Sarah A

Hi guys, What do you wish you'd known or been able to find out in an easier manner before you had lap band surgery? I think I would have liked more easily accessible scientific data on the ranges of weight loss from the surgery and the complications of certain lifestyle habits (such as, if patients lose on average 50% of their excess weight, what does that average look like for non-smokers versus smokers?). Also, the fact that I have a bumpy bit under my skin where the port is - I didn't realise it would stick out! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone, Got banded about nine weeks ago. I developed PCOS about four years ago and steadily gained seven pounds a year despite all frantic efforts - and finally lost my temper with my doctors and booked myself in for the band. Since then, everything's gone well. I've lost 15 pounds, my periods have gone back to normal, and it's coming off at a rate of a pound a week. I've had no fills and never vomited (I have a strong emetophobia so chew everything to sludge). I don't feel hungry or deprived, I just eat less than I used to because I physically can't eat anymore. This seems to be enough. I've been watching the weight just melt away with some pleasure. Reading about people's experiences though, this seems to be almost unusual. So I guess I just wanted to ask some of the more experienced banders - am I being overly optimistic that I'm going to make it to 160 pounds? Is this steady loss rate going to just stop at some point? What is the likelihood that I will continue this process until I hit a healthy BMI? I've been looking up success rates in medical journals but everyone talks about average rate loss which includes people who have compulsive eating habits which I don't (I'm sitting writing this with a half cooked meal in the microwave that I've ignored for an hour now) - do people make it down to a regular healthy weight? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone, it's ok, I stalled for the last month. Everything is normal. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

that is a very interesting proposition and as a person who works with data and metrics, I'd really like to see the data for failed lap bands and review for commonalities. @@Alex Brecher, what do you think about some data analysis? Not just for bands, but for all surgeries? It's extremely difficult to do a study like this. There is the newish MBSAQIP reporting that many "accredited" bariatric centers report to but the data isn't really public and it's going to be a little while until it can be put into practical use. There are many bariatric centers that aren't part of this at all. I just read about a new study that's starting that was recently awarded but sadly it doesn't include Lap-Band. The problem is we don't even have noisy data one can try and work out the signal from - the anecdotal evidence here suggests that there's a contingent of unknown size of people whose bands are failing them because they aren't changing their eating habits and continue to eat too much, fast, without chewing enough etc.nearly every day and in some cases at every meal. I simply haven't been able to find studies on why that is. Why would you knowingly consume food in such a way that you *know* it is very likely to make you sick? I don't understand that. And also, I very strongly believe that smoking has a substantial effect on one's hunger/PCOS/insulin and I've not found anything on that either. I gave up smoking just before the surgery but took it up again this week after eight weeks and fifteen pounds lost and I've gained three pounds on the scale - now I've done some other stuff that could also explain that like consuming quite a high amount of salt yesterday, but it's impossible to work out what's causing what because the research is either not done or it's locked away in a journal somewhere I can't find. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yeah, seems to have been extremely variable experiences both here and somewhere else I posted. It's interesting, we say 'everyone is different' but we're not, that's why things like public health campaigns work, because you can identify oft common behaviours and trends. I wonder what people whom the band has failed have in common with each other that has been different for the people for whom it has. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Oh wow, I didn't realise I could get it moved! Might look into that in a year. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have autism and I didn't tell them and they didn't ask. Unless it's really relevant (i.e. I need a reasonable adjustment) I never disclose, why give people reason to discriminate against you if you don't need to. Good luck. x Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App