How Much Does a Lap Band Cost and Does it Work?

Lunachic77

My aunt-in-law & cousin-in-law both had this procedure done a couple of years ago. They did lose weight, but they refused to change their eating habits or change their activity level and both of them now are heavier than they were before the surgery. I'm just not a fan of quick fixes. I mean it may work for some folks but I think the same results can come from hard work & discipline too...without the risky surgery.

nucgirl13

My sister is a nurse and when we were talking about the lap band she said that she has seen so many failures she would never recommend it. She told me one of her patients has been hospitalized for over four months due to a problem with his lap band.

stephaniemartin42

I had my band installed a little over 3 years ago. I've lost pretty close to 100 pounds (94.5 pounds so far if you want to be specific). I have been very successful and really haven't had any complications. If you'd like to read about my journey with the band in more than a few short sentences, my blog is here:

http://electricladyband.blogspot.com/

It's not a miracle or a magic bullet. My band doesn't decide to have lean protein and broccoli instead of ice cream. My band doesn't go to the gym by itself. It would be easy to sit on the couch all day but that doesn't provide results. If I wanted to, I could eat "slider" foods (things that slide right down the band - ice cream, milkshakes, chips, cookies, creamy soups) all day long and never lose weight. It's still hard to lose weight. I work my *kitten* off. BUT having the band, so I'm not starving all the time, makes it less hard. It removes some of the physical hunger. That's it. I'm glad I have my band but it's not a magical cure for obesity. You have to work it.

trixie315

bump

Velum_cado

A lot of people go into weight loss surgery thinking it'll be a quick, easy fix. But if you can't lose weight by eating sensibly and exercising, you won't be successful with surgical weight loss. It's your mindset that needs to change, not the structure of your digestive system.

chellec23

Here is my opinion......it's just my personal opinion, so don't jump my *kitten* for it.....

Weight loss surgery is a cop-out unless you have a serious medical condition that prevents you from getting regular exercise. If you eat right and exercise, you WILL lose the weight! There are many people on here who have lost a hundred pounds or more without surgery. I say if you can stick to the strict follow-up guidelines for surgery then you can sure as hell make yourself eat right and exercise. Yes, I am overweight and would probably qualify for the surgery but you know what? I know I can lose the weight and be healthier without surgery. You set your mind to it and work hard, it will happen.

gurlygirlrcr80

As someone who has had WLS, I can tell you my favorite rule I have learned along the way is don't talk to anyone who hasn't had it done. Because everyone has a cousins, wife's, brother's friend who had it done and it went terribly for them. Everyone has a different journey. I choose gastric bypass because after research and talking to my PCP and surgeon, we decided I would have the most success with it. The whole shebang after my deductable was $80k. That was surgery, hospital stay (3 days), surgeon fees, testing, anesthesia...everything. I paid 1200 to meet my deductible. My vitamins are $35 a month and I am the happiest I have ever been. I've lost 63 lbs so far and I'm finally able to work out again (something I did my whole life up until I started working in the real world). I am only 2.5 months out but I can tell you now, that I would do this all over again if I had to make the choice again. I am controlling my food, eating healthy, exercising 5-6 times a week, and I'm starting to get back to the way my life was for 23 years before I gained weight. It's about learning healthy eating and like it has been mentioned before, it's a tool to help you make the right choices, it is not magic and will not FIX your problems. If you are determined to eat crappy food, then you will continue to do so. If that's the case, you would have better spend with your money to hire someone to follow you around and slap you in the face when you try to eat something bad.

There is a website support group called rnytalk.com that has a wealth of information (good, bad and ugly) and i'm sure lapband has a group like that online too.

melindasuefritz

JUST DIET AND EXERCISE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

smaihlee

I cannot imagine having elective surgery for something that I could remedy on my own.

That being said, I lived for 41 years being stubborn and fat. I woke up one day and decided I was sick of the *kitten* I was eating and sick of the *kitten* I was missing out on in life, and decided to make a change. It is slow and frustrating and HARD. HARD HARD HARD. But I am bound and determined to treat myself the way I deserve to be treated.

As other posters have said, NO WLS is going to work until you change your eating habits FOR GOOD. I hope that you will wake up one day and decide you are sick of the way you've been treating yourself, and you become willing to make the changes needed to lose the weight without resorting to something so drastic.

Best of luck in achieving your goals. whatever you decide!

FitterStrongerHappier

Lap band is a surgical procedure that places a band around your stomach to decrease the amount of food that can enter into your stomach. Once in place, the band can be filled or unfilled thru a permanent port in your body. This is a major life long surgical procedure. A friend of mine had it done, and had lots of issues due to it. Food will get stuck on top of the band, and you will have to throw up to get the food out.

