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Irene pretty much stated it really well. My inspiration to get surgery came from my mother who had a sleeve two and a half years ago and has lost 195 pounds. The reason I got the band was because my horrible insurance said that the sleeve was "experimental." If I were you, I would go with the sleeve. My mom had a little more trouble than I did in the beginning right after her surgery, but two years out she is perfectly happy. She never had to go through fills or anything and still has food restriction. She is not malnourished at all. With the band, there tends to be a lot of complications after surgery, so I'm just waiting for them to occur, while with the sleeve, there are very few. It's up to you, but I would strongly urge you to do the sleeve. I love my band and I'm incredibly grateful for it, but I believe I would have liked the sleeve even more if I had been given the chance to get it.

put simply the best advice on this is no advice. you have to find what will work for you. For me it was simply a lot of what has been restated i didn't want my digestive tract rerouted, i didn't want the higher risk of dumping syndrome etc. I eliminated the band based on complications and the fact i couldn't get past the implant part of things and also did not want to make a change that is only temporary and could easily be reversed. I needed that stability of knowing i could sabotage myself simply by having the change undone. But as I have said, these are all personal choices, you have to make them for yourself. Good luck with whatever you decide, its not a contest or battle, its all about you.

I too had a drain. I had a fair bit of oozing, so the drain collected it all nicely. I'd rather have the inconvenience of the drain, than a serious Fluid build up internally ... Better out than in, Shrek's mantra Had my drain for 3 days, also. Was glad to have it taken out, and did not suffer any complications.

Hang in there Just-Ice. And I am glad that you are doing the appropriate thing by going to the ER. I will pray you feel better soon. For me - I thankfully had no complications at all - in fact the surgeon told me I was real good and did not need a hernia repair either. The big trouble they had with me was finding a vein and my forearm is all black and blue from trying!! I did have belly pain on 13th, gas and belly pain since. But both have subsibed. I have not thrown up once and I am extremely thankful for that. Since I am allergic to dust - sneezing is common - and that hurts!! But, I am taking it with a pinch of salt and waiting to feel better. Just Ice hang in there - things will get better!

My BMI was 35 and I had no post-op nausea, vomiting, or complications. I think post-op is more related to your surgeon's management immediately after and your individual tolerance for pain, how swollen you are, how you manage discomfort, and your overall health going in to surgery in the weeks after surgery. Some people sail on through and others struggle. I haven't noticed it related to BMI.

Hello all! I have been a member for a couple of months but have been a little shy about posting. I was sleeved April 19, 2012. I went to a free seminar that the surgeon had back in July of 2011. After much prayer and thought I decided to go through with the surgery. I had to do a 6 month supervised diet and at the time I was annoyed at the fact that I had to wait. Now that I am post op I am so glad that I had the 6 months to prepare. I think that if I hadn't had the 6 months I would be completely lost now. The day finally came for surgery. I wasn't nervous at all. My post op course has been uneventful. I have been truly blessed. The worst part for me was the first week and the 2 day stay in the hospital. The only thing that bothered me about the hospital is the On-Q pump was in the way and I did not like the effects of the anesthesia. The first week I was home was a little trying because I had a lot of head hunger and couldn't sleep. Now at 10 weeks out I feel back to normal (with the exception of not eating a ton and people bugging me about how much weight I have lost). I seriously feel like that I have not had anything done. I am not the faster loser and I have been fighting within not to compare myself to others. I understand that everyone is different. For all the pre-op people I pray that you have an amazing journey and are complication free. For all of the post-op people I pray that this journey will be the biggest gift you could have done for yourself and for strength to keep up with this lifestyle change.

Good luck fingers crossed for a smooth sailing complication free surgery.

