I had the lap band surgery in 2007. I lost 20lbs the first year. After the first year I started to lose weight quickly. By 2017 I got very sick. It felt like there were shards of glass in my stomach. I had an abscess. It turned out that the band eroded into my stomach. They surgically removed the band and port. When they cut me open there was an awful smell that stunk up the OR. I was down to 113 lbs malnourished and dehydrated with infection through my abdomen and blood. I was in the hospital for about a month. I wish they had the sleeve back then.