lap band complications?

jasonweinberg

when i originally posted a thread about bariatric surgery on here i got all positive responses. i haven't been attending the support group in my program because of the length of the drive and the schedule, but felt that the feedback i got from here was a good replacement. now that my surgery is actually scheduled i seem to be getting flooded with people telling me "i don't need it" and that they have heard many stories of complications from the lap band surgery. i have been doing very well on my diet, but still completely plan on having my surgery. still, i want to do my due diligence and make sure i am not over-looking some unforeseen negatives of the lap band surgery, because frankly until recently, i hadn't heard of any, other than some people don't work hard enough and lose the weight they want to. can anyone please share all their feedback positive and negative on lap band experiences both personal and through family and acquaintances?

bella71

I had Lap Band surgery 51/2 months ago. I have lost a little over 100 pounds and I feel better than I have in a very long time. I haven't had any complications. MyFitnessPal has been really great for keeping track of what eat, as well as my cardio and strength training. My advice to you would be that if your doctor clears you for the surgery, then definitely go for it. In my experience, there will be people who aren't very supportive about having the surgery, but it really isn't any of their business. Some people just don't react well when others make positive changes in their lives. LapBand surgery has risks just like any other surgery, but the risks far outweigh the benefits (no pun intended!). Good luck, and keep us informed of your progress!

smuehlbauer

I don't have the lap band, but a co worker of mine had it done.
I personally think that if a person is serious enough to lose weight to have a surgery, they are serious enough to do it with out the surgery.
My co-worker I don't think was serious enough for either.
She was eating Culver's with in days of having the surgery. She continues to eat the same crap that she ate before the surgery, just in smaller portion sizes.
If you're serious about making a life style change - losing 1-2 lbs a week - you don't need the lap band surgery! You can do it with out that! It's called will power, healthy eating, exercise, and support.
And this is the site to get all of the motivation and support that you could ask for.
Good luck with your choice.
Steph:flowerforyou:

lilmissy2

Jason,

While you know that I feel lap band surgery can be a very useful tool for some people, it does also sometimes lead to bad experiences.

I do not see a lot of lap band patients at all but I have had a few come into hospital due to problems with their lap band. One patient had eaten food that was too 'big' ie not chewed as thoroughly as was needed and got something stuck in the opening then couldn't keep any food down. Another had eaten too much volume-wise of food for their new stomach size and the band had moved, tearing the side of their stomach. These are of course, worse case scenarios. I also know of plenty of people that do just fine with their lap band.

I hope a lot of people share to help you make the informed decision that you are after :flowerforyou:

jasonweinberg

steph i appreciate your feedback. i am not having the surgery just for the weight loss but for the long-term maintenance. i have heard stories similar to your co-workers where people simply don't hold up their end of "the bargain" and therefor the surgery is not a success. i am not worried about that with me. i simply look at the surgery as an additional tool to help me get to my ideal weight and stay there. i once lost all of my extra weight but then gained it all back and then some over time. i do not want that nto happen again.. i believe the surgery will help me tremendously with that as myself and my family all have a pre-dispositopn to becoming fairly round. it is really complications i am concerned about, not whether i "need" the surgery or not. i kind of sense some of these people who are telling me about complications are really just trying to discourage me from having the surgery for whatever reason, as they never seem to go beyond expressing vague second hand stories without any details. i am looking for details if people really have had bad experiences with the procedure.

jasonweinberg

bella i am fully cleared and scheduled.

jasonweinberg

bump.

waguchan

My surgery was a little over 2 years ago and I've had no complications at all. There are some bad side effects if I don't follow my doctor's recommendations about eating slowly, chewing a lot, and not drinking liquids at the same time as eating. But no complications. I'm happy because I'm getting close to my goal weight. And I'm 42 years old and am doing things I did as a teenager again, like jogging and Taekwondo. Sometimes I feel like the lap band wasn't much help because I'm doing all this work on my own by counting calories and exercising.

But then I remember that I've been counting calories and exercising for years without success and without being able to maintain my weight loss successes. Besides years and years of weight watchers and tons of exercise, I was in a medically supervised weight loss program for 2 years that included weekly doctor, dietitian, and therapist appointments, and personal trainer appointments 3 times a week. And I only lost about 35 pounds in 2 years. I was doing exactly what I do now: counting calories and exercising hard about 2 hours a day. But I couldn't get below 200 pounds. I was very fit, but still fat. I was told to eat between 1200-1500 calories a day depending on how much I exercised, and that's what I did. But the fat didn't go away. I just kept getting stronger muscles. Eventually, I got pretty discouraged to be working out so hard and counting all my calories just to watch the number on the scale stay the same. And then I started to gain some back.

