What do you wish you would have known/asked ahead of time...

Hello all--

I posted the following in the lap band forum, but it was suggested to me to post it here as well.


 I have recently gotten my approval for lap band surgery, which I didn't think would come through.  I've learned a lot by just reading on the boards here, many are things that my surgeon hasn't talked to me about, such as potential hair loss. 

So my question to the group is, 

What do you wish you would have asked your doctor ahead of time? 

What do you wish your doctor would have talked to you about, before hand?

What do you wish you would have known before making this decision?  

Thanks for your thoughts. 

Candy

I wish I would have asked about failure rates. And about regain. I guess I hadn't done as much homework as I thought I had.

hair loss -- i knew it was common with rny but not band.  I have had a band slip - had it fixed - and haven't lost a pound since - almost a year ago.   ask your surgeons slip rate on the bands and how many revisions he has done.

Wish I'd known the band has a really low success rate, sure a few lose hundreds of lbs. but most are like me lose a few then nothing. It's difficult to get good restriction and without it you won't lose. There is a reason it's called a crap band!

I have had the lap-band for ten years now and don't regret it. I would have been a lot heavier if I never had the surgery. That being said, I was not successful. I have struggled with horrible reflux and the band is empty. I initially lost 60 pounds and then gained 30 back.

It's time for a revision:)

Kim

I too wish i'd asked about failures, complications, and slips especially. There are a lot of us with slips. For two years, I did well at maintaining my weight, loosing a couple pounds here and there, but inevitably they'd find me again.

Teri

about the faliure rate. Lap band is more for people who don't have a lot to loose. I am 8 months out and had lost 42 lbs. have gained about 8 back. I am going to talk to my surgeon about a revision sept 7th. I have no restriction anymore. nauseas all the time and really bad headaches! Just look into the band really hard before u go through with it! I work out 5 days a week,

When I chose the lap band I religiously read the forums and knew going in some of the problems/concerns people can have. I thought I was going to be the perfect bandster, I was going to lose the weight in 1 year and the band was going to be a miracle worker

I wish I had known that when they said that your band can get tight it meant that you get this tightness in your throat.

I wish I had understood what it meant to have a stuck episode. That is the worst feeling. THe feeling of pain and the food not going down the esophagus.

I wish I had understood that the weight loss with the band can be very, very slow and it can stop all together.

I bought 2 lap band books about 6 months after surgery and they were the best investment I have made.  I highly suggest getting some books specifically about the lap band. Robert Sewell has one and the other author I have is Ahorani. Robert Sewell's is the best.

Dnt get the crappy band and i am talking with a lot of experience stay away from band plzzzzzz

I didn't have the band but wish I had of asked my surgeon to honestly tell me about all of the surgeries out there. For someone who was my size I feel the duodenal switch would have been the best surgery option for me, but the way things are going I'll probably never know for sure or not how great a surgery it is.