Thinking about having Lap band

Hello my name is Tina and I am from Hurricane, WV.  I am 38 yrs old and have 3 boys.  I have had a weight problem for around 20 yrs.  I am at my heaviest ever.  I weigh 290 and I am only 5 ft 4 in.  I am thinking about having the lapband done.  I have a consultation on July 13th.  Any advice would be appreciated.  How have you all done?  How long does it take before you actually see results?  Have any of you had surgery through Dr. Bali's office in S Charleston?
Thanks in advance!!!

I'm sure I will get ripped but I would RUN don't walk from the lapband.  I had 2 slips, a dilated esophagus and now have a permanently damaged esophagus from the band.  I never kept a tight fill and had one of the best band surgeons in the world and still had 2 years of misery.  Yes I lost over 100 pounds but that was mainly because there were days where I would vomit from soup.  I was in pain and misery and finally 3 months ago revised to the sleeve and couldn't be happier.  

Go to the revision board and you will see a ton of people revising from the band.  Go to the Failed Lapband Board to see how many people have had problems.  Don't let anyone tell you pain or throwing up is normal because it is not!  I do know a few people (like Bette and Kate and a few not on the board) who have had long term success with their band, but they are so few and far between.  The majority have had problems.  Don't let the "least invasive" and "reversible" fool you.  The band may be removable (along with all the scar tissue and adhesions on your stomach), but it is certainly not reversible.  Just ask Nikki (N.M.) on the board.

Do you homework on all 4 WLS, not just the band and make the best decision for you. Don't let your doctor, a commercial or even people, especially the newbies who haven't yet really settled into their bands, tell you what you should do. Doctors will advise you to do what they are most comfortable doing and what will make them the most money.  Do extensive research  and then make an informed decision.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 Thanks.  I am disabled and on Medicare.  Medicare will pay for gastric bypass, but I think that is risky.  Not sure if Medicare will pay for the sleeve or not.  I have to pay 420.00 out of pocket for the lap band.  My hubby does not not want me to have surgery period, but I need to do something.

Honestly, RNY is no riskier than the complications that way too many people go through with the band.  And I'm pretty sure that Medicare does pay for the sleeve.  Check into it with your doctors billing staff, they will be able to work with you on it.

Good luck!

Hi Tina!  I live in Georgia now, but I lived in Huntington until I was 30.  I know exactly where Hurricane is. 

I'm similar in build to you.  I'm 5'2" and was 260 at my heaviest weight.  I'm 42 years old.  Right now I'm around 205 (I need to update my ticker), and I got my band a year and a half ago.  People started noticing I was losing weight after the first couple of months.  It is definitely not a quick fix or a magic wand.  Weight loss will be about the same speed as if you were doing Weigh****chers.  The difference is, with the band, if all goes well, the weight you lose will stay gone and not come back.

There are no "typical" results from the lap band; every person is different, and will have different results.  Some people lose faster than others, some need fewer adjustments to get to a good level of restriction, etc.  So try not to compare yourself to others.

I am not familiar with Dr. Bali, but then again, I haven't lived in WV since 1998.  Good luck in your journey, and I wish you all the best!

 Thanks.  So you have not had any problems?  What about down the road?  I am just wondering what will happen later?  It is scary.  That is cool you were from here!!

Hi Tina,

No, I haven't had any problems at all with my band.  As for what will happen later, it's hard to predict, because everyone is different.  I am hoping that I will be able to keep my band for the rest of my life, and maintain whatever weight loss I am able to achieve.

I got the band because of concerns about my health.  I am on medication for high blood pressure, and diabetes runs in my family.  I am not diabetic myself, and I want to prevent it if at all possible.  I chose the band because it was (in my opinion) the least serious surgery.  I had it done as an outpatient procedure, and I was back at work a few days later.  I also love the fact that it is adjustable.  It can be tightened or loosened as needed, for the rest of my life.  With other surgeries, body parts are removed or rerouted, and it is not reversable or adjustable.  What's done is done, and you cannot go back.  That was too scary for me!  Also, I chose the band so that I would not have to deal with malabsorption of nutrients and have to take lots of supplements for the rest of my life to keep from getting malnourished.  

Having any weight loss surgery at all is scary and  felt very radical to me.  I had never had any kind of surgery before, so this is not a decision I took lightly.  The band has worked well for me and I am glad that I did it.  However, as you've seen in the other responses, it is not the best surgery for everyone.  There is no "one size fits all."  Please research all of your options, and choose what is best for you, whether it be the band, the sleeve, or something else.  Best of luck to you! 

Terri thanks so much.  Believe me I have been researching a lot.  Hours upon Hours.  

I have to agree with Michelle. Do your research! The lap band would be the last thing I would recommend to anyone. It has a high rate of post-op complications and often requires follow-up surgeries for repair, removal, or replacement. It also has the poorest stats on excessive weight loss.

A few days ago, another pre-op posted a similar question to yours and she received a lot of good replies. Check it out here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/4398937/New-here-R esearching-and-Learning/

Do yourself a favor and pick a WLS that will give you a better chance of reaching your goals!

Lindsey

 The lapband for me was like when we bought our first boat and we were so excited.  When we sold it years later we were even more excited to get rid of it.

When I got the band I was excited.  With all the problems the happiest day of my life was when I revised to sleeve and had it removed.

RESEARCH!!!  

Good luck to you no matter what you decide.