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I couldn't agree with you more, Melissa76tx. There are the rare times a person has complications, or the band truly doesn't work for them, by no fault of their own. But more often than not it's the person who failed the band, not the band who failed the person. They go into the surgery thinking it's like a magic bullet, and they can keep eating the same bad food they did before surgery. Or that they don't have to keep up with fills and their surgeon. I understand people mess up, we're human, but I get really sick of all the negative posts about how much they hate their band when the truth is they have no one to blame but themselves for their failure. If someone messes up and posts looking for support on getting back on track, or even sharing their trials to help others, I think that's great. But I hate it when people come on here just to moan and complain about the band and blame it for their bad choices.

Oh so much to talk about with this..... Sorry, but I'm going to ramble a bit. First off, there are risks and benefits to each of the three surgeries (as background I had a lap-band, miserable with it, prolapsed, lead to emergency removal, and now have a gastric bypass. I'm also a family practice physician assistant. I'm not a bariatric expert, but I've been around this a bit). On average, lap-band patients do not lose as much as the other 2 surgeries. That is why surgeons typically don't recommend lap-band above a certain weight. That said, I know people that have lost 200+ pounds with the lap-band. Average weight loss is just that, an average. For everyone that loses 10%, there's someone that loses 80% of their excess weight. It's impossible to predict where you'll fall in that spectrum. Some of it is how good your surgeon is, some of it is how dedicated you are to lifestyle change, some of it is sheer luck. As far as the band, I won't say don't do it. I will say research your butt off. Again, weight loss tends to not be as much as compared to the other 2 surgeries. I would like to add that, while the band is known for it's reversibility, that is not entirely an accurate statement. My personal story was that my band prolapsed, stomach herniated (and before i get jumped for being a bad band patient, I wasn't a bad band patient....sometime crap just happens). I had an emergency removal and was supposed to revise to gastric bypass, however, once the surgeon got in to remove the band I had so much swelling and inflammation that he was not able to do the revision. They removed my band, sewed me up, sent me home to heal for 6 months, then I had my revision. I know of at least 2 individuals in my area that had band removal and had so much damage that they could not revise to another surgery....while the band is removable, I don't really feel the term reversible is 100% accurate. Another point I'd like to share is 'invasive' truth be told, you're having major surgery. All 3 surgeries are invasive. The sleeve does not have the malabsorption issues or dumping associated with the RNY. However, they are essentially cutting off a large section of your stomach. The RNY does have malabsorption and possibly dumping (most people don't dump, I happen to be in the minority that dump easily, it's really not a huge deal if I watch what I eat). Yes they are making a small pouch in your stomach and bypassing and small portion of your intestine, you are getting some replumbing done with the RNY. That said, RNY is reversible (again, subject to scar tissue and such associated with previous surgeries) IF you need reversal. The vast majority of us will never consider reversal because we need this surgery to maintain a healthy weight.....(reversibility was not a factor in my choosing RNY). I know people that have been hugely successful with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have lost almost nothing with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have had bad complications, hospitalizations, ICU admissions with all 3 surgeries. None of them are magic. None of them work without a commitment from the patient. It is not something to step into lightly..... My advice, research, research, research. Find a surgeon that you trust and listen to what they say and what they suggest. Ultimately you have to make a decision that you are comfortable with and that you can commit to. But know that every day you spend morbidly obese is taking a toll on your body and your health. Most of us just cannot lose an maintain a healthy weight without surgery. Most of us have lost and gained a thousand times. There are some that regret the surgery but the vast majority of us wish we'd done it sooner. The RNY is right for me, I wish i'd done it in the first place. But I'm not you. I wish you the best of luck with the decision and applaud your choice to start considering surgery. If you ever have questions I'm happy to try to help. Best of luck with this decision and congrats on trying I take control of your health. It's a tough choice but at least you're considering it. That's a step in the right direction.

Though i have gained a lot of info on pregnancy with band but please help me with these queries i got banded on 28th june and have lost 34 pounds and i am now at 188 pounds ... is this a good weight to try having a baby ... i am going in for a pregnancy because of the other complications which i have how many of you went and had a baby at my current weight and how many of u delivered safely without complications what happens to band during pregnancy and has anyone resumed their weight loss journey after the band .. what if one has to have a cs cant a lot of morning sickness give rise to a slipped band anyone had any complication with band during pregnancy which led to some surgery can one have whey Proteins during pregnancy PLEASE HELP

Sins. Oh brother. Morbid Obesity is so complicated.....and people generally aren't ready to give up bigotry and try to understand. It's so easy to blame the victim. I guess I really don't understand it completely, and I have it, so I don't know how others would get the concept. When our own governemnt contemplates putting warning labels on plus size clothing, you know there's alot of ignorance around. (The clothing folks must not have as good a lobby as the junk food people.)

