New here! Researching and Learning!

Pumpkin,
I agree wholeheartedly.  Whenever I mention WLS now, my son gets this terrified look in his eyes. He tells me he'd support whatever I choose, but I can see it affects him, in spite of that. My husband, too. I lost friends and my job due to the chronic pain the lapband caused me. I remember sitting at my kitchen counter, doubled over almost, trying so hard to act normal because my girlfriend was trying to tell me something important about her life. And the tears were just streaming down my face because it felt like I was being stabbed repeatedly and burned with fire. And she didn't understand how bad it was. No one did. It was the loneliest time of my entire life.

I'm sure you understand what I'm saying.

Nobody, not even my PCP, my neurosurgeon, my therapist, my PT, nurses, doctors knew what the hell I was talking about when I would show up in tears saying, " I'm burning up, or that I'm on fire " It was so terrible because no one knew what to make of these symptoms. I was treated as a drug seeker because I would end up at the ER time after time. Never mind that I had a stockpile of narcotics at home. There were times I suffered so much pain and refused to go to the ER because I was treated like a drug seeker.

I will NEVER forgive or forget those insensitive ******** who treated me like I was some kind of a junkie.

Continue with your research.. only you know whats best for you.

Search the various boards you will see AT least 1 person on every board that suffered complication with surgery. It happens there is a risk of long term complications with any type of surgery WLS or not. We are warned about them we are TOLD about them and they can happen...
Good luck with whatever surgery you choose.

The Revisions forum is almost completely lapband revising to other surgeries.

The choice is absolutely yours alone to make. You are wise to look into all options of WLS as some are better than others. Having said that, I would also like to add that I have to agree with many of the above posters that have pointed out to you that with a BMI as high as yours, lapband is not likely to help you achieve the weight loss you would wish for.

Please keep researching. I have sent you a PM.

~I am not interested in a 'quick fix', or anything overly invasive like the gastric bypass surgery.~

I was not interested in a 'quick fix' either. However..............the band manufacturers constant statements about the band being the "least invasive" WLS has been what has suckered many of us into getting the band. Sure, the band is the "least invasive" during the actual surgery, but all the band problems occur AFTER the surgery. Very high incidence of slips, leaks and port problems! Also problems like esophageal dysmotility, left shoulder pain, erosion. I think one of the most common problems is that some ppl NEVER reach restriction!!! Most Drs. do NOT tell patients this BEFORE they get the band. Kind of an important factor, don't u think?!

I personally got 16 fills in about 14 months with no restriction. I did not have insurance and paid cash, so essentially paid about $15,000 to put myself on a diet! The band has been a complete waste of time and money!!!


~I am ready for a change, and want to make sure that the lap band will really be beneficial for me~

It may or may not be. It's a crap shoot. Some ppl do extremely well with the band. I have seem some amazing transformations. However..............that is NOT the case for most ppl!!! :-(
Had I known then what I know now I NEVER would have gotten the band!!!

~I am looking for something that will help me long term~

That is what we all hoped for. Unfortunately a lot of bands have to be removed. Either b/c of the complications (slips, leaks, port problems, dysmotility, etc.) or b/c the band just doesn't work for them and they decide to revise to a much more effective WLS. You can see in the response u got from Lagordita that she is having to have 3 band surgeries in 4 yrs.! Kind of scary, huh? :-(


~I am trying to learn as much as possible, the good the bad and the ugly of it all~

If u want to learn what the band can really be like I would suggest visiting the "failed band group" and also the "revision forum". U will find tons of very dissatisfied bandsters on both of those!

Also check out this link about the ASMBS that basically says how ineffective the band is:

ASMBS: Band Gets Low Marks

Oh if only I were 24 years old again! I've wasted so much of my youth being overweight and unhealthy.

I took a long time to decide to go the surgery route. I always figured I was young, had no co-morbidities, and was so motivated to reach my goals.

I was an extreme dieter and could lose weight, but never keep it off. I exercised regularly, and with a trainer for no less than 2 days a week for well over 6 months before walking into a surgeon's office.

The day I first went for a consult I weighed about 365 lbs. (I'm 5'3.5"). The day of surgery I was 347lbs. Now almost 4 yrs later I weigh about 290.

I've never had a smooth journey-I've always had a difficult to access port-turns out it flipped within the first 3 months of surgery. I've had surgery to replace the port (so damaged from unsuccessful fill attempts. And my port continues to be difficult to access due to all the scar tissue.

I've either been going on with no restriction, or much too tight, where I am bringing up slime and undigested food multiple times a day. Then there's the being woken up at night from acid rushing up my esophagus.

Sigh.... Like I said, if only I could do it all again. As a self pay I'm stuck with the band for now until it does enough damage to my insides where it needs to come out emergently.

Please take your time to be honest with yourself, and how you have gotten to 300 lbs. Review all the surgery types and choose the one that will provide you with the best chance of long term success.

edited-gorgot to run spell check

Simply...don't get the band.  It was the most horrible 2 years of my life.  I had such high hopes.  I was revised to the sleeve on April 12th and thank God I had a skilled surgeon because there was a lot of scar tissue and liver adhesions. 

Please look closer at the sleeve!  No more throwing up, no more port pain and I'm finally losing weight.  I love my sleeve!

I'm another one who can't recommend the band because of complications I had with mine.  I did lose weight with the band but at 2 1/2 years out it started getting tighter and tighter on it's own and for the past 6 months of the band it started getting hellish to live with even when fully opened.  So as far as it being the least invasive I have to disagree.

I can say that now that I have the VSG it works better in how it restricts intake and the feeling I get while eating with the sleeve is way better than the feeling I got while eating with the band.