I need advise

Can anyone tell me how the lap band works, Last year I was considering gastric bypass because I'm very overweight then found out I was pregnant. I'm 47 and have a 5 month baby I wanted with all my heart and I'm looking for a surgery that does not keep me out of commission because i have a baby to take care of. What has been your experience ? any advise Thanks !

My advice is not to ask on here because you will get a lot of negative answers. That being said the lap band is still surgery and will put out of commission. You probably wouldn't be able to pick your baby up for six weeks.

Google LapBand and get some information on how it works.  It does work for some. There are some who have had some complications from it.  All WLS has complications, some you can die from.  You should read this board, but read it with an open mind knowing that NOT all Lapbanders are sucessful and NOT all bands fail.  There are a lot of viaables.  I love my LapBand.  I can eat almost anything - I have only gotten stuck on very dry chicken breast and raw brocolli.  This means I have to make good choices and keep in mind that I am feeding my body for life, not for pleasure.

Congrats on your new baby!  Time is now to get healthy and live long to care for your new one.  My LapBand doctor retired last October.  He was willing to place my band even though my BMI was well over 65.  I thanked him for giving my daughter the best gift ever.  The gift of having her Mom for a while longer.

I paid cash for my band and have paid cash for all of my Plastic Surgeries.  I feel it has been worth every penny.

Do your research and find the WLS right for you.  Good Luck!

I am still happy with my band going on 7 years, but I went to a reputable hospital and follow the rules and so far so good.

If you do your homework, and choose a surgeon ideally from a center of excellence with a good track record, get screening to make sure you are a good candidate for the band and your body can tolerate it.

Get a diet and exercise PLAN in place before you get the band, make sure you have money or insurance for your fills.
 
FILLS AND sometimes UNFILLS will be a life long process, so plan for that as well, and make sure you choose a reputable hospital to perform your surgery and not some clinic.

If you go into this with a positive attitude and seek to use the band as a TOOL and keep it adjusted safely and follow up with your surgeon ever 4-6 weeks especially in the first year -- your chances of a good banded life will be good.

Here is a guide to help you and if you choose the band READ IT CAREFULLY especially the part where you must follow your post op instructions of not eating solids to make sure your band heals before the fill process began...http://www.laplose.com/Media/Forms/LapBandDietGuideNew.pdf


Good luck

There are Lapband failures and people that failed the Lapband.  There is a distinction.  There are people that follow the rules and still have issues.  But there are rule breakers that fail and wonder why their band isn't working. 

I feel like in the beginning I fell into both categories.  My band took a long time to work for me.  Meaning I went in for my fills every month and I still felt no restriction.  So month after month I went in for my fill hoping this would be it...and still nothing.  So that is where my band failed me...Where I failed my band was during the time I was waiting I wasn't eating the way I should.  Since I could eat whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted...I did.  I also didn't do any exercise.  So for the first 18 months I lost little or no weight.  The thing about the Band it ONLY works if you do. 

I did eventually come to my senses and I did get a fill that gave me the restriction I needed.  I started to eat right and exercise.  I lost a total 152 lbs!!!  But i have to watch everything I eat and I exercise 6 days a week.  So if you think the Band is the ticket to easy weight loss ....think again.  I'm not saying that anyone is trying to take a short cut by getting Lapband...I just want people to know if they think their days of diet and exercise are over...think again.  They are just beginning. 

Good luck 

   

My answer will be "negative." Or honest... depending on how you see things.

The lapband has very bad statistics. There are forums devoted to band failure and they're growing all the time. 

My experience was bad. The lapband caused chronic pain, damage to my Vagus nerves (google~ lapband + Vagus nerves) or ~lapband + referred left shoulder pain~ before venturing further into your research.

Visit the Revisions forum here, as well as the Failed Surgeries forum. You'll see an abundance of revisions FROM lapband to another form of weight loss surgery.

The lapband is not a good long term device. A lot of people start experiencing problems around the 2 year mark. If these problems aren't addressed, it turns into permanent damage or worse.

My surgery was performed about 9 years ago. I've had a lot of time to witness how badly the lapband "works."  And I can only tell you that it's like watching people get hurt over and over and over... and being unable to actually do anything about it. Do yourself a big, big favor and really keep your eyes open about the complications. They happen with alarming frequency.

Best of luck to you. And congratulations on your precious baby!

~Nicci

You need to do your homework, both pros and cons regarding the lap band.  As many have said previously, it has worked for some.  However, there are more statistics coming in showing long term to be increasingly getting worse.  As others have said, some have failed their band, and the band have failed some.  I was an ideal band patient according to my doctor back in 2007.  I followed all of the rules.  I still developed a hernia where they had to remove all of the fluid.  That was just the beginning of the band failing me.
To make a long surgery short.  I almost died because of my band.  I am still 60 pounds down from my heaviest.  Would I consider it a success?  NO.  I am also 47 and seriously had no other health problems other than being overweight before I had my band placed.  Because of the band, I now have permanent damage to my esophagus, I have had to have over half of my stomach removed because of damage from the band and gangrene setting in.  I have 5 grandchildren with 2 more on the way.  Now I have more health problems than I started out with.  I just want to recover from what I have put my body through trying to get healthy and be happy with who I am.
Good luck on whatever decision you make... I wish you the best of luck.
Remember, the band is only a tool.... As for any tool, if it is misused, or not used correctly, it will not help, and can harm.  If you have your mind set in losing weight for you and your baby, you can do it without it. 

if you dont mind me asking what caused the problems with esophagus?  I have had very good luck with my surgery but see so many negative things here.  How long after surgery did you develop problems?  I have had mine 4 years

I had my lapband placed in 2007.  I developed a hernia in 2008.  December of last year is when I had emergency surgery to remove the lap band.  It had literally stopped all the blood supply to my stomach, necrosis had occurred and gangrene set in.  They had to remove over half of my stomach and says there is permanent damage to my esophagus...

I had lap band 4 years ago and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.  Healing time was fast.  I had surgery on a thursday and was back at work Monday with just a little discomfort.  I went from 200 pounds to 118.  I would do it again in a heart beat!