Alex Brecher

She was a spammer. I pulled out the double barrel and blew her away

Abstract Vertical sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive surgical technique that involves resection of a significant portion of the stomach by means of stapling the greater curvature. This procedure is rapidly gaining popularity and acceptance as a primary bariatric procedure with good results on weight loss. The other restrictive bariatric procedure is the adjustable gastric band. As the results on the vertical sleeve gastrectomy and the adjustable gastric band vary, there is still a gap that can be fulfilled by another procedure. The authors present an alternative procedure that is under investigation that can be as restrictive as sleeve gastrectomy with no staple line or prostheses. This procedure is called laparoscopic greater curvature plication, which is similar to vertical gastric banding, but without the need for gastric resection. The stomach is reduced by dissecting the greater omentum and short gastric vessels, as in vertical sleeve gastrectomy, then the greater curvature is invaginated using multiple rows of nonabsorbable suture over bougie to ensure a patent lumen. This article includes the background, method, initial results, and a brief discussion on this new procedure. Introduction Traditionally, the primary mechanisms through which bariatric surgery achieves its outcomes are believed to be the mechanical restriction of food intake, reduction in the absorption of ingested foods, or a combination of both.[1,2] Adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) are restrictive approaches commonly used in bariatric practice.[5,6] Although these procedures have proven to be good therapeutic options for some patients, they are not without significant complications, such as erosion or slippage of the gastric band or gastric leaks in VSG.[3,4,7,13,14] Leaks in VSG pose a particularly difficult challenge when they occur near the angle of His, potentially generating severe clinical conditions that require reoperation and may even cause death.[4] Since 2006, the authors have been evaluating the safety and initial results of the laparoscopic greater curvature plication (LGCP™), a restrictive bariatric surgical technique that has the potential to eliminate the complications associated with AGB and VSG by creating restriction without the use of an implant and without gastric resection and staple. Methods Using the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) inclusion criteria for bariatric surgery (patients with a body mass imdex >40kg/m[2] or BMI over 35kg/m[2] with at least one comorbidity), all patients underwent a multidisciplinary evaluation (endocrinologist, cardiologist, psychologist, and nutritionist), blood tests, abdominal ultrasonography, and upper endoscopy to establish baseline. The study design was a prospective, noncomparative case series that received approval from the local ethics committee with patients signing informed consent. From January 2007 to March 2010, 62 patients (44 female) were submitted to LGCP. Mean age was 33.5 years (ranging from 23 to 48 years) and mean BMI was 41kg/m2 (ranging from 35 to 46kg/m[2]). Technique Patients were placed under general anesthesia in supine positions. A Five-trocar port technique, similar to Nissen fundoplication, was used. Trocar placement was one 10mm trocar above and slightly to the right of the umbilicus for the 30-degree laparoscope; one 10mm trocar in the upper right quadrant (URQ); one 5mm trocar also in the URQ below the 10mm trocar at the axilary line; one 5mm trocar below the xiphoid appendices; and one 5mm trocar in the upper left quadrant (ULQ). The procedure began with angle of His dissection and removal of the fat pad, followed by careful dissection of the gastric greater curvature using the Harmonic™ scalpel (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio), opening the greater omentum at the transition between the gastric antrum and gastric body. Once access to the posterior wall was achieved, the greater curvature vessels were dissected distally up to the pylorus and proximally up to the angle of His. Posterior gastric adhesions were also dissected to allow optimal freedom for creating a greater curvature flap. Gastric plication created by imbrication of the greater curvature over a 32-Fr bougie applying a first row of extramucosal interrupted stitches of 2-0 Ethibond™ (Ethicon, Inc. Somerville, New Jersey) sutures. This row guided two subsequent rows created with extramucosal running suture lines of 2-0 Prolene™ (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, New Jersey). In the final aspect, the stomach was shaped like a sleeve gastrectomy but slightly larger. Leak tests were performed with methylene blue in all cases. No drains were left. Patients were discharged as soon as they accepted a liquid diet without vomiting. They also received a prescription of daily proton-pump inhibitor (PPI; single dose) for 60 days. Ondasentron and hyoscine (anti-spasmodic) were prescribed for seven days. The postoperative diet was a customized liquid diet for two weeks, with progressive return to solid foods in a stepwise fashion. Dietary restrictions were removed after 4 to 6 weeks, depending on patient adherence. Follow-up visits for the assessment of safety and weight loss were scheduled for 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months