Advice please for a potential Bander

I begin my 3 month nutritional counseling (required for my health insurance company) next month. I would like to no more about the main complications African/Black Americans face for the lap band procedure. I would also like to know:
1.) Your advice on Top Bariatric Doctors
2.) If you have any regrets
3.) Your success

Speaking as a black person I don't know that we have any more complications than anyone else,  the risks are the same I think ???????

1.  I don't know anything about top Bariatric Doctors, I just went with my Kaiser surgeon
2.  I don't have any regrets,  it is the best way to go RNY that is
3.  I lost 140 pounds and was sexy until I got fat again.

Did you happen to catch that article that was posted a few days ago about RNY.   Look down the thready.

1) Most are limited to the in network provider their insurance provides.

2)Wish I had opted for a different surgery. 3.5 yrs out, yes down 70 lbs-but easily 100 more to go after a 2nd surgery to repair a mechanical failure.

3)I'll see if I can find it, but there has been a study released that shows African Americans are less successful with WLS in general, and especially so with the lap band.

Best of luck to you on your journey and be sure to research all the surgery options out there.

(1) Personally I did not research for top bariatric surgeon, I looked for one that had worked with Jehovah's Witnesses and would not require blood transfusion and had an anesthesiologist that would not override his decision.
(2) No regrets.  The doctor wanted me to get rny because I am a snacker and he felt it I would be more successful.  Though confident in his abilities, still chose the band due to less invasiveness.
(3) The band works as long as I work with it.  Just like any other weight loss tool.
Wish u the best of success in whatever weight loss surgery you choose.
Z

Lost my first reply but here's version two.

I chose my procedure first then researched surgeons in my plan with experience in this procedure. Complication rate, mortality rate, number of procedures performed, post op support, etc.

I selected my procedure based on the downside factors I could live with. Understand why you are fat and the pros and cons of each procedure as they apply to you.

My surgery could have happend in six weeks. Any option I wanted was covered. I cancelled, researched again, changed docs and procedures, then changed procedures yet again.

No regrets. I delayed four months. Then another four months but I was thorough and sure so no regrets. RNY was at the bottom of my rankings with only ds scoring worse on my scale. In the end I agred to RNY based on my metabolic and medical issues/ research study outcomes. Aboutfive surgeons offices had conflicting opinions about what is right for me. It was my mission to find my personal best option.

Treat this like a job. Research, researchn and more research.

Best wishes to you.

Oh, and you asked about results.  After my RNY I lost about 98 lbs over 17 months.  I'm up about six pounds and working it off.  Pre op size 16w-18w/2xl.  Current size 0p-2m/xs-s.  As a no op I lost nearly 50 lbs over five years.  Yes 5, you read it correctly.  Try as I may, I could not looose any more weight.    

That's just under 150 lbs in total.  Feel free to pm me if you have questions. 

 I've had my band going on 6 years, NO complications or hospitalizations thus far, I am not sure about your question regarding African/Black Americans face with the Lap band. The Lap band does not discriminate based on Race/Religion or Sexual Orientation, in fact it does not care who you are, because if you don't have a DIET AND EXERCISE PLAN READY immediately after surgery you will not lose weight. 

The lap band works by restricting how much you can eat at one time, IT DOES NOTHING ELSE, if you choose to put candy, ice cream, cookies, chips in your small pouch, you will NOT lose weight, it's just that simple. There is no help with malabsorption like RNY to help absorb calories so you have to be a little bit more discipline about the foods you eat especially the first year and while losing weight.

Also weight loss is a little slower with the band because you have to wait to get fills, surgeons cannot fill the band at once or too tight it will cause complications so you have to wait until you are about 6 weeks post op to get your first fill and then you have to wait to see if you feel restriction and you have to keep going back every 4-6 weeks for fill adjustments until you reach your sweet spot, and once you reach your sweet spot meaning a level where you only eating a very small amount and get full quick and IF you are exercising and eating right you will lose about 1-3 pounds each week.

The lap band only makes it EASIER TO DIET, it is a lot better than a traditional diet plan because one you get your band filled properly it greatly reduces your portions to about the size of a pixie cup which is very small and you will get full quick.  MOST people will lose weight by eating tiny portions of lean meats and green veggies, it's really not hard to lose with the band IF YOU DON'T HAVE SEVERE EATING DISORDERS, it was easy for me because I like eating baked chicken, collard greens, green beans, baked fish and spinach -- things on that line which is GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH ANYWAY.

I lost 130 pounds with my band and went from a size 26 down to my lowest weight to some size 8 and 10s, I lost about 100 pounds in my first year, by just walking every day for about 1 hour, which was not hard for me, and I settled at size 10/12 for about 5 years until I got unfilled and gained a few pounds back which I lost again after changing surgeons and getting my band filled properly again.

I have NO regrets with getting my band it was the best decision for ME, it was the safest most effective surgery for ME, people have reasons for choosing a surgery type, I did NOT want malabsorption on my body and I am not great at taking vitamins for life so I chose the band and I wanted the capability to get needed fills forever to help keep my weight down, the band helps me better at maintaining my  weight.

Regarding Bariatric Doctors, if I lived in the Atlanta area I would go with Dr Jaime Ponce, this is the link to his website, http://www.gastricbandinstitute.com/default/patients-for-lif e/experienced-surgeons he helped pioneered the Lap band, you don't want to go anywhere to get your band placed, it could be a difference between success and failure or complication. You DO NOT want to get your band placed in a practice where the surgeon does MOSTLY RNYS or Sleeves and just happen to do the band. You need a surgical practice where they DO MOSTLY lap bands or ALL Lap bands you will get better aftercare and probably get to your sweet spot quickly and avoid being too tight which can cause unnecessary complications.

Good luck

No regrets. I chose the band due to not want to have the rerouting that occurs with RNY. I also have not problem with the issue of Lap band being a slower weight loss as opposed to other surgeries.

WLS is not something to take lightly regardless of which method you pick. Do your research on all of them and get the surgery you can live with.  All of them require making changes in food, behavior and take work.  If you are not ready to make changes no surgery will work in the long run.

My biggest success is that I am not on high doses and amounts of BP meds, I can workout and not feel that I am going to die doing it and I can accomplish things I never thought were possible.

I suggest you go to the Lap band forum for more info if you haven't done so already.

Good luck and God bless.