baby jayne
New Member
Hi All
Have any of you had any regrets at all since having your Gastric Band fitted?
Have any of you had any regrets at all since having your Gastric Band fitted?
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Be Honest- Any regrets with Gastric Band?
- Thread starter baby jayne
- Start date
HUGE Regrets, I hated my band and I hated the surgeon for making me have it.. Well i felt I had no other choice when he said band or nothing!
I had my band in May 2005 had it removed October 2008, i didn't lose a single LB with it and was in agony every single day.. It also caused a massive amount of damage to my stomach..
I just had my RNY January 22nd and feel great weight coming off. No regrets so far about the bypass....
I had my band in May 2005 had it removed October 2008, i didn't lose a single LB with it and was in agony every single day.. It also caused a massive amount of damage to my stomach..
I just had my RNY January 22nd and feel great weight coming off. No regrets so far about the bypass....
Pandora_150
Finally Post-op!
I am curious, was there a specific reason you felt the band did not work for you? Also, was there any clinical reason behind your pain and discomfort?
serenitylove
New Member
i love my band with a passion i think you have to love it and work with it im loosing weight it slow but i like that as it giving me time to adjust and i dont feel imiss out on anything food wise best thing i ever did
j.u.s.t.l.i.z.
Runs Srh Support Group
the only regret i have is that i didnt do it sooner.
liz x
liz x
Of course there was a clinical reason, but the band only works of theory, There is no guarantee and it does have a high failure rate for all manor of reasons these we all know about pre op anyway. The band can go wrong at any stage even if it appears to be very successful. Most bands are removed 2+ year's post op.
I just hated mine it was very tight even fully aspirated. I couldn't make the choice of the "healthy" option because no solid food was a option. When it was removed my stomach was white due to lack of blood supply. I didn't lose weight with it and gained just over a stone with it.
But it's gone now and I couldn't be happier.
I just hated mine it was very tight even fully aspirated. I couldn't make the choice of the "healthy" option because no solid food was a option. When it was removed my stomach was white due to lack of blood supply. I didn't lose weight with it and gained just over a stone with it.
But it's gone now and I couldn't be happier.
cazbandy
Bring on the Trumpets!
Sorry that you had a rough time with it. I have hit a stall again but have a fill on 23rd of this month and hope that kick starts it again. I am beefing up the excercise trying to make the tool I have been given work better for me.
Also I am sorry to point this out but according to your details you are 5 inches high
Also I am sorry to point this out but according to your details you are 5 inches high
LancsLass2
New Member
Sorry that you had a rough time with it. I have hit a stall again but have a fill on 23rd of this month and hope that kick starts it again. I am beefing up the excercise trying to make the tool I have been given work better for me.
Also I am sorry to point this out but according to your details you are 5 inches high
Hahahahaha:8855:Well spotted Cazbandy. I mean about the 5 inches tall bit but don`t know how to just quote on that bit lol
LancsLass2
New Member
Well I had my band at the end of Oct and lost a bit of weight pretty quickly and then it stopped - thats when disappointment struck!!! They do tell u not to expect a quick fix and obviously you`ve to wait until u reach the correct restriction but I`d just handed over £5000 and I wanted results now!!! I even put 5lb on over xmas and Jan!!! So up until my last fill which was just over a week ago, yes I was starting to regret it. But now, since my fill I know I can eat alot less and I`ve lost the 5lb I put on and can now start looking forward to losing more xxx
serenitylove
New Member
im not sure on her research tbh not saying she wrong but i know loads who have had there band years quiet happily and i fully intend to keep mine for years lol failure does happen but it also happens with bypass in some although probably not as many its only a tool to help you work with your band and it a dream
I am in a less stresed mood today! The joys of waiting for surgery! One minute I am worried stupid, the next I am chilled thinking I am gonna make it work for me and use it best I can..........I feel like I am in the final stages of pregnancy waiting and worrying for the arrival ofmy new baby lol. My god I need to get a grip:8855:
j.u.s.t.l.i.z.
Runs Srh Support Group
yes bands can fail mine did, i had it removed and replaced, but even so i wouldnt be with out a band, its been a brilliant aid to help me loose weight and keep it off, but ive had to work with it, or it would of failed to help me loose weight.
this was my last chance to loose weight and i didnt want to waste a good oppertunity to do this, the key is to listen to your body and your band, the desired results are there to be taken when banded if you want them enough.
j.u.s.t.l.i.z.
Runs Srh Support Group
hi prinny i was nhs banded both times, and they cover all after care for me, if your going private ask before you hand over any cash whats exactly included in the price your paying.
some only cover the cost of the price of a band if it needs replaced but you would more than likley have to pay for the surgeon and anethnetists time in theatre.
