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 is is quoted regularly on OH. 

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.

I agree and disagree! How's that for non commital?! The device itself may well be in good condition forever but what it does to the internal organs can cause removal long before that. I don't know where it started from and I stopped using that reference awhile back so I wasn't sharing misinformation. 

However they are rather iffy on their explanation of maintenance, to me maintenance is repairing it not replacing or removing. When that happens it is because there is a problem of some sort including lack of weight lose. If it needs replacing or removing that means the appliance is faulty in some way, not that the person is at fault for it. Fancy legalese talk for "we can say what ever we want cause you layman can't prove us wrong"

Kate and I agree to disagree on the band she has had a great experience, me not so much. But see even we can get along in our little sandbox here because we are friends first and bandsters second and if not for this forum I wouldn't have near as many friends because I made alot of them right here!

Hi, Friend!   I didn't particularly want Allergans's views on anything - although they will use scientific data to support their view, they are fairly obviously going to be selective in what they write! I just wanted to see if they had ever made that statement. And they say they haven't. 

I couldn't care less about the life expectancy of a Band.

 But Do want others to know that Allergan SOLD the lap band to Apollo ENDO so they don't have to deal with the complications, and they were losing BIG BUCKS 

So In case anyone wants to contact them again here's the information.

APOLLO ENDOSURGERY, INC.

1120 S. Capital of Texas Hwy
Bldg 1, Suite 300
Austin, TX 78746

LAP-BAND^® Products (U.S. Only):

Toll Free  855-551-3123

Allergan sold its LapBand business to Apollo because Allergan's sales revenue for the product  had peaked and was on a downward slide.   Apollo acquired it because it saw a potential revenue stream from the product that they thought would work well for Apollo's business.

To clarify a point, Allergan was not losing money on Lap Band when they sold; they still had revenue from Lap Band when they sold to Apollo, although not as much as a few years before.

DancingFool, Thank you for your clarification.  Allergan running scared sounds like one of those oft-repeated facts which gain their own currency! A bit like tweets which get re-tweeted!! May or may not be true but a bit of evidence wouid be nice! 

I have been told my many Doctors in Raleigh NC that the band does not work. People are coming in like crazy asking for removal of the band. Doctors won't even do the band any more. Where was all this info 4 yrs ago!!

Lisa,

Apex,NC

I've been saying this since about 2005!  Sooner or later people realize the truth. It's a bad long term device. For me, it was a bad short term device, too. 

Oh, and Kate? I'm sorry... I hadn't realized I posted this on your thread. I AM happy for you that your band is working for you, sincerely! 

That's OK, Nic!  Realise you weren't aiming at me! It was the last poster who highjacked it by apparently not realising I wasn't asking how long the band lasted but asking WHERE it was stated.