Band info from SandyR

Things to do and set up in the 1-2 months before surgery - re-post

These are things I feel important to do in the 1-2 months before band
surgery, to prepare for a safe surgery, good recovery, and successful
band journey. While we all understandably want to have surgery soon, 
Quick scheduling may not allow these important safety
issues to be completed.  We should never rush into surgery, but take the time to set things
up well. the results will be well worth it. 

1. See your dentist for a complete check and any care needed. Gum
disease and oral infections are
serious and can affect healing and cause other infections. It is also
a serious heart risk. further, you will need good teeth/well-fitting
dentures to thoroughly chew the solid protein that is the basic band
food. Soft and liquid foods do not work with the band.

2. Catch up on any other needed health care - paps, mammograms,
prostate exams, colonoscopies for those 50 and over. A clear
mammogram and breast exam is
especially important, as fat loss releases estrogen that fuels
certain types of breast cancer.
Your next year or two will be dedicated to Band weight loss, and you
don't want other unknown health concerns to get in the way. Continue
all regular health care and routine exams while banded, of course.

If you plan to go out of the country for surgery which i do NOT recommend, 
for a great many reasons, you will not even meet your surgeon or get 
labs/EKG/other tests until the day before surgery. Many surgeries have 
been canceled because if unknown diabetes, heart trouble, hypertension, bleeding disorders, etc. )  which I do NOT recommend 
for a great number of reasons, SEE YOUR OWN FAMILY DOCTOR For a complete physical about
2 months before surgery, to pick up any problems early enough to get them
treated. 

3. In current studies, 60-80%  of those going for weight loss surgery
have the common H. Pylori bacterial stomach infection. I suggest asking your family dc for this test, so you have time to get the needed
2 weeks of antibiotics before surgery.  An active infection can cause only very subtle
symptoms, or none at all, but it can greatly interfere with band
restriction
and success and stomach comfort. It's very wise to remove this added risk.
Those who smoke or those with pre-op
reflux and using acid reducers are at extra risk of having the bacteria, which causes gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cacer. 
A number of us bandsters i know have
been diagnosed with this infection recently, when we asked our family
docs to be tested. IMO, this should be a routine pre-op test.

4. It's good to let your other  docs know you're going for Band
surgery. they should learn the basics, as they will be a part of your
care team. you may need IV fluids if you are vomiting and getting
dehydrated from an overfill, and they can help if you are unable to get back quickly to our band surgeon.
this is especially important if you go long distances for fills, or even out of the country. 
the MX docs may also NOT prescribe in the US, so your family doc can hep here too, if you get a wound infection or need
antibiotics, etc. 
Mexican doctors may not legally prescribe, practice, or give fills in the US.

5. If you have any symptoms of sleep apnea, be certain you are
evaluated with a sleep study several months before surnosis to get properly treated and titrated on
the machine needed.  Undiagnosed sleep apnea has caused
bandster deaths in the post-op period. Discuss this with your family
doctor. It is now known that many cases of sleep apnea do not resolve
well after banding - as was once thought - and serious and permanent
heart damage occurs.

6. I very strongly encourage pre-bandsters to start on the
Bariatric Advantage BAND vitamins, formulated for bandsters. The
general OTC vits like Centrum, costo, GNc, viactiv, etc are poor
quality and very inadequate. More in this post:



If you're already banded, I urge you to
begin them asap to catch up. Most WLS patients go into surgery
deficient, (per several studies) and then become
even more deficient, resulting in hair
loss, anemia, and other problems. Few docs even test for vitamin or
mineral deficiencies, before OR after banding. We all need vits
anyway, so it's very wise to
choose the special BAND vits that we can absorb well and in the amts
Bandsters need. There are proven reasons why so many top band
surgeons  (including Dr. trace curry) want their patients on these Band vitamins.

Women also need calcium supplements. - for a total of 1200-1500 mg a
day. We need Calcium CITRATE, not the common calcium CARBONATE in
cheaper supplements. Men need 1000 mg/day of calcium and may also
need a supplement.

the common hair loss at 3-4 months out
is not from protein deficiency - we get plenty and have good stores of
it - but often from other deficiencies - zinc, D, the good fats, etc.
This can be avoided!

We also need, per cardiologists, omega 3/6 oil supplements for heart,
cholesterol, hair, joint, skin, and organ health.
the usual fish oil capsules are far too big for bandsters, and do not
contain the different types of omega 3 and 6. the
Bariatric Advantage omega oil pudding has all the different types of
omega 3/6 oils needed, in a pudding
packet with NO fish oil taste.

