ANY LAP BANDERS OUT THERE???

Help!!!! Has anyone had dr mirande? The lap? Been to merle west?? If so how much are losing? Would you refer him? Hospital? Calling one calling any..Thx :0)

Tamara, Dr. Mirande did my RNY surgery one year ago last Tuesday the 10th. I have lost 135.6 pounds so far. He is a great surgeon. Knows his stuff and always available to you if needed. I would most definitly recommend him and Merle West Medical Center. The nurses and nurses aides were great. I am a nurse and expect the best of care, which doesn't always happen these days, but it was excellent at Merle West. The staff know Dr. Mirande and what he wants done and they do it. At least they did when I was there. I don't know anyone who has had him for the lap band, but I assume his expertise and care are the same. I did have my RNY lap instead of open. I am very pleased with my results and wish I had had this surgery much sooner. Julia

Have you checked his profile here? You could see who had what type of surgery and send them a private message. I was banded but in Portland at Good Sam... Lori

are u losing as much as you thought you would?

Shoot. I forgot to answer you. Sorry. My loss, well, let's just say I'm actually thrilled to NOT be gaining so I'll take any loss as a bonus. I'm a bit different than many others here. I have hypopituitarism and my hormones are really out of whack. Some don't function at all and others function "normally" whatever that really means. I have been known to gain and/or lose 10 pounds in a day before (this was actually observed in a hospital setting). So, technically, to answer your question, no, I haven't lost as much or as quickly as I would have liked or expected but, given my medical issues, I'm really thrilled to have lost 50 pounds. I know others in the same time period who had far less weight to lose but have managed to lose 100+ pounds. I tell everyone that we do really lose at our own rate and, although the first thing most people want to do is compare, it is also the most dangerous thing to do. You need to wrap your mind around losing. It will still take *some* effort regardless of which surgery you have. That's why having a support group (here or in real life) can be so critical. I am fairly confident that I may have had a higher initial loss immediately out of surgery but I doubt I could be doing much better if I would have had RNY. I don't regret my decision and I would do it again. How's that for an endorsement? I think grasping what changes you will face but also not seeing any type of WLS as a "magic pill" is the key. If you think you can do it effortlessly, I think you're bound to make mistakes. Part of the reason I went for lap band (besides the lower mortality risk) was that I know if I didn't have a dumping problem and could eat a couple of candy bars a day and still lose weight, then I'd probably do it. Then, when my window of opportunity were to close with the RNY, I'd probably start regaining anything I'd lost. I'm in this for the long haul. As a matter of fact, I fully expect to need to have at least one more surgery on my band before I die (I can't imagine it lasting 50+ years but, hey, maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones). That was also something I took into consideration. But many band problems can be corrected without surgery or with a small outpatient procedure as long as you are good about your aftercare. Problems with the RNY typically lead you to the ER more frequently and with more serious surgery complications. I know these are generalizations but they're the ones I used to help make my decision. Good luck! Lori

oh gosh he is great! the staff is so nice...his seminar made me feel so comfortable! i sent my packet it ;o))))))

Tamara, I think you will be very happy with Dr. Mirande. He is excellent. I have had no complaints about my surgery, just wonderful, wonderful praise for his program and continued after care. Are you looking at the lap band still? Good luck and let us know how everything is going with the process. Julia