I have never had any complications. If something tugs or pulls, it usually goes away pretty quickly. Now, it seems for the last week, my port has been hurting me. Either a tugging sensation, or just a sharp pain. Any ideas on what's causing this or more importantly - how do I made it stop? Thanks for your help.

I had some complications with surgery so I was not cleared for exercise until week 5. The last three weeks I have been working on cardio. Today I did 40 minutes. Besides the help with weight loss there are general health benefits as well. Strengthening and toning helps burn calories and if you ever are concerned about excess skin, start exercising now.

I had my lap band put in on June 12 th. It was a long process. I finally decided to pursue it after being rejected by a fertility clinic due to my weight which at the time was around 150 and because I was 40. I started going through the process of getting the surgery authorized when I decided to get a second opinion from another fertility clinic. They were willing to work with us. I am using my younger sister's eggs. Thank you sister! Any way because I was fearful of failure of either procedure failing I went through the process of both without informing one of the other until I knew for sure. I had to go through several appeals and hoops to get the lap band approved and as luck would have it they both were coming to fruition in June. So it was time for disclosure and Decisions. I went first to the lapband team at park nicollet in mn. I had had a very brief conversation with a nutritionist ptior to my second opinion and eas somewhat hopeful. The response from the surgeon once ascertaining my reasonings for waiting was that life is complicated, that the main concerns with bariatric and pregnancy is directed at nutrition. My surgeon noted minimal nutritional issues with the band, that the females bodies put needed nutrition to the baby first, and that people in poverty have healthy births. also noted was the majority of healthy births to women with lap bands. It was also pointed out that with the band that less weight gain during pregnancy the healthier. The fertility doc didn't care as long as the surgeon stayed away from my pelvic area. So. Surgery was completed and I am feeling geat and in about 7 days I will ( hopefully) have my Ivf implantation. I wanted to share my story to give a different experience or prompt new conversations with your treatment team. I wish you the best. Sorry for the length of this. I just ran across this site and was so excited.

I was banded on Nov 28. I would recommend him. I'm down 43 lbs, no complications and feeling great. Michael

Did you get an answer from him as to how many sleeves he has done? Ask him if he has ever had a leak. If you have ins. approval,you can go to another surgeon, if his stats aren't good . What is the surgeon's name? Mac is pretty good with knowing who the good surgeons are. You can do research and find out what his complication rates are. In any case, get the sleeve. You won't be sorry.

I am on this board as much as I can be reading people's experiences with this, the good and bad. My gut instinct is to just do it and deal with the consequences after the fact. I hope my husbands mind will be relieved when we go to see the surgeon. I am very confident with my surgeon's abilities, he is specialized in gastric everything, he is not just a weight loss surgeon, so I trust he knows what he is doing. I will just feel a little better once I know how many he has done, as far as leaks, he can have none on his watch and quite frankly that does not help me because when he had done lap bands, he had a clean record as far as complications until I came along.

I have heard nothing but horror stories about the band. I heard they may outlaw them here in California because of so many that have slipped and embedded in stomach tissue. (I am not saying that there are not any that aren't successful). I personally would not want something left insdie me like that. With the sleeve, part of your stomach us cut off, so nothing foreign is in your body. If you follow your doctros' instructions you should be fine. I never had one complication from my surgery, or no nausea or pain. I am so much more healthier since befing sleeved, and my cholesterol and triglycerides have gone down so much. You will be so much healthier, I doubt that being sleeved would hinder your ability to conceive. I don't know how overweight you are, but you will be doing yourself and your health a favor with the sleeve and you would not have to worry about comolications with the band.

How badly do you want to lose weight and keep it off forever??? I am going to schedule a revision from band to sleeve and that is scary!! What if there are complications with the removal? What will happen? I can't think of that because I will have to get it out eventually. I know that I want to be slimmer for good!! If you have the support of your husband and you really want this for yourself JUST DO IT!! You have nothing to lose but weight!! Come with me to Mexico I am going to Dr Garcia........

