Question:
HOW MUCH WEIGHT LOSS CAN ONE EXPECT FROM A LAP BAND?
I WEIGH 310# AND I AM CONSIDERING THE LAP BAND SURGERY. I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT RESTRICT THE TYPE OF FOODS I CAN EAT ONLY THE AMOUNTS. HOWEVER I AM CONCERNED THAT I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO LOSE ENOUGH WT. WITH THIS PROCEDURE. I WANT TO LOSE 100# CAN A PERSON OBTAIN THIS GOAL WITH THE LAP BAND? THERESA — tigerlil58 (posted on March 5, 2008)
March 5, 2008
hello I was going to get lap band to but my Dr wouldn't do it ,I'm glad she
didn't because I don't think I could have lost as much as I have ine the
short amount of time 28 pounds in 17 days
— ELAINE44
March 5, 2008
I'd be interested in seeing some answers on this one too. I had RNY and
went from 345 to 204 and I'm 6' 3" tall. My goal was to loose 125
pounds. My insurance company pays for RNY but not lap band. I think RNY
has a better long range weight loss success than lap band, and that's why
my insurance company does not pay for the less expensive lap band, but is
willing to pay for RNY surgery.
— Dave Chambers
March 5, 2008
Hi, Marsha. Since I didn't have the lapband, I can't tell you about how
much weight loss can typically be achieved. But, I can tell you
that my doctor said a wider variety of foods could be eaten with the RNY
Gastric Bypass. To me that sounds a bit counterintuitive, but I clarified
this with him. It was a small part of the reason I decided to have the RNY
8 weeks ago. No regrets so far.
dana
— jujuprof
March 5, 2008
I dont knowwhere you get the idea that you will not be restricted with a
lapband. THat is not true. I suggest that you research more and look at
all of the surgeries available including lapband, RNY and Duodenal Switch.
— SameButDifferent
March 5, 2008
`THAT'S WHAT I WANTED BUT DR.SAID NO.THOUGHT I WOULDN'T HAVE THA PATINCE TO
GET WHERE I AM NOW.WAS 311 NOW186 RNY 6/26/06 7 MO.AGO. I WOULD DO IT
AGAIN!!BUT I DID REASEARCH THE LAP-BAND YOU CAN ON OH FROUM. GOOD LUCK,
LEHIGH
— lehigh
March 5, 2008
I had the band in aug of 03 I weighed 345lbs when the band was inserted, I
had 4 fills and lost 120lbs so I was down to 225 lbs this was my weight as
of May 07. I got ill with food poisoning and was throwing up for a few days
and this caused the band to slip along with some other issues and had to
have it removed. I had my revision surgery done 2-27-08 to RNY, I really
think that I am going to be happier with the results that I will get from
using the tool that I now have. You may want to do some more research,
there were many things that I could not eat with the band, I have not been
able to eat bread since my band was inserted, along with many other things
chicken was very difficult also. Just do alot of research before you decide
its a life long commitment and you want to be sure and get the tool that is
going to be best for you. Good Luck..
— Dee J.
March 5, 2008
I started at 300# and had lap band on 1/9/08 I have lost a total of 40#
including the preop diet. I just got my first fill last week. My husband
had lapband done on 1/16/08 started at 310# and is down to 165 and has not
had a fill yet. You will lose on average 1 - 2lbs a week which is a more
healthy way to lose weight. You didn't gain it all at once don't expect to
lose it all at once. If you lose weight slower supposedly you keep it off
longer - I'll let you know in a few years if that is true. It is fairly
true that you can still eat the things you like without worry of dumping
but if you think you can eat cake and cookies and chips don't think you
will continue to lose weight and it is what got us all here in the first
place. Just to let you know yesterday I had my first bite(yes just one
small bite) of bread and it got stuck and had to come up so bread is once
again off my list. Make sure you are ready for the commitment. I am 2
months out and can tell you it is not easy your stomach still makes grelin
so you still get hungry. There have been alot of people on this website
that have been really encouraging. To be quite honest I know I would not
have lost 40# since Xmas if I hadn't done this. My doctor told me that my
goal of 125 - 135# is reasonable. Don't get discouraged by people who had
RNY and lose a lot in the being, I know it's hard. What's the saying slow
and steady wins the race? Good luck with your decision.
