Lap Band/PCOS/Pregnancy

I was diagnosed with PCOS a few months before I got pregnant.  I had my son 2 months ago and have lost all of my baby weight.  I am currently 277 pounds and am considering the lap band as my obgyn told me that in his experience women with PCOS only experience meaningful longterm weightloss with weight loss surgery.

I am planning to have 2-3 more children so I like that the lap band can be loosed and then retightened.  Does anyone have have experience with this type of situation or PCOS and Lap band.  Can you let me know about your expereince and success?

Congrats on the birth of your son!  I unfortunately was not able to get pregnant before my WLS surgery.  I had the RNY.  Anyway, was his stats on weight loss based on his experience or overall?  If I recall from my surgeon's last seminar (I speak for him monthly but usually sit outside until I speak at the end...but did sit through an entire seminar recently as a friend was attending) and I believe that overall for all patients (not just PCOS) the average weight loss for lapband is 55-65% excess weight, RNY 75-85% excess weight and DS roughly the same as RNY...I don't remember the stats for the VSG.  Anyway I run a support type group online for women with PCOS who've had WLS (all kinds) and there have been pregnancies with each surgery so far except for the DS.

Not to discourage you from the lapband, because it too is a valuable tool, but in my experience from what I've seen on my thread (located at Soulcysters.com) my cysters who've had lapband are at a much lower amount of weight lost even at 2-3 years postop.  You may want to weigh your weight loss needs with each surgery available to you and see which one fits you best.  It might end up being the Lapband, but then again it could also be the RNY, DS or VSG.  You should talk these pros/cons with a qualified bariatric surgeon, not your OB/GYN.

Regardless...you asked about pregnancy.  I can tell you that I've had 2 successful & healthy pregnancies post RNY.  I can also tell you that I've had 2 friends with lapband have successful & healthy pregnancies.  One friend was unfilled, one was not.  My friend that was unfilled did so because she had hyperemesis gravidarum (aka super puking while pregnant as she put it) and at one point had to be put on a Zofran drip to control her nausea as she was afraid of the band slipping do to the nausea.  Fortunately her band didn't slip, however, as baby grew her port did become uncomfortable due to the muscles in her abdominal wall stretching.

IF you'd like to know more about post RNY pregnancy I can definitely tell you about that.  Good luck!

Kristy

One of my major reasons for WLS is to become healthy enough for pregnancy and hopefully lessen the infertility problems associated with PCOS.  I think it is super interesting that your gyn told you that in his experience WLS is the only meaningful long-term weight loss solution.  That reaffirms my decision!  

Anyway, I wanted to do the lap-band for all the reason you stated, but found out that pregnancy is safe after all types of WLS and that opened my eyes to consider all the alternatives.  

I am 2 years post op with LapBand. I have barely lost any weight yet I exercise 3 times a week with a personal trainer and can't eat much because of the band. Still no weight loss. My doctor has told me with in the last year studies have shown that LapBand does nothing to help PCOS patients because the problem isn't the amout of food you eat it is the way your body is reacting to the food. I wish i would have known this before i paid out of pocket for this surgery. All it has caused me is aggrivation from not being able to eat certian foods, vomiting, uncomfortableness, etc... My nutrionist recently told me the only way i will loose weight with the band if i eat no more an 12 grams of carbs a day which is pretty much impossible but I'm trying as hard as i can.  I wish i would have got RNY. Good Luck and congrats on your baby!

 You know, I had the DS for that very reason, in order to have children. I  must say that in doing all the research I discovered that the insulin resistance *syndrome x* was the basis for a lot of my issues. I had initially thought about weightloss surgery some years back and thought I would get an RNY or even the band, but I didn't realize that I'd have (for me personally) longer term success 98% cure rate  of diabetes with the duodenal switch. Have you thought about that that surgery as a possibility? I have to admit that the hairs grow much less and I'm only two months out. I don't have the cystic acne along the jawline like I had before the surgery. I don't get the boils in places that I don't even want to mention like I did before the surgery. And the best part.. with years of irregular periods (going 9-12 months at a clip without a period) the day after my surgery my cycle corrected itself and it's coming  like clockwork. I'm fertile the same time each month, and I'm just two months out of surgery! Something to think about, Darling.  Either way the choice is yours. Some sites that may help: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/ and www.dsfacts.com

I am having the DS in two days for these reasons as well.  My endocrinologist told me the same thing, "you CAN eat 1000 calories a day and exercise six days a week for 2 hours a day and take this handful of pills that we'll have to twea****il we find the right levels and then MAYBE you'll lose weight - or you can have WLS"

I started researching and decided on the VSG because I didn't like the idea of a lapband and didn't see great numbers with it, and the RNY never sounded right for me.  Then I found the DS and read about the correction of insulin resistance with the 'switch' part of the procedure AND the built in metabolic component......I've was diagnosed at 14 and have been waiting 23 years to fix my PCOS and now I've found it!

Several DSers have had healthy babies.  The only thing you MUST be careful of is you have to wait at least 1 year to 18 months before getting pregnant and you'll be incredibly fertile.  You're burning ketones and that can cause damage to the baby that might not show up until years later.

Good luck in your journey!

I  was diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago, after living with it undiagnosed for many years. I specifically choose the DS because of how it would affect the insulin resistance that accompanies PCOS. I have to say that all of the problems associated with PCOS have disappeared. Even, my tag moles have even been reabsorbed into my body. If you are unfamiliar with the DS, please look into it. Here are a couple of really good resources for you:

DS board on OH.com --go there and post about PCOS to get more responses/experiences
duodenalswitch.com
dsfacts.com

The last two sites also list doctors who actually perform the duodenal switch.

Thank you all for your experiences.  I think I have more options to consider than I originally thought.  I am just scared to make such a lofe altering decision.

 At least you'll be armed with facts! That's more than a lot of people get. In the long run, I wanted to not have to revisit weightgain. I wanted to be able to live and eat as normally as possible and I wanted to just be free and be able to hold onto a pregnancy and raise my children without the insane excess weight that I've carried from so many failed pregnancies. Be well and just know that DS is an option that is at your fingertips!

I also looked in all the WLS once I was diagnosed with PCOS.  Being insulin resistant is the pits!  Anyway, in all my research I realized that I wanted to be able to start a family with my husband and I wanted the best outcome for my health long term.  The best advice I can give, is research, research and then research some more about all of the WLS options.  The one that is right for you will speak to you!  Since my surgery, my oily skin and acne have cleared.  My period is back like clockwork and the skin tags are decreasing.  For the first time in a long time, I feel the sense of hope that my health is on the right track! I hope to be a mom someday. 
Good luck in your quest!
Trish