in the postoperative period. Endoscopic evaluations were scheduled for 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Results All procedures were performed laparoscopically without conversions. Mean operative time was 55 minutes (40–110 minutes). Mean hospital stay was 36 hours (24 to 96 hours). On average, patients returned to normal activities seven days (4–13 days) following surgery. Mean percentage of excess weight loss (EWL) was calculated to be 20 percent at one month, 32 percent at three months, 48 percent at six months, 60 percent at 12 months, 62 percent at 18 months, and 61 percent at 24 months. No intraoperative complications were documented. All patients had lost at least 10 percent of total body weight. In the first postoperative week, however, nausea, vomiting, and sialorrhea in occurred in 22, 14, and 33 percent of patients, respectively. In all cases, these symptoms were resolved within two weeks. There has been no record of weight regain in any patient to date. Postoperative upper endoscopy and radiologic evaluation were performed on 12 patients at one and six months and in seven patients at up to 12 months. Qualitatively, the upper endoscopies suggest that the initial greater curvature fold is smaller at six months when compared with the initial fold size at one month, but appears unchanged at 12 months. Mild esophagitis (Grade A of Los Angeles classification) occurred in four patients at one month postoperatively; these patients were symptomatic (nausea, vomiting, and sialorrhea) and were kept on PPI, following the standard protocol. The six-month endoscopic evaluation identified no lesions or symptoms. Lumen size appeared stable (e.g., no dilation) based on upper gastrointestinal (GI) radiologic series performed on these patients at one and six months Discussion Reducing stomach capacity to promote mechanical restriction to food intake is one of the traditionally accepted mechanisms used in bariatric procedures to promote weight loss. There are at least two surgical procedures that appear to rely on this principle in current clinical practice, AGB and VSG. AGB achieves around 50 percent EWL, but unsatisfactory weight loss occurs in more than 20 percent of patients with failure rate requiring surgical revision in up to 25 percent of patients.[7] VSG as a primary bariatric procedure shows medium-term results to be adequate (>60% EWL), with improvements in comorbidities.[4,14] These promising results are associated with some complications, however, such as esophagites, stenosis, fistulas, and gastric leaks near the angle of His. These leaks and fistulas are reported in nearly one percent of cases and can be very difficult to treat.[4,14] LGCP is notably similar to a VSG in that it generates a gastric tube and eliminates the greater curvature, but does so without gastric resection. Initial clinical reports by Talebpour and Amoli[10] and Sales[11] demonstrate satisfactory weight loss up to three years. Brethauer et al12 reported increased weight loss in patients receiving LGCP when compared to plication of the anterior surface. The present series, compared to findings reported in some series involving AGB, has the lowest early complication rates among all bariatric procedures. Even with no major complications to report in the present series, Talebpour and Amoli[10] report one case of a gastric leak associated with a more aggressive version of LGCP, which they attributed to excessive vomiting in the early postoperative period. Adverse events described by patients were minor, lasting up to two weeks. These events may be related to the restriction induced by the invagination of the greater curvature and/or edema caused by venous stasis. Qualitative endoscopic findings suggest that the greater curvature fold gets smaller. This may be related with the resolution of the initial edema, although the radiological findings did not reveal significant dilation of the LGCP at six months. The percent EWL achieved a satisfactory 61 percent at 24 months in eight patients, with all patients achieving at least a 10-percent loss of initial weight. This can be favorably compared with results from VSG. This series is limited by the low number of patients, the simple study design, lack of a control group, the noninclusion of patients with BMI >50kg/m[2], and the incomplete follow-up period. This limits the broader acceptance of these results. These limitations limit the broader acceptance of these results. In order to better study this procedure, an international multicentric trial with centers in the United States, Chez Repuplic, and Brazil was designed (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01077193). LGCP seems to be feasible, safe, and effective in the short term as a promising bariatric procedure on this initial series Acknowledgment Experimental evaluation was provided by Fusco et al8,9 that had published two articles about gastric plication on anterior wall and greater curvature of wistar rats achieving good results in weight loss analogy and significant better results of the greater curvature group. Recent clinical experience with variations of this technique has been described by few surgical groups. The authors’ initial experience was sent to the journal Obesity Surgery and was accepted for publication. More actualized data are described in this present paper. Original source can be fund here.

