Elisabethsew

I have the 11 cc Inamed Vanguard Band. The surgeon told me that he has no idea what size band he will use until he is able to actually see the size of the esophagus and stomach. As per his discussion, there is no way to predict from the size of the person what size band will be needed. I am only 5' 2" with small features and a small bone structure yet, I needed the largest band. Many surgeons believe that less aggressive fills spaced 4-8 weeks apart go a long way in preventing long-term complications. Because I had some restriction, when I went to the surgeon on Thursday, I was given a small fill and directed to come back in 6 weeks. This will continue until I get optimal restriction. After that, he wants patients back every 12 weeks for accountability. Of course, patients can come back more frequently if they desire to or need more stringent accountability.

Aug 28 (HealthCentersOnline) - Surgeons from Duke University Medical Center have devised a scoring system that can help predict which gastric bypass surgery candidates have the greatest risk of dying following the procedure. food they are physically able to eat at one time. In addition, the digestive tract is altered so that food bypasses part of the stomach and part of the small intestine, resulting in fewer calories being absorbed by the body. Gastric bypass surgery is generally a safe procedure. However, it poses the same risk of adverse side effects and death as any other type of surgery. At present, there is no way of determining which patients are most likely to die following the procedure. To devise the scoring system, the surgeons retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 2,075 gastric bypass surgeries at Virginia Commonwealth University between 1995 and 2004. They found that 1.5 percent (31) of the patients died within 90 days of the procedure. After assessing the factors surrounding these deaths, the surgeons identified five patient characteristics that increase the risk of death following gastric bypass surgery. These include: Body mass index (BMI) exceeding 50. BMI is a measure of a person's height and weight. It can be calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 indicates a normal body weight. Gender. Men are more prone to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic disorder, all of which are associated with increased surgical risk. High blood pressure. Patients with this condition also tend to have additional risk factors for adverse surgical outcomes, such as chronic inflammation of the blood vessels or heart disease. Pulmonary embolus risk. Patients who have already experienced a pulmonary embolism (blood clot that can block blood flow to the lungs) or are at risk for developing one also have an increased surgical risk. Age. Patients over age 45 have the greatest risk of death following bariatric surgery. The scoring system assigns one point to each of these five patient characteristics. Therefore, patients with zero points generally fare the best and those with five points typically have the greatest risk. If the findings are validated by additional studies, the scoring system will aid surgeons and patients in determining the best and safest course of treatment for obesity. "Many people see gastric bypass surgery as an option to use only when all other approaches to weight loss have failed. However, our system shows that this strategy may need to be reconsidered. If patients put off surgery while they attempt other therapies that ultimately don't work, over time they risk moving into a higher-risk category as they gain more weight, get older or develop hypertension. In these cases, delays can make surgery even riskier," Dr. Eric DeMaria, of Duke University, said in a recent press release. DeMaria shared the results of the study at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery in San Francisco. Copyright 2000-2006 HealthCentersOnline, Inc. Publish Date: August 28, 2006

I went today for a very small fill (0.3 cc's). I was hoping for at least 0.5 cc's but they want to go slowly and fine tune the band every 6 weeks. I'll see how this one goes. I look forward to hearing how everyone else is doing.

Call in the AM and tell your MD you need to be seen ASAP. Don't wait.

I think it's going to be Melanie but I'm not sure. I saw Geiss for #1 and a young man (PA) for #2 and then Melanie for #3. My appt is 8:15 AM so I guess whomever opens their eyes and drives to work first. LOL.

I think if you are determined to have a surgery and are willing to "shop around" you can eventually find a surgeon to operate. Sad but true. I'm glad that your Mom explored her possibilities and has decided to go with the less invasive of weight loss surgeries. I also have a high BMI and a heart condition and did fine with the surgery.

She's been here before!

Welcome and best wishes for a smooth recovery.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh... to be 18 again! You'll have MANY different relationships with men and some men you love now you'll hate later and vice versa. It's all part of growing up. Live each day to it's fullest. Balance your study time with your "friends" time and also some alone time. College years are wonderful so ENJOY!!!

