interesting reading Marcus, it's pretty much the same stats given to me by my provider. I have always wondered how much the failure rate is due to not following the rules. I'm sure almost every bander has made a mistake & eaten too quickly or not chewed enough but I guess some people may cause themselves problems by doing this too often. I've been very strict with myself to follow the rules but I've still slipped up on several occasions, fortunately never been sick but I've had a few sliming episodes. I'm sure the more this happens the chance of complications will rise.
People who fail to loose weight can only do so by not following the rules! It's really easy to cheat with a band!
I've also been reading about how the tightness of the band may affect complications long term. In the past the advice was to stay tight. I'm at target now, having lost almost 9 stone & im in the process of slowly getting my band de-filled, in the hope that I will reduce my risk of complications.
I've learned a lot from this forum, an article crystal posted recently about misconceptions with restriction really helps to get your head around things. I'm finding the trick with the band is to learn the difference between being full & not being hungry. If you try to feel full, food will be sitting in your pouch longer (risking stretching it). If you can recognise not being hungry instead the food will pass through quicker but it will still trigger the sensor in the top of your tummy that tells your brain to stop eating. Learning to listen is the tricky part & of course recognising when the damn head hunger overtakes actual hunger! Also with a looser band your less likely to get something stuck, have a sliming session or vomit. I also hope to be able to eat anything again, like sweetcorn & dried cranberries, thus making my diet more balanced & healthy.
I love my band

I loved my band for four years and lost all my weight. I believe that the advice we were given in the past about keeping a tight band is what lead to my severe acid reflux and slips etc. Plus quality of life with a too tight band is not great, not being able to eat anything but slider foods, acid, getting stuck all the time etc.
The new guidelines people seem to be given now I think will dramatically improve the success rate of the band (I'm not sure about how that will change the statistics of the internal damage issues.)
I guess the moral of the story is just like any wls follow the rules. If you are very restricted with what you can eat, are pb'ing of vomiting a lot or getting stuck, have a lot of acid etc then you are too tight. Do not give in to the temptation of quicker weight loss, the long term effects are not worth it.
However I do prefer life with a bypass over a band.

I was quite an extreme example as I had band infection, port infection, severe migration/erosion, an abscess of the stomach and Peritonitis. Also I never felt any restriction so never had the chance to love the band.

As it never benefitted me, almost killed me and cost me a fortune there's no way I would recommend it to someone especially when other options are being considered.