Toward the end of each RNYTalk.com newsletter, we’ll be suggesting a Bypass Challenge for you to try before the next newsletter comes out. It’s a non-competitive challenge, and it’s a chance to do something new and healthy while putting yourself to the test. The Bypass challenge is just what it sounds like. We suggest a challenge for you to do over the next couple of weeks. Pretty much anything is fair play as long as it helps you or someone else get healthier. We may ask you to try a new food, change up your exercise routine or lend someone a helping hand. There’s no pass-fail on this, and we encourage you to try again and again until you are confident that you’ve met the challenge. Current Challenge: New Recipe! Within the next two weeks, your challenge is to try a new recipe that you have never tried before. It needs to be healthy, of course, and fit into your meal plan. A good way to start is to look at our Recipe forum or you can search online for recipes, try a new ingredient or use a different combination of spices. Good luck, and tell us how it goes by posting a reply to this topic! The forum is a good place to help out anyone else who needs ideas for a new recipe.

Toward the end of each SleevePlicationTalk.com newsletter, we’ll be suggesting a Sleever Challenge for you to try before the next newsletter comes out. It’s a non-competitive challenge, and it’s a chance to do something new and healthy while putting yourself to the test. The Sleever challenge is just what it sounds like. We suggest a challenge for you to do over the next couple of weeks. Pretty much anything is fair play as long as it helps you or someone else get healthier. We may ask you to try a new food, change up your exercise routine or lend someone a helping hand. There’s no pass-fail on this, and we encourage you to try again and again until you are confident that you’ve met the challenge. Current Challenge: New Recipe! Within the next two weeks, your challenge is to try a new recipe that you have never tried before. It needs to be healthy, of course, and fit into your meal plan. A good way to start is to look at our Recipe forum or you can search online for recipes, try a new ingredient or use a different combination of spices. Good luck, and tell us how it goes by posting a reply to this topic! The forum is a good place to help out anyone else who needs ideas for a new recipe.

Toward the end of each LapBandTalk.com newsletter, we’ll be suggesting a Bandster Challenge for you to try before the next food, change up your exercise routine or lend someone a helping hand. There’s no pass-fail on this, and we encourage you to try again and again until you are confident that you’ve met the challenge. Current Challenge: New Recipe! Within the next two weeks, your challenge is to try a new recipe that you have never tried before. It needs to be healthy, of course, and fit into your meal plan. A good way to start is to look at our recipes, try a new ingredient or use a different combination of spices. Good luck, and tell us how it goes by posting a response to this topic! The forum is a good place to help out anyone else who needs ideas for a new recipe.

Thank you very much for your offer. We can use all the help we can get! A great way to start off assisting, would be by greeting new members and responding to unanswered posts. I'll let you know if and when we start requiring official site moderators.

This isn't a feature that's available from our app as of yet. If you're logged in on our web site, you can click here to visit our referral system. You can use a link to refer people, you can invite members and members can enter your username during signup if they come through our site.

