Lap Band for Extremely Morbid Obesity?

Nope, nope, NOPE. I had a BMI of 35 at my surgery and my surgeon had only done one lapband on anyone in the last year prior. He strongly suggested I go with VSG or RNY.

I agree with everyone else. I am on the process of revision from band to VSG. I can not wait to have this thing out of my body.

My surgeon won't do lap-bands. She says she has seen some of the worst situations with lap-bands, and they're not very effective. The erosion from the bands often makes any corrective surgery many times more dangerous. I think people like the idea of the lap-band because it's "reversible", the permanence of the other WLS options can be scary. But honest to Pete, the lap-band is many times more dangerous than any of the other WLS options.

Go see a surgeon and see what they recommend and why.

I want to echo all of the NO's here. I had a lap band. Lost some weight VERY slowly, but the band never worked properly. Either I had no restriction or I couldn't swallow water. They could never adjust it correctly. I had to have my band removed in an emergency surgery--the port became infected and nearly exploded inside of me. I am now 10 weeks out of RNY surgery, and SO wish I had done this years ago instead of the band.
Choose RNY (or whichever option your surgeon recommends), and yes, I would not have confidence in a surgeon who would still, after all of the failure stats, install a lap band in anyone.
The possibility of complications is always present. Research your surgical team. Find one who is accomplished in this area. I do wish you all of the best on your journey. Despite the worries, reservations, and recovery, this is the best thing I've ever done for myself.

gastric bypass surgery may have been risky years ago, but it's just not anymore. Techniques have greatly improved over the years, and stats are great on them. It's really become a routine surgery. Mortality rate is around 0.3%, so it's safer than a hip or knee replacement surgery and about the same as having your gall bladder out. Mortality rate on the sleeve is even lower. That means you have a 99.7% chance of coming out just fine. Those are some pretty good odds, I'd say....

No and no. Stay away from the lap band. You are putting a foreign object into your body and the odds of something happening to it are high. Remember that any surgery is risky. Finding a surgeon with the skills to operate on a person of your size will help reduce the risk.

Have you considered the DS (duodenal switch)? The DS is a malabsorptive surgery (you have restriction at the beginning because your stomach is reduced to a sleeve (about the size of a banana), and then the intestines are shortened. Biggest difference between the DS and the RNY is with the DS your prylorus valve is left intact (no dumping) and you end of with a sleeve stomach instead of a pouch (the remainder of the stomach is removed in the DS).

The beauty of the DS is that the malabsorption stays with you, which allows you to maintain your weight loss. Some people do the sleeve alone but with your BMI the malabsorption will help with weight loss and then help you keep the weight off. The downside of the DS is the lifetime commitment to vitamins and protein, and monitoring your labs because of the malabsorption.

Not sure where you're located or what your situation is but finding a doctor with the skills to operate on you should be at the top of your list.

Hi susang508,

Do a search using the search bar on lapband and or lapband complications for your research. Here is some links for additional information on the other surgical options for weight loss.

• DUODENAL SWITCH INFORMATION
• About Duodenal Switch
• Risks and Complications of Duodenal Switch
• Duodenal Switch Diet and Nutrition
• Duodenal Switch Revisions
• Duodenal Switch Insurance Coverage
• Duodenal Switch Forum Contributors

• ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASS INFORMATION
• About Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
• Risks and Rewards of Bariatric Surgery
• Nutritional Guideline after Gastric Bypass
• Life After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
• Choosing a Bariatric Surgery Center
• FAQ
• Feature Article
• Forum Contributors

• VERTICAL SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY INFORMATION
• About Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Forum Contributors

I didn't read every post on here but read a few and agree that the lap band is a poor choice for someone with a significant amount of weight to lose. I had the band and at most lost 50 pounds over several months. I felt hungry all the time and could drink water with food to eat more...never found good restriction. On a positive side, I had it for 10 years with no complications. I was sleeved a month ago and have already lost 40 pounds and am never hungry. My surgeon, who does both surgeries, is no longer recommending the band unless you have less than 50 pounds to lose with co-morbidities. I definitely would suggest seeing another surgeon and finding an alternative from the band. Good luck to you!

I am echoing everyone's comments. RUN from the Lapband. I am in the process of getting a revision and the Center of Excellence that I do to has said that for Ontario (I live in Canada) there is around a 80% failure and need for removal or revision rate. The dietician on staff said he can't even count how many he has seen come through in the past 5 years and the nurse wishes they were actually banned. Luckily there really isn't anyone in our province that does them since the main clinic shut down after law suits and charges for malpractice. In Ontario you also had to pay for it privately as our province's health care would not pay for it.

Read between the lines and see "safer" as "quicker and able to do more and make more". Your esophagus will thank you for not having it done and the mortality rate is negligible, especially at relatively lower BMI's. Remember that regardless of the surgery death is a risk that you have to sign off on. In the end, the benefit from the surgery is what matters. I hope that you don't take all the Run away from it posts as a discouragement from bariatric surgery, we just hope that people can learn from our mistakes or misfortunes and not have to go through the pain, complications and/or lack of weight loss.

Wow! Thanks so very much to everyone *****sponded; I am very grateful for all the information and advice. I didn't think I'd get so many responses; though I had a feeling that asking people would be more effective than googling, lol.

I guess my biggest fear is dying on the operating table. But the nurses told me during my last hospitalization that I was pretty badly septic, and the strain of bacteria I had has killed people. So ironically, my reluctance to WLS and remaining as I am because of fear of death nearly killed me.

I'm going to commit myself to researching all my options and also the reputations of surgeons here in Maine. Hopefully there is one who has done a lot of surgeries on super morbidly obese people. Thanks again.

Susan