2Anne

In reality MANY people regain a significant amount of the weight they lost after having bariatric surgery. Research at one north Carolina clinic found that 30% regain all the weight in 2-3 years.
http://www.nawls.com/public/102.cfm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463895
Estimates run between 30- 60. And almost everyone weight fluctuates 3-5 throughout out the day, every day.

Just for interest-I am a professional Hypnotherapist and find with therapy it's possible to get amazing results.
For instance I have a shark phobia and can now swim in the ocean with Hypno,used to be a compulsive clothes buyer and no longer have this problem with Hypno. Have stopped dozens of people from smoking cigarettes and rid them of life limiting phobias against needles,vomit,spiders,birds etc. But have had little or no success with weight. This includes doing the virtual gastric band.
Yes! There are people who will do well with paying hundreds of dollars for Hypno but maybe these same people would become Weight Watcher of the year they are so determined.
I have seen many clients and tried to help with weight. I can stop addictions like to chocolate, cake and Cookies and if the weight s related to one issue like this it works. However I have given myself many sessions to control appetite and anxiety eating without success so if you are trying Hypno and it's costing a lot of cash which it will do my advice is try another route.

To anyone who may be considering LapBand: don't.
I had the procedure done in February 2008. I lost roughly 30 pounds during the first eight months, but spent the entire time vomiting back at least one meal in three.
I plead with my bariatric surgeon (a man evidently so incompetent that he stopped practicing due to all the malpractice suits he was losing) to do an adjustment under flouroscopy to see how the band was functioning. He refused each time I asked, and after eight months I had an insurance coverage change that made seeing him a financial burden.
My change in insurance coverage (to United Health Care, whom I recommend to NO ONE) resulted in an inability to be administered any form of bariatric care for eight years. The 30 pound weight loss was as good as it got - over the time since, I regained it all plus six pounds, all the while still vomiting about one meal in four.
On August 1st my insurance coverage finally changed (to BCBS), whereupon I initiated a new round of bariatric care, the ultimate goal of which will be to remove the band, probably in favor of a duodenal switch. But just since then, I've heard of so many stories and outcomes similar to my own that I can't help but chime in and repeat: if you're considering a LapBand? Don't.

Professor Yeo at Cambridge University is leading this bacterial research in the UK Dairy Mary. It's groundbreaking and very promising.

Research in the UK has showed that the 'wrong' gut bacteria causes obesity. The research is very exciting and may pave the way for bacterial treatment. That appt. you have Reallyrosie sounds very interesting.

There is a substantial percentage of the population who absolutely refuse to listen to anything said to them.
I see it everyday. I saw it in my bariatric introduction seminar... the surgeon says, "Now, after the surgery, your Protein goal is X per day." And literally two minutes later, a hand goes up in the (very small) audience, and their question is "Is there a Protein goal each day after surgery?"
These are the people who refuse to listen to anything unless you clasp their hands in yours, look them in the eyes and repeat everything twenty times and say prettyprettyprettyplease and compliment them on their hair.
And they'll still be clueless even after you do that.
If by some miracle they remember any bit of it, they'll still most likely not remember who told them, or may become convinced that they made the determination themselves.
Average people are still pretty stupid.
"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

Oregon Daisy I could put you off sweets for good by hypnotherapy.
This would solve your weight fluctuation. Go see a qualified hypnotherapist who has a good reputation. This will really help you.
I have put people off sweets and chocolate for good.

There seem to be a lot of people here who have a serious problem with emotional eating. Its a good idea to work on this and I have a book that's quite good that you can buy off Amazon.(No I didn't write it!!)
The food and Feelings Work Book by Karen Koenig
This allows you to do a self-assessment/improvement plan and would be quite helpful to those who crave comfort foods. This book was recommended to me by a Psychologist.
My problem is I get very hungry- especially in the afternoons and can binge after dieting as it makes me feel deprived. Once you get obese its hard to move out of it whether you have had surgery or not.

There is a very helpful book on emotional eating you can get off Amazon. It was recommended to me by my bariatric psychologist.
The food and Feelings Workbook by Karen R.Koeng
This may help those in this battle.
I tend to binge out of frustration at continual dieting!
Good Luck!

Thanks for the support VSG Ann,you are a great role model.
I have an appt. on 27 th April with a bariatric surgeon who is very high ranking in the UK NHS. Just hope he will approve me and I can do the same as you.
I get so hungry with constant cutting down on my eating and as I write my thin husband who is against my surgery is tucking in to a huge piece of cake.
Will keep posted but you have had a fantastic result. Very well done.

@@2Anne ...
Keep looking for the right surgeon. I was 68 when I had VSG - with a BMI of 39 and 3 comorbidities (arthritis, lower back pain, stress incontinence).
I didn't have diabetes or hypertension though or any cardiac problems.
And I've done GREAT!
Am 70 now. And feel 50.

