input on lap band surgery

the only person I know didn't have any lasting success. I wouldn't do it.

My mom got it done. I've lost more weight than her in the few months I started than she has in over a year. Things get "stuck" all the time when she eats, and sometimes she has to puke it back up. She can't eat certain foods, and she's constantly getting stuck with this huge *kitten* needle to fill up the port again to make things tighter. Not something I would want to live with for the rest of my life. She's on here if you want to shoot her a message, her screen name is mtusek.

I have 2 friends that have it. One never attempted to diet seriously, paid out of pocket to avoid insurance rules and is still large.
The other went to the gym every night religiously and is now at goal.
Two different approaches, two different endings.

Well, now that all of the people who never had the band have spoken, I would be happy to tell you about my lap band experience and tell you about some of the people in my support group. It's been one year since I started seeing my lap band surgeon and staff about having the surgery. My band was "installed" on 10/1/2010 and a large hernia was also repaired at the same time. Due to swelling from the hernia, I had no help from my lapband until January 2011. I had the fluid removed in June because I had an ear operation and it was just refilled this month. I have lost a total of 50 pounds.

1. A lapband is a tool. It is designed to make the entryway to the stomach smaller so that food will take longer to enter the stomach, remaining at the spot where there are certain nerves located that send messages to the brain that you are full. If you consume liquid calories, such as sugared soda or ice cream, you will not feel full because that food passes right through your system. If you think you cannot give up liquid calories, you should NOT have the band operation.
2. There are two makes of bands: Lap Band and Realize. Both websites have informational videos and other information about how they work and can help you determine if they are the right thing for you.
3. As a TOOL, you will still have to learn to change how you eat, what you eat and you will exercise. Part of my weight loss has been slow because I still don't have my band in the "green zone" (filled to the point where it helps me the most) and because I have many illnesses that have kept me from exercising. I just started very basic, short term exercise this week. But, the band DOES help you with this by curbing your cravings.
4. The band has a small tube inside your body that connects to a port about the size of a small stock of quarters and that port is surgically attached to the inside of your abdomen to permit the doctor to add or delete saline from the band.
5. Everyone has different results with the band regarding what you can or cannot eat without "sliming" which is when food gets stuck. BUT, if you chew your food, take small bites, eat slowly and avoid sticky foods such as rice, white bread, you will not experience this. "Mindful eating" as described above is great for anyone losing weight because you actually taste food and are full much faster.

Now, the operation is not nearly as dangerous as the bypass and with laser surgery, the bypass isn't so bad. You have to remember that the main reason the bypasses are considered dangerous is because most of the patients have so many co-modbidities that ANY surgery/anesthesia is risky. But, if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, asthma and many other dangerous weight-related problems, you are in danger of dying just by sitting around with the weight. The lapband does not have the risk of peritonitis from leaking of the pouch created during the bypass operation.

I had my surgery performed around 9am on a Friday and was up walking around the ward by 6pm. They gave me great pain medication and I was allowed to go home the next morning, so I was there a little over 12 hours. When I went home, I had a little bit of not pain, but discomfort from the hernia operation, but I never took a single pain pill.

In my doctors' practice, we have 3 doctors, there are over 3,000 patients and each support group meeting has about 100-150 in attendance. I have yet to hear ANYONE who regrets having the operation. The statistics reveal that people lose weight faster with the bypass, but the band people tend to keep it off longer long term because they have to work the program to get it off. YES, there are people who fall by the wayside and do not lose the weight. It's not easy. There are some who gain it back. But what's funny is that you usually only hear about the bad ones and I, personally, know FAR MORE successful people than those who failed.

You can expect to lose about 60% of the weight you need to lose during the first 18 months that you have the band, statistically. I have met people who have lost 200 or more pounds.

ANYONE who loses a lot of weight and does not exercise will have sagging skin, and, truthfully, according to plastic surgeons, MOST people who lose 100 pounds or more will have sagging skin on the arms, apron (front belly) and boobs. Your age and skin elasticity will govern that.

Lapband patients should expect to lose about 1-2 pounds per week, more at the beginning, with some plateaus, and less as you approach your goal.

PLEASE feel free to email me with your questions, or ask them here. It is not nearly as negative as most people who do not elect surgery make it out to be and a good doctor can decide if you're a good candidate or not. It is NOT for everyone. But, it MIGHT be for you.
Good luck, whichever route you choose!!!

I had gastric bypass surgery. I did not have the lap band, because I had seen numerous people gain the weight back. I am just over 5 years out. I gained back 20lbs then researched and researched and realized what I was doing wrong and (then) found out how easy it is to gain it back. There is a website that helped me called livingafterwls.com.

But, like someone else said, it's a tool. The Roun-Y Gastric Bypass I had helped to curve cravings and limit intake. Like the band, you can cheat. You can eat food that will slide through the stomach. I'm lucky enough to realize this BEFORE I gained 100's back.

One thing different about me, compared to others, is I didn't have a "reason" as to why I was overeating. I didn't have a bad child hood, nothing traumatic happened to me, I wasn't "addicted". I just ate badly. The surgery helped me to avoid sugar (because it made me sick) and eat less (no greasy food because it upset my stomach too). My enemies were chocolate, dessert and fast food. After surgery, I had to avoid it all because it made me sick. Then I lose weight - a lot of weight. Then the restrictions get lifted.. they do eventually go away.. then you need SELF CONTROL. I still limit my intake, but I need to improve my diet. I'm going to change this very soon!

