I have also had increasing side effects that all seem to be LB related.  I had my surgery in 2009.  Everything was going swimmingly for a few years, and I loved my band.  I lost 40 pounds.  I wanted to lose 75, but never got there, still, I was seeing so many great things from the 40 lbs I had lost.  I felt wonderful.  About three years in, I started having a hard time eating.  I was getting "stuck" all the time.  I was having these waves of tightness in my throat, which were later diagnosed as esophagus spasms.  They slowly unfilled me.  I would feel better for a while, then feel as tight as I had before the unfill.  Within six months, I was totally unfilled, but still having loads of restriction.  I didn't want to take my LB out because I was terrified of what will happen to my weight without it.  I asked my Dr about a revision surgery to a different type of WLS, but he said my weight is not in a range where they will do it for me.  Basically, they would take the LB out if I asked, but not do a sleeve or anything else unless I gain all the weight back.  I decided to keep my unfilled band in, not realizing how dangerous this would end up being.  Within two more years, I was having acid reflux that would have me vomiting acid in the middle of the night.  They put me on Meds to help, it helped, but didn't cure it.  I was always having small spasms in my esophagus, always tight, and always having some amount of acid reflux.  Then things got downright scary.  I started having episodes of heart palpitations.  Evidently, it can be really hard on your heart to be so tight and have all these spasms and such.  My doctors wont definitively say that these problems are all connected to the LB, but I feel strongly that they are.  I wish I had never gotten it, and now I am being scheduled to have it removed.  It is possible I will need to have a pacemaker placed if removing the band doesn't cure the episodes.  Many people who have the band removed still suffer symptoms because of all the scar tissue and other damage the band and constant state of esophagus spasms have caused permanent damage for them.  I am hoping with everything I have my symptoms will right themselves when I get this LB out.  

My WLS surgeon said ulcers are a definite reason to have a Band removed.  When I was going to my Band classes before my Band he was telling our class that if anyone develops ulcers he will remove our band.  He said he finds that ulcers are very hard to heal with the band.  So he said he doesn't play around with it...and just removes the band.  I don't know if all doctors take the same hard stance...but I felt it was good that he was taking these things seriously.     

I don't know if there will be anyone on this forum to answer this question, but I'm going to try.  I had the lapband put in in Jan 2008.  I didn't do well with it (couldn't follow the 'rules' for whatever reason), had the band emptied about 2 years later and have just lived with it because I didn't want to have another surgery.  This year I started having pain and found out I had an ulcer/gastritis.  I still didn't want to have the band removed.  There is no slippage, no erosion per the endoscopy.  I finally decided to let it be removed and it's scheduled for Feb 24.  Does anyone know how long recovery is?  I have a call into the nurse to get a guestimate, but thought I would check here in the meantime.  Thanks in advance.

Sounds like scar tissue.  Do you still have your tubing and band?

Hi Mona! Congrats on 14 years!  I am almost 9 years out and doing great.  A few more pounds left to go and no problems at all.  I am rarely on the boards anymore.  Living my life but do pop in from time to time to give encouragement! I do not have any regrets either.  Annette