I'm pre-diabetic/insulin resistant, so eating 1200 calories a day doesn't help me to lose weight. I just maintain at that many calories, no matter how much I exercise. So the lap band is my tool that helps me to control my hunger and eat less than 1200 calories a day to finally see real results. Thanks to my lap band surgery, and the great lap band friends I've made here on MFP, my weight is now below 200. I weigh about 157 now and can see my goal weight of 140 just around the corner. And I will have this band here to help me maintain my weight loss. I will have continued support throughout the years from my weigh loss surgeon's office for adjustments if necessary (to the band and to my attitude).

Jason, I can tell you are serious about this. You are already doing a great job losing weight on your own and you are taking all the steps necessary to reach your goals and stay there. If anyone is going to be successful with lap band surgery, I think you will be. It's your decision to make, so don't let people on this site scare you about complications. I'm sure you have already read up on the surgery and have been warned about all the possible complications from your surgeon. But the small risk of complications doesn't even compare to the health risks associated with being morbidly obese.

jasonweinberg

thanks. its not really people on this site who are expressing concerns about my having the surgery. its mostly friends and acquaintances. most of them though seem more opposed to the concept than have any real concrete info against it, or just don't believe i am "fat enough" to need it. my bmi when i started the program was 47.

waguchan

My BMI was only 40 when I had the surgery. And I didn't tell anyone about this surgery except my husband, my mom (who had gastric bypass 26 years ago), and about 1 friend who is now looking into having it done herself after seeing my success.

I never plan on telling my dad because he was so awful to my Mom when she had her surgery. And my sister only found out when she saw the scars all over my abdomen when we shared a hotel room together last year. None of my coworkers know about it. I've lost the weight so slowly and they all know how much I exercise and see me watching my portion sizes, so they apparently have no clue.

HealthyChanges2010

steph i appreciate your feedback. i am not having the surgery just for the weight loss but for the long-term maintenance. i have heard stories similar to your co-workers where people simply don't hold up their end of "the bargain" and therefor the surgery is not a success. i am not worried about that with me. i simply look at the surgery as an additional tool to help me get to my ideal weight and stay there. i once lost all of my extra weight but then gained it all back and then some over time. i do not want that nto happen again.. i believe the surgery will help me tremendously with that as myself and my family all have a pre-dispositopn to becoming fairly round. it is really complications i am concerned about, not whether i "need" the surgery or not. i kind of sense some of these people who are telling me about complications are really just trying to discourage me from having the surgery for whatever reason, as they never seem to go beyond expressing vague second hand stories without any details. i am looking for details if people really have had bad experiences with the procedure.

Are you taking classes in proper eating habits to learn how to re-eat after the surgery? It seems often times one hears when someone goes the weightloss surgery route, any type that they don't take time to learn healthy eating skills and then end up eating too much, bad foods (meaning, unhealthy, non-nutritious foods) then become terribly depressed that the surgery 'didnot work' .

I am NOT saying that's what you're about, merely sharing my corner of the world and what I've read and experienced of ppl out there sharing. One woman shared her doctor promised her he could get her down to a size 4, whaaa? How can that be promised, once the surgery is done it really is up to the patient to modify their behavior and not have the doc magically give a person a certain size to obtain. The woman went into surgery a size 52 (is that a size? Some quite large like that)

She got through her surgery, drains, yadda x 3 and then began eating french fries, wha??? The body must be quite mixed up by that time. She spoke of having to pull over to the side of the road to vomit every few minutes, wow, too intense for me.

Someone mentioned it to once, the thought passed through my head, and went out the other side. I decided I wanted to change my life for me, wanted to do all the hard work myself and be held accountable for it. For some surgery is the right choice, but for me NO it would not have been a good thing, it would have made me feel like a failure, like I was giving up that I could succeed.

I know there are many thoughts on this issue, my words are not meant hurtful but simply what I chose not to do. Sometimes so many complications I couldn't bare to do that to my body. SO many lose 100's on their own through hard work, including planned healthy meals, kick *kitten* workouts daily and a positive upbeat attitude. Ppl that succeed like that let NOONE get in their way of success.