SleevePlicationTalk News This is it! We’re launching our SleevePlicationTalk News, a regular newsletter to keep you up to date on our community. We’ll tell you all about our exciting new features, programs and anything else you need and want to know about SleevePlicationTalk.com. Our goal is to make sure you know everything This is the first edition of SleevePlicationTalk News, and we have a lot to talk about. In this edition, you’ll find information on: The launch of the SleevePlicationTalk apps for Apple and Android devices (and a free iPod contest, of course!) Creating your own SleevePlicationTalk.com patient profile Social and support groups on SleevePlicationTalk.com How to contact a local real-life surgeon on SleevePlicationTalk.com And more! I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation and support, and I encourage your feedback and comments. Together, we’re moving toward a healthier future! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Apps Have Launched! Now take SleevePlicationTalk.com with you wherever you go. The fully functional SleevePlicationTalk Android and SleevePlicationTalk iPhone, iPad and iPod apps are both free. They let you track your favorite threads, post to the forums, private message your buddies and upload photos using your mobile device. Now you never have to feel alone because you can carry the support and information you need. You can access and download them directly to your smartphone, so why wouldn’t you get your app today? We’re Giving Away a New iPod Touch! To Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in SleevePlicationTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works. Eligibility and Chances of Winning Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on SleevePlicationTalk during the contest period of 30 days from your receipt of this newsletter. Members must have a completed patient profile. You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members. At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Sleeve Plication profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod! Point Structure 1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo 2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post 5 points: join a group 10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Sleeve Plication Story; upload before and/or after photos 20 points for each successful forum referral; and 40 points for a fully completed patient profile Get Involved Again If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer sleeve plication patients. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals. Some Reminders and New Features Create or update your own Sleeve Plication Patient profile. Your information encourages other members and helps you connect with members that have your same interests and struggles. It also gets you 40 points for our iPod Touch giveaway. We've recently updated our surgeon database; now, every bariatric surgeon in the world is included. Check it out and find a local surgeon who can help you. You can locate and read reviews on sleeve plication surgeons to help you choose an expert for your care. Our social and support groups are up and running. We know that you all have special interests and identities, and our social and support groups provide more specialized platforms than our general community. Just of the few types of groups we have are Regional groups of people from your city or state. Surgery Buddy groups with people who got the Sleeve Plication at the same time as you. Medical Condition groups with people with a particular condition, such as PCOS Eating Support groups with people who struggle with eating issues, such as emotional eating Check them out and join one or start your own. Be a Good Friend Be sure to mention SleevePlicationTalk.com as a source of support and information for any your friends, family members or associates who are considering sleeve plication surgery or have had it. Also, don’t forget that SleevePlicationTalk.com is a member of the WLSBoards.com network. Recommend our other four communities to anyone you know who needs them, and please stop on by and introduce yourself if you have had a weight loss surgery revision. LapBandTalk.com for LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Band VerticalSleeveTalk.com for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy RNYTalk.com for Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass We Need Your Help When you come here, you can depend on support, encouragement, sympathetic ears and expert advice from surgeons. But we need you to let community be able to continue grow stronger! Over the years, I’ve found that many bariatric surgeons and their staff don’t even know we’re here. Help us out by asking your surgeon to hang a couple of fliers in the clinic. They can go the waiting room bulletin board, at the reception desk and in patient consultation rooms. I’ve even gotten the fliers ready for you in color and black-and-white options. Print them out and bring them to your next appointment, or email them to the office. So please, support us and ask your surgeon to post these fliers in their office and hand them out to their patients. It helps you out because our community will benefit from more patients and surgeons with valuable advice. Remind your surgeon and clinic staff that it helps them out because it gives them more exposure to patients. Stay in Touch Feedback forum - we're always open to members ideas and feedback. Please use our feedback forum to let us know how we’re doing and send us your ideas on what you’d like to see at SleevePlicationTalk.com. We always want to know what you’re thinking and how we can improve! We're now on Facebook and on Twitter. Like us and follow us to keep track of what's going on in our communities and show your support! Don’t forget to support and celebrate! Our upcoming surgeries list tells you which members are about to get their bariatric surgery, so stop by and wish them luck! Come by the surgery anniversary list to congratulate members when they hit their annual anniversaries of their surgeries. Your name will be automatically entered onto the right list as soon as you update your patient profile. Coming Soon… We're releasing customizable health trackers and tickers within the next 90 days. We'll include more info in future newsletters, so stay tuned for information on those and the other latest happenings around SleevePlicationTalk.com. Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon! Sincerely, Alex