It's not something to go into lightly. It is just as risky as gastic bypass surgery.

This isn't exactly true. It has some threads of truth, but the lapband is much more easily reversed - it still requires surgery, but going in and removing it takes about 15 minutes or so. It's like a belt around the stomach with a port and tube. The port is attached just under the skin, to allow the surgeon to inject saline into the band, inflating it like a balloon around the stomach, and reducing the opening for food to pass through.

they do not cut your stomach or reroute it, so it's not nearly as risky. the band can be placed in 15 minutes on average, and can be reversed just as quickly. It's a less risky approach, but also has a higher failure rate. though Failure is a relative term. If a person understands what it is meant to do, and accepts that you STILL have to watch what you eat and exercise to lose weight, then success is more likely. Too many people opt to have this done without really understanding what it does or how it works.

imagine putting a belt around your stomach and in essence creating a funnel effect. if you hold a funnel, with the bottom of it having a small opening, basically you are restricting the food flow out of the stomach part above the funnel to the lower part. this forces the food to stay in the upper portion longer, in contact with the nerves that tell you you are full.

the downside, is that the food STILL has to pass through the funnel, so if you don't chew the food VERY VERY VERY well, it can get STUCK. and can be VERY VERY PAINFUL Imagine being in a meeting with peers, and all of a sudden the lunch you just ate, a piece wasn't chewed well, and now it's stuck. your body doesn't know how to handle this. You're not "CHOKING" but your system knows something is wrong, so your eyes start watering, your nose starts running, your mouth starts producing more saliva - in your body's attempt to DISLODGE what is unnaturally stuck. Your face gets red, and all that extra saliva you are now producing, has NO WHERE TO GO. you can't swallow it. Why? because the pathway is BLOCKED. it's a stopped up funnel. your only option is to get it out. So out of your meeting you go, to the bathroom, to "PB" or "Productive burp". It's kind of like throwing up, but not exactly. You go back to your meeting, and resign yourself to liquids for the rest of the day, because you have now irritated your pouch/band/opening, and it's swollen, further closing the small opening.

Now lets just say that your lunch that you ate was a healthy chicken salad. the chicken was what got stuck. This opening you have, the size of a straw, only accepts foods chewed very well - OR - foods that break down easily, like ICE CREAM, COOKIES, CHOCOLATE, CHIPS, JUNK. Any of those foods, are easily broken down and dissolved, and pass right through the opening. Also, you may find yourself slathering chicken or meat with ketchup or mayo (high calorie condiments) to lubricate it so it goes down easier. If you understand the dynamics and what this is meant to do - control portion sizes, force you to eat slowly and chew very well, so that you end up eating less -but only less calories if you eat healthy foods - which contradictorily are harder to get down - then yes it works.. It truly is only a portion control tool. and you will find there will be foods you may never be able to eat again - unfortunately those won't be the junk. Things you may not be able to eat, apples, or high fiber fruits or veggies. Eggs, some meat - definitely any dry food items or dryer meats - bread is a no-no for some.

It's not as dangerous as the bypass, but not nearly as successful because of the issues. Additionally, the sad part about it is, that if you learn about food and calories and how to make it work, you will be more successful at losing AND keeping it off, than you will ever be with the band. There are a handful of people that do well with it. But It doesn't behave the same in everyone's body (things like fluid retention, scar tissue, etc etc will affect how tight the band is or stays, and that varies person to person), so not everyone has the same results. Add in the fact that everyone has different eating habits, so some people will have better success because they eat better normally and just need to control how MUCH. For them, it's probably better.

I'd say don't do it. I had it done WAY before probably 90% of the people on here. the most I dropped with it was 40 lbs, and that was largely due to the liquid diet i was on after, while i waited for it to heal. I've had it probably 9 years now or close to it. Had complications with it, had it unfilled close to 2 years ago, and gained back ALL but 4 pounds of my weight. I started seeing a personal trainer, joined MFP, and lost 57 lbs WITHOUT the band. It's a useless piece of hardware in me, and I'm faced with leaving it, or opting for surgery to have it out. I did gain back about 15 lbs over the holidays (in about 6 weeks!) and am working to take that back off STILL but it's a process. I at least KNOW what I need to do now, and I all but regret having it done all those years ago, and wasting all that money. The only thing is, had I not done it, I may have continued to gain weight unstoppably, and ended up I don't know where. I DO regret not looking into a personal trainer, and figuring out the whole calorie balance thing long before now. Learning that you can lose weight eating 1800 or even 2000 calories a day, instead of the 1200 calorie a day misconception. It's all relative. Burn more than you eat, and you will lose. Burn a lot more than you eat you will lose faster.

