Laproscopic Surgery

Mountain_woman

Hello all, my father has decided to get the laproscopic surgery. I am looking for any experiences people may have had to better grasp what he will be enduring. Any advice, tips or the likes are appreciated. I am hoping to not get messages telling me how he should just diet and exercise better. I know this, I have been saying this for years, especially after my own loss, but this is his choice. I just want to understand it and help him through the process. Thanks in advance...

Becca

heathercrist1

My mother-in-law got the lapband surgery done 2 years ago and has lost NOTHING! It is all about food moderation and being active...oh and learning why you overeat. Nothing is a quick fix....

mok33

congrats on your weight loss! I have no advice for your dad because I don't know how much he has to lose..... and it is not something I would consider.... I have heard though, that if needs to be prepared for extra skin while losing wt. quickly... I've heard that some 'surgery' packages include plastic surgery for that need..... good luck.....

2bFitNTrim

Oops, I misread your post. Never mind! Silly me. :blushing:


Hope it goes well for him! :flowerforyou:

casey12105

If you're talking about the lapband, I know a girl that got it done and it did absolutely nothing. Why? Because she continued to not exercise and eat the same as she always did. I even asked her because I read up on it at on point about how the first couple of weeks you can't eat solids, and then u can only eat so much and u can't eat sugar or it'll make you sick, and she was like uh no the first night after she got home she had a bowl of wendy's chilli. I believe it can be very helpful if you follow the doctor's instructions but IMO if you're not planning on putting in the work (diet and exercise) it's a waste of money.

Mountain_woman

Yes, the lapband. I will be cooking for him and helping him directly dictate his intake, so he will have no choice but to follow dr;s orders. I won't allow him to cheat after such an extreme measure.

Lhelms84

An old boss of mine had the lapband surgery and he did lose weight, but he always looked sick and weight is lost so quickly that he had this really unhealthy gaunt look to him. He also almost died when the lap band caused internal bleeding which caused him to spend a lot of time in the hospital and need multiple blood transfusions.. I'd think that if a person is in more immediate peril from the weight they are carrying that the lapband is a good first step, but it the weight can be lost over time safely and with intelligence that the old fashioned way is the best way.. Good luck to your dad though, don't let my story scare you. There are many many people who have had a lot of success with the surgery as well.

rogerskevin

Lap-bands have fewer side effects and risks compared to a gastric bypass. The band may move or slip but this is not a common occurrence. The band divides the stomach into smaller sections so you feel full faster. After the operation your father may only be able to eat about one cup of food. Since food intake is less, you should make sure he gets a well-balanced meal from that one cup! Also make sure that he chews his food well. Your doctor will help you with further guidelines.

Bariatric surgery is quite common, safe and a good option for people who struggle to lose weight. To reduce side effects and risks I would suggest you choose the best center for bariatric surgery in your area. If you can’t find one, then consider the Bariatrics Center, New Jersey. They have done a great job for my sister and helped her through the post-operative process as well.
Bariatrics Center New Jersey: http://www.southernoceanmedicalcenter.com/SOMC/services/BariatricsCenter/index.cfm

TrainingWithTonya

Number one thing--vitamins and minerals!!!! Because of the limited amount of food that can be consumed and the possibility of dumping syndrome from the surgery, people who have had lapband (or gastric bypass) will often become deficient in the necessary vitamins and minerals, so ask his doctor about the best supplement for being absorbed quickly after surgery and make sure he takes them daily. To help the dumping syndrome, he may need to avoid fat and lactose because they tend to stimulate dumping. The enzymes to process them in the gastrointestinal system often don't have time to work because the food isn't in the right area of the GI tract long enough, so they tend to move through quickly with very little processing by the body. Also, because of the risk of diarrhea, he may need to be on a low fiber diet. From my Advanced Nutritional Therapy class, I was taught <10 grams of fiber a day. However, when playing with fiber intake you have to be careful because it can cause some rebound constipation. So, you may have to adjust his fiber intake up or down from that 10 grams per day based on how his body responds. Other things to help him feel better while eating is to make sure he is getting several small meals per day instead of 3 big meals per day. There's just not room for bigger meals and if someone with the surgery tries to eat them, they will get sick at first and may eventually cause the pouch that is suppose to be small to stretch so they can eat more which basically negates the surgery. It's also suggested to not eat and drink at the same time. This can be a problem for people who like to "wash their food down" but it will help with making sure they are getting the nutrients they need without getting full too soon. Generally 30 minutes to an hour is sufficient time to separate any eating and drinking.

There are fewer side effects generally from the lap band then from the traditional Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, though, so maybe your Dad won't have some of these issues.