Hey all, Because of projects at my work I am slated to have my surgery most likely after June 1st. I am in the 3 month pre-op diet required for my insurance. I was wondering if any of you would mind sharing how long it took you to be well enough to get back to work after sleeving (laparoscopic), absent any major complications of course. I'm just trying to get a general idea. Also, I am in a long distance relationship. My fiance is half a world away and we are waiting for him to get his immigrant visa so he can come live with me in the US. Because he's from a developing country it's impossible for him to get a tourist visa to visit me here so I can only visit him while we wait. Does anyone have any advice about how long [how many months] you should wait before traveling internationally? This is of course also absent any serious complications. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hello all! I have been reading this forum and keeping up to date on challenges and issues and benefits of having the sleeve with pregnancy. Congrats Ange! Not sure how many else are pregnant / have been pregnant with the sleeve or if many are reading this board, but thought I would give it a shot as I am in desperate need of advise. I am currently working with an RE on embryo adoption (we are unable to have our own biological children - severe male factor). Despite the most important thing to me in the world at this point, I have been unable to lose weight to increase my chances of the transfer taking. My BMI is around 39. They don't qualify anyone for transfer who is over 40 and I am just on the cusp. This makes me really nervous that if I gain anymore weight before the transfer, they will refuse. We have been down this road so long with infertility, adoption attempts, etc it is really heartbreaking. I am 35 so time is ticking, and I have a desperate need to have a child (hopefully more if we are so blessed). I had an appointment with a surgeon who said that 6 months post surgery, I should be stable enough with nutrition and weight to carry a baby, even though a lot of the official recommendations say 18 months. I just don't know what to do. I desperately want a baby and can maybe do a transfer in two to three months. But I also fear gaining an additional substantial amount of weight with the baby and potential complications. Or it may not work because of my weight and all the money and emotion spent would be for nothing. Then I fear having the surgery and having something wrong with the baby because I didn't get enough nutrients (I would NEVER forgive myself) or losing the effect of the sleeve before I even reached goal because of the increased amount of food needed with the baby. Or even that the transfer won't work and we have to go into domestic adoption a year later than we would have if we tried now. I am so back and forth on this right now. I have another RE appointment to look at my uterus on Wed so it may make the decision for me, but I am anticipating everything will be fine. I plan to ask her what her thoughts are from the RE perspective. But I also need some outside objective opinions on this. Should I wait until after we try for a transfer (and hopefully a pregnancy) to have a sleeve or do it before and postpone the transfer? Any thoughts and honest suggestions will be significantly appreciated!

Hi Ladies- first hope all of you are well! It's been a while since I posted but now that I am post delivery (my little girl is 2 months old already!) I wanted to share my experiences being pregnant and delivering with the band should it be helpful at all: - My 10cc band was filled to 5.5 cc at the time I learned I was pregnant - My surgeon suggested we leave the band filled as long as I could eat- subsequently I never had an unfill throughout my pregnancy - Food: Before I got pregnant I had not eaten any bread/crackers or other types of carbs since my surgery. My first trimester was filled with daily nausea and I got through it by turning to carbs to settle my stomach also ginger ale which I would let go flat first. - Weight Gain: I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy- most of it in the last 3 months. I did notice that as I grew so did my appetite and most days did not feel much restriction At delivery I was over 300 lbs and suffered no complications- in fact my entire pregnancy was pretty uneventful (thankfully!). I had the normal swelling in the last weeks and some carpal tunnel in my hands but that was about it. - Delivery: My daughter was 2 weeks late...and after 17 hours of labor we ended up need a c-section to finally get her out! Now post delivery I have lost 30 pounds from delivery but find my appetite and sweet spot gone. My surgeon would not do a fill without an upper GI first to make sure the integrity of the band was intact after pregnancy and delivery. Happy to say the test went well and have had my fill (6 ccs) and feel the return of the sweet spot! All in all, I experienced NO complications with my band during pregnancy and delivery. The only thing I noticed was that the port was VERY easy to feel as my belly was huge towards the end and many times it was mistaken for the baby's foot :-) Would also like to add that I have NEVER vomitted either post surgery or throughout my pregnancy. Good luck to all you ladies and am happy to answer any questions! Have happy and healthy pregnancies! xoxox abby

Another happy patient of Dr. Aceves! I had an outstanding experience from beginning to end. Do your research, experience and complications count! I would send any family member to Dr. Aceves and go back in a heartbeat.

6 months post op nd 4 months pregnant congrats has there been any complications ? Because Alot of ppl have been speaking on how they miscarried their body wasn't ready and all that other stuff . Can you give me an update on how everything's going ill be 6 months post op (August) , I Plan on having a baby this or next year but I'm afraid my body well stomach won't carry . I refuse to go thru the depression if I miscarry .