I find it very sad when hearing of someone having a dangerous surgery such as weighloss surgery only to lose 100 lbs in a matter of months by drinking only liquids then within a year have put back on 200 lbs. YIKES, our bodies sure go thru alot, they are amazing but still...seems there is a limit to what they can handle over time.

One last thought and this has stuck in my head and probably always will, it shocked me so much. A woman shared on here that she was sceduled for gastric bypass and she had lost over 100+ lbs on her own while waiting for her surgery date, she had only 30 lbs left to lose. She got called in for her appt. and decided she would go ahead with the surgery!! Whaaaaaaaaa??? 30 lbs to goal and a doctor allows that??? This to me shows that weightloss surgery may have started out in the right mind set by doctors but it seems that if a patient can do the surgery at only 30 lbs over her goal weight there is something seriously WRONG now with the medical community that would allow something crazy like that.

She shared she had waited soooooo long she didn't want to cancel her appt. Hm... I think situations like this make a number of us skeptical about it more. It used to be a doctor would say 100+ plus lbs. would be the least amount a patient had to weight to even be considered, now it seems the limit has gone way down in some areas.:noway:

Merely my thoughts on the matter.

KarenECunningham

I don't no much about the lap band. I know of complications from the more involved procedure to reduce your stomach size. A friend of mine had the more involved procedure but she has gained most of the weight back over the years. From what I have read most people are happy with the lap band procedure. I think you are smart to look into the possible negatives before having the procedure. Being overweight is a risk too so whatever it

jasonweinberg

wow. a lot to respond to there. first of all, i don't really care if some consider it "cheating" or a "short-cut". that is simply a personal decision. obesity is a serious medical condition. so are diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. is it some kind of "weakness" to seek medical treatment for those medical conditions since ultimately they can often be corrected with proper eating, weight loss, and exercise? no. the risks of treating them with weight loss only is far too risky. bariatric surgery is a medical treatment for obesity. my medical team has made no false promises to me and they have required me to be in a strict nutritional program prior to surgery including losing 10 % of my excess weight (32 lbs.) prior to surgery. as far as "losing 100 lbs drinking liquids" the liquid diet is only immediately following surgery. after you are recovered from the surgery you remain on a low calorie diet but you eat the diet you are expected to eat for the rest of your life. you refer to someone getting sick from eating french fries (the bypass surgery creates a condition called "dumping syndrome" which does make you ill if you eat the wrong foods) if they are not supposed to be eating french fries and they do that is not the procedure or the doctor's fault. its theirs. plus, while the lap band can wind up putting some restrictions on what you eat, it does not cause dumping syndrome per se. as for gaining 200 lbs back after surgery i have yet to hear from anyone directly of an experience even remotely like that. again, it seems that many who have some kind of general or "ethical" opposition to bariatric surgeries like to relate vague second hand stories about complications and failures. i am interested in hearing from people who have more direct and concrete information regarding complications.

HealthyChanges2010

Good luck to you!:flowerforyou:

Merely expressing my thoughts as we are all free to do on open forums. :flowerforyou: It truly wasn't mean to offend, my apology if it came across that way.:ohwell:

Sounds like you have a great attitude that will take you far it also sounds like you've really studied this procedure and are ready for it. Also sounds like it will help a great deal with health issues and I agree obesity can bring on a whole range of issues all it's own. I'm not as familar with the lap band but from what I've learned from others and on here it's far less invasive. I absolutely agree, it's the patient not the doctors 'fault' (for lack of a better word) if they have eaten something that their body cannot handle. Her situation was not the lapband, so it was the dumping situation as you shared.

I think the lapband surgery sound by far the better way to go, why is it that some go one route and others go the other? Is it cost, a doctors preference or it being less invasive to the body?

I really do wish you well! ::flowerforyou: Seems as though those with the highest success rate follow up on what they've learned and what the doctor/meetings have taught them before hand.

