benefit of lap band surgery on 16year old

Hi, being the mother of a PCOS teen, want nothing more than to help her. Unfortunately due to back and knee problems exercise is not something that can be done to a great extent, so we are looking at Lap Band surgery to help with the food intake, hoping that as the weight goes so will some of the pain that will then enable her to exercise. What i would like to know is does the Lap Band benefit, or due to the food restrictions of types of carbs, will we be wasting our money? and the thought of putting her throught an invasive surgery with no end benefit worries me. She is already very depressed about all of this, she found out at 13, and is having trouble dealing with it and the way she got treated by supposed friends.
Any information would help, thank you for listening.

I would have to agree with Pumpkin X. and advise you to look into the sleeve in addition to the lapband.  For all the reasons mentioned above it might be a better option. Be sure to consider both. I realize how difficult this is for you as a Mom wanting to help your teen and applaud you for seeking help.

I think the band would be the worst choice for her. 

You don't mention her BMI, but she probably has a LOT of weight to lose.  I'm not sure that EITHER the sleeve or the band would fix the problem long term...but since I've lived with both...first the band and the sleeve is part of the DS which I have now...I can tell you that a LOT of the foods that young folks like simply wouldn't work with MY band. 

With the sleeve, I'd just be able to eat much smaller portions of "regular" food.  With the band, I--and  a lot of people--would get plugged up and start barfing with even a bite of two of a hamburger or a couple of bites of pizza or anything bread-y.  And I couldn't eat salads or anything leafy or things with chopped celery or anything with bread hidden in it...like meatballs or crab cakes (not that those are a big item with kids) or breaded anything.

Add to that the FACT that only a small portion of the people who get the band lose as much as half their excess weight.  That's a lot of work and a lot of trouble for not much effort.  And then there's the cost.  One of the people who CONSTANTLY preaches about how wonderful her band is will also admit, if you ask her, to having almost 70 adjustments...also known as "fills."  Some people pay reasonable co-pays for that...others have to cough up a lot of cash.  A LOT.

In this case, I just think a band would give her MORE things to be depressed over...and if you aren't sure if I'm telling the truth on that...look at the LapBand board and the Revisions Board.  You will find many unhappy banded people there.

 I'm behind everyone else so far - the band is not the way to go.

Please look into the vertical sleeve gastrectomy or the duodenal switch.  You have made it sound like your daughter has a lot to lose and that means she needs an equally large amount of help.  The band is just not enough help.

I agree with the other posters above. If money is even the slightest concern I urge you to invesitgate the VSG as a surgery type. Theh after care witht he band to successful lose and keep the weight off can be quite expensive if paying out of pocket.

Not that I have children, but I'd be hesitant to make the choice for my teen for a malabsorbtive surgery. I'm not sure how mature your child is and how likely they are to follow the supplementation needed postoperatively.

Sorry your daughter is going through this at such a young age.

I DO agree with the other posters please look into the vertical sleeve.  I have family members that have the lapband and both have had to deal with issues related to the band and as a self-pay the cost to fill, unfill, fill, unfill is VERY costly.

Lapband IS invasive surgery.  Putting a band around a soft body part is VERY invasive... and it causes a LOT of issues. I speak from experience. I feel for your daughter. I know it's hard, especially on someone so young.

There is a very high incidence of reoperation with the lapband, not to mention the common affliction of referred left shoulder pain, inability to eat healthful foods (many banded people have trouble eating chicken, fruits and vegetables with any kinds of skin,) and there is simply no guarantee that your daughter's body will be able to handle the band. There is no way of telling beforehand if you'll be one of the "lucky" ones. But they are few and far between.

I had my lapband surgery back in 2002 when there wasn't as much to research on the topic. NOW there is much to know about the adverse effects. I know you want to help your daughter, but please find a route other than the lapband. It's harder on a body than you may realize.  The advertising makes it seem like a walk in the park, but it's honestly anything BUT.

I wish you the best and I think you're a wonderful mother for researching and being open to everything, good and bad, concerning the lapband. I can tell you love your daughter very much. I wish you both the best.

Before considering ANY type of weight loss surgery, I would suggest nutritional, and for lack of a better word, mental health counseling....since PCOS is related to diabetes it is something she will have to live with for the rest of her reproductive life and she needs to have the life skills to do so, WLS or no WLS.
Once she has a handle on the dietary requirements to manage her PCOS, if she is still MO (I am assuming she is), then WLS could be considered as an option to support her nutritional lifestyle changes.
For someone so young, I have doubts as to their ability to manage the requirements the lap-band puts on them...especially if they have been aware of their medical condition for 3 years and haven't been able to modify (with parental support) their dietary needs.  I have worked with many young women who have had PCOS, and honestly most of them were overweight, but not obese.  Sometimes the obesity is not caused by the PCOS alone, and there are other emotional issues that need to be addressed through counseling, which I suggested at the beginning of this reply.
With all of the temptations of youth, partying (alcohol) the band is not a good option...vomiting can cause the band to slip.  Also, she will be limited in many other areas, types of pain meds, etc and it requires dicipline...
Please seek out the resources your daughter needs to address the root cause of her obesity, then revisit the idea of surgery.
Just my .02
Steph

I agree with Steph 100%!!!

Before considering any surgery, the dietary, medical, and psycological aspects of your daughters weight problem need to be addressed to the fullest.

All of WLS have risks and disadvantages especially in the long term.   A 16 y/o runs a greater risk of WLS being a temporary fix.  Most people struggle with their weight for their entire life, WLS or not.  It is much easier to get a grip and make WLS work if you are somewhat mature and have healthy eating habits.

I would suggest working on eating habits and a slow healthy weight loss first before considering any WLS.  The band would be my last choice.