Vomiting and HONESTY with the Lap band is the Lap bands most dirtiest secret

Thought I would share this tidbit from a website asking frequent questions about the lap band...it happens ALL the time, people vomit their way down to goal and then when their bands slip, they complain about how horrible their lap bands are and want to lash out at the world when that reflux starts.....

Losing weight is hard, we are all so desperate to lose weight and the lap band is the ONLY surgery where the patient can be DISHONEST about how tight their bands are, and that is THE MAIN problem with the lap band, remember surgeons have NO CLUE how tight someone band is....and many people will NOT tell the surgeon that they cannot eat solids...well until it's too late and the band is damaged and it has to come out....SO PLEASE BEWARE...surgeons will make MORE money removing the band than installing it....it's your body and your money you will have to spend to get it removed/replaced.

See..with the Sleeve and Bypass you get the restriction that your surgeon gives you, but with the Band the restriction you pick is ALL UP TO YOU....and THAT IS ONE of the biggest downfalls of the band.....some have restriction so tight that many use it as a bulimic tool. It can be misused and abused.

http://www.lapbanddoctors.com/lap-band-bulimia.php

My daughter had lapband surgery a year ago, she has lost 150lbs which may sound great,but she can’t even keep water down. How much damage is she doing to her body? I’m concerned that she is DYING TO BE THIN!!!!! She is 5ft4in and weighs maybe 110 lbs.

Arvada, CO

Answer by Dr. Ron Hekier, Texarkana Weight Loss Surgeon.

I’m going to have to make some assumptions here since I am not either your or her doctor, and just offering general advice. I’m assuming from your question that your daughter has not been to her Lap Band surgeon recently nor been up front with them. I always tell every patient that if at any time they feel too tight with their LapBand, they need to call our office immediately and get fluid removed from their LapBand to loosen it up. It might be a few days after a fill, it might be months since their last fill. Anytime they are too tight they need to have the LapBand loosened. I assume from your question that your daughter is allowing herself to live with a tight LapBand in the mistaken belief that this is good for her. Nothing could be further from the truth. She is placing herself in a dangerous situation and using the surgery to become bulimic.

I strongly suggest that you personally take her to her Lap Band doctor. They will remove fluid from her Lap Band and perform any other evaluations if they are deemed necessary.

I am sure they will reinforce to your daughter what I would tell her if she were my patient. People lose weight most successfully with the LapBand when it is adjusted to the point that it slows down your food, not stops it. You can find a significant number of patients that have lost over 100 pounds without ever vomiting with the Lap Band. That’s the way it is supposed to be. A simple test for someone to tell if they are too tight is to eat about 3 or 4 ounces of meat or chicken, a few tablespoons of vegetables, and 2 tablespoons of a starchy food. If they can’t get it down, they are probably too tight.

Since your daughter can’t even hold down water, there is no doubt in my mind she is too tight and she is possibly bulimic.
Take her to her Lap Band doctor immediately.
Best of luck.