Question:
LAPRASCOPIC BANDING? Anyone ever heard of this proceedure?

I was just referred to UC Davis and they told me along with the fact that I can have a consult until April of 2002 that they are changing their proceedure to a Laprascopic Banding proceedure...has anyone had this and what is it?    — Kenneth C. (posted on August 8, 2001)

August 8, 2001
thats the famous Lapband... an alternative to VBG... its only a restrictive procedure, not malabsorptive if you have a lot of weight to loose it may be very hard and long. the Lapband have been aopprove by the FDA late this past june and its widely use in europe.
   — carou1313

August 8, 2001
AHH, the band is appropiate for some. I picked the rny so I would dump, but it turns out I dont dump. So nothing is guaranteed. Band loss is slow in comparison with bypass but will likely replace the VBG. Average loss 50% of what your overweight by. Yahoo has a bandsters group of friendly folks. Its appropiate for some....
   — bob-haller

August 8, 2001
I had the LapBand surgery this April. I've been very pleased. I've already lost nearly 50% of my excess weight already, so that figure that another poster wrote about is totally untrue. (Maybe he had old data). The band has been used in Europe for more than 15 years, and has recently been fully approved by the FDA. It's a great procedure for the appropriate candidate. The overall loss rate is actually within 5% of bypass rates, but the SPEED is slower, because the LapBand is not malabsorptive. If you have a BMI of 70, or have 300# or more to lose--- I can easily see why patients would choose the Duodenal Switch or RnY. I honestly don't quite understand the person who posted twice to tell a story about some woman at a support group. If you think you need the built-in "food cop" aspect of dumping, or if you need the malabsorptive aspect of RnY then by all means, get a RnY bypass--- it's a great operation. The LapBand patient who gave the inches she lost probably was lighter than the RnY patients, and therefore had less to lose. That's true for me, as my lower BMI means I will NEVER stand up at a meeting and announce I lost 200#. In any case, learn more about the lap band with research, online, or your surgeon. NOT through third-hand stories from people who didn't even half the operation or know more about it.
   — S. S.

August 8, 2001
I had the lapband done in March and I have lost 57pds since that day. I have been very happy with my band, personally for me I think it is the best procedure.
   — carolyn W.

August 22, 2001
I was banded 2/27/01 and to date I have lost 94 lbs. My start ing weight was 404.3. Yes it will take me longer than those who have had the gastric bypass to loose all the weight I want. But I am patient. In Europe the stats are 79 to 98 % of your excess weight lost and less than 1/2 of one % revisions. Not bad. For most of the rest of the world one version or the other of the Lap-Band is becoming the standard.
   — Patricia H.

March 6, 2005
I would hate for someone to be discouraged by people that have not had success. For me the lap band was GREAT! I lost my goal amount of 115 lbs. in 10 months, and that was 2 years ago. It was the best decision I ever made. I've seen people gain weight back with the bypass faster. I haven't gained any weight, and the side effects were very minimal. Good luck in whatever you choose.
   — Jacquie D.