— changemyshape
March 5, 2008
Hi - I at first was going to get lap band. After doing much research and
going to meetings I decided that the RNY was the way to go for me. I
needed to see fast results and I did. I had my surgery Oct '06. I was 233
lbs. I am now at 118 lbs. I am 16 mos out. I had hit my 100 lb loss at
9.5 mos out. There are books and articles about both. Educate yourself
before making your decision. I did not want to still be able to eat
anything like fried foods etc. That is what got me into this situation in
the first place. I needed a more restriction on what I was able to eat. I
know can't eat to much sugar (candy was my downfall) or to much fat (fried
foods was another culpret). I was ready to give them up and with they RNY
it makes sure I don't go back. Best of Luck
— niecie54
March 5, 2008
Hi.You will have to decide,but I have lost 87 pound in almost a year.I was
to scared to have the other this seemed less invasive,also more people are
gaing back on rny after many years.This is what my doc says also and he has
done both,he had done rny since 1975 and mostly all lapbands now.If you
have any questions feel free to contact me.Sandy Hanson
— Sandy Hanson
March 5, 2008
I had my lapband removed and switched to the RNY. I had a lot of weight to
lose and only lost 25 lbs total after a year with the band. I found myself
throwing up alot after I was full (the band) and was back on a puree diet
for the last month since it was the only thing that would go down, that and
pasta. When I switched to the RNY my doctor told me that there was alot of
scar tissue he had to remove around the port and band site. Makes me wonder
what would have happened long term? I had the Rny a year ago and am now at
goal, my food choices are endless (of course no sugar) and I feel and look
awesome. Would I recommend the RNY, you bet. It was the best thing I ever
did. Do your homework, it works well for some but more and more people in
my network (support group, friends on this site and friends who have had
the band) are having them removed. Even my doctor told me that they are not
having the success that they had hoped for with the band. Make your choice
carefully, to costly to change your mind later since most insurances will
only pay for one procedure per lifetime now. Good luck in your decision.
Diane
— noboat4u
March 5, 2008
I had RNY and lost 150LBS and have kept it off. I know a lot of people who
had the band and they are not happy. It takes longer to lose the weight and
it is harder to lose it. I know someone who lost some weight but she is
still heavy. She has a lot of issues with eating and food getting stuck and
throwing up a lot. Yes you can eat what ever you want which could be a bad
thing. With gastric bypass you have very big limits on carbs and sugars
which helps you out more in the long run. I can eat carbs and sugar just
much smaller amounts. I vote for RNY you'll like the results much more.
Good Luck
— Joanc
March 5, 2008
You should research the DS (duedenal switch)- google it and check the DS
forums here. Goodluck
— AMPinquoch
March 5, 2008
i amnot sure where you got the idea that lapband does not restrict the food
type that you eat because it does. I have not had a soft drink in over 2
years, bread will make you want to die if it gets stuck and mine always
does, grits if they get hard in your pouch will clog you up for days and
all you do is slime, ...I could go on and on. I had the band over 2 years
ago and lost over 60 lbs in the 2 years, but 1 1/2 years into it my band
slipped and i am just after 7 months heading for a revision to ge tthe
bypass. I was scared to death of the method of this surgery but when you
take into consideration everything that i have been though( i could go into
detail , but it is not meanth to scare or try to persuede you to do bypass)
the RNY would have been the best first choice for me. I needed to loose 130
lbs. i was 1/2 way there....After the slippage i am back to needing to
loose 120 ..SO the last 1 1/2 years has been a waste for me. I love my
band, i just do not think it is the best choice for me. If you are going to
get the band, so you can eat certain types of food, it may not be the best
choice for you , lets face it, we are fat because we chose wrong types of
food...I love chocolate, i can eat that with my band....this just defeats
the purpose. I wish you well in which ever choice you make. And if you have
any specific ?'s i would be happy to try to answer them....
Terri
— Terri C.
March 5, 2008
Lap Bands are GREAT if you are a steak, potatoes, pasta, pizza,cheese
burgers and fries kind of over-eater. But, if you are BIG on SWEETS you
might want to have Roux-en-Y instead. The Lap Band (and Vertical Banded
Gastroplasty or "stomach stapling") procedures still allow people
to eat significant amounts of stuff like ice cream, cream pies, puddings,
milk shakes, and other soft sweets like Reese's peanut butter cups, etc..
The Roux-en-Y (the majority of the time) restricts people from eating
sugary foods by making them feel sick if they eat such things (this is an
excellent "tool" that the Roux-en-Y provides for weight loss).
— Gina S.
