New here and considering LapBand this summer

A couple of questions:  When you have the lap band how do they do an endoscopy?
What is a normal weight loss with the band?  I know it won't be like the loss with bypass - but I would like to see about 100 pounds off.  Is this possible with the band?

Thanks all! 

There are better options for weight loss than the lapband.

But, read through the Revisions forum. It will illustrate the point better than I could, anyway.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/revision/a,messageboard/bo ard_id,5360/

I lost over 100 pounds with the band... because I couldn't eat solid foods at all. Even with no fluid in the band. Every time I tried to eat anything, I spent hours puking and gagging. Then the referred left shoulder pain would come on with a vengeance. The left shoulder pain was always there... but it would get worse.

Please do TONS of research before making a decision. I hate to see another person damaged when it can be avoided.

For me the Lap Band was the best decision for me. I lost a total of 134 pounds. I am 7 weeks out from having a baby and during the pregnancy I gained 55 pounds. I didn't have very much restriction due to hormonal changes. I regained restriction right after pregnancy. I have lost 32 pounds of my pregnancy weight.

The are many different types of WLS so please do the research and find out what's best for you and your lifestyle. There are risk in ALL WLS's. Your best option is being informed and choosing a experienced surgeon.
 

Welcome. I work in GI for 4 years and never got to see them scope a banded patient but I know a couple of people who told me they did their EGD with out removing the fluid. I would ask to have the saline removed before the procedure I would not risk a perforation of the esophagus. Every one loses at a different rate.

 
Normal loss is quoted at 1-2 pounds a wk. However keep in mind that some have gotten the band and never lost an ounce!

100 pounds may or may not be possible. It works for some short term, others...........no. It's very much a crap shoot.

I would strongly suggest you ask these same things on the RNY, VSG and DS forums. There are plenty of FORMER bandsters on there and they can give you some accurate band info and give you a comparison of how the band compares to their present WLS.

Good luck!

It's very possible.  Definitely do your research. I'm a little of more than 7 months out and have lost 55 lbs--I'd like to lose about 15 more to reach my goal.

If you get the band, its going to require impulse control.  You simply have to modify how much you eat at one time, how quickly you eat/chew, and what you eat.

Now, if you get the band, and you find you cannot eat solids without vomiting, then your band is too tight and you will have physical damage to your esophagus--maybe irreversible, if you allow that to continue for months. 

Listen to you body.  Listen to your surgeon. 

Good Luck!!

I am going on 7 years post op and I've never had to have an endoscopy that's really not part of the process...some people may have complications that may require an endoscopy...but the typically routine aftercare with the lap band is having an Upper GI to check the pouch and esophagus once per year or a fill under Fluoroscopes  which can detect issues also...

But typically getting a fill is pretty simple and only takes about 1 minute ...

Regarding weight loss with the lap band it's NOT really typical and NOT AUTOMATIC, it requires following rules of eating mostly proteins, drinking water, walking or exercising and keeping your lap band adjusted properly for optimal weight loss. The lap band just helps you stay focused and dims your hunger and reduce how much you can eat when your band is filled properly.

Whereas with the bypass they reroute your insides and you also have tight restriction from the git-go and this alters your metabolism which usually produces quicker and more weight loss than most lap band people...but there are stricter rules to follow the the bypass and vitamins are required for life and it is a more complex surgery.

I still love my lap band at 7 years and it still works --- the thing you need to understand is that the bypass will only be effective for only a few years and you will be on your own after that -- hence why so many regain weight...but the lap band keeps on working as long as there is no complication.

good luck

My band was the worst decision I have ever made. 

I have had band-induced bulimia.  I was never too tight like people would say you are too tight.  I have had too many random tightness and two unfills.  I have had a complete unfill two months before my revision surgery to bypass and I still had random tightness and bulimia.    My band quit working after SEVEN months and I suffered two more years before finally revising.  My weight loss even stopped after seven months and I regained back about 30 lbs.  It also induced major depression because of the crapband.

I am very happy with my bypass.

Please do your research and ask questions on other boards.  If you research bypass on RNY board, they will tell you the same thing,  band has the lowest success rate. 

Good luck in your decision.

They can do an endoscopy, they remove all the fluid from the band first. Do you need them frequently though? They aren't a routine test done to check on the band, that is usually done by upper GI.
I don't know that there is any such thing as "normal" weight loss with the band. It is highly variable and can depend a lot on the choices you make.There are those who have lost over 100 lbs with the band, those who have lost almost nothing, and those who have lost and then regained weight (a risk with all surgery types).
People who aren't sweet eaters but have a hard time controlling portion size tend to have better results than those who are sweet eaters.
When considering whether the band would be good for you, I would suggest looking at the possible side effects/complications of the band as well as other surgeries you might consider as well as looking at your personal eating concerns and lifestyle. The band is designed to help you limit your portion sizes, but it will do nothing to keep you from eating "junk" - you have to be the one to make good choices. Are you someone who usually does quite well at diets, but then eventually "falls off the wagon" and regains? If so, a purely restrictive surgery like band of VSG might work well for you. If not, something else might be better. Have you talked with a surgeon about your specific issues yet?
 

As mentioned here, the AVERAGE weight loss is supposed to be 1 to 2 pounds a week.  You probably will lose faster in the beginning. So while in the first 3 months you may lose 40 pounds, by the end of the year you may lose another 12 pound. While it may seem for 9 months, you lost nothing; but on the average you lost 1 pounds a week. Does this make sense?

Some of us (me include) believe scales should be used only for fish or piano ... However, many others are obsessed with the ‘numbers’ lost.

Either way, remember there are other “scales" you can use to monitor your success: your constant hunger reduction (eliminated); reduced clothing size; increase energy; re-familiarizing yourself to body-parts unseen for years (errr… toes) ; “common" activity becoming easier (walking, climbing steps), just feeling good about yourself; sleeping better (reduced snoring); the mirror; better medical exam results (lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure); etc.

Many may compare their lost to someone else’s, and get discouraged.

The amount of weight lost is affected by many factors. Everyone loses weight at different rates. It has to do with age, gender, one’s weight, exercise, etc.. A 10 pound lost to one person could be as affected as a 40 pound lost to another. Think of it this way: If a 400-pound person loses 40 pounds; a 300-pound person loses 30 pounds, a 200-pound person loses 20 pounds, and a 100-pound person loses 10 pounds – the 400-pound person didn’t necessarily loose more weight than the others. All three lost 10% of their body weight. 

And sometimes it is not the number of pounds that someone loses in a specified period of time that is important. Remember, if you are toning up muscle – your weight loss may seem to have slowed (or stopped), when in fact you are replacing fat with muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat. Someone weighing 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. That same person weighing 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat would be carrying only 20 pounds of fat. So it’s not the number that is important.

Since I am unsure what your beginning point is, while 100 pounds may be doable, it may also not be a reachable goal. Speak to your Doctor. And remember these operations help with losing a percentage of the EXCESS body weight.

Example: your "normal" weight is suppose to be 100 pounds, but you're now at 200 pounds, and the "average maximum" weight lost is 80% of the EXCESS. So the maximum weight you should lose is 80 pounds, which bring you down to 120 pounds.

Just so you know, 4 years ago I began at 435 and I am now down to around 230 (the lowest being 215). So can it happen, sure. Is it easy? NO!!  I work at it every day, but it can be done