Question:
WILL THE LAP BAND REALLY WORK? PERMANENTLY?

Okay, I am committed to having WLS, and up till yesterday was 99.9% sure it would be the lap-band...but, although my docs do do the band, they really recommend RNY. According to them, studies show people only lose 40-50% of excess weight (which for me would be 50lbs. - heck, I coul do that on Weight Watchers!), and may not keep it off permanently. They prefer to do the band on someone who is SMO, to get enough initial weight off so that they can go back and do the RNY. That concept was new to me... I don't get it...if your stomach is so much smaller initially, why could weight loss suddenly stop before you reach your goal? I have no compuntions about exercising and doing all the stuff you're "supposed" to do, as long as I won't feel deprived/hungry/miserable while doing it. My other issue is that while I know I've got the motivation to lose the weight, it scares me to think that I might invest a lot of time (not to mention $) for something that might not be PERMANENT. Otherwise, this just becomes another diet. What is your take on this matter? I have a private consultation with the docs tomorrow and really want to go in there and convince them that the band is the best choice for me, because, bottom line, the RNY is far too radical (for me)... Any thoughts, stats, etc. would be appreciated. PS I belong to the Bandsters but am having difficulty posting this ? Rebecca    — rebeccamayhew (posted on February 3, 2002)

February 3, 2002
i read somewhere that when the weihgt loss is done they remove the band... after all its a foreing body... it do not belong to your system so it may cause reject ect... there are good weight loss story out there about lapband patient but there is also horror story... like in any procedure i think you have to do your homework... read read read and read again about the procedures that interest you. find people that have had the surgery and read their stories... investigate a maximum to be realy informed about all the good and bad sides of each surgery... good luck...
   — carou1313

February 3, 2002
I am also researching Lap-Band. Check out bandsters, it's a yahoo group with a ton of information. I also found this useful--www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/FAQmain.html. I am torn between the RNY and band, my surgeon prefers the band but I had my heart set on RNY. I haven't heard of the band being removed after weight loss, I would think that doing that would defeat the purpose of having one in the first place as you can have it filled or not filled.
   — jenn2002

February 3, 2002
Do your research. The web has tons of info on the lapband. Permanancy with the lapband? ahaha
   — [Anonymous]

February 3, 2002
OK, here is my take on the band. Some of my best buddies have 'em. I used to be violently against all bands (adjustable, silastic, vertical--whatever), because they are such heartbreakers. But my doc pointed out something interesting to me. I'm surprised he didn't have to slap me between the eyes with a 2X4! For people who do not WANT to be cut (like you) or people who are not CERTAIN that invasiveness is the way to go or people who want to have more babies & have absolutely no question of safety, the band is the way to go. It might be your "first" surgery, true enough, but then so was my first RNY. They are ALL subject to mechanical breakdown. Our docs did some of the trials, 10 yrs ago, so they've sen several incidents of mechanical failure. But again, that's with ANY mechanical deviced placed within us. Those who head into a band knowing that it might be a First surgery seem to do fine with it. It might be an "only", too. I am working on a booklet for my doc who does them. I'd love it if you'd read it & critique it, as a person who doesn't know so much about bands? Would you?
   — vitalady

April 8, 2002
Here's a great source of info about ALL the surgeries and a quoted section specifically about the lap band. http://www.asbs.org/html/story/further.html Dargent, J. (1999). "LAPAROSCOPIC ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BANDING:LESSONS FROM THE FIRST 500 PATIENTS IN A SINGLE INSTTIUTION." Obes Surg 9(5): 446-52. BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has been adopted by many bariatric surgeons. It remains under scrutiny, although it represents a major innovation in the treatment of morbid obesity. We present the lessons from the first 500 patients treated in our institution. METHODS: From April 1995 to November 1998, 500 patients (421 females, 79 males) underwent an LAGB in our institution: 432 were morbidly obese and 68 were superobese. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 43, and mean excess weight was 51 kg. RESULTS: There have been no deaths. There was one case of gastric perforation reoperated on and three cases of pulmonary and/or abdominal collections treated by drains. Two rings were changed for leakage. One ring was removed for a postoperative sigmoiditis. Three late gastric erosions occurred, requiring removal of the ring. Five access- ports have been removed for infection. 25 cases (5%)of pouch dilatation have been observed of which 18 (3.6%) led to reoperation. Mean follow-up was 21 months. Mean excess weight loss was 56% at 1 year, 65% at 2 years, and 64% at 3 years. CONCLUSION: This favorable outcome led us to propose laparoscopic banding to all our patients instead of stapling gastroplasty. Short-term data should be confirmed by a longer follow-up, but indicate that LAGB should provide good results in terms of weight loss and that there are a limited number of failures. We believe that it should not be regarded just as a first-step procedure but as a final therapy, even for superobese patients.
   — JoAnna K.

April 28, 2002
I have been researching WLS for some time now, and I have heard of no horror stories as a result of the Lap Band. I would be interested to know what could be more horrific then death. As yet no reports of that. Am i misinformed?
   — April M.