Its worth spending the time finding out the full costs of things and whats included/exluded in your package price. It is rare things do go wrong but when it does it can sting ppl financially.
some only cover the cost of the price of a band if it needs replaced but you would more than likley have to pay for the surgeon and anethnetists time in theatre.
Its worth spending the time finding out the full costs of things and whats included/exluded in your package price. It is rare things do go wrong but when it does it can sting ppl financially.
Ok lets get this into perspective... The band has a 30% failure rate.. Thats the statistical number of people who have there band removed and have revisionary surgery. Of course there are people out there who don't have the band removed and just live with it.
Surgeons unless urgent tend not to wright a band off until 2years post op. So say you have a slippage or erosion the band will need to be removed ASAP, But if your simply not seeing results the surgeon will of course give it the best chance possible.
The band is no quick fix and yes you do have to be very strict on what you eat . I personally couldn't eat anything solid a tight band is not a good band It is human nature to eat so if you are hungry to a point of weakness you will eat what you can rather than what you should!
The title of the thread was be honest and I was! Thats my honest opinion I hated my band. BUT at the time it was fitted we didn't have patient choice so I had no choice as to what surgeon I saw. Now if you see a Surgeon who is only fitting bands then of course he will recommend the band!
My advice would be, 1, see a surgeon of you're choice if at all possible with the NHS not always a option.. 2, see a surgeon who does all or at least more then one surgical option,
Both operations have there downfalls and up sides.
I found being a NHS patient getting fills were a nightmare, appointments for them were few and far between. I also found from my private friends who had a band that once there after care package was finished they also had problems getting fills and they cost anywhere from £150 to £350! and they often had to travel a great distance.
Private banding also you may not just be able to go to any fill provider, Some refuse to do fills on other surgeons patients in case they puncture the tubing or they damage the band.
I am only two weeks post op regarding my bypass so don't have a huge amount of experience. But I have noticed a difference, I am no longer hungry and when I do need to "eat" just a few sips of fluid fill me up and I feel like Iv eaten a huge dinner! It was open surgery so I now have a good 7inch wound! in addition to my teeny weeny wounds were my band was placed.
I feel more relaxed about my weight loss (now I'm finally losing) I am happy I don't have to fight for fills or worry about being over filled and worrying do I sweat it out or do I get aspirated. I also have not suffered from acid reflux since my bypass and as my band was tight I also refluxed food that was awful and caused me to suffer from aspirational pneumonia.
I wish I had have had the bypass first time round, if I was self funding I deffo would not think well it's cheaper and its reversible because Obesity if life long and if the surgery is a success why would you wish to reverse it? It may also be cheaper but would it be in the long run if the band had to be removed?
When I knew my band needed revising I emailed a few EU surgeons. i wanted quotes for the bypass I suggested I have my band removed in the UK and have surgery in the EU. All of them without exception said they would not operated on me if I had my band removed in the UK and they wanted 15 to 17 thousand euro for the revision (this was two years ago I still have the email replies). They wanted to do the procedure all in one. In the end I needed a two stage revision due to the damage the band caused and the fact my stomach was white with little blood supply.
For me I worried all the time something was wrong, this stress only aggravated my restriction, When your anxious blood rushes through your body making your stomach swell this tightens restriction, I also found my periods effected my restriction and sometimes morning to evening the restriction was different. I never had a safe food or anything restriction was so unpredictable. When the band was very tight and I couldn't eat anything I'd be worried it may have slipped.. I was always worried!
I also found that will power was a problem, My desire to eat was stronger than my will power not to. I didn't have the strength to do it pre op and i found post op the band needed as much determination and will power and it was a constant diet.
MOST of all!! I found that support was few and far between! Every one assumed the bands failure was down to lack of patient compliance! I found most of all the least sympathetic was other bandsters!! it was like they refused to admit the band could fail.. If it could fail then it could fail for them and they didn't want to face that reality. I found bypass patients to me more realistic. Even pre op most have them had decided on bypass because they knew of the band pitfalls. I found bandsters knew of them but didn't want to be realistic about them!
Even if the band did fail due to lack of patient compliance you shouldn't look down on that person because at the end of the day we all decided on surgery because we couldn't lose the weight ourself. Some of us just need a power tool to get the job done! manual tools are ok if you know how to use them and work with them.
It's not just about eating habits it's about lifestyle. and if your quite emotional suffer from stress and anxiety and you eat as a result thats not going t change simply because of a little gastric band. You have to make them changes and when your battling demons sometimes it very hard to stick to the rules of banding..