My name is Lindsey. I am 26 years old. I was banded in August 2009. My starting weight was 300 lbs at surgery. My current weight is 192 lbs. I have lost a total of 108 lbs. I am 13 weeks pregnant and due on April 1st, 2011. I have 2 amazing little boys at home. We have also had two stillborn daughters and lost a third daughter during pregnancy. I also have a history of genetic X female abnormalities and pre-term labor. I am considered high risk for many reasons and the lap-band is just the icing on the cake. I have lost 20 lbs since finding out I was pregnant. My doctors are not wanting to remove any Fluid at all. I have 5 1/2 cc's in right now. My OB said he would not even begin to worry until I have lost 10% of my pre-pregnancy bodyweight. That is only 1 lb away now. I am not hungry. I am trying to force food down, but I feel even more restricted being pregnant than I did pre-pregnancy. I am pretty much living on Ensure and salad :rolleyes2: My pants are no longer able to be buttoned despite the 20 lb weight loss, so I know I am getting bigger just losing weight. After all of my previous losses, this entire situation is just making me nervous. I am so glad that I just found this website as nobody on my other pregnancy message boards truly understands what I am going through and the complications that I am facing.

I agree..i got a total unfill because i was worried about complications and i didnt want them to keep stickin me with that needle....also what if u get further along and are filled and have to keep gettin emergency unfills thats not good for u or ur baby....i jus hope nothin happens to my band as my belly gets bigger...my port side is really startin to hurt!

First, congrats! A number of ladies experience increased fertility with weight loss, despite how much we hate it when our docs tell us weight is a factor or no matter how many times we've been told we have a number of female issues. Somehow, with the weight loss, the body gets back on track and it surprises a lot of ladies. As you can see from all of the surprise pregnancy posts you'll find here! I was two years out when I got pregnant but still had a very limited capacity. I could eat one scrambled egg with cheese and one turkey sausage link in a meal and feel stuffed. As my pregnancy has progressed my capacity has increased as well as my appetite, so while it's still a bit of a challenge to consume enough, I'm doing alright. My situation was complicated by nausea. If I ate any meat, I'd get sick. I'm already lactose intolerant and while it's supposed to improve during pregnancy mine got worse - to the point where putting a tiny bit of butter on toast would make me ill. My Protein shakes were totally off limits for several months, too. So I really do understand the concerns you're having. The solution is to go back to the way things were in the beginning, when you forced yourself to eat around the clock to hit a nutritional goal. It means choosing your meals carefully so that you can get a well balanced meal in a tiny portion. It also means trying your darnedest to get back on those shakes and make them stick. I have been able to drink mine again for the last few weeks and I feel MUCH better and have more energy since I was able to do that. And I really can eat more in a sitting now. Your stomach should relax as you get further along and the hormones are really increased. That helps a lot. When you say your stomach hurts are you talking about cramping and nausea? Is it hurting after dairy? I first developed lactose intolerance with my twin pregnancy and the first clue was really uncomfortable stomach cramping after anything dairy based. I would definitely bring this, and the fact that you've had WLS to your OB's attention ASAP. I am on two different prenatals, additional Calcium, B12 shots and a special Iron supplement to keep my levels up. I am only just now, five months in, getting enough nutrition that my labs come back in good shape. While it's been a particular challenge for me, try your hardest to shelve concerns about weight gain. I was so freaked out a few months ago because I had already put on seventeen pounds. But here I am, 24.5 weeks out and I'm only up 15 pounds - somewhere along the way I lost a couple of pounds. And it's all baby (okay...baby and boobs, but I'm not complaining about that part!) and I really do realize that I'm going to do just fine losing this weight afterward. The biggest concern is making sure the baby is getting enough, and you sound like you're already working to help this issue. My doc told me and I believe it - the baby will suck every bit of energy and nutrition from my body and leave me tired, nauseated and run down before it will go without. So if you're at least trying, even when it's not easy, you should do just fine. So, try the shakes again. Try to set a timer to eat small, regular, protein and calcium rich meals. Eat as much of what you're able to eat as you can, within reason, of course. Foods that are really good for protein, besides meat are lentils (lentil Soup saved me when I couldn't eat any meat a few months ago), cottage cheese, seitan (if you like it), and of course Beans always help, too. Good luck, ~Cheri

Hi everyone, I am new and super scared for surgery. I have so many fears such as being allergic to general anesthesia and having crazy complications. I have never had surgery before and it seems that weird things always happen to me. I am having Dr. Chae preform my surgery. He did the lap band on my mom and my friend 5 years ago. He also did my friends mom's gastric bypass. All three are still successful today. Has anyone had a sleeve done by him? How was it? Complications? I am going through Kaiser. I hear he is awesome, but I would like to connect with some people sleeved by him. I'm 27, 5'5 and 306lbs. Due to be sleeved in November.

