considering

i realize that all the surgeries these days are laproscopic.  IN MY OPINION i feel that removing any part of my body is invasive.  that is again In my opinion.  

I originally chose the band because it was least invasive and I only had 120 pounds to lose starting at 260 pounds.  Well it slipped and I was within 3 days of dying.  Thank God I did not have children to care for and they did not have to see their Mother suffer. 

Please, please I beg of you to carefully consider the other options.  People are telling you the truth and don't want you to make the same mistake. 

Does the cost of the initial surgery also cover emergency removal?  I've had 3 surgeries because of making the wrong initial decision. My insurance has paid a total of $125,000 for surgeries, hospital stays, fills, followup visits, consultations, etc.

Least invasive does not mean safer, long term.

for sure I do agree there.

In my opinion, as young as you are and as heavy as you are, and because you are self-pay, a lap band is probably not your best choice.

Lap band has worked extremely well for some, fairly well for some like me, and has caused some serious complications for others.  Of course this is true for all surgeries, but it does seem that many of us with lap bands are struggling to maintain or looking for revisions, and if you have all choices in the world, you may want to look at long term success rates, if you can get an accurate picture of those.  The data is confusing at best.

I am not anti-band nor especially pro-band, just saying that things seem a little unsettled in terms of actual long term success here in the states.

Do your research carefully and listen to what is said on both sides with an open mind.

In Canada, I have seen nothing but positive, lots of people who have lost over 200lbs, sure there will be a hiccup or two here and there but in the long run it sounds worth it to me after a lot of research.  Like I said the place I would be going to covers your lapband fills and everything, has nutritionists that will work with you and are available all the time.  To me it seems like the best investment.  Because here in canada it is not covered it is something you really have to research and well for me it seems like the right thing for me.

 Find out what the cover as far as removal and what happens if you have complications too.

 If you're asking my opinion, I wasted too much time and heartache on my band. I wish I had gone straight for the sleeve. It works like I thought the band would but more successful and less follow-up. I'm so thankful I got a second chance and being thin is pretty great. Go ahead and stack the deck in your favor and pick a procedure with a better success rate.

Also, in considering the cost, it's good that you found out that fills are included. I would also check what removal costs or testing related to complications would cost. The band is a particularly poor choice for self-pays. There are a lot of heartbreaking stories on here of people who were able to pay to put the band in, but could not afford to have it removed after complications. If you do choose the band as a self-pay, maintain an emergency fund should there be a problem. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Also, I don't know anything about Canada...will you be close to the fill center? You want to be sure you can travel there without difficulty at the drop of a hat. There may be times when you need an adjustment immediately.

Best of luck,
Lindsey

You asked, we are answering... DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME... Yes some people do have success, more people have issues... how many that are in the 3-7 year range are having to have thier bands removed due to issues/complications, nothing that they could have done anything about. Think twice cut once. How many that did everything by the book, hell, even wrote a couple of books about it, had to have the band removed because of issues.

Wish you lots of luck.

I rarely post on these anymore since if you don't care for the band it is considered being negative.

My story is like most of them........revision!!!!!!

But I was very similar to you 5 1/2 years ago.  Nobody could tell me anything.  Like I always say "desperate people do desperate things"  I was once desperate too.  Now thank gosh I can eat healthy.

Since you said you researched every surgery and the band is what you want I wish you success.  Not everyone has a bad experience with the band, just most.

Good Luck no matter what you decide, life is so much better without extra weight on.