second thoughts: advice/info requested

 Hi-

Firstly I would probably not consider any WLS if my BMI was 30. (as written about in the NYT article you make reference to).  I have lost 140+ pounds and lowered my BMI from 57 to 31.  There are risks and limitations of the band-how much you need to lose and how much weight loss can benefit your health need to be considered before choosing surgery.

What you can and cannot consume varies from person to person, doctor to doctor.  Let me address the diet soda issue.  I do not see any difference between diet soda and a beverage like Crystal Light EXCEPT for the carbonation.  If I want to drink soda, I leave it out for several days uncapped, giving it a shake now and then until the carbonation is gone.  Not the same as a fresh can of diet coke but not so bad that you cannot learn to enjoy it.  Before my surgery I promised myself two things-no more diet coke and no more candy-I know I was addicted to both-some days it seemed like the bulk of my diet.  I have kept these pledges with relatively little effort-Things change once you have the band. eating is a whole new adventure and you are making so many adjustments at once, it is not so hard to leave behind old bad habits.

The ice cream issue-you can eat a ton of ice cream with the band-please don't ask how I know this.  If you have learned to regulate your ice cream indulgences preband-post band will be even easier.  Ice cream is known as a type of "slider" food.  These are foods with little bulk and usually high calories.  It is easy to get led astray with these foods because they do not effect your band's feedback system very well and the full signal may not even come.  I try to schedule some ice cream treats in, I love them and they keep me from being deprived.  I enjoy sugar free fudgicles and skinny cow treats.  These are all low cal, but low nutrition, so I only get them after eating my more nutritious food.  Make your decision carefully.  Do plenty of research on forums like this one and then decide-it is tempting to rush, but this is an important decision that merits careful consideration.  In my case-i am sure that the lapband has extended my life and improved my health in a very positive way.  

Thanks, Trystelle!  (What a lovely name!)  As I note above, my BMI is 42.  What concerns me about the Times article (and the follow-up letter) is that although they were specifically talking about people with lower BMIs getting the procedure, the issues may relate to the general population of lap-band recipients.

It certainly looks like you have been very successful!  Your soda solution may just be the ticket for me--I never even thought about drinking it "flat".  What you said about "things changing" is exactly what I'd hoped.  I am not particularly addicted to any specific food, I don't think--it's more like I am a carb addict in general.  I took off 25 pounds in 2008-9 with a modified Atkins diet, and have kept all but 4 of them off.

I like sugar-free Fudgsicles and Skinny Cow as well.  And I've gotten out of the habit, but eating one or two cups of sugar-free Jello used to satisfy my sweet tooth most times.

Hi Brian,I am going to respond as a person with the lap band for 26 months-I have read the articles you pointed to and want to say that this has to do with lower BMI(under 35). Second thoughts are very common-and reading this entire site will help respond to all(or many) of your concerns; I love my band .After 26 months I do occassionally have a soda but I did indeed give it up as i decided to make all the effort to achieve what I wanted and giving up diet soda was just a part of it. All surgery requires sacrifice- I just had a total knee replacement-something that 80 pounds ago would have been a dreadful choice-but I now see that the band is as much a part of my life as this artificial knee will be...You will find band bashers as well as lovers and this is true for every type of weight loss surgery-I would take some time to work with a professional who deals with diseases of the mind and body-My progress has come from recognizing my use of food to feel better as I am a relief seeking missle and food was my drug- This has been a slow journey by some standards but seems to give me the control I seek-eat this not that is part of any journey even no surgery- Best wishes with your choice-

Thanks, Annie--makes a lot of sense.

The lap band provides the slowest weight loss, the least weight loss, the highest regain, and the most mechanical problems. Per the band makers own website 25% have to have their band removed in the first 5 years and another 25% need to have a 2nd surgery to correct a mechanical problem.

Read these:

Per a sister company to Allergan even Allergan knows their days are numbered --

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/1189828-post18.html

The ASMBS stance on banding:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/20919

Read the revision boards and see who is revising, it is mostly bands and bypass, not sleeves and DS:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/revision/a,messageboard/board_id,5360/

Or the failed WLS board:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/failed_wls_second_time_around/

As for the person who writes that a 30BMI person should not get surgery, that's insane. The US is in the minority of countries that require people to be big as a house and very high risk before they will do surgery. MOST countries will do WLS on a 30 BMI person with or without comorbidities. Australia does WLS on 30 BMIs under their socialized medicine plan. Studies show that by the time we hit a 30BMI we have a 3-5% chance of losing with diet/exercise alone and maintaining for 5 years.

Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Germany, Australia... all require a BMI of 30 for surgery. We are the idiots in bariatrics, not the rest of the world. To tell someone they have to wait until they are a huge surgical risk and they have already ruined joints, have diabetes, and heart problems before they can have life saving surgery is insanity at its best.

 I said

Firstly I would probably not consider any WLS if my BMI was 30. Please take the time to read responses more carefully before responding.  This is my personal opinion that works for me.  It is rude and inconsiderate to judge my personal opinion about myself as insane.  You do not know what works for me.  I have been reading your posts for years on this and other boards,  Your responses in the past have been helpful, but seem edgy lately,  You have a lot of good experience to share, but being judgemental, will often cause readers to lose respect for you despite your experience and information,

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/1189828-post18.html This link does not work.


http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/20919  This links to the VERY outdated study (1995-2003) that is constantly referred to on the boards to "prove" that banding is ineffective...

There may not be any newer studies that have been completed, but there are several in process...

What studies are there regarding the VSG?  I have looked but haven't had any luck finding one??

Thanks...

 
The first link must have been taken down in the last couple of weeks.  Too bad.  It was a post written by Dr. Pleatman in MI.  He had a meeting with a person from Kovidian, apparently a sister company to Allergan and she admitted the band is on it's way out.

The ASMBS study supports the overall history of banding from when they first started doing banding in the 70s.,  The stats don't really change with each new incarnation of the band.  I don't see any reason why this incarnation will be any different than the last 40 years worth of failures and actually, there are quite a few Canadian doctors that want to go back to the 4cc Allergan band because it takes too long to get restriction and there are people that never get restriction with the new mega bands.

I see right here on this board and other band boards that people are slipping and having the same problems with the new bands as people did with all the other bands.

Seems to me that the FDA study posted on Allergan's own website is telling.  If they had something  better to post to sell their bands, they would.

There has to be a reason why so many people are refusing to do bands anymore.  The country of Chile is switching over to sleeves, Euro doctors at an IFSO meeting said they are getting away from bands and opting for sleeves for restrictive only surgeries.  Some hospitals in Sweden are refusing to place more bands.  US doctors.. many are declining to band anymore.

There are simply more advanced, safer long term, and more effective surgery types now.

 
BTW... Cirangle has the VSG studies.  He's coming out with a study this summer that will break down even more VSG stats.  In the beginning he was using a larger bougie and the regain was more significant.  Now that doctors are using a much smaller bougie regain is much better.

Thanks.  I'm continuing to research--unfortunately, work is keeping me very busy right now (which is why it took me so long to get back to this board).