lap band and getting pregnant

I am going through the work-up for surgery and trying to get info. I am 33, married and have not yet had children due to PCOS and obesity. Any successes with the lap band and getting pregnant after the surgery? any thought sor ides your's like to share?

Well, I had lap RYN in march, and got pregnant in July. Im still 257, was 273 when I found out in August. Lap Band i think would make it easier for you since you could have them not fill you as tight so you can get all your calories in for the baby. I really struggle with that right now, but so far it seems to be a pretty healthy pregancy for the baby, even though I've been sick.

Just wanted to give some encouragement. I am 24 and one of the reasons I had Lap RYN was so that I would have to deal with complications and be healthy to get pregnant as well as be healthy to chase after children etc. This surgery has really been great! Good Luck with your choice etc. Sam

okay, so this is a stupid question, still learning all the terminology. But when you say LAP RYN, you had the gastric bypass correct and not the lap band? the last reply used the same abbreviations but the way it was worded was a little confusing to me. Thanks for your help and support. getting pregnant is really important to me and my husband and I want to make sure there won't be any complications after the surgery with the band. thanks again!! amy

a lap RNY is a laproscopic RNY...just means u were totally opened up that they did it thru a few wholes and not one huge incission.

Amy, I'm sure Jodi could explain Lap band better than I, but I'm going to give it a shot to explain the differences. Lap band is to where your stomach is left as it is pre-op with the exception is that you have a band (think: rubberband) going around it. This band is like a piece of tubing in that it can be filled with solution. When it is filled with solution, it compressed the opening of the stomach, reducing how much food can pass through it. Pro: Stomach is left unaltered Con: You have to have routine refills RNY (Rouen XY) is the procedure in which a 1-2 oz portion of your stomach is stapled and partitioned from the remainder. It prevents food from passing through the entire stomach into the intestines so the intestines are relocated and attached to this 'pouch'. This is why it is considered 'gastric by-pass'. Pro: No routine refills. Con: Your anatomy is altered Lap or open refers to how the surgeon did the procedure. 'Open' is one long incision. Depending on who the surgeon is and the particulars of the patient, it can be anywhere from 4-8". Most surgeons are moving away from 'open' to reduce the healing time and pain for the patient to laparoscopic..aka 'Lap'. With lap, the surgeon makes 5-6 small incisions. By putting the instrumentation through these incisions, the surgeon can do what is necessary..band or RNY. Since you are planning on having the lap band, I would really recommend your visiting the sites Jodi recommended. You will also find that Jodi can be a valuable resource for you since she is the most successful lap band I know or have heard of. Not to mention, she's a pretty fun person to know..lol. You will find that most of the people on the Indiana board had RNY...and a very good portion via lap. You are welcome to visit us, ask questions, and just feel at home! We love having new folks on here. As a 2 yr post op, 45 yr old mother and grandmother, let me congratulate you on wanting to take the steps your body needs to be a healthy and happy mommy. I know at 33, you feel that biological clock ticking. Many women these days have babies well into their 40's (although I shudder at the thought personally). I, and I'm sure your surgeon would also, advise you to wait until you are a few years post-op. Give your body time to heal and to lose. Put yourself first. After 2 years, then think 'baby'. I'm sure Darrah would agree that it is bittersweet to find out you are pregnant when you aren't even a year post-op. You want a baby so bad..but then again, you had the surgery to lose weight and now that is put on a shelf. Darrah is going to be a wonderful mommy..and she has cheerleaders here to help her get back on track with losing after she gives birth..it just would have been easier on her physically & emotionally if her body had a little more time post-op before taking on a new physical challenge (and yes, I consider pregnancy a physical challenge!). Remember also that WLS (weight loss surgery) is a tool. It can be a very effective tool, but it is most effective during the first year post-op. Welcome to the IN board... Sherri

I have a friend with the band that is now 8 weeks preggers. She had a miscarrage a few months ago. I don't think they were saying it was the bands fault and as far as I know this one is going just fine. You just have the band emptied so you can consume more calories. You are right to try to lose the weight before pregnancy. I had both of mine when I was 300 + I was lucky not to have some major complications. Good luck!

Hey Amy, Try asking your question at the Lap-Band forum. It's on the "Forum" tab or in the "Messageboards" tab at the top of OH's pages. I'm 13 months from my lapband surgery. I'm not planning on having any more kids but I have read about some successful lapband preg's on the lapband forums. You might also want to check Lapbandtalk.com too. Good Luck on your information search. Jodi

Amy, Here is a recent post from the lapband forum here on OH.com about the band and being pregnant. Hope it helps you out in your thoughts about the band. http://obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/action,replies/board_id,5359/topic_id,3118278/cat_id ,4959/a,messageboard/