March 6, 2008
I had lapband on Feb. 13, 2007. I have lost 100 lbs over the past year, but
my results aren't typical. Although you can lose 100 lbs, most lapband
patients lose it over a 2 year period. A lot depends upon your body and
your dedication to the program and changing your eating and exercise
habits. I agree with others that have stated that there are foods that band
patients cannot tolerate - breads, pastries, rice, chicken are a few of
mine. However, their caution about sweets such as candy and ice cream are
SO true and definitely a consideration. Please research each procedures,
attend support group meetings, and determine which would work best for you
and your lifestyle. Good luck!
— [Deactivated Member]
March 6, 2008
I was banded on 12/12/07 and have lost about 30# since then. If you want
to find out some good information on the band, you might try
smartbandsters.com. It is a yahoo site that has many, many people who have
lost over 100 pounds and kept it off. You can expect to loose 50-100
pounds in the first year IF you follow most of the rules, most of the time.
I've got news for you, you can eat around ALL WLS. The first thing that
anyone thinking about WLS needs to do is decide if they want to follow the
program. If the answer is no, then don't get it. If the answer is yes,
then you need to decide which surgery you want. RNY will give you the most
immediate satisfaction but I read on one doctor's web site that 1 in 4
people will have complications and a lot of them are major complications.
Not my words, his. Lap band patients are not even anywhere near that ball
park and normally the complications they have are considered minor. I'm
sure that a lot of people will chime in here and say that they had major
complications. Note I said normally. Having said that, I also hope that
you will take note of the people who have answered your question that had
to have their bands removed. The important word here is removed. They
were able to have it reversed and it is done relatively easy. I'm not a
good person at taking supplements. I would have gotten the RNY IF that is
all I could have and I would have done it with a lot of fear. That's just
me. The only way that you cannot loose weight with the band is to not
follow the program unless you have a medical reason that you can't loose
weight. I will loose 130 pounds by the end of this year. Part of that is
pre-op but I will also be able to keep it off. If in later years I need an
adjustment to help stay at goal, guess what...it's an office visit not
another surgery. Nope, I wouldn't trade my band for anything. Not even
immediate satisfaction. The doubts that your are expressing have been
expressed by all of us. I don't think it matters which surgery we have
had. We've been obese for so long and have tried so many things that it is
natural for the doubt to be there. Should you get the band and should you
follow the rules (most of the time) you WILL be able to loose the weight
with the band. Good luck on you journey.
— VickiJ
March 6, 2008
I am extremely happy with my lap band!! I have/had 150 lbs that I would
like to lose. I started at 313 had the surgery August 17th 2007 and to date
have lost 72 lbs. Everyone is different but the lap band was the right
choice for me.-Lisa
— degweiser
March 6, 2008
Hey Theresa. Can you lose 100 pounds with a Lap Band? Yes. I did. (More
than 100, actually, and I started out heavier than you are.) Can you keep
it off? Yes. I have.
I will be 5 years out this July. Feel free to email me if you have any
questions. Best of luck, whatever you decide.
— Jeanie
March 6, 2008
Here is something else to look at considering lapband. How many fills will
insurance pay for and how much it will cost you to get a fill. Most fills
cost between $150 - $500 per fill. Also look into what if's: port gets a
hole or rip, band slips, band eats hole into stomach. I have done my
research on both lapband and RNY. I was on the Yahoo group and I was
reading all sorts of things that I knew would cause me to fail with my
tool. I feel that for me with my history that RNY is the way to go. So
research and good luck. Linda
— Linda G.
March 7, 2008
I too investigated both surgeries and decided on the lapband for a couple
of reasons. 1) Ruen Y is irreversible. If at any time in the near future
you need to be able to use all of your digestive system, they can remove
the band. 2) Ruen Y permanently removes part of your stomach and intestine
so that you do not absorb nutrients from the food you consume. As you age,
this happens as well. That is why most people with Ruen Y require B12 and
iron shots, due to malabsorption.
3) the weight loss is slower but by all accounts, is a healthier loss. The
Ruen Y losses faster but at 1-3 years there seems to be about the same
loss. When your weight loss slowes down with the lapband, they simply put
more saline in to narrow the opening. If you need to have more capacity,
they take saline out. If you want to talk about lapband more, just let me
know.
— JulieJD
March 7, 2008
Hi Theresa, The lap band like the RNY is JUST A TOOL to help you lose
weight. You still have to make the right food CHOICES and exercise. It is
possible to lose that much weight, but you will really have to work at it,
and make a committment to yourself. As someone else said, your body still
produces grelin, so you still have cravings... especially for carbs. (
starches and sweets) CARBS are NOT your friend. Research all of the
alternatives and choose a Dr. that does them all. He or she can guide you.
It's your decision. Best Wishes. Lois
— Triumphant_Daily
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