The LapBand®
Short, Simple, Weight Loss Surgery, Not Very Effective, High Failure Rate Over
Time:
Surgeons Abandoning the Procedure Around the World
Failed Lap Band Patient
Please Help,
I was banded a little over a year ago. I recently have started
having really bad reflux and pain in the port area. ... it seems
to be getting worse.
Thanks J
Hi,
I too have a slip that is going to need to be repaired. I've
been banded for over 6 months and have never been able to
tolerate anything.
I am very worried about losing my band or
going through all this only to have it slip again.
In a recent study from France "Food
Intolerance After Adjustable Gastric Banding: A Major Cause of
Long-Term Band Removal" erosion, slippage, and esophageal
dilatation are widely acknowledged as typical long-term
complications of lap banding.
Jérôme Dargent
reported that food intolerance has become a leading cause for
band removal.
They reported that the mean follow-up was
only about 3 1/2 years. The early surgical reoperation rate was 6%. Band
removal 39%, band removal and sleeve gastrectomy in 15%, band removal
and conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 7%, band repositioning in
10%, device-related reoperation in 9%, conversion to another bariatric
procedure in 4%, and other procedures in 16%.
They concluded that "a reoperation rate of 15% (1 in 7
patients) was observed in less than 4 years of follow up. "Band removal
was required in 14% of LAGB patients... and that revisional
surgery is common."
"LAP-BAND®ing should No Longer Considered the procedure for
Morbid Obesity"
Rise and Fall of
Lap Gastric Band 1993 - Enthusiasm for the LAP-BAND® in Europe
Simple, Safe, Somewhat effective
10 years Later: Attraction Fading in Europe
Rising Complication Rates
Declining Weight Loss
Surgeons “Voting with Their Feet”
1998 Ratio Band/RNY = 20/1
2004 Ratio Band/RNY = 1/4
Band Patient
Talks About Band Failure and
Conversion to the Mini-Gastric Bypass
Hello,
I had the lap band procedure (3 years ago).
With the lap band I dived into exercise after the surgery and
managed to lose about 100 pounds. However after about 7 or 8
months I started to have pain in band area and reflux at night
and during the day. This pain can happen when I have not eaten,
after eating or in between eating. This led to adjustment after
adjustment.
If I was to compare the MGB procedure with the
lap band I would say the MGB was much easier on me.
My surgery went well. I had quite a bit of
pain in my left side. Dr R said this was because they have to
pull the lap band out of a small hole. Also he said it was a bit
embedded in my stomach. I was given the choice to stay an extra
night (2 nights total) because I was having pain. The nurse
staff seemed kind of understaffed in the hospital but they were
nice. Some of them knew all about the MGB and some were quite
ignorant about it. It was what I would call a typical hospital
experience. I walked the halls a lot the second night until the
next day I was ready to get the heck out of there. On the way
back to the hotel we went to Blockbuster and got some movies and
to a drug store for some supplies. Now when I look back on it I
didn’t drink enough water and eat enough salt in the days
following my surgery. This made me very shaky. It felt like I
had low blood sugar. We went to the Stratosphere about 4 days
after surgery. I broke out in cold sweats and had to sit down a
lot. I called Dr R and he said it sounded like I needed salt. I
got some salt packets and ate them. I did feel better. I had to
start to force my self to eat chips, pretzels , salt and drink
water and Gatorade for the next few days. When I went in for my
last day at the clinic I had lost 24 pounds in 1 week. Dr R said
this was probably at least ½ water weight from lack of salt. The
entire plane ride home I drank and ate chips and pretzels and
salt. By the day after I got home I was feeling much better. I
was back to work the day after that (I have a desk job). By the
next week I was feeling pretty much back to normal. Of course I
had to manage through the adventure of the 3 stage diet. But as
a lap bandster I had experience with this type of thing so it
was not that big of a deal.
Since the surgery the main thing I notice is
how wonderful it is to not have the band anymore. I can eat
whatever I want. I just need to watch the portion on some foods.
High sugar and high fat foods need to be eaten slowly and in
small amounts. Most normal foods, fruits veggies and meats are
fine. If I do eat to many fried foods or high sugar foods I get
what they call “dumping syndrome”. I get very tired and a bit
dizzy. I feel like I need to lay down, get bad gas and need to
go to the bathroom. After some time I have recognized what foods
are bad for me. Sometimes I still eat them and pay the price
though. When I had the band they said, protein first, veggies
second then the rest. Well, I could never do that with the band
because it wouldn’t go down and I would be in pain and have to
throw up (if I was lucky). With the MGB I can really eat meat,
veggies and fruit.
