Hey, I am going to be completely honest. I am hoping to find someone who has had or is having the same issue as me. I had surgery in june of 2010, I have had 5 fills, my band is 9cc;s out of 11cc's full. My frustration is I feel no resistance AT ALL. I can eat bread, chicken, steak, lobster. I still have no restrictions at all. After the numerous amount of fills I had I expected to be able to feel full like they said I would but I still do not. My doctor says it's my fault I havn't lost weight and I need to go on a diet. I obviously I had surgery to help keep my portions down, and I feel like it has not done this at all, and If I knew my doctor was going to tell me to "go on a diet" I would have never had the surgery! I have been able to loose 15 pounds and keep it off, but thats because I have change the way I eat, and try to work out as much as I can. Please tell me someone knows what I'm going through,

In all honesty I hate my band.It never worked for me as I too never had restriction no matter how many fills I had.You are not a failure the band is just not what it promises

 It makes me regret ever getting the surgery, it now just seems like a waste of a lot of money! I'm sorry you have the same issue as me. I wish I would have researched it  more before I had the surgery, because now I realize that there are a lot of people with this problem. I personally wish I would have chose to do gastric bypass looking back, it seems more effective.

Im trying to get a revision to Gastic bypass,but GHI doesn't make it easy.I really need the surgery.I reseached this so much before I had it.I felt it was worth a try but I know see its a waste of money.Who knew a revision was going to be such a challenge.Best of luck

Join the club! You wouldn't believe how many people are in your same spot. The only time I've ever felt any restriction was when I was too tight then I'd slime and PB all the time. I lost more on my pre-op diet than with the band. I think they should be taken off the market because more times than not they don't work and certainly don't work they way they are presented to us pre-op! I wish I'd had any surgery other than the band, now my current ins. doesn't cover any bariatric surgery. So don't feel bad you aren't alone by any means!

Is it possible your band is "unbuckled" or that it has a leak?  Is your doctor checking with every fill that the right amount is still in the band?   You shouldn't have to "diet" you should feel full much faster.  Have they done floroscopy to see if there is any restriction at all when you swallow? Something is wrong and its highly unlikely that its YOU.   Can you see another lap band doctor?

I too am a Realize Band failure.  My band was installed Aug. 2008 and removed April 2011 (erosion).  I am now looking into a sleeve.

 I too have never had restriction and I am at max fill. I lost 70 pounds through starvation. But with major complication 18 months ago have gained it all back. I am looking into revision to DS. 

You are not alone. 

My Realize Band was placed in Sept of 2008 and now they say that it may have to be removed.  Can you tell me what your symptons of the erosion where?  Abdominal Pain, Gas, Diarhea?

Leading up to the erosion, I couldn't eat anything solid for over a year and would occasionally run a low temp.  Finally one day I had a temp of 102+ and just couldn't get it to go down.  My band area hurt to press on it. After trying to for two days to get the fever to go down, I gave up and went to the ER and found out I had an outrageously fast heart rate.  No one could figure out what was wrong and I kept telling them I thought it was band related.  Finally they called in my bariatric surgeon, this is day four, and he had me wait another day so he could find a good time slot to do some "exploration".  So when he did open me up, he freaked out and said it looked like a bomb had gone off inside of me.  I was hospitalized another nine days on seven different IV antibiotics.  When I asked him about a sleeve several months later, he teared up said he had never had a band patient die on him and blah, blah, blah but pretty much, he didn't think I should proceed.

Sorry I got carried away, it is still tramatic to me. Bottomline symptom of an erosion: high fever, fast heart rate, can't keep ANYTHING down (even fluids), and pain in my abdomen when pressed on.

 I've had my band since 1/2008 and am having it out next week because of erosion and infection. My symptoms are low grade fever all the time, mid back pain, I had a period of 2 days after some major life things were happing I was exprememly stressed I couldn't eat it was so tight had it loosened and everything was fine. Except I would have extreme back pain after eating and now my port area is very tender. Good luck!

 Update.  Had a EGD and the band slid all the way to the bottom of my esphogus.  So I have to have surgery to either reposition or remove.  I haven't had success with mine so I am leaning more toward removal.  I am not willing to do the bypass.   

You are not alone. I had my band placed in May 2007. I cannot tell you how mny fills and unfills i have had so far,
I never felt restriction....only stuck. Even with being unfilled....if it was that time of the month I would gurgle on liquids....and knew not to eat anything solid that day.
All in all I had lost approx 12 lbs....in 5.5 years. I know the band may work for some people but it didn't do anything but feel like i was being strangled from the inside. I have never been able to eat a nice healthy meal...salads wouldn't even go down...and yes...I chewed until I had liquid in my mouth. I was a self made bulemic.
Since being unfilled in August my hair has started to have re growth.....I'm not starving all the time and yes, Ihave gained back my 12 lbs.
I am being revised in Jan to the DS. I cannot wait until this band is out of me. I only hope that this weight that Iplanned on losing in the first place comes off. I cannot wait to feel full again. I am one of the lucky ones.....my insurance covers revisions....good luck to you

I had the origional Lap-Band in 2006, I lost about 100 pounds, then Poof!  It ended.  I had NO restriction at all after about 18 months.  I also began to have pain, such pain that I needed a Percocet for it to stop.  I went to the Dr and was told that I had an ulcer and was given meds to fix it.  Then I gained about 75 of my pounds back and went to the Dr for a fill (as I said, I had no restriction)  I hadn't gone earlier because the more I gained the more I was worried about the Dr, thinking I was a failure.  Before I knew it, I was almost at my start weight.  I went to a new Dr who told me I had a band slip.  Now, 5 years after my first surgery, I am planning the band removal then I will have the bypass.  

I totally feel your pain!