I wouldn't do it. I've been out 9 years, and learned the hard way, it's a waste of time and money. Good luck in your decision!

rossbassette

Lap-Band here in Tampa Bay area is $15,800.00 cash.

I am a RN, and have done quite a bit of research before deciding lap band surgery was not for me

Before falling for the surgeons sales pitch, do your homework. The fact of the matter is, this weight loss surgery has a 25% failure rate after five years. There are plenty of people out there who have lap bands and who have gained back all of their weight, however, they can never eat normally as long as they have the band.

What are the specific risks and possible complications?
Talk to your doctor about all of the following risks and complications:

Ulceration
Gastritis (irritated stomach tissue)
Gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation)
Heartburn
Gas bloat
Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
Dehydration
Constipation
Weight regain
Death
Laparoscopic surgery has its own set of possible problems. They include:
Spleen or liver damage (sometimes requiring spleen removal)
Damage to major blood vessels
Lung problems
Thrombosis (blood clots)
Rupture of the wound
Perforation of the stomach or esophagus during surgery
Laparoscopic surgery is not always possible. The surgeon may need to switch to an "open" method due to some of the reasons mentioned here. This happened in about 5% of the cases in the U.S. Clinical Study. There are also problems that can occur that are directly related to the LAP-BAND ® System:
The band can spontaneously deflate because of leakage. That leakage can come from the band, the reservoir, or the tubing that connects them.
The band can slip.
There can be stomach slippage.
The stomach pouch can enlarge.
The stoma (stomach outlet) can be blocked.
The band can erode into the stomach.
Obstruction of the stomach can be caused by:
Food
Swelling
Improper placement of the band
The band being over-inflated
Band or stomach slippage
Stomach pouch twisting
Stomach pouch enlargement
There have been some reports that the esophagus has stretched or dilated in some patients. This could be caused by:
Improper placement of the band
The band being tightened too much
Stoma obstruction
Binge eating
Excessive vomiting
Patients with a weaker esophagus may be more likely to have this problem. A weaker esophagus is one that is not good at pushing food through to your stomach. Tell your surgeon if you have difficulty swallowing. Then your surgeon can evaluate this.

Weight loss with the LAP-BAND ® System is typically slower and more gradual than with some other weight loss surgeries. Tightening the band too fast or too much to try to speed up weight loss should be avoided. The stomach pouch and/or esophagus can become enlarged as a result. You need to learn how to use your band as a tool that can help you reduce the amount you eat.

Infection is possible. Also, the band can erode into the stomach. This can happen right after surgery or years later, although this rarely happens.

Complications can cause reduced weight loss. They can also cause weight gain. Other complications can result that require more surgery to remove, reposition, or replace the band.

Some patients have more nausea and vomiting than others. You should see your physician at once if vomiting persists.

Rapid weight loss may lead to symptoms of:
Malnutrition
Anemia
Related complications
It is possible you may not lose much weight or any weight at all. You could also have complications related to obesity.

If any complications occur, you may need to stay in the hospital longer. You may also need to return to the hospital later. A number of less serious complications can also occur. These may have little effect on how long it takes you to recover from surgery.

If you have existing problems, such as diabetes, a large hiatal hernia (part of the stomach in the chest cavity), Barretts esophagus (severe, chronic inflammation of the lower esophagus), or emotional or psychological problems, you may have more complications. Your surgeon will consider how bad your symptoms are, and if you are a good candidate for the LAP-BAND ® System surgery. You also have more risk of complications if you've had a surgery before in the same area. If the procedure is not done laparoscopically by an experienced surgeon, you may have more risk of complications.

Anti-inflammatory drugs that may irritate the stomach, such as aspirin and NSAIDs, should be used with caution.

Some people need folate and vitamin B12 supplements to maintain normal homocycteine levels. Elevated homocycteine levels can increase risks to your heart and the risk of spinal birth defects.

You can develop gallstones after a rapid weight loss. This can make it necessary to remove your gallbladder.

There have been no reports of autoimmune disease with the use of the LAP-BAND ® System. Autoimmune diseases and connective tissue disorders, though, have been reported after long-term implantation of other silicone devices. These problems can include systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma. At this time, there is no conclusive clinical evidence that supports a relationship between connective-tissue disorders and silicone implants. Long-term studies to further evaluate this possibility are still being done. You should know, though, that if autoimmune symptoms develop after the band is in place, you may need treatment. The band may also need to be removed.

cebreisch

Yes, they can work. There are a variety of issues to tale into consideration, which have been carefully stated by others.

