lap band with Lupus

I've been seeing a weight loss surgeon referred to by my primary care physician and a dietian and psychologist and after 4 months the surgeon tells me that he's decided he's not going to do my surgery. I was heartbroken. I've gotten my hopes up with the surgery being on steroids all these years or my lupus and then being in the final stretch, getting told no, I'm at a loss as to what to do. My doctor is telling me to find a surgeon in a surrounding town because this one is the only one in the area but I'm afraid they're just going to say the same thing. It was supposed to be this jump off, the first step of getting my life back. It's hard to exercise because of my health but I've been trying so hard and my eating habits improved drastically. I don't know what my next step should be. Any ideas? I'm desperate. He said that his final decision was made after speaking to the dietian which I found odd because I know I didn't give the dietian any reason to deny my surgery. I've been on online researching and couldn't find answers or anyone else in my situation until this website. Thanks in advance for your advice. I greatly appreciate it.

I was told I was not a candidate for a lap-band because of my lupus.
Our immune systems will attack this foreign object in our bodies and our bodies as well.
He implied if I went ahead with either type, lap band or gastric by-pass, I would be dead in two years.
I have quit trying for surgery.

(It's long but there's a point for all the background)
I got the LB in April 2008 and it was great for a while and I lost about 55 lbs total, fairly easily. By September of 2009 I started having problems with it being too tight. I could eat very few things and liquid gurgled. They took all the fluid out to try and figure out what was going on, it helped very little. They believed my band had been overfilled and had irritated my stomach. So I was unfilled for a few months but it didn't make a difference. By January 2010, I had had upper GI's all kinds of tests, they decided to do a revision. I was excited to hopefully be able to use my band again. When they went in there was an "extreme" amount of scar tissue all the way around the band and down to my liver. They cleared everything out and found the band was in perfect position so they didn't mess with it at all. We took it very slow in putting fluid back in, starting sometime in May I believe it was with just a little. By July 27th, I could no longer eat solid foods, even with all the fluid removed again. Plain yogurt was too thick to go down. It was taking a toll on me emotionally and physically as I could not eat at all. I drank liquids, whatever i could find that worked and I was soooo hungry. After another upper GI and an endoscopy they felt it was best to take the band out and at that point, I agreed. I couldn't take it any longer. It was removed on September 3rd, 2010 and the dr. was stunned that it seemed my body was rejecting the band as scar tissue had reformed around the band but nowhere else. It took about a month to be able to eat regular food again and not feel like everything was getting stuck even with no band.

On November 24th, I became very very sick, inexplicable pain, and was completely immobile. After being in the hospital I was diagnosed with lupus. That alone explained why my body had rejected the band. I was then put on massive doses of Prednisone (150mg/day), which I was thankful for because it allowed me to walk again. I'm finally down to 10mg/day and the next step will be off of it. I've gained about 80 lbs since December. I trying to keep that in perspective.

Go with your surgeon's advice. If they say no, don't go with it. I was undiagnosed and spent a year and a half unable to use the band as it should have worked.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do..... :)

This almost angers me! Not at u but at my Dr! No one has even suggested the possibilities of complications! I have crohns disease,RA, & LUPUS.I can't believe after me asking many times about my concerns the Surgeon never gave not one warning!

My doctor said I could get the lap band done but the surgeon said she will not do the lap band because I have lupus. I am so upset. I haven't even been on my Lupus meds for four months and I have been stable. I need to loose this weight from all of these meds from my lupus. Can any one help me? or do you have any ideas what I can do?

Hey everyone. I would like to ask if anyone had blood clots and that they are on Coumadin and wanted to do a Lapband. My Hemotology dr doesn't let me. Pls share if someone had the same issue. Thnk in advance

I just had the lap band in February.  My surgeon stated that as long as I was "stable", the lap band would not effect my autoimmune process.  He said that there have been no documented cases of the body rejecting the lap band.  While I am only 3 weeks or so post-op, I have had no problems.  He even let me go back on my NSAID (celebrex) after 2 weeks (with an antacid....of course!).

My Rhuematologist was all for it.  Said she thought it was a great idea and that the decrease in weight could make a difference in my joints!

Try another surgeon....He  sound like he is one of those who is scared of anyone with an autoimmune disorder.