Considering Lap Band Placement... any advice?

Hi Everyone,

I am new to Obesity Help and I am considering lap band placement.  I would love to hear if you love it or hate it.  I noticed there is a facebook for failed lap bands...   I was considering the DS surgery but I'm a big chicken.  

Thanks!
Dee

I've had ups and downs but nothing unmanageable or nothing that I haven't learned from. I was recently refilled and amd doing well. I think you will find both people on her, for and against. I think you will find whatever you are looking for. Make sure you have agood surgeon I would say is one of the most important things. Not all surgeons are as good as others. I am a lot lighter than I would be had I not done it. I am on metformin and insulin for diabetes and within two seeks i have aleady lowered my insulin 19 units since my fill which is even ore important to me than the weight loss. I posted a question looking for successful banders I think on page 3 and was very encouraging the responses I received. Post as many questions as you'd like, and you will get a lot of responses that can be helpful. Good luck in your search.

While there have been a few very successful bandsters I'd say the majority never reach their goal. Myself I would NEVER advise anyone to get a band. They may go smoothly for a few years but then the problems start with tightening of the band even without fills, there is the left shoulder pain, chest pain and a multitude of other issues that start around 3-5 years out. It is the least effective of the 4 major weight loss surgeries and while they are touted as minimally invasive, the damage they leave behind is invasive and very serious! Please look at other surgeries like the VSG, which is the begining of the DS so if the VSG doesn't work to get to goal you could always then add in the rest of the DS surgery. Even the RNY is better and more effective than the band. If you want to succeed and have a quality of life do not get the band! My personal story is I lost 20 lbs with my band the first year and after that nothing, at about 3 yrs it started feeling tight for no reason. Even after 2 partial unfills I was tight and uncomfortable eating so finally got it completely emptied. I haven't lost any more weight but at least i can eat healthy food again. Just research all the surgeries so you know what you are getting into!

HATE! Lol. Worst thing I could have done. I wouldn't wish the band on my worst enemy. The DS is an awesome procedure! I know a lot of DS'ers. They all love their DS. I can't say the same thing about bandsters. :-(

Btw.........what part of Atl.? I'm over around Athens.

PLEASE reconsider getting the lapband. It's very damaging and not "reversible" at all. I thought that it would be easily removed if I ran into trouble. (and I had nothing BUT trouble.) 

Knowing what I know now, I'd much rather have a more "invasive" surgery than have the band chew my guts up. It's much more preferable to have a skilled surgeon remove part of the stomach with a VSG than to have a band erode into it, in my opinion.

I had my lapband surgery done over 9 years ago and I've watched dozens of my friends go through the same misery I did. I would NOT recommend the band to anyone, under any cir****tances. It just does way too much damage to the human body.

I posted a thread today about the Vagus nerves and the band. Please do a lot of research on this... because a LOT (I would even say most) people have issues with left shoulder pain with the band. It's a very, very common unfortunate side effect. It's from the proximity of the band to the Vagus nerves that run through the diaphragm and into the stomach. Once those nerves are irritated, the pain starts... and it varies from discomfort to debilitatingly severe. (That's what I had... and still have, even years after band removal.)

It's not a good long term solution. Read the Revisions forum here on Obesity Help... you'll see more revisions FROM the band to another form of weight loss surgery. A lot of insurance companies are implementing a "One WLS per lifetime" clause... so once you make your choice... and it turns out that you have to revise (as a lot of people do) you'll end up having to self pay for the revision. (The boat I'm in right now.)  It doesn't matter if your insurance company paid for your first surgery or not... if you had WLS, your insurance can deny a revision.

If I could do it over again, I'd go for the DS or the sleeve. It may seem more scary initially, but having chronic pain issues and reoperation with a band is infinitely worse.

Run away from the band, enuf said.

Dee,

I think your decision should be made based on  YOUR story.  How much do you have to lose?  If you have more than 100 lbs to lose, then I would advise against the band.

What is your major problem with food?  Do you normally eat healthy foods, but can't seem to stop at a "normal" portion size?  Then the band might work very well for you.  If you have an obsession with foods and are addicted to carbs, then the band might not be your answer.

There are plenty of us that have experienced problems with the band and have had to revise or live without any type of tool.  However, there are several on this board that have had great success with their bands, and do not have one ounce of regret for having gotten LapBand. 

The DS and the LapBand are very different WLS options.....please do some more research and check in to other options, as well.....RNY and the VSG (the sleeve).  The different surgeries can really be beneficial to some, and not good enough for others. 

Personally, I don't reccomend the band to those I know personally.  One reason being that it's too hard to obtain fills and unfills where I live.  I have to travel 4 hours to see my surgeon for this.  4 hours there,waiting at the doctor's office for an hour or so,  five minutes with my surgeon, and then 4 hours back home make for a long day. 

Another reason, is that the band, at least from what I have seen and experienced, is so unpredictable, and pretty hard to maintain.  Getting to a good restriction level can sometimes be impossible, and when it happens, it rarely lasts for long periods of time. 

I have seen a lot of Bandsters on this board that have found a happy place with their band, and I am very proud and happy for them.  It just wasn't my experience over the 4 years I have lived with my band.  It really is to your best advantage to be honest with yourself and find what drives you to eat...and go from there. 

Good luck!!

Great answer Melly...I ditto what melly said

My one year bandiversary is Friday, March 16.  I have lost 117 pounds and have not had any real complicaations.  I had one stuck episode about 6 weeks ago and all is still going well.  I am very happy with my band.  But I really have to stay committed to it.  I know if I slack off on my commitment, the only one going to pay for it is me.  I went with the band becasue I too was to chicken for anything else.  I am very happy with my results.  I have only about 40 pounds more to reach my goal.  It was the best thing ever for me. 

You have to do what is right for you.  There are horror stories about all the different WLS  But there are success stories for them all also.  So take your time and do your research.  Make sure you choose a great surgeon.  Good Luck on whichever you choose.

You'll find a few folks here who make it their mission to talk anyone out of having a lap band, ever. In the end, the decision really needs to be yours, not what a bunch of strangers on a message board tell you. All WLS have risks associated with them, from the risk of not losing much weight or regaining weight to the risk of scary complications, such as intestinal strictures, vitamin deficiencies, slips, and the need for revisions. In the end, you need to look at what the risks are for both surgery types and decide what risks and how much risk is acceptable to you. You also need to consider other factors, such as what kind of eater you are (do you graze? do you eat a lot at once? do you eat a lot of sweets?) as those factors can have a big impact on your ability to succeed with one surgery versus another. You also need to talk with your surgeon to get an iea of what they feel is the best option for you and your health concerns. There's no easy answer that any of us can supply. 
Also, lurk around for a few days at least on each forum and try to get a sense of the kinds of issues that get posted about on each. it's not an accurate reflection of either surgery necessarily (with any surgery, the people having problems are likely to post more often than those who aren't having problems), but it may help you come up with questions to ask your surgeon to further help you arrive at a decision.