The MGB is not without a few trade offs for
me. I have bad smelling BM, frequent gas and frequent loose
stools. This however has gotten better now that I am almost 10
months out. Currently my weight loss has stopped and I have lost
about 80 pounds since the surgery. I am hopeful that it will
start again at some point though.
In summary the band is great because
it is short and simple and easy to place. It often works for a
while but as time passes studies are showing that the band
patients regain their lost weight and the plastic silicone
foreign body begins to develop complications.
I have
failed!!
"I had my surgery on January 2006 and have not lost any weight!"
Like
many of our patients: "I can't eat anything in the morning (I
even have a hard time drinking hot tea) and at lunch it takes me
about an hour and a half to eat a WW dinner."
Band
patients often return to old remedy's when the band fails: "I
have tried joining WW which is not working (that is why I had
this surgery) and things are so depressing... I have had 3 fills
one un-fill and 2 more fills."
It is
a sad story: "I am self paid and will be paying on this
unsuccessful surgery for 3 more years."
"Banded 1/6/2006 Had 3 fills (don't know the specifics)
After a year, only 20 lbs down.
Now on Weight Watchers and losing slowly."
"I got my band
in 2006. First my port got infected and I had to have two
surgeries ... to replace it. But I was still pro band. ... until
that summer. ... I had lost close to 80 pounds... Then I started
having problems with the band being too tight. And for every
fill I had to get an unfill. Then, it happened.
My band slipped. I was in the car with
children, I had to pull over and throw up very, very violently.
... I had horrible reflux and a terrible pain. I had my band
unfilled, waited several weeks... Finally, I had surgery to have
it corrected. I had a horrible experience in the hospital,
Unfortunately, it became pretty obvious that
... I wasn't losing any weight at all, and in fact was gaining
pretty rapidly. I chalked it up to not having a proper fill.
Apparently, that wasn't it. The band had slipped again. We went
through the whole unfill and wait period, and once again, it was
worse instead of better. I was really, really depressed. ... I
found out that he didn't do the bypass laparoscopically anymore,
so with my fear of hospitals, the idea of an extended stay ruled
that one out. My insurance didn't cover the sleeve, and the
almost $50,000 price tag ruled that one out. So, I've gotten
rebanded ..."
Excerpted from an email to Dr Rutledge
Another
Failed Band Patient
Hi everyone,
I was banded in 2002 I have been doing well...
just happy maintaining what weight loss I've had.... I
gained 20lbs...
However, starting the end of several weeks ago
my band just got real tight... I am having difficulties in the
mornings getting any liquids down at all... seems it is less
strictured late afternoons...I am feeling real tired...I know I
am not ingesting enough calories...
L
Excerpted from an email to Dr Rutledge
Failed Band Converted to
Successful MGB
Hi ex-banders,
I too had a Failed lap band. I weighed in for my lap band at
about 320. I weighed in for my mgb at 293.
Dr R did an eight foot bypass and was freaked out about that. I
have lost just over 100 pounds since my mgb (11/26/07).
I was so worried that the weight loss would not slow down and I
would lose too much weight. Well, no need to worry.
I lost just 3 pounds this month.
Great results from the MGB, the band Not so much.
A. from Boise :)
Excerpted from an email
to Dr Rutledge
Another Failed Band Patient
Hi
My name is Iris R. from Texas I had lapband done on 4/28/03 and
then had it removed on 6/05/08 and I'm still having symptoms of
vomiting and always feel nausea I vomit at least 3 times a day I
still cant really eat anything at all most just been drinking
water and Gatorade the doctor who did the lapband said there's
nothing wrong he's done every test he can do to prove so or at
least he claims I'm and pain and I've been to the hospital many
time the last 3 months had gall bladder removed and it seem as
if I've been living in a hospital for those last three month all
to here the something that nothing is wrong with me when I know
that I'm not well nothing ever like this before the lap I really
just want my life back is this something you could fix u email
me
Iris
I am not a patient of yours, but I had the
LAP-BAND® surgery in Aug of 2006 and since then I have had complications
with port malfunctions. I have had revisions twice and now my port has twisted
again. I have not really lost any weight and I now weigh more then I did before I
had the surgery. I was on the web looking into having Gastric Bypass surgery
in Mexico, which is not ideal, when I saw your video on youtube.