Cheers:drinker:
Becca

foxyforce

try to get info from those who have had the surgery more than a few months ago for sure. good luck.

jasonweinberg

becca i did find that the bariatric team tended to recommend the bypass surgery because typically it provides better results. the lap band is purely restrictive, whereas the bypass also reduces absorption of calories (and nutrients) into your system and creates the dumping syndrome which theoritically forces you to eat better. i definitely find upon further inquiry that when many people refer to complications they are not aware of the differences between the two surgeries. my pcp had specifically referred me for the lap band surgery as he felt it was the better procedure for me. the stat they told me was that typical results of the bypass surgery were a loss of 40% to 80% of your excess body weight and lap band is 20% to 50%. this is based on years of statistics kept by bariatric programs nation-wide. i have already lost about 30% of my excess weight on the program prior to surgery. i will remain in the program for life. i have also been told by my nutritionist that she has worked with many lap band recipients who lost 100% of their excess weight. they do it by eating right and exercising, above all else.

Lisamarie1226

Jason,

As I stated in my 1st response (to your original post), lap band surgery is a TOOL to HELP you lose weight. It cannot and will not be your saving grace if you do not follow the program.

I had lap band surgery in January of 2009 and lost 100 lbs by my first year. Then I lost my way. It wasn't strictly that I was eating badly or even making bad decisions. I began dating, I had job stress, I started working out less. I did have an issue of an "obstruction" - meaning I didn't chew a piece of meat enough times and it got stuck. I wasn't able to keep fluids down and then had to have all the saline removed from my band and needed to start all over with putting in a few ccs at a time. It was a pain, but that was the worst issue I've had. I have been "over" filled a couple of times too, but it's hit or miss. Everyone is different. People feel different restrictions with different amounts and different people have more tolerance for certain foods.

My younger sister and mother both had gastric bypass earlier in 2009. My mom has not had an issues whatsoever. However, my sister has had 2 surgeries due to problems with her esophagus. Lap band MAY be the slower approach (although I've met some people on this site who have been extremely motivated!) but it's also much safer than gastric bypass.

I too haven't told just "anyone" about my surgery. There are a lot of people that seem to think bariatric surgery is a cop out or an easy out. It's not. True, we all know someone or have heard of someone who had the surgery and continues to make bad decisions (fried foods, breads, etc.) but NOT everyone is like that. For every 1 lazy, quick fix person, there are TONS others who are taking this seriously and making the necessary lifestyle changes. Yeah, it can suck that you will not be able to eat like you once did. But after awhile, you don't even miss it! You can find other things to fill up --or even substitutions for your favorite foods.

The biggest thing is that you ARE indeed acknowledging that this IS a lifestyle change. You KNOW that you will have to put in the effort to be successful. You are ready for this! And you WILL succeed...you have the right mindset and attitude! And you do have your lap band support system here on MFP to help you through your journey.

LoveMy4Kids

I haven't known anyone to have the lap band done but I wish you success in whatever you choose! Obesity sucks, its scarey and I just hope that no matter what route we take that one day all of us won't have to be where we are at now with it!

I have known several people, family and friends who have had gastro bypass done and ALL of them gained their weight back PLUS! I know not everyone does, but seems how all of the people I have personally known have it just makes me second guess the surgery. A friend of mine had a very bad experience with it too and ended upi n and out of the hospital afterwards because she couldn't keep ANYTHING down and her kidneys started to shut down because of it all, was pretty scarey! She went from 320 to 160 and back up to 340 within 3 years! I have often thought about having surgery done myself, but the risks of surgery scare the poop out of me, lol. I am doing it on my own now and pray hard that I can continue to do it on my own!

I hope your surgery goes well and look forward to seeing your results!!

Corbinsmom

Hey, I don't have any valuable feedback to give you but to say I wish you luck! I belive you can meet your goal and think this is a terrific sight to help encourage you on the way. I am confident you will make the right choice for you. You are doing great already! Good fo ryou for doing something about your weight!!

jasonweinberg

i'mm amazed that i keep hearing stories about gastric bypass recipients gaining all their weight back. i honestly thought the surgery made that virtually impossible because of the reduced stomach size, malabsorption, and dumping syndrome. how do these people manage to consume enough calories to gain their weight back?

dgroulx

Lap band is better than a full by pass. I've seen too many patients in the ICU who have lost bowel function. When it gets "bypassed" it no longer works. When you need to get it working again, too bad. I've seen necrosis of tissue. I've seen death. These are all 20 years or so post surgery. Maybe they have improved on the surgery since the earlier ones. It was enough to scare me into never doing anything like that.