XPost life expectancy of the band

Getting fed up with the repeated assertion as fact that Allergsn state "on their website" that the life expectancy of the band is ten years, and being unable to find this statement, I wrote to Allergan. I was NOT asking for statistics about complications, simply whether they had ever actually quoted a figure of ten years. The "fact" that they say this is quoted on OH regularly. 

i have today received a response from the medical director saying that they have never said this. This is her reply.

The truth, however, is there is no data indicating the Band only had a life span of 10 years. There have been some celebrities who have made statements in the media about this, but it simply is not based in fact. The Lap Band is made of medical grade silicone and is a long term device which may need maintenance meaning removal or replacement at any given time, however, there is no documented life expectancy nor suggested end of device expectancy.

Kudos to you Kate for getting this information for us.

Excellent Kate!! As I said before I stopped using that because I trust your sleuthing more than my feeble memory! So you are telling me that what I see on the interwebz isn't always true!  I am schocked and deeply disturbed!

Altho they kind of leave it open ended in a way with calling repair or removal, maintenance. To me repair is maintenance, removal isn't maintenance tho, there is usually a reason for removal like it doesn't work. It is the fancy legalese double talk that keeps anyone from filing a class action suit too. It was very carefully planned from the very beginning as far as I'm concerned.

However I'm glad that this will give all the long term bandsters a sigh of relief that they can carry on as usual without worry.

Yes, as expected, this is presented from their own PoV.  But I just wanted to find out if they ever actually stated in writing it was 10 years! 

I've had my band nine years almost know and it's still fine. Will it still be with me at the 10 year mark? Will it be for life? I don't know! The stats are against it! But I keep hoping! 

Kate, that representative is mistaken (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and not just say they not honest).

I don't know what thier website says now, and they have sold the rights since I did my WLS research years ago, but I saw that statement on their website with my own eyes. It was in 07 or very early '08 when I was voraciously reading everything surgery, but I absolutely read it. 

If I saved it and can find it, I'll post it for you, but I ended up with a different surgery and I pretty much purged the stuff on the other surgeries as it was no longer relevant (to me) and have had two computer changes since then, so I'm not hopeful there is anything stored on here.

Amy, that's interesting. I assume that was when it was still Inamed?  I lose track but I think it became Allergan later than 2008??? I think people first started posting on OH that they had seen it on the website about three, possibly four years ago.

Not for a second doubting you! If you say you read it, I totally believe you.

All I know is that when it became common currency, which was certainly later than 2008, I tried to find it and never succeeded. And every time I asked a poster for a link, the request was ignored. I also asked my own surgeon, probably around 2012, and he said he had never seen the statement or been told about it. And he is one of those surgeons who doesn't push the band and attends regular international conferences - not a conveyor belt moneymaker. 

I too read it with my own eyes, back in '03, when I was researching, and it was definitely Inamed. (How does one pronounce that? I've never figured it out. In-a-med? Or I-named? Hummm.)

My confusion just deepens. As I said to Amy, I am NOT doubting you!  

But bizarrely, when I was banded, in the stuff I read ( and believe me I did a LOT of resear*****luding the info given to the professionals), it said that nothing is guaranteed fir life but, if there are no complications.... Etc etc. but it did not give a ten year figure. And when people started quoting it on OH, long after 2003, possibly about 2009 even, they said the manufacturers have *started* saying...... 

I took a look online this morning, and don't see the same information I read back then.  And yes, I think it was still Inamed when I was researching. 

I have a huge digital folder of surgery stuff, but the only stuff I've kept is DS related. I doubt I'm the only person that kept a bunch of information from their surgery research, so maybe someone who chose the band may have it?

Thanks for looking.