I am aware of the criteria to be a candidate. I am wondering if I am a candidate
since I already have a band in. I am 29 years old with mild HTN I am not on meds
at this time, my wt. is 248 lbs and I am 5'3". I have no other health issues
except joint pain and mild reflux. I am a Registered Nurse so I understand
the risk I just want to know if I am a candidate and if so how I can get
started and the cost.
Early History In the early 1990’s Lap Gastric Banding swept Europe
New, safer, simpler, minimally invasive treatment for Morbid Obesity
Wide adoption of Lap Gastric Banding
10 years later the “Bloom is off the rose”
Surgeons migrating their practice to gastric bypass surgery
Lap Gastric Band Failure First long term Lap Gastric Band study by Camerini et al
Reported >75% band complication rate!
The rate of long term complications increase steadily and linearly over time
Once you have the Band every year that goes by more and more people suffer from
more and more complications
New Study Shows Lap Gastric Band Failures Suter et al report on the 10 year follow up of over 300
LAP-BAND® patients
Only the second report of long term LGB follow up
Findings:
Over 1/3 had Complications
Major Reoperation in ¼
40% Weight Loss Failure at 5 yrs
100,000 Lap Gastric Bands
Worldwide in 2006 aver 100,000 people have Lap Gastric Bands implanted in them According to Suter’s paper 25,000 of these people will have Major complications
in the next 5-10 years!
Failure of Weight Loss The purpose of weight loss surgery is weight loss
Suter’s study and others show the high failure rates of Lap Gastric Band
Loss of less than 50% of the excess body weight is present in over 40% of
patients
Failure of Vertical Banded Gastroplasty The vertical banded gastroplasty has largely been abandoned
Longer term, less favorable outcomes have been reported
Initial results in terms of weight loss, complications and improvement in
comorbid conditions were good
These results deteriorated over time.
MacLean et al reported failures in 48% of patients
36% underwent re-operation.
Balsiger et al reported poor weight loss following VBG at 10 or more years post
procedure.
Arribas del Amo and colleagues further illustrate longer term deterioration in
outcomes.
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Contact
Information:-Telephones: *** CLOS West: 702-456-4643; Trish Lanman 702-376-3446, Sandy Brubaker 702-376-3647; Jennifer Brubaker 702-376-9339, Dr. Rutledge 702-215-9550; 989-450-8081 Kim Hazen 989-450-8081 *** CLOS Florida: Flo Ballengee 863-899-3463 Wayne Robbins 704-682-1549 Elizabeth Robbins 704-928-6693 Dr. Cesare Peraglie 407-922-3424
Email Us Anytime for Help:
Email: Dr. Rutledge DrR@clos.net, *** CLOS West: Trish Lanman Trish@clos.net, Sandy Brubaker SandyB@clos.net Dr. Rutledge DrR@clos.net, Kim Hazen khazen@clos.net *** CLOS Florida: Flo Ballengee flo@clos.net, Wayne Robbins wr@clos.net Elizabeth Robbins epr@clos.net Dr. Peraglie drp@clos.net
Addresses:
Address: *** CLOS West Office: Dr Robert Rutledge / CELOS, 98 E Lake Mead Parkway Suite 302, Henderson NV 89015, Office 702-456-4643, Office fax: 702-456-1173, Contacts: Trish Lanman 702-376-3446 Trish@clos.net, Sandy Brubaker 702-376-3647 SandyB@clos.net, Jennifer Brubaker 702-376-9339 Jen@clos.net, Dr. Rutledge 702-215-9550 Drr@clos.net Kim Hazen 989-450-8081 khazen@clos.net *** CLOS Florida: 40124 Highway 27, Suite 203, Davenport, FL 33837, Wayne Robbins 704-682-1549, wr@clos.net, Elizabeth Robbins 704-928-6693 epr@clos.net, Dr. Peraglie 407-922-3424 drp@clos.net
Warning:
Gastric Bypass Surgery is a MAJOR surgical procedure. It
can be associated with significant
risks and complications, up to and including death.Weight loss surgery is a rapidly developing area of medicine.
Bariatric surgery is filled withcontroversy. It
is very important to take a careful and deliberate approach to considering
surgery for the treatment of obesity.