More info on vitamins here:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/3702708/Vitamin-Needs-for-Bandsters/
Contact me if you'd like the link to the site i get mine from, with a good discount 
over the usual retail prices. 

I personally take , from my research and banded nutritionist's advice , one chewable 
Vita- BAND vitamin in the
morning and in the evening. 1-2 additional daily calcium, depending on my calcium food
intake. I also take one daily B-50 supplement for extra B vits, and
the omega oil pudding packs.

7. Be sure you are on very reliable birth control at LEAST 4 full
weeks BEFORE you begin any pre-op LSD, and ideally throughout your
band loss. The estrogen released with fat loss results in greatly
increased fertility, and there have been many
unexpected pregnancies soon after banding. some have been pregnant,
unknowingly, AT band surgery even from the LSD weight loss. All These
pregnancies are high-
risk because of our obesity, and obviously will delay any band loss
for a year or more. Talk with your ob/gyn about a secondary form of
birth control if you are not safely covered for a FULL month before
starting a LSD. this is a VERY important issue.

8. The psychological aspects of banding and weight loss are greatly
under-emphasized. Most of us overeat for psychological reasons, and
the band does nothing to stop these needs. I urge people to begin
working with a good therapist at least a month or two before banding,
to start to learn more about these issues, and start with the healthy
changes needed.

I also encourage you to consider working with the Bandster Success
Guided Imagery
CD's that have been so useful for many bandsters. Guided Imagery was
invaluable for me. More info here for those interested ;
www.BandsterME.com
We are not "sick" or "crazy" - therapy and Guided Imagery are just
other excellent
tools to help, and we need all the help we can possibly get in this
fight to reclaim our lives from obesity.

9. Commit to better exercise as soon as you decide to be banded.
Joining "Curves for Women", or another gentle exercise program, is an
ideal start. The band is not magic - the same formula for weight loss
applies with or without the band :
eat less and exercise more if you want to lose. the band simply makes
it easier to be physically satisfied with less food (after we have a
good fill). Even with bad knees, hips, or feet, there ARE some
exercises you can do, even "chair exercises". Water aerobics are
ideal. no excuses! :-)

10. consider reading and using some of the books in the "Books -
suggested reading"  here. 

http://www.mybariatricsuccess.com/useful_reading.html

The more we understand about our
obesity, and about the band, the betetr we can do.

11. Continue to be active in online boards such as this one. Ask
questions, keep a notebook of info, learn as much as you can. Commit
to at least an hour or two a week MINIMUM online to learn the
essential things. Checking in daily is ideal, to help keep our minds
on our weight loss goals and get needed support and education.

12.Be certain you have lined up local fill providers, if you are not
within easy driving distance of Mexico. We can need an urgent unfill
at any time, and it is not practical to try to fly back to Mexico
when we are in severe pain and vomiting. Delays in care can and have
caused very serious problems, including band loss or emergency
surgery. In case of band emergencies, your local ER will rarely be
able to help, as they have no band training and most US doctors will
not help a Mexican doctor's patient, sadly.

13. Go to several seminars of local US doctors to learn about general
and needs and to consider all the WLS options. Learn about the many advantages of the new Inamed AP (Advanced performance) 
bands, released June 2007. Most US surgeons feel these bands are far superior, and reduce  the slip and erosions rate - as they were designed to do. Most US
docs use only these Bands now.
They are not available in Mexico. Personally, this is the only band I
would accept, if I were being banded now. I would want the least risk
of slips and erosions, especially as a self-pay patient. Band complications/removal can be very expensive, sadly. 

14. If we choose a surgeon who does not offer a comprehensive
aftercare program with psychologists, nutritionists, exercise groups,
physical support groups, etc - we must take the responsibility to
arrange these for ourselves. We need all the help we can get in this
very serious fight for our lives. Band Surgery and fills alone are
not the solution to our obesity, and the band is not a magic cure. It
takes hard work in many areas.


Surgery is only the very first small step of this lifelong journey.
It is the months and years
afterwards that are the most important part - where we must learn and
follow the band needs, nutrition
goals, exercise and fluids needs, and overcome emotional eating with
the help of a good therapist, ideally, and
learn to prevent problems to do well.

Many studies show that those
actively involved in physical and/or online support and teaching
groups have a far better chance of band success

Sandy r
band educator 
at goal 5+ yrs
updated Jan, 2009