RNYTalk News This is it! We’re launching our RNYTalk News, a regular newsletter to keep you up to date on our community. We’ll tell you all about our exciting new features, programs and anything else you need and want to know about RNYTalk.com. Our goal is to make sure you know everything This is the first edition of RNYTalk News, and we have a lot to talk about. In this edition, you’ll find information on: The launch of the RNYTalk apps for Apple and Android devices (and a free iPod contest, of course!) Creating your own RNYTalk.com patient profile Social and support groups on RNYTalk.com How to contact a local real-life surgeon on RNYTalk.com And more! I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation and support, and I encourage your feedback and comments. Together, we’re moving toward a healthier future! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder RNYTalk.com Apps Have Launched! Now take RNYTalk.com with you wherever you go. The fully functional RNYTalk Android and RNYTalk iPhone, iPad and iPod apps are both free. They let you track your favorite threads, post to the forums, private message your buddies and upload photos using your mobile device. Now you never have to feel alone because you can carry the support and information you need. You can access and download them directly to your smartphone, so why wouldn’t you get your app today? We’re Giving Away a New iPod Touch! To Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in RNYTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works. Eligibility and Chances of Winning Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on RNYTalk during the contest period of 30 days from your receipt of this newsletter. Members must have a completed patient profile. You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members. At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Roux en-Y profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod! Point Structure 1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo 2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post 5 points: join a group 10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Roux en-Y Story; upload before and/or after photos 20 points for each successful forum referral; and 40 points for a fully completed patient profile Get Involved Again If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer Roux en-Y patients. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals. Some Reminders and New Features Create or update your own Roux en-Y Patient profile. Your information encourages other members and helps you connect with members that have your same interests and struggles. It also gets you 40 points for our iPod Touch giveaway. We've recently updated our surgeon database; now, every bariatric surgeon in the world is included. Check it out and find a local surgeon who can help you. You can locate and read reviews on Roux en-Y surgeons to help you choose an expert for your care. Our social and support groups are up and running. We know that you all have special interests and identities, and our social and support groups provide more specialized platforms than our general community. Just of the few types of groups we have are Regional groups of people from your city or state. Surgery Buddy groups with people who got the Roux en-Y at the same time as you. Medical Condition groups with people with a particular condition, such as PCOS Eating Support groups with people who struggle with eating issues, such as emotional eating Check them out and join one or start your own. Be a Good Friend Be sure to mention RNYTalk.com as a source of support and information for any your friends, family members or associates who are considering Roux en-Y surgery or have had it. Also, don’t forget that RNYTalk.com is a member of the WLSBoards.com network. Recommend our other three communities to anyone you know who needs them, and please stop on by and introduce yourself if you have had a weight loss surgery revision. LapBandTalk.com for LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Band VerticalSleeveTalk.com for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy SleevePlicationTalk.com for Gastric Sleeve Plication We Need Your Help When you come here, you can depend on support, encouragement, sympathetic ears and expert advice from surgeons. But we need you to let community be able to continue grow stronger! Over the years, I’ve found that many bariatric surgeons and their staff don’t even know we’re here. Help us out by asking your surgeon to hang a couple of fliers in the clinic. They can go the waiting room bulletin board, at the reception desk and in patient consultation rooms. I’ve even gotten the fliers ready for you in color and black-and-white options. Print them out and bring them to your next appointment, or email them to the office. So please, support us and ask your surgeon to post these fliers in their office and hand them out to their patients. It helps you out because our community will benefit from more patients and surgeons with valuable advice. Remind your surgeon and clinic staff that it helps them out because it gives them more exposure to patients. Stay in Touch Feedback forum - we're always open to members ideas and feedback. Please use our feedback forum to let us know how we’re doing and send us your ideas on what you’d like to see at RNYTalk.com. We always want to know what you’re thinking and how we can improve! We're now on Facebook and on Twitter. Like us and follow us to keep track of what's going on in our communities and show your support! Don’t forget to support and celebrate! Our upcoming surgeries list tells you which members are about to get their bariatric surgery, so stop by and wish them luck! Come by the surgery anniversary list to congratulate members when they hit their annual anniversaries of their surgeries. Your name will be automatically entered onto the right list as soon as you update your patient profile. Coming Soon… We're releasing customizable health trackers and tickers within the next 90 days. We'll include more info in future newsletters, so stay tuned for information on those and the other latest happenings around RNYTalk.com. Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon! Sincerely, Alex

Yups!

I just wrote a small article about Band Over Bypass (BOB.) I think it's a great procedure and my feeling is that it's going to start becoming more common practice. Hopefully you'll find enough company on here sooner than later.

Do you have his practices contact info and/or website please ?

We've added your surgeon here.

Who was your surgeon ? We're referring to your total out of pocket, not the actual cost of surgery.

You should fill it out as best as possible, even if you have to guesstimate some costs and dates. As long as there's any info about you in your profile, you'll still qualify.

Thanks! the link has been corrected.