I didn't "move" my addiction to somethign else. I did hear many people "move" their addiction to sex, alcohol, drugs, etc. Please get serious Pscychological help (not the one the doctor recommends). Seriously, find out why you are over weight. Find out the TRUE triggers, don't lie. They will make you gain the weight back if you do. Good Luck

I'm 30, I have skin.. saggy belly skin and some arms and thighs too! I'm 30!!!

My Aunt has this done about a year ago. She is now around 100 lbs or less and she said IT WAS THE WORST DECISION OF HER LIFE!!!!! she feels horrible!!!

P.S. I have an addictive personality. I was addicted to alcohol in my 20's. Like everything else in life, you need to strike a balance. Just because you have that kind of make up, it does not mean you will transfer addictions. I work hard to keep a balance in my life. Not over eating. Not over spending, etc. If you find you have this kind of pre-disposition then you have to recognize it and gain control. I work out, I read, I meditate, I do crafts, I keep myself busy. Balance. Balance is key. For me.

xoxo

I've never had a lapband, just done some research on it to see if it would be right for me. I decided against it. I recognize there are benefits to it as my ex-supervisor had a lapband put in because of a horrible wound she had on her leg that wouldn't heal unless she lost weight but she couldn't exercise because of a combination of her weight and the wound - classic Catch-22, no? Her weight loss was one of the most crazy cool things I have ever seen as she seemed to melt from the top down. I had stopped working there for a while and when I went back next... Her face was so amazing to me - she was a pretty lady hiding underneath all those layers and her lapband helped her start to shine.

The only thing I would stress though is that having weightloss surgery is not a quick, easy fix for anyones' weight issues. Like the previous posters who have lapbands have said, this is a tool to help you on your journey. You will most likely lose lots of weight because it shrinks your stomach. You can and most likely will also gain all that weight back if you don't use this tool like the other tools in your arsenal (willpower, healthy foods, exercise, therapy for food issues, etc).

Nancy! Thank goodness! There you are...I desperately need someone who support the lap band lifestyle. I'm determined to let my band do as it was designed to do...

Thank you for your post.

Honestly, it really depends on who you are as a person and how willing you are to commit to something like this. People look at WLS has something drastic, but really, for others it's helpful. I can't tell you, I've tried numerous non-sense diets, the watch what you eat, eat under 1000-1200, eat smaller portions, do this, do that. Seriously? If we were all the same and all had the same bodies, then I really doubt we'd all be here. It's honestly how you take care of yourself. I've met people who have issues with their bands, I met a woman, who literally right after surgery, went to smoke and drink and ate ice cream for 2 weeks. Seriously? Her excuse, "Well, it's the only thing that could go down." Uhm, they have yogurt, 100 calories or less that goes down the same way.
That's why you do extensive testing, you see a psychologist, nutritionist, and you go to meetings. It's better to hear from people who have had it done than from people who think they know or relay what they heard. Every experience is different. Good luck to whatever you decide!

They have robotic surgery now where instead of the doctor doing it with his hand, a robot does it and the doctor controls it.

I was also recently banded (6/7/11) and I'm so glad I had it done. I've lost close to 80 pounds in 4 short months, I try to eat 1200 calories each day, but some times that's a hard task. I found that making up the difference with protein shakes helps a ton.

I lost 18ilbs 1 month prior to the surgery on a complete liquid diet. I told myself if I can make it through this month, I can make it through anything. I've been losing 15-20ilbs per month, which is pretty high for the band, but a good diet and plenty of exercise makes it happen.

I only have one suggestion for those looking into the Lap Band. Try the diet/exercise out before you have the band, if you can't do it without the band, what makes you think you can do it with the band? I think that's the biggest difference in those that succeed with the band and those that fail. It's not this magic tool that will make you lose weight without any changes in your lifestyle. It's a tool meant to help your weight loss along with the other changes that need to be made.

i also love the comments from people who "know" . I was banded in march of 2011, amd am glad i did. I wish i did it sooner, I have gain and lossed over 300 lbs b4 i was banded, its a tool, and if u find a great Dr and follow a plan u will be successfull. i was 267 and now i weigh 208 , and will be at 150 and will stay there with my band

I think that a lop of people have a misconception about over weight people. its not just math. its not just eat less and exercise like most people that only need to loose 10 lbs think, Id switch places with anybody who thinks that in a second and then lets see who has anything negative to say about weight loss surgery,

I'm a bandster!! bandy - whatever you wanna call me- i LOVE it! i had it done 03/24/08 - i was 240 lbs at my heaviest, steadily was around 180 -- bc i didn't continue my weight loss. like many have said-- it's a tool and just like any other diet or tool- you can trick it!

so here i am- 3 and a half years later, with a 9 month old baby, actively losing since my pregnancy and i'm right at 180. i had a problem with over-eating and the band has helped me with that. i needed a physical indicator that i'd had enough.

and by the way- i haven't gotten filled in 2 years. and i still feel restriction.

let me know if you have questions!

An acquaintance of a relative had it and she hated it, she lost weight, but couldn't bear to change her lifestyle so she undid it. My husband's sis-in-law had some procedure done and she lost alot of weight, but it's hard for her at family gatherings because a piece of fruit pretty much fills her up.