I actually considered getting one about 2 years ago. I was told I'd have to lose 90 pounds to get me to about a 49 BMI. I worked with the dietician, and did the things they instructed me to do, and lost the 90 pounds. I had lost the weight at a rate of about 1.5 pounds a week, so I passed on getting the surgery to see just how far I could go....That was about last September.

I'm now up to 146 pounds (26 of it was removed from skin/fat removal surgery since I've lost so much).

Point is, sometimes you can do it without the surgery if you "hire the right people" (as someone I know once said).

BUT by all means, keep your options open. Lap-band surgeons typically have informational seminars - find one and go see what it's about. Only you can tell if it's something you think is worth pursuing.

iggyboo93

No idea how much it costs. I've known people who have had tremendous success and tremendous failures. But one common theme seems to be that this is the last resort for many people. I've gained and lost over the years but when I did lose the weight, there were a few common denominators: 1.) eating less sugar and fried foods 2.) exercising more 3.) making the weight loss a priority in my life every day.

I really like Chris Christy - he appears to genuinely care and work hard for his constituents - it saddened me when he was mocked unmercifully for his weight but I also hoped it would prompt him to work on losing the pounds.

Would love it if he joined MFP and used this site to track his progress. Governor Christy - are you here?

ash8184

I suggest looking into seminars that your local surgeons conduct. They're typically free, and very informative. My Band was placed almost 5 years ago... At my lowest, I had lost 120 lbs. Yes, it works... to a point. Its a tool... not a cure. I work out 5 days a week and I'm on here... which means... Im counting my calories. If your band isnt used the way its supposed to be, then no... it wont work.

cost... varies per surgeon, however mine was covered under my insurance.

THIS. Insurance didn't cover mine, so I paid out of pocket. All said and done, it was about $15k cash and WORTH EVERY PENNY.

ash8184

Lap band is a surgical procedure that places a band around your stomach to decrease the amount of food that can enter into your stomach. Once in place, the band can be filled or unfilled thru a permanent port in your body. This is a major life long surgical procedure. A friend of mine had it done, and had lots of issues due to it. Food will get stuck on top of the band, and you will have to throw up to get the food out.

It's not something to go into lightly. It is just as risky as gastic bypass surgery.

This isn't exactly true. It has some threads of truth, but the lapband is much more easily reversed - it still requires surgery, but going in and removing it takes about 15 minutes or so. It's like a belt around the stomach with a port and tube. The port is attached just under the skin, to allow the surgeon to inject saline into the band, inflating it like a balloon around the stomach, and reducing the opening for food to pass through.

they do not cut your stomach or reroute it, so it's not nearly as risky. the band can be placed in 15 minutes on average, and can be reversed just as quickly. It's a less risky approach, but also has a higher failure rate. though Failure is a relative term. If a person understands what it is meant to do, and accepts that you STILL have to watch what you eat and exercise to lose weight, then success is more likely. Too many people opt to have this done without really understanding what it does or how it works.

imagine putting a belt around your stomach and in essence creating a funnel effect. if you hold a funnel, with the bottom of it having a small opening, basically you are restricting the food flow out of the stomach part above the funnel to the lower part. this forces the food to stay in the upper portion longer, in contact with the nerves that tell you you are full.

the downside, is that the food STILL has to pass through the funnel, so if you don't chew the food VERY VERY VERY well, it can get STUCK. and can be VERY VERY PAINFUL Imagine being in a meeting with peers, and all of a sudden the lunch you just ate, a piece wasn't chewed well, and now it's stuck. your body doesn't know how to handle this. You're not "CHOKING" but your system knows something is wrong, so your eyes start watering, your nose starts running, your mouth starts producing more saliva - in your body's attempt to DISLODGE what is unnaturally stuck. Your face gets red, and all that extra saliva you are now producing, has NO WHERE TO GO. you can't swallow it. Why? because the pathway is BLOCKED. it's a stopped up funnel. your only option is to get it out. So out of your meeting you go, to the bathroom, to "PB" or "Productive burp". It's kind of like throwing up, but not exactly. You go back to your meeting, and resign yourself to liquids for the rest of the day, because you have now irritated your pouch/band/opening, and it's swollen, further closing the small opening.