Surgeons unless urgent tend not to wright a band off until 2years post op. So say you have a slippage or erosion the band will need to be removed ASAP, But if your simply not seeing results the surgeon will of course give it the best chance possible.
The band is no quick fix and yes you do have to be very strict on what you eat . I personally couldn't eat anything solid a tight band is not a good band It is human nature to eat so if you are hungry to a point of weakness you will eat what you can rather than what you should!
The title of the thread was be honest and I was! Thats my honest opinion I hated my band. BUT at the time it was fitted we didn't have patient choice so I had no choice as to what surgeon I saw. Now if you see a Surgeon who is only fitting bands then of course he will recommend the band!
My advice would be, 1, see a surgeon of you're choice if at all possible with the NHS not always a option.. 2, see a surgeon who does all or at least more then one surgical option,
Both operations have there downfalls and up sides.
I found being a NHS patient getting fills were a nightmare, appointments for them were few and far between. I also found from my private friends who had a band that once there after care package was finished they also had problems getting fills and they cost anywhere from £150 to £350! and they often had to travel a great distance.
Private banding also you may not just be able to go to any fill provider, Some refuse to do fills on other surgeons patients in case they puncture the tubing or they damage the band.
I am only two weeks post op regarding my bypass so don't have a huge amount of experience. But I have noticed a difference, I am no longer hungry and when I do need to "eat" just a few sips of fluid fill me up and I feel like Iv eaten a huge dinner! It was open surgery so I now have a good 7inch wound! in addition to my teeny weeny wounds were my band was placed.
I feel more relaxed about my weight loss (now I'm finally losing) I am happy I don't have to fight for fills or worry about being over filled and worrying do I sweat it out or do I get aspirated. I also have not suffered from acid reflux since my bypass and as my band was tight I also refluxed food that was awful and caused me to suffer from aspirational pneumonia.
I wish I had have had the bypass first time round, if I was self funding I deffo would not think well it's cheaper and its reversible because Obesity if life long and if the surgery is a success why would you wish to reverse it? It may also be cheaper but would it be in the long run if the band had to be removed?
When I knew my band needed revising I emailed a few EU surgeons. i wanted quotes for the bypass I suggested I have my band removed in the UK and have surgery in the EU. All of them without exception said they would not operated on me if I had my band removed in the UK and they wanted 15 to 17 thousand euro for the revision (this was two years ago I still have the email replies). They wanted to do the procedure all in one. In the end I needed a two stage revision due to the damage the band caused and the fact my stomach was white with little blood supply.
For me I worried all the time something was wrong, this stress only aggravated my restriction, When your anxious blood rushes through your body making your stomach swell this tightens restriction, I also found my periods effected my restriction and sometimes morning to evening the restriction was different. I never had a safe food or anything restriction was so unpredictable. When the band was very tight and I couldn't eat anything I'd be worried it may have slipped.. I was always worried!
I also found that will power was a problem, My desire to eat was stronger than my will power not to. I didn't have the strength to do it pre op and i found post op the band needed as much determination and will power and it was a constant diet.
MOST of all!! I found that support was few and far between! Every one assumed the bands failure was down to lack of patient compliance! I found most of all the least sympathetic was other bandsters!! it was like they refused to admit the band could fail.. If it could fail then it could fail for them and they didn't want to face that reality. I found bypass patients to me more realistic. Even pre op most have them had decided on bypass because they knew of the band pitfalls. I found bandsters knew of them but didn't want to be realistic about them!
Even if the band did fail due to lack of patient compliance you shouldn't look down on that person because at the end of the day we all decided on surgery because we couldn't lose the weight ourself. Some of us just need a power tool to get the job done! manual tools are ok if you know how to use them and work with them.
It's not just about eating habits it's about lifestyle. and if your quite emotional suffer from stress and anxiety and you eat as a result thats not going t change simply because of a little gastric band. You have to make them changes and when your battling demons sometimes it very hard to stick to the rules of banding..
j.u.s.t.l.i.z.
Runs Srh Support Group
very informative post alexa
liz
liz
:sigh: oh well that's me in the dogger then if things go wrong! I am going for the cheap option and will be lucky to get a spare pack of dressings! I have had to put every last penny I have into getting this surgery done. If it goes wrong I am just hoping the NHS will help. I really think fat people are discriminated against if I wanted help with alcoholisim, or drugs I would be more likely to get it. I don't begrudge anyone getting help but don't feel that the plesantly plump people of this country get enough ha ha.
Thanks for the reply.xx
Thanks for the reply.xx