You always here that more babies are born on a full moon night. We tested this theory at the hospital where I work and found no statistical difference on full moon nights from any other night. It is speculated that people notice the moon when it is full and associate occurrances with it.

Hi All, Work's been crazy and I needed a break from the drama of the forum the past few weeks so I haven't posted in a few days. I'm going for a check-up and probable small fill on Thursday AM so I'll report back after that. You're all doing wonderfully.

Here's an interesting history of Labor Day. Have a safe and enjoyable Holiday! The first Monday in September of each year has been observed as Labor Day for more than 100 years. It is a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers: an annual tribute paid to all workers for their contributions in making the country a better place in which to live and work. Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor, said that, “Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man’s prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day…is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.” Labor Day was born as a result of events that adversely affected workers in the 1890’s. In 1893, the Pullman Company, a railroad sleeping car manufacturer, laid off hundreds of its workers as a result of the decline in orders for railroad sleeping cars caused by a nationwide depression. Workers who remained, received pay cuts while their house rents to the company remained consistent; therefore, take-home paychecks were slashed. Workers then walked off the job and demanded higher pay and lower rents. The American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene V. Debs, joined the cause of the striking workers and this led to a nationwide boycott, by railroad workers, of trains carrying Pullman cars. Rioting, looting, and burning of railroad cars soon followed and mobs of non-union workers joined in. The strike immediately drew national attention. President Grover Cleveland declared the strike a federal crime and sent 12,000 troops to break it. Violence broke out and two men were killed when U.S. deputy marshals opened fire on protesters in Kensington, near Chicago. The strike failed and was declared over on August 3, 1894. Debs was imprisoned, the ARU was disbanded, and all Pullman employees from then on had to sign a pledge that they would never again unionize. The labor movement had been clamoring for a national Labor Day for some time before the Pullman strike. The year 1894 was an election year, and workers were holding protests against President Cleveland. So, President Cleveland made it a political priority to appease workers. A bill proposing the first Monday of September as Labor Day, a national holiday, was rushed through both houses of Congress and signed by President Cleveland six days after the Pullman strike was broken by troops. President Cleveland was not reelected. Gompers, in 1898, referred to Labor Day as, “the day for which the toilers in past centuries looked forward, when their rights and their wrongs would be discussed…that the workers of our day may not only lay down their tools of labor for a holiday, but upon which they may touch shoulders in marching phalanx and feel the stronger for it.”

Welcome and good luck with the banding preliminaries.

Fluroscopy means having a fill under x-ray. The MD will give you a fill and then have you drink some barium and watch on the x-ray as the barium goes down. From what I have read, most surgeons don't routinely use fluroscopy (mine included). You will experience this "test" after you are banded to make sure all is OK before you're permitted to drink anything.

Best of luck for a positive outcome... let us know how everything goes when you get back.

I hope you're feeling better with the fill totally removed and this works to solve the problem. Best wishes for the health of both you and your husband.

I agree nursekathy... for a new poster, that's a pretty nasty post about a respected and respectful member of the forum.

Interesting article and surprising statistics. Thank you for sharing it.

Ending are so hard to accept but if he can't love you unconditionally and you're always the "giver" or "pleaser" in the relationship, it might be the best thing. I hope your work situation and your personal relationship works out positively.

WOW... a lot of newbies. Congratulations and welcome!

OK, the RN part of me is answering this post. Menopause is considered the absence of menstration for 12 consecutive months. If you were without your period for 2 years and now are bleeding, you really should see your OB/GYN ASAP.

Welcome. Mrs. Christy. For the most part, you will see quality postings and it's nice to have a newcomer's opinion on this. Thankfully, with the banning of certain members, peace seems to reign again.

I chose to only tell two close friends about banding but others here have given you great information.

Mandy, You and Jessie are both very supportive members. That's why it would be a loss to see you, and others, leave. It HAS been a lot better the past few days so ignore the unkind comment and please reconsider staying.

Try lying on your left side, it should help.