Lap Band question about homepage article "At Goal, Don't Abuse Your Tool,"
Gloria, I'm with mick. I'm afraid we CANNOT keep getting the band adjusted forever. After the first year or two, the esophagus loses it's sensations and often no longer tells us when we are "full" We them must SELF-limit to the ideal 1-1.5 cups of food per meal, if we want to avoid band trouble.
After these first years, we are supposed to have improvethrough hard work our eating and choices and lifestyles enough so that we do not have to rely on the band much. The many many slips, dilations, and eroions that occur as years go by speaks to this. We always want as LITTLE fill as possible to still get help in limiting eating. It's simple - the more fill, the higher the risk of trouble.
the point of the band is not to keep adjusting it every time we find we can eat more. as a matter of fact, it's very wise to get a small UNFILL at goal to decrease the longterm pressure on the stomach. the stomach was NEVER meant to tolerate tight pressure for long.
If we regain or lose focus, rather than more fill, We need an attitude and lifestyle adjustment instead. it scares me how few people seem to realize this, and think the band is going to be a major help forever. it was never designed to be that, no matter what some of the docs make or allow us to believe.
It's also a myth that the band is easily removeable, and I just hate when the band manufacturer states that as a plus. the BYPASS is also reversible, since "it CAN be done" . Band removal is a very difficult and often very lengthy procedure, costing way much more money, surgical time, pain, and recovery than the very simple band placement. A number of friends have required band removal for various reasons, over the years, and none of the surgeries was less than 5 hours, easy, or anytghing less than very painful for a good while. Some had liver or stomach damage, and worse. I don't want to scare people, but we should be given the truth.
Just my 2 cents as a longtimer.
Sandy r
banded 7 yrs
at normal bmi 6+ yrs
I still find that if I listen, my body is telling me when I am full, and the message is just as it was early in my journey. Perhaps what happens is that some no longer "listen" to or for that message. One thing is for sure though- I have NEVER been totally dependent on my band in that I have never had it adjusted to the point where I felt too tight or restricted to the point of not being able to enjoy "dining". I just had my afternoon "snack" of a 50 caorie cheese wedge and a baby apple, in that order. It took about 10 minutes to eat and I definitely was full when I was done. I actually didn't eat the last bite of apple because I felt full
As far as howlong it takes to remove a band, my doctor states at his seminars that to remove a band from a person who no longer wants it takes under 1/2 hour. I think the 5 hours that Sandy states may have to do with people who have erosions or slips, or other problems.
Complications occur. They are not the norm however.(thank goodness).
I can't speak for everyone, but neither can anyone else. i speak from my experiences and the experiences of those I have contact with, and for us, the adjustable nature of the band as well as the definite feeling of full with a small portion, even after 6 years, is what brought me to the lap band to begin with, and what insures my continued success.
My final question to Sandy and Mick would be, if "full" is not a forever thing with the band, what makes it different from other "diets" in the long term? Our weight shave been stable for a long time. i have always been able to take off wieght, but NEVER have been able to keep it off.
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