Question:
I heard that banding does not work on african-americans, any truth?

I heard that banding does not work on african-americans, any truth? Please say it ain't so. Just when I found a procedure I could live with someone came along and pulled the chair from underneath me.    — Stephanie S. (posted on April 24, 2002)

April 24, 2002
This is ridiculous! I have never heard this before and why would it not work on African Americans? If it does not work on them then it does not work on anyone.
   — Terri H.

April 24, 2002
I just looked at your profile, and I see you have already seen your surgeon, and was given the OKAY for LapBand,So it is OKAY FOR YOU who ever is telling you otherwise is an Idiot. Jeez I have never heard such Hogwash......... Do not give it another thought, and God Bless You
   — Jeri P.

April 24, 2002
Tha approval I have is for RNY. I go for consultation for LAP Band o.n May 1
   — Stephanie S.

April 24, 2002
As odd as it sounds, there are some studies that seem to support this concern. I have no idea how reliable they are. Regardless, I think it's important to remember that just because African-American WLS patients may tend to lose less on AVERAGE than Caucasian WLS patients, that doesn't say a thing about whether or not a particular African-American post-op will get to goal or not. After all, a great many do -- I've seen their profiles here on AMOS! ******************** J Assoc Acad Minor Phys 2001 Jul;12(3):129-36 Bariatric surgery for severe obesity.Sugerman HJ.<br> Department of Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0519, USA. [email protected]<br> Severe obesity is associated with multiple comorbidities and is refractory to dietary management with or without behavioral or drug therapies. There are a number of surgical procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity, including purely gastric restrictive, a combination of malabsorption and gastric restriction or primary malabsorption. The purely gastric restrictive procedures, including vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding, do not provide adequate weight loss. African-American patients do especially poorly after the banding procedure with the loss of only 11% of excess weight in one study. Gastric bypass (GBP) is associated with the loss of 66% of excess weight at 1 to 2 years after surgery, 60% at 5 years and 50% at 10 years. For unknown reasons, African-American patients lose significantly less weight than Caucasians after GBP. There is a risk of micronutrient deficiencies after GBP, including iron deficiency anemia in menstruating women, vitamin B12, and calcium deficiencies. Prophylactic supplementation of these nutrients is necessary. Recurrent vomiting after bariatric surgery may be associated with a severe polyneuropathy and must be aggressively treated with endoscopic dilatation before this complication is allowed to develop. The malabsorptive procedures include the partial biliopancreatic bypass (BPD) and BPD with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). The BPD appears to cause severe protein-calorie malnutrition in American patients; the BPD/DS may be associated with less malnutrition. Weight loss failure after GBP does not respond to tightening a dilated gastrojejunal stoma or reducing the size of the gastric pouch. These patients may require conversion to a malabsorptive distal GBP, similar to the BPD. However, because of the risk of severe protein-calorie malnutrition and calcium deficiency BPD should be reserved for patients with severe obesity comorbidity. The risk of death following bariatric surgery is between 1% and 2% in most series but is significantly higher in patients with respiratory insufficiency of obesity. In most patients, surgically induced weight loss will correct hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux, venous stasis disease, urinary incontinence, female sexual hormone dysfunction, pseudotumor cerebri, degenerative joint disease pains, as well as improved self-image and employability.
   — Tally

April 24, 2002
I hope what she is saying (last poster) is not true. Nobody can really give you a for sure answer but your DR. I would ask about the statistics on African-Americans. I, for one am a black women and had LAP on 4-15-02 and have lost 16lbs in just over a week, I would sure hate to go through all of this to still be the same side or maybe 11% lighter. Please check with your DR.
   — Lovett

April 25, 2002
Here here don't you just love these so call studies these groups perform. It dosen't matter what color you are. The only difference in each individual is your diet. This is not a complex issue. Bottom line you are what you eat. If your diet consist of junk after the surgery well you figure it out. So good luck I have lost a total of 84lbs check out my profile.
   — Constance S.

May 13, 2002
I have trouble believing this. For proof, here is a link to the lovely Sam's website. She had a SAGB installed, and it certainly worked for her. http://smarquina.selfhost.com/awakening/
   — Snorky L.

December 14, 2002
That is the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard.
   — Nichelle M.