All the above horrific stories of how inconsistently many patients' qualifications for WLS are considered by PCPs and GPs illustrate how antiquated the treatment of obesity still is.
In @@BCs 1000 case, she presented the identical weight and weight-loss history and actual facts to two different GPs and got two radically different levels of support -- one failed to support her at all (and also seemed incompetent to observe information and analyze it) while the other GP, after being lobbied heavily by an RN, offered the support the patient needed and deserved all along.
This situation doesn't describe a scientifically-based medical practice at all. I look forward to the improvements "big data" can and will make to medical decision trees. Medicine is still such a hit-or-miss affair and dependent on doctors' personal opinions that are shockingly ungrounded in actual medical science.

I did some reading up on this. I couldn't find much in terms of results or issues since it is new but it's geared to people who are BMI 30-35 and have never had stomach surgery...darrn it - not for band revisions who have a low BMI. I hope it turns out to be a good procedure that works because I personally feel that bariatric surgery is drastic and really should be for higher BMI/serious co morbidities.
In my case, my BMI was 52 and is now about 24-25 (I am a muscular/big build woman, wear single digit clothing now even with 25BMI). For me, the risks of a sleeve (which I have), bypass or DS were worth it, but I don't think it would be if I was 30-50#overweight.
It's good to know that new options are becoming available - keeping fingers crossed it doesn't have some negative long term consequences. I was quite disappointed to find out how much my supposedly"reversible" lapband damaged my stomach and put me at higher risks when I was sleeved. (Luckily I had no complications but it was terrifying to know my risks of leaks and excess bleeding was about twice that of a virgin sleever)
Sent from my KFJWI using the BariatricPal App

After seeing advices on here I have contacted a different bariatric service who say they will do the gastric sleeve or bypass on me. My daughter who is a doctor is being negative and says I should follow the previous advices. I just don't know what to do for the best. My husband is anti surgery too but neither he or daughter have a weight problem.
Anyway I realise from the very helpful posts here that the Endoscopic sleeve will not work.

I looked into this between a year and two years ago. I could not find a surgeon in the US or Mexico to do it. If you are self pay and want "real surgery" you have many affordable choices through Medical Tourism. I know there are many countries in Europe that offer it. Even a trip Mexico would not be out of reach by any means with your quite of 10,000 pounds for the endoscopic "gastric sleeve". You can get almost surgery done in Mexico for under $5,000which is somewhere between 3 and 4,000 pounds (not sure of current exchange rate). Bariatric Pal has GREAT surgeons and you couldn't be in better hands if you do think about medical tourism. By the way many Drs will consider surgery on someone of your age. Ask me how I know ! LOL. Good luck.

No, it's not a sleeve, nothing is removed. From my understanding it's kind of like a whole bunch of mini plications from the inside. A few things bother me about the procedure that would make me not want to choose it for myself.....
1) it's marketed for people wanting to lose 20-50 pounds. I had way more than that to lose
2) it doesn't even come close to providing the restriction that VSG or bypass does. Or even as much as the lapband did for those of you looking at revision.
3) it leaves a whole bunch of folds in your stomach held together with anchoring devices. Who's to say all those little anchors won't erode through your stomach just like the lapband has done. This potentially leaves the patient susceptible to ulceration and even perforation several years down the line.
4) it just hasn't been around long enough to know all of its results, both good and bad. This is the main reason I went with the sleeve. They've been doing gastrectomies for over 100 years, with dozens (if not hundreds) of followup studies, so there weren't going to be any "surprises" by choosing VSG.

This looks very promising as another WLS- type option. It appears it is for low bmi.
I'm wondering more about this if I ever have to revise from my band. It is nice to think there may be less invasive and cheaper options!
I will keep investigating.

It is NOT a sleeve. Not even close and hunger hormones are not removed. Google POSE method and you will have more info. It looks very appealing at first (especially for the endoscopy part) , but after talking to a couple of surgeons, they did not recommend it for morbidly obese patient like me.

I learned that I can actually reach a level of satisfaction with food. There are times now that I'm suddenly aware that I haven't thought about eating something for many hours.
Before I was always hungry. Always. I woke up hungry and went to bed hungry, no matter how much I ate. The freedom from that kind of total control over my life is incredible.

my US fill Dr had told me back in February of this year that the lapband has a 50% success rate for people who lose HALF of what they want to lose before it fails.
Sign me up as well.
I have spent a small fortune on the lapband, fills, unfills, upper GIs, fluoroscopies and finally removal. I could have paid for the sleeve 4x

I had my lapband done in 2001 and its been very poor value for the £13 K it cost me. I paid extra as was in hospital for a week as I blocked up completely post-op.
I am really fighting to keep my weight down. I do not find the lap band helps much and if I eat more than about 1300 C per day clap on weight.
I still get sick if I eat big lumps but of course anything like cakes,sweets,crisps or biscuits go down with no trouble.
I regret having a lapband and wish I had a gastric bypass. I am nearly 65 and too old to go for further surgery. I shall end up a fat,disabled by weight geriatric and probably have a stroke or coronary.
I do not recomment the lap band except for compulsive eaters. It you have been dieting or trying to control your weight the lap band probably will not work for you.