We’re Giving Away a New iPod Touch! To Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new Apple iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in VerticalSleeveTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works. Eligibility and Chances of Winning Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on VerticalSleeveTalk during the contest period of 30 days from today. Members must have a completed patient profile. You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members. At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Gastric Sleeve profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod! Point Structure 1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo 2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post 5 points: join a group 10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Gastric Sleeve Story; upload before and/or after photos 20 points for each successful member referral; and 40 points for a fully completed patient profile Get Involved Again If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer gastric sleeve patients. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals. Features Built-in Apps From the App Store iOS iCloud Tech Specs Buy iPod touch now iPod touch takes fun to the next level. It now comes in two colors: black and white. It includes iOS 5, which gives you over 200 exciting new features. And with iCloud, whatever’s on your iPod touch is automatically on your other devices, too.

We hope to have this fixed within the next few weeks.

He needs to contact us in order to update or add his surgeon profile. Alternatively, you can provide me with his website and contact info and we can add him as well.

We’re Giving Away a New iPod Touch! To Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in LapBandTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works. Eligibility and Chances of Winning Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on LapBandTalk during the contest period of 30 days from today. Members must have a completed patient profile. You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members. At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Bandster profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod! Point Structure 1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo 2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post 5 points: join a group or comment in our new WLS magazine 10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Lap-Band Story; upload before and/or after photos 20 points for each successful forum referral; and 40 points for a fully completed patient profile Get Involved Again If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer Bandsters. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals. Features Built-in Apps From the App Store iOS iCloud Tech Specs Buy iPod touch now iPod touch takes fun to the next level. It now comes in two colors: black and white. It includes iOS 5, which gives you over 200 exciting new features. And with iCloud, whatever’s on your iPod touch is automatically on your other devices, too.

This is a tad difficult using todays mobile devices. It's easy to do with tablets. I'm going to see what we can do to add this to future releases. Thanks for your suggestion!

Sandy, Great suggestion! We're sending out our first newsletter this week and we've included the following info: "We're releasing customizable health trackers and tickers within the next 90 days. We'll include more info in future newsletters, so stay tuned for information on those and the other latest happenings around VerticalSleeveTalk.com."

To the general public, bariatric surgery may be a single procedure that ends as soon as you leave the clinic after surgery. Or, they may think of aftercare as periodic adjustments to make sure your surgery is “working.” As a weight loss surgery patient, you know that post-op care is crucial to your success. Most clinics have extensive mandatory programs to ensure your continued weight loss and pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Shared Roles of Surgery and Post-Op Care Your care after bariatric surgery, or post-op care, is as important as the surgery itself. The surgery helps you eat less because you feel satisfied on a smaller volume of food, but it is up to you to follow a healthy diet. You can lose 100 pounds or more in the first year, but you may have more to go. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to carefully follow the meal plan and exercise recommendations from your bariatric team. Consider these facts: A lap band does 30 to 40 percent of the total work; this means that you, the patient, are responsible for the remaining 60 to 70 percent of your weight loss journey’s success. Some banding or sleeve patients have procedures that do almost 100 percent of the work in the first year, and then the patient must adjust to continue that work. This means that aftercare is vital to your success. Components of Aftercare These are typical components of aftercare. They are critical for your success so that you know what to do and stay motivated. Dietitian appointments: You will take several weeks to work up from a liquid diet to pureed foods to your regular diet. The dietitian can work with you to provide meal plans and food choice ideas. Recovery period: You need to ease gradually into your regular activities and an exercise program to prevent poor healing of your surgical wounds. Surgeon follow-ups: Gastric bypass will require more follow-ups and blood tests than other forms of bariatric surgery, but these appointments are crucial for everyone. You want to be sure that you are healing properly and preventing nutritional deficiencies. Support groups: These groups are mandatory for many clinics. You can attend weekly or monthly meetings initially, and some clinics ask you to attend annual follow-ups for the rest of your life. These groups keep you motivated and informed. Adjustment Visits for the Lap Band Adjustment visits. These visits are periodic checkups that can lead to adjustments to make you more successful. Three different adjustments are possible. Your nutrition program: You may need to alter your calorie intake, frequency or volume of eating or type of foods that you choose to make sure that you are getting the nutrients you need. Your state of mind: A session with a psychologist or another member of your bariatric team can help you get motivated if you’re feeling discouraged, or make you more confident if you’re feeling lost. Your band. The Lap Band is the only weight loss surgery option that allows adjustment to improve the procedure’s efficiency. The band can be narrowed to make you feel full faster, or opened if you need to increase the volume of food you eat, such as what might happen if you get sick. Aftercare versus Maintenance Aftercare, or post-op care, is distinct from “maintenance.” “Maintenance implies that you have reached the end of a program, such as a diet program, and you are ready to go back to your old habits. “Aftercare” helps you continue the transition to a healthier lifestyle. People who think of you in maintenance might be waiting for you to regain the weight, as with another failed diet. So what can you do to change the negative perception of aftercare? Being a good role model is always a good start; follow through with all of your appointments, eat well and exercise as recommended. You can be more verbal about your continued efforts, and spread the word online through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. What other ideas do you have for changing negative terminology disapproving assessments of post-op care for bariatric surgery?