Actually, it's possible anytime. It gets rarer overtime. But I don't know why folks are told that these complications can't happen anytime. Alternatively it can be that your body is reacting to the new antiacid meds Hope you find your answer and cure

I think it’s important to stick to the plan that was provided by your team. You’re still healing and you don’t want to risk anything and have complications. It can be frustrating to see other people eat ahead of you on a different plan than yours even if you had similar surgeries and surgery dates. Hang in there, you can do it

I have struggled with this lapband since October 8, 2008. I lost 23 lbs at the beginning on the liquid diet. Within six months after my lapband I came down with psoriatic arthritis. This is an immune disease that leaves psoriasis all over your body and arthritis in your joints. Can also affect your organs. Is compared to Rheumatoid Arthritis. I should have known not to do this because I already had sjogrens, another immune disease. I don't know if I was pre-destined to get this or the lapband actually caused it, these are things we will never know. I just know that I have struggled with this disease and now on methotextrate injections every week and simponi once a month. Have been on Humira and Embrel but didn't work. I am a little scared about the surgery again but I know it is the best thing to do for me. If any of you have ever had these issues please get back to me. We need to let the company know if this is the cause to help others not to do this. I understand alot of people do have success and I am very happy for them but I have also been doing alot of research and it seems that over 40 % of the people with lapbands will have to remove them within 5 years because of some kind of complication. I don't want to wait until that happens. If any of you can, please pray for me that everything goes well and I can get my life back to normal again. I plan on starting a nutrtitional healthy plan with some exercise. I have found out the hard way for me the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. No miracles out there for me. Thanks for listening. I sure hope that the girl who had the band removed this week is okay. She hasn't responded to anyone yet. Prayers need to go up for her too. Cheryl

Idk what hubble bubble is. The problem with smoking is that it hinders the healing process. It'll slow it down and the healthy tissue takes longer to regenerate. So hold off on smoking for fewer to no healing complications. But again.... Idk what hubble bubble is, that may not even be relevant for ur situation...

Serious complications are extremely rare. If you have a competent care team and follow their instructions to the letter, the odds of anything going wrong are very slim. I know it's easy to be nervous about the unknown, but for those of us who've "been there, done that," we can definitely say that the first couple of weeks to a month are the hardest. After that, you just need to learn how to eat to please your new, smaller stomach, and enjoy all the "free" weight loss!

My only regret is that I didn't have this surgery sooner. I didn't have any complications at all. I had to take small sips the first week out of surgery, but now I can drink water just like I used to. I feel better and have more energy than I have had in years.

No post-surgery complications here. I swear that this surgery saved my life, and it did! I had so many medical issues pre-op that I knew I wouldn't survive surgery, yet I still did it. I gambled, rolled the dice and WON big time!!! I'm slightly over 10 months out, down 107 pounds and feeling like a million bucks. My goal weight is still 55 pounds away, but I will get there. Even with that, if I don't lose another pound, I'm thrilled I had my surgery. I am happy, healthy and alive today because I was sleeved. Thank God and Dr Domkowski. I'm ALIVE!!!

i didnt have many complications during or after surgery. my only complaint was minor pain around the surgery site. good pain management while in the hospital helped a lot too. another thing that helps is your pre-op preperation. make sure you follow the diet to the T and loose as much weight as you can. everyone is different when it comes to a major surgery like this. a lot of the complications are temporary as your body has gone through a lot of trama and needs to heal. you should be fine a few days after the surgery.

Well im really good at worrying so lets see... I am Worried that ... I will not work the tool like I should and remain obese I will be hungry ALL THE TIME I wont have enough energy to do well at work My hair will fall out and it will be noticeable I wont be able to afford plastic surgery when its time I will be scared in hospital I will suffer complications or long term negative side effects like bone loss despite doing everything im told to do None of that is reason enough not to go through with this. But theyre things I think about. I just want to be healthy enough to enjoy life.