All I can say is wow! I am pre sleeve and I do like to hear it all from people who have actually had the surgery. I want to be sure that I know all possible complications. Some of the things that you learn on this forum your surgeon is not going to tell you.

I have been reading a lot of posts regarding complications; at least to the extent that my computer doesn't lock up because this site installs a lot of cookies on my system (another problem…) Many of the post replies include well wishers, which is good, but oftentimes I'm looking for answers to what is going on… with me. I was sleeved on 12/26, hospital stay overnight and discharged home. Initially, I thought things were going to be fine. I wasn't able to take in much, as I was told would be the case, so I wasn't overly concerned, but now 3 weeks post surgery, I am feeling awful. My progress has been up and down; though more down than up; although I have lost weight. I don't think I've consumed more than 10 oz of fluid/nutrition of any type per day, since surgery. I can't drink water, juice, and even protein drinks make me feel uncomfortable. Anything cold seems to make my stomach feel uncomfortable, nauseous, sour etc. I have days where I'm able to keep what I take in down and other days, I am nauseous or vomiting or just feeling horrible. I'm not in pain per se, but I do feel like someone is sitting on my chest or, as best as I can describe it, a sour stomach. I take the pain meds because that is the only time when I feel comfortable, relaxed; but I'm afraid of taking the meds because I don't want to develop a dependency on them, which may have already occurred. Nevertheless, I feel desperate. I feel weak most of the time. The days that I do manage to get out and accomplish anything e.g. walking, go to doctor, do a little work is always followed by a day of vomiting, more weakness and inability to take in fluids/nutrition. I haven't been able to work, and I need to. I live alone, so I've been struggling through all this alone - without family or friends. I do have people that call and check on me and I tell them what's going on, but mostly everyone just keeps telling me it will be alright or how they wish me well. I know they don't know what to do, but I want to scream because I don't feel like anyone can help me feel better and I feel so alone. I did see my doc yesterday and he said if things continue to be difficult he will have me do some sort endoscopy (whatever the heck that really is??) Most folks who have discussed complications refer to acronyms that I haven't a clue as to what they are talking about, so it's difficult to relate or understand whether anyone is really experiencing the same problems as I, or more importantly, has anything worked for them and if so, what has. I need hope, I appreciate well wishes - but I need to understand what's happening to me and more importantly I need to hear from others who have experienced what I'm going through, what they did to help get them through it. Now I have a cold another, complication - though not related to the surgery; but certainly something else that is adding to my misery.

Internal bleeding can also happen because your vessels don't close off enough (or fast enough) after they make the cut to remove your stomach (just an FYI moment for those who asked). I had it as well. Lux I had major complications, including internal bleeding which caused a large ball of blood to spend a couple of months in my abdomen after the surgery (I only needed two transfusions...your really went through the wringer). At four weeks out I was a week away from a long hospital stay because the spasms the bleeding caused probably caused my leak. You are sure there is no leak right???? I understand the lack of ability to take Protein or fluids, and went through it myself. The weakness is hard to describe to anyone who hasn't suffered as you have. I couldn't walk down the hallway without passing out myself so again, I feel for you! I took it one day at a time, and did in the end fire my original doc and move onto another one because he wasn't listening to me. Are you feeling that you are getting proper care??? Don't hesitate to "move on" if you need to. You probably don't want it...but a JG tube might be an option for feeding if you just can't get it in on your own. I personally rejected mine, but many people find them successful and you can't go much longer without proper nutrition. A week on it might be enough to get you strong again so that you can take over from there??? Have you explored this with your doctor? At five weeks I was in an ambulance headed for a huge hospital in the "big city" because the damage was killing me. While you might have an easier ride cuz you know the team (My guys were actually wonderful) I don't want to hear you end up taking that ride!!!! Please take care and keep us informed. I am a firm believer in sharing the bad stories with the good ones. I personally still regret the risks I took for this surgery (I was low Bmi and supposedly low risk LOL...BS!) While weight loss is lovely...it's not worth it for someone like me (IMO). I get your side of the story far too well!!!

Nature's Best makes a product called Isopure. You can mix it with Water and i think it is pretty good. I used to mix it with half water and half milk and if I let it sit in the fridge for a bit (since I mixed it with ice) it would get quite watery. I do hope things get better for you! I have not yet had the operation and have been really thinking the whole thing through. I have come to the conclusion that I can suffer from any to all complications, and I guess I have to be okay with that before i can move all the way forward. I used to get a Protein drink from Diet Direct that you mixed with water that came out like orange Kool Aid, but with no sugar and a good amount of protein. There's also Syntrax nectar, which I have not tried but hear it is fabulous. It's not milky or heavy.