Misinformation about Weight Loss Surgery If you have ever who has discussed weight loss surgery with uninformed individuals, you know that the initial reaction is likely to be negative and backed by false information or no information at all. Many people who have not investigated weight loss surgery believe that the surgery is a quick fix for lazy people. They may think that you can walk in off the street and leave from bariatric surgery a couple hundred pounds lighter; that you chose to ignore your weight for years; and that all bariatric surgery is the same;. Wrong, wrong and wrong. These misperceptions contribute to the stigma associated with weight loss surgery. People may look down on surgery as the “easy way out” for “lazy people,” instead of as a tool for hard-working people to have the opportunity to lead the healthy lives that everyone should have the chance to lead. You already know that you’re not lazy and that bariatric surgery is not a magic bullet; the next time you run across an uninformed, disparaging individual, you can patiently explain to them the steps of the process and the hard work you and every other successful weight loss surgery patient puts in. Not Everyone is Eligible for Weight Loss Surgery You can’t just “go get bariatric surgery,” and this is an important fact to understand to reduce the stigma associated with weight loss surgery. Each weight loss center has strict eligibility requirements that you have to meet before you can become a candidate. In general, patients must be morbidly obese, with a BMI over 40, or have a BMI over 35 and have health complications related to being overweight; for example, you might be eligible if you have a BMI of 35 and already have type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol levels. Most clinics have additional eligibility criteria that you need to meet before being considered as a potential bariatric surgery candidate. You need to have been overweight for several years, usually over five years. You also need to show that you have tried, unsuccessfully, to lose weight multiple times through diet alone. You cannot be a smoker or be an abuser of alcohol or drugs because the additional health risks from surgery will be too great. Pregnant women or women who want to become pregnant soon should not have bariatric surgery because pregnancy is only safe after your weight is constant. The decision to have surgery requires significant consideration and planning. Bariatric Surgery Requires Preparation Bariatric surgery itself does not guarantee permanent weight loss success, and much of the responsibility for losing weight will be up to you. Even after going through the screening process and learning that your clinic agrees that some form of bariatric surgery is right for you, several steps remain before you can undergo the procedure. The steps are in place to ensure that you are likely to succeed with the surgery and are not signing up on a whim. You will meet your bariatric team members, including your surgeon, dietitian and psychologist or psychiatrist. In most cases, you will undergo a psychological interview or series of tests to make sure that you are capable of sticking to the required diet. You may be asked to follow a specific diet for weeks before your scheduled surgery to demonstrate your commitment and ability to succeed after the operation. This step may also be required by your health insurance company for your bariatric procedure to be covered. There are Risks People need to understand that you can’t take bariatric surgery lightly. Each type of surgery has risks, although different processes are riskier than others. The lap band is relatively low-risk, with minor concerns of the band slipping out of place or infections at the incision site. Roux-n-Y gastric bypass carries a higher rate of complications, including ulcers, spleen injuries, leakage through staples and deficiencies of micronutrients, such as vitamin B-12 and iron. Nobody would choose to have a bariatric procedure if they weren’t convinced that they had tried all of their other options to get healthy. It’s a Long Process Bariatric surgery is a crucial milestone, but it is early in your weight loss journey and bariatric care plan. After surgery, you will continue to have follow-up appointments with your surgeon as dictated by your health and type of weight loss surgery. You will also meet with your dietitian regularly to stay on track with your diet. Most clinics have optional or mandatory support groups to motivate you and provide opportunities to ask your surgeon and fellow patients questions in a group setting. The surgery does not take off any weight. It’s a tool to make it easier for the patient to follow the proper diet for the long term. Contrary to what some people may believe, you do not lose any weight during the surgery. All of the weight that you lose is because of changes to your diet. The surgical procedures help you eat less by limiting the size of your stomach and making you feel full faster. Even if you lose 100 pounds in your first year, which is a standard benchmark for success, you may still have more weight to lose. Once you reach your goal weight, you still need to watch your diet and exercise regularly to keep the weight off. In Conclusion You’re already familiar with the intensive efforts required for weight loss surgery, but unfortunately, most people are not. This often leads to negative reactions when you tell them about your procedure. An important step you can take in reducing the stigma is to explain that the procedure is a component of an overall program to improve your health through lifestyle modifications.