Hi - I am one year post-op tomorrow. What a difference a year can make! I thought I would respond to some of your worries. They are all very legitimate worries. I am the Queen of worrying, so I had an even longer list one year ago today! 1. Hair loss. This happened. I thought I was going to get away without it happening, but between 4-5 months it began. I lost a lot of hair. It is now growing back. 2. Blood thinners. Didn't need them or clinic didn't prescribe them. But I do have MS and have had to give myself injections over the years for that. It really is amazing how fast you get the hang of it. 3. Gas. They do pump you full of gas. The best way to get rid of it is to walk as much as possible as soon as possible. Walking will help with every part of your recovery. I was up the evening following my surgery and walked every few hours all night (they are coming in and waking you up anyway!), 4. Catheter. I had a catheter. It was inserted after they put me out and it was removed before I regained consciousness. No memory of that at all. No infection. 5. Complications. I had NONE! I worried I would have them all, but I sailed right through. I could have gone back to work after a week off I felt so good - I work in an office. I am 49 years old, so I am not a kid saying this either. Being active makes all the difference. 6. Family / Friends / Coworkers. My family have all been terrific - I could not have done this without them. Friends and coworkers, some have been great, others not so much. I have taken a lot of support right here. It is one of the things I love so much about this site. 7. Dehydration. For the first week you full time job is to drink. It is very possible to get it all in and be fine. Just think of it as the number one thing you have to do in those first days. 8. Stomach. This one I can't speak to. I have not had any problems now or in the past. But this surgery has been around for decades. I am sure they know how to scope and look for problems post RNY. It is one of the advantages I think of having this surgery over some of the other choices. 9. Dumping. This has never happened to me. I have been very careful to follow my clinic's plan and have not had any dumping symptoms at all. As time has passed I have tried sweets, even a few M & M candies or a bit or cake or pie. For many people, as long as you follow the rules, it doesn't happen. 10. Lose skin. I wish I had a more positive response to this one, but this is a big problem for me. I have lost 198 pounds in the last year. I was 331 when I began this journey and am now 133. My arms are the worst. I had HUGE arms. I also have lose skin on my legs and stomach. I was never big breasted, but now am probably an A-B cup. I work out every day. I don't think there is much you can do about this one. They say age and genetics and how much you lose will tell the tale. I wish there was a magic answer for this one. Best of luck to you! Even with the down stuff, I wouldn't go back to where I was a year ago for all the money in the world. I love my new healthy life! Carol

I was woozy and needed help so walk at first. I was “out” 6 hours for surgery because the hiatal hernia repair was very difficult they said. I walked every hour during the time I was awake. I drank things even when I felt nauseous. The nurses gave me meds for nausea. The pain was minimal but I’m not a sensitive person. I drove myself home the next day. The hardest part at home was getting out of low seats. It helps to sleep sitting up, or at an incline for a few days or weeks if you had GERD. Keeping up the fluids and walking often helps all the other issues. I had asthma complications with the anesthesia so bring your meds from home, and speak up about your needs while in the hospital because once you leave no one will help without a full work up in the ER. So, if you have moderate to severe asthma, ask for intravenous steroids or intravenous vitamin A to help you get over stuff dripping into your lungs while “out.” Ask for what you need for your health!

RE:If the erosion rate is 1% why don’t you reflect costs for complications and band removal? I FIND THIS IS AN OLDER THREAD. ARE THERE DRs IN MX WHO OFFER THEIR SERVICES WITH NO FEES AFTER COMPLICATIONS WITH THE BAND, EROSIONS, REMOVAL ETC? THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR YOUR SURGERY INCLUDES ALL THIS? THANKS MUCH, PAM

Fletcher, Don't beat yourself up! You have already done it and you can't go back and correct it. But, what you can do is make a decision right now to stay on track. If you are like me, your dieting history probably included so many starts and stops. As soon as I blew a diet, I would think, "well, I already messed up, so I might as well eat this too." Don't let that happen to you this time. Instead, get focused on letting your body heal...that is the whole point of the liquid phase. If you keep eating solids before your body is fully healed, you could have some complications. I came to love tomato soup during the liquid phase. My doctor even let me crumble up some crackers in the soup. If you make the soup with milk instead of Water, you are adding some Protein that way. Some milk has more protein than others. If you are in an area with a Braum's store, their milk has a lot of protein compared to most. Hang in there! You can do this. I know that it seems like the liquid phase will last forever, but you'll be through it before you know it!

