Lap Band Info

I finally made the appt. to see a bariatric surgeon and I'm leaning towards the lap band, instead of the full bypass. That said, I'm still a little worried about the information in the package the Dr.'s office sent me. The information package mentions that the weight loss is very slow and most patients that have the procedure done, lost only 30 - 35% of their excess weight! My appt. with the Dr. is tomorrow and I need to tell them which procedure I'm going for. I've read tons of web sites about the procedure, but none really address the rate of weight loss, the issue of band slippage and restrictions on certian foods after the procedure. If anyone out there has had the procedure done, or has information on it, I would really appreciate and help!!

Jo Ann... where are you when we need you?! Jo Ann is one of Dr. Jawad's paitents that has had both done... her story is neat, and will be very informative.. Jo Ann... come out come out where ever you are!!!

Nadia, I too went in wanting the lap band originally but I decided to do the gastric bypass and I am SO happy that I did. I have 3 friends who did the lap band and haven't been very happy with the weight loss and the other problems they have had. I know two of them are going to private pay and have the bypass done now. I can only speak of what I have heard with them and each person of course is different and will have different issues. I personally didn't want to drop a few pounds at a time which is what they are experiencing. I know for myself I need something that is faster that will help motivate me and keep me motivated. I figured if I wanted to lose it that slow I could do something non-surgical but my main thing is being able to maintain a healthy weight more than anything. I actually made a list of pro's and con's and that helped me a lot too! Good Luck!

LOL Amy!! Here I am. Ok, statistically speaking on weight loss with the lap band is approximatley 50% of your weight. Now with that being said that doesn't mean that you can't lose all of your weight, just depends on how dedicated you are to the program, you follow the rules about 90% of the time and you get out there and EXERCISE!!! Very important. About band slippage, the band does not actually slip, your stomach actually comes up through the band and then they can usually deflate it, give your tummy a little rest for a few weeks along with a strict liquid diet for those few weeks and that usually corrects the problem. If that does not correct the problem then surgery will usually fix it if it can be fixed by surgery. I don't have exact statistics on slippage for you, but it's not as often as you may think. Food restrictions after procedure, technically there is NONE. You can eat whatever you want. But please be aware that the band DOES NOT restrict junk food or carby food. That stuff goes right through the band. The band only restricts solid protein foods like meats and bread is a tough thing to eat for most people. Some peoples tastes do change with the band and some foods are not tolerated as well as others. It varies with each person. Some people have a hard time with chicken, some with beef, some with pork, etc. It basically comes down to trial and error. I have TONS of information on the lap band, your welcome to read my profile to check out my story and of course if you have any other questions I'd be more than happy to try and answer them for you!! If you want you can e mail me directly at [email protected] I hope this helps you out some!! Jo Ann

Jo Ann - I just read your profile and OMG that is exactly what happened to a dear friend of mine. She is is in the process of converting and her body rejected the "band" just like yours did. It was almost like her body was allergic to it or something. How crazy that is! I will have to tell her I found someone who had the exact same thing happen she will flip out!

Hi kellie thanks for checking out my profile!! That was just basically the cliff note version of what happened to me, it really was pure hell for all of those months. I can't believe your friend had the same thing!! If she ever wants to talk please tell her to get in touch with me!! It was really rough going through that alone and not having anyone understand what you were going through. Thanks for sharing, I really appreciate it!! Jo Ann

I will let her know she may want to chat with you since you guys have gone through the same thing with your band. I feel so bad for her she has had a rough go of it and she keeps saying she should have done the gastric to start with. I keep telling her she had no way of knowing and what has happened to her and you isn't the norm I don't think! I had another friend who had hers removed because she kept getting infections and all sorts of things going wrong as well. I am glad you are back on track and doing well !

Thanks Kellie!! I would love to chat with her!! Yes it is rare, at least that's what the 3 surgeons who consulted on my case said. I was told I was like 1 in 34 million. Where they got those odds I'm really not sure, LOL!! Because I don't think that 34 million people have the band, but hey what do I know!! LOL!! But things like this always seem to happen to me!! LOL!! If something weird, strange and rare can happen, it always seems to find me some how! Thanks again for your kind words. Jo Ann

Before you make a final decision, you might check into the Lap Band Forum on ObesityHelp.com where all the members have undergone lap, rather than bypass. You can chat directly with any of them, but just reading the profiles is very inspiring. There are folks who has lost over 200 lbs with lap band. For the 'lightweight' banders like me (only a mere 100 lbs to lose), I feel strongly that it is the right decision for me. The loss rate is about 1-2 lbs per week and skin tends to return to normal as the loss is slow and steady. CHeck out that site if you want to find some company to keep!