Are band problems 2+ years out really that common?

I am only 2 weeks out with my band and have had 0 problems (other than my uncaring a-hole of a surgeon) . I was even able to stop taking the prescription heartburn meds I took before the band. 

I frequented this site before my surgery and don't remember reading so many posts about problems that occurred years after the surgery. Now I'm reading things where people are saying the lap band is unsafe and the harmfulness will be fully realized soon ect... I know people are more likely to post about problems than sucesses but I'm pretty gulible so now I'm freaked out.

What do you guys think... will the majority of bandsters have post op issues?

Th band is an implanted object and as such there are obviously going be some which are problematic. There can be surgical error, mechanical failure etc.. Some later complications are caused by the failure of the bandster to follow basic rules. But without doubt, some people have problems which are not of their own causing.

Studies vary in their conclusions. I am not at my desktop pc and so cannot do a cut and paste of the tables I have ( I can do this later if you wish) but studies carried out over up to 12 years using meta- analysis of the data, show a range of outcomes. Re-operative rates are from a low of just a few percent up to, in just one of the studies I saw, 24%. Bands implanted prior to about 2005 were implanted using a less effective technique.

So you may have problems. But as someone who is banded, what you can do is work to minimise the chances by following the rules designed to keep you healthy. For example, Stroh and Monger found a clear link between eating solids too soon and later slips. Things like dilated oesophagus can often be avoided by taking note if warning signs.

If you look at a post I made earlier today, the very large ( non- profit making, National Health Service) hospital trust I attend is happy wth banding as a procedure. In fact the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence which is the government body which evaluates medical and surgical procedures for use throughout the UK, has OKed the band as a safe and effective wls.

Don't start to worry. You are banded! Hopefully you will, like me and many others, be happy at, in my case, over 5 years out. And if I lost my band tomorrow, I would not regret having had it!

Kate

I'm going to repeat here the PM I sent you about this.

Personal message

Date Sent:	August 4, 2011 - 3:20pm
To:	bonitachica9679      Click here to add this user to your friends list
Subject:	RE: Your opinion about band problems years later
I'm not sure what posts you're talking about because I haven't had much time to spend on the forum lately. As you already know, people tend to post more when they're having problems than when they're doing fine and getting busy with things they didn't even dream of doing before their WLS. I didn't have any problems with my band until my band slipped at 1-1/2 years post-op. Six months later, my port flipped. So my 2nd and 3rd years as a bandster were a challenge, but all that's behind me now and I'm still happy to have my band. In my first 2 years as an OH member, I participated on several forums: the band forum, the main surgery forum, and the WLS After 50 forum. I witnessed the struggles and triumphs of members who had a variety of WLS procedures. Some of them had complications starting the same day as their WLS, some had complications after 6 days or 6 weeks or 6 months or 6 years. So I can't say that I know of any trend of success or complication or failure with a particular WLS procedure. I'm sure others will contradict me in that, and that's fine. OH prides itself on sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of WLS. The bottom line is this: just because Members A, B, and C had band problems at 2 years or 2 months or 2 days doesn't mean you're going to have problems. The person you need to talk to about band problems is your surgeon, who can (we would hope) quote complication statistics based on his experience with his own patient population. I know you think he's an uncaring a**hole, but until you find another surgeon to handle your aftercare, he and/or his medical staff are your best source of information. And two more thoughts...because I am an incorrigible optimist... If you go forward on your WLS journey with the belief or fear that you will encounter a problem, that is likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. And if you do experience a band-related problem, you have no way now of assessing if that could be the absolute worst medical problem you'll ever have to face. My port repair surgery was painful and annoying, but it was nowhere near as challenging as some other medical problems I've had, like an abdominal hysterectomy because of suspected cancer. Jean

Jean, excellent post! I do know that any WLS can have complications.

Right now I am wondering what the heck am I getting myself into now??? LOL 

I went into lapband thinking I would never have problems, and I guess lapband proved me wrong!   :(  :( 

So I had band removed after 2.5 yrs and went bypass.  Here's to no problems in the future, but one never knows! 

Cheryl congrats on your revision! You'll drop the pounds quickly now. Keep us updated on how your doing!

Thank you for the fantastic advice ladies. I do find comfort in statistics and look for empircal evidence when seeking reassurance about something. I know the posts about problems a month ago were just as abundant as they are now. I think I was turning a blind eye. I'm not really concerned with going through a repair surgery if it comes to that. My  conerns are 1. I had to talk this surgery up to my husband to get him to be supportive and kind of candy coated the simplicty of the band. When I had a slight fever after surgery his first comment was " I thought you said you wouldn't have problems" (I never actually said this). If I have to get a repair of some sort, I can only imagine the bi****** he will do. 2. If I should every find myself uninsured (as I have been for my entire life with the exception of the past 2 years) or if my insurance doesn't cover repairs, I fear being ruined finacially.

IDK....I've stayed off this site since my surgery to prevent anxiety. Perhaps I should have waited a few more weeks before coming back on. I've been in love with my band since I went to Coldstone Creamery and passed on my favorite ice cream.

Thanks again for the always terrific encouragement!!!! 

Since you already have the band all you can do now is focus on following your surgeon's eating plan.  Try to keep your band  safe by not over eating etc.  I am doing everything I can to keep it safe, but I know there's always a chance of something going wrong.  But if I wouldn't have lost 113 pounds, my blood pressure might be higher, my reflux would have been worse, my blood sugars might be elevated etc etc.  There's no guarantees in life.  I'm thrilled with my band right now.  All of my blood work is normal, all of it. My 2 year UGI was great.  I can only focus on right now and not worry about the "what ifs?"
Best wishes to you on your journey!
Kristi

I really do understand your post-op second thoughts.  I didn't have them for a while, but eventually I let some of what others vehemently said get to me when the wls decision ship already had sailed.  Long story short...I decided what will be, will be.  I've had a great almost 7 months, and there's no point in worrying about what I can't change.  I will enjoy my band, and the energy and health it has helped me with.  Worrying about negative possibilities only drags down whats been good so far.  Hope you can do that too.  Good Luck, and keep us informed.

In 2 weeks I will have been banded 5 years!

 my two cents---- first 6 years out, no issues,  second I got a lot of after care--folks my doc insisted I see him weekly for the first 4 weeks post-op. My first post-op visit was about 3 days post-op. Then twice a month for several visits, until I begged to see him less. I don't know any other doctor so crazy attentive. third, I was really healthy going in, I had gerd, and back pain, and that was it. fourth I lived to serve my band, and listened to it. It hated chicken for almost a year, I accepted this, it refused bread for several years, I accepted that. fifth, everything time I **** my band off, I become terrified of losing it, and get back on track. There is nothing scientific here, but in my opinion right now, I think there are too many bands being placed by less skilled surgeons and too little after care and the statistics will show that. My surgeon is excellent, and as a nurse I reckognized this in the pre-op seminar, and it was reinforced during my time in the waiting room which was filled with bariatric patients and pediatric patients with feeding tubes. So that tells you stomachs are his specialty. Yes, this is long, but please let me stress, research your surgeon, and give your band the respect it deserves, and the care it needs.