LapBandTalk.com is a wealth of weight loss and healthy lifestyle tips, a source of information specific to your situation, and a place where you can locate and connect to the best bariatric surgeons in your are. Despite this abundance of resources, most of our members come here for another reason: the positivity. Our members are supportive, encouraging and empathetic. But among the general population, it’s a different story due to misinformation and hasty judgments. Why Weight Loss Surgery Misinformation is Rampant In the age of digital media, information can be immediately available to millions of people as soon as someone posts it online using a laptop, smartphone or other mobile device. Unfortunately, nothing is automatically censored, so misinformation is just as easy to spread as facts. In the blink of an eye, people can post random thoughts via Twitter, Facebook or other social media platforms without even realizing that their followers may take their intended musings as hard data. How People Choose What to Believe Many people are unable to distinguish between weight loss surgery fact and fiction because they simply do not know enough to make a sound judgment. Some people are cynical by nature, and have a tendency to instinctively believe the worst when they are presented with opposing facts. These people, for example, may automatically believe that weight loss surgery is harmful and ineffective instead of low-risk and healthy for the right patients. Common Myths If you want to combat widespread weight loss surgery information, you should know some of the common myths and how to respond with the truth. These are some common false beliefs surrounding bariatric surgery and their realities. Myth: It’s a quick and easy fix. Reality: It’s not quick, and it’s not easy. Surgery does not make you lose a single pound. You lose the excess weight over the course of years through diet and exercise modifications. Myth: It’s dangerous and invasive. Reality: Complications are rare for lap-band procedures, and they are usually minor, such as needing an adjustment in band location. Roux-n-Y can cause nutrient deficiencies, but you work with a dietitian and have frequent check-ups to lower your risk. The procedures take less than two hours, and full recovery takes a few days to a couple of weeks. Myth: You don’t have to change your diet, or, you can only eat a limited variety of foods. Reality: The truth lies somewhere in between. You are encourage to eat a nutritious diet and avoid high-fat, high-sugar foods as well as liquid calories. What Can You Do? With instantaneous transmission of information, rumors spread like wildfires in the social stratosphere. Worse, rumors can easily because widely accepted as facts. How can you help to combat this harmful gossip? These are a few possibilities. Fight fiction with fact: Social networking platforms, such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter are just as good for spreading truth as they are at spreading lies. Every time you come across an inaccurate or demeaning statement about weight loss surgery, stand up for you and your friends who have had weight loss surgery. Be a good example: Most people tend to base their judgments on what or whom they know. If they know one person (you) with weight loss surgery, they’ll base their judgments on you. Hopefully, they will realize the benefits of bariatric surgery when they see you eating well every day, exercising regularly, being more productive at work and being a happier, healthier person overall. Emphasize that not all bariatric surgery options are the same. Roux-n-Y is irreversible and more drastic than Lap Band procedures, which take less than an hour. Can Celebrities Help? Celebrities can be spokespeople for the cause. If you know of any celebrities who are bariatric surgery pateints, consider contacting them and asking them to be more verbal about the cause. Nobody can get the message across like a celebrity. These are a few examples of famous people with bariatric surgery. Carnie Wilson, television host and singer: Roux-n-Y, 1999; laparoscopic band over bypass, 2012 Star Jones Reynolds, television host: gastric bypass, 2003 Brian Dennehy, actor: Lap-Band, 2008 As a bariatric surgery patient or someone who is considering the procedure, what are your thoughts? How can we change the negative perceptions surrounding aftercare? Does the terminology need to be changed? Can some sort of publicity campaign online or in the offline media be helpful? As an individual, can you be a role model to demonstrate that you have worked hard for every pound that you have lost, and that you are continuing each day to make healthy choices in your diet and exercise? Let us know what you think!