Now lets just say that your lunch that you ate was a healthy chicken salad. the chicken was what got stuck. This opening you have, the size of a straw, only accepts foods chewed very well - OR - foods that break down easily, like ICE CREAM, COOKIES, CHOCOLATE, CHIPS, JUNK. Any of those foods, are easily broken down and dissolved, and pass right through the opening. Also, you may find yourself slathering chicken or meat with ketchup or mayo (high calorie condiments) to lubricate it so it goes down easier. If you understand the dynamics and what this is meant to do - control portion sizes, force you to eat slowly and chew very well, so that you end up eating less -but only less calories if you eat healthy foods - which contradictorily are harder to get down - then yes it works.. It truly is only a portion control tool. and you will find there will be foods you may never be able to eat again - unfortunately those won't be the junk. Things you may not be able to eat, apples, or high fiber fruits or veggies. Eggs, some meat - definitely any dry food items or dryer meats - bread is a no-no for some.

It's not as dangerous as the bypass, but not nearly as successful because of the issues. Additionally, the sad part about it is, that if you learn about food and calories and how to make it work, you will be more successful at losing AND keeping it off, than you will ever be with the band. There are a handful of people that do well with it. But It doesn't behave the same in everyone's body (things like fluid retention, scar tissue, etc etc will affect how tight the band is or stays, and that varies person to person), so not everyone has the same results. Add in the fact that everyone has different eating habits, so some people will have better success because they eat better normally and just need to control how MUCH. For them, it's probably better.

I'd say don't do it. I had it done WAY before probably 90% of the people on here. the most I dropped with it was 40 lbs, and that was largely due to the liquid diet i was on after, while i waited for it to heal. I've had it probably 9 years now or close to it. Had complications with it, had it unfilled close to 2 years ago, and gained back ALL but 4 pounds of my weight. I started seeing a personal trainer, joined MFP, and lost 57 lbs WITHOUT the band. It's a useless piece of hardware in me, and I'm faced with leaving it, or opting for surgery to have it out. I did gain back about 15 lbs over the holidays (in about 6 weeks!) and am working to take that back off STILL but it's a process. I at least KNOW what I need to do now, and I all but regret having it done all those years ago, and wasting all that money. The only thing is, had I not done it, I may have continued to gain weight unstoppably, and ended up I don't know where. I DO regret not looking into a personal trainer, and figuring out the whole calorie balance thing long before now. Learning that you can lose weight eating 1800 or even 2000 calories a day, instead of the 1200 calorie a day misconception. It's all relative. Burn more than you eat, and you will lose. Burn a lot more than you eat you will lose faster.

I wouldn't do it. I've been out 9 years, and learned the hard way, it's a waste of time and money. Good luck in your decision!

This is true in that I've been in a business meeting many times and turned blue in the face from a veggie getting stuck in my esophagus (it feels like asphyxiation). 5 years out, it happens probably once/month but now, I know how to handle it.

It's not so bad in that you should be "eating to live, not living to eat" anyway, so I am ok with a lifetime without crap I shouldn't eat anyway - the only thing that bothers me sometimes is not being able to chug water after a work out (but now I sip and it's just fine). Lap band is a lot less risky than gastric bypass because there are only 2-3 tiny incisions made - laproscopic.

See if it would really work for you before you do it, but if it is the key to your health, by all means consider it.

ImpossibleGrl

I was very lucky, my insurance covered the entire cost, plus every surgeon visit I have had since for fills/unfills/checkups (minus co-pays). It's been a slightly rocky road, but I wouldn't change a thing. I've lost over 100 pounds (a little over 60 of that since having the band placed, WELL over what the doctor predicted I would lose), and I am still going. It is just a tool, it is NOT a magic bullet, or a fix-all, I still have to WORK HARD, physically and mentally, and if I slip up, I pay the consequences, but I am so grateful to have the tool to help remind me what is really important.

pkp492

LOVE my lap band - 6 1/2 years, 75lbs lost - have had no problems and it definitely changed my life! My mom has had hers almost 8 years and has love about 140lbs. Can't say it enough - MUST pick a good dr. I got very very lucky and my dr is one of the innovators/creators of the lap band and most of their patients have a lot of success (most people in the office including Drs are also patients). I see a lot of posts about things that Drs make their patients do which I personally think is crazy. If you are thinking about getting the band, ask ask ask around and get a good Dr. It can make A LOT of difference.

chrispthompson1

You have really helped me make the decision not to have the lap band. What you wrote was perfect. I have been going back and forth for months thinking it was best for me but now I know I don't want to risk my health and I don't was the problems it causes. I have been eating a good diet with healthy foods and cut out most all of the foods that have helped get me to this weight. I have lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks and I'm happy because I plan on eating like this for the rest of my life. I have osteoarthritis and degenerative disks which basically keeps me from exercising but I do what I can. I'm in a lot of pain but oh well! lol I'll feel better as the weight comes off.
Thank you again for what you wrote. It really knocked a lot of sense into my hard head!! : )
Chris...