I'm Curious...I have been reading many posts lately from people stating how much weight they have been loosing prior to having their surgery.....how succesful and proud of themselves they are... One person reported how much weight they have lost, how much they love to go to the gym, and stated that food has no control over them.....they are in control!!! Another poster was bragging...and rightfully so, how they have lost over 70 lbs so far, prior to getting their surgery date...and there have been many others. I'm curious, if people are that successful and motivated, why go through something as drastic as surgery??? For me, it was a last resort, I could not loose weight on my own or take control over my eating. I even screwed up and failed at my required 6 month Dr. supervised diet...I think if I had lost 70 lbs on my pre-op diet, my Insurance co. would have said...... "See? You CAN do it...you don't need surgery..." So WLS was not a reward for me for doing do well, it was a last resort because I was such a failure....a glutton and food slob....with one foot in the grave. I had no other alternative. Believe me, if I didn't need it I would not put up with something wrapped around my stomach, connected to something that sticks out like a large tumor on my belly....and the scars...and the fears of complications in the future.....no sir...it was not something I liked doing, and would not have if I had any choice....but I had no alternative. ... I wonder, if people do so well without surgery, what are they hoping to achieve with surgery??? What would their expectations be? What are the hoping for in addition to what they are already achieving on their own ?? I wish I never had to resort to surgery...I wish I had the motivation and self control to do it on my own, sadly I did not... But yet, every day there are posts with people stating how great they are doing pre-op.... In the back of my mind I'm thinking that one's success is determined by how much in a need you are for solution? How desperate you are? Literally Life or Death? Enough to fully commit through the good and bad to get it at all costs? Literally (for me) it was Do or Die ??? May be nothing...just something on my mind...all I do know is, I would not have gone through all this if I did not need it....and if I did not need it, how committed would I have been to sacrifice and succed? And if I did not show some level of commitment and need, would my PCP even refer me in the first place? Would I have passed the Physc. Eval? Would my Surgeon agree to do the procedure and take me on as a patient???? So when I read posts about people loosing 70lbs + without surgery, and stating they have complete control over food, I have to ask myself WHY??? Why are you here??? Why alter you digestive system with surgery??? It's 4:30 am and I just ranting along with my morning coffee before I go to the gym when they open at 5....

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Doing it is just as irresponsible as bragging about it. Hope you haven't set yourself up for any future complications.

No, the needle cannot be reused. Lack of knowledge of this very, very basic tenet of aseptic technique makes the fact that you are doing this on your own worrisome. Are any of your healthcare providers privy to your activities? I ask, because if you've gone maverick, you may well void any sort of possibility of gaining medical care related to the band in the future. It's scary, for physicians, to care for patients who practice medicine on themselves without a license. And for good reason! Also consider that you may queer your possibilities of having care for any complications that may arise covered by insurance. I'm glad you're feeling wonderful, and hope you do well. But in your shoes, I think I'd work on locating a nearby professional to carry this task out. Look, if you can do it, your PCP---whereever you are---can learn to do it. Have him/her phone the doctor who banded you for instructions.

Whilst sitting in a waiting room for many hours (fill problems, blah blah blah), I had a surprise visit from the coordinator of the Lap Band program at the hospital. I had dealt with her about a year ago, when setting this thing up. She runs the local support group meetings, but as of yet I have not attended any of them. So she sticks her head in the room, and asks "do you know me?" Strange question, but I do in fact recognize her since she's "in context" in the hospital. She then says that she doesn't know who I am, but that she had been told by the nurses that one of her lap band patients was in the room. At first, she didn't even believe that I was a lap band guy, but I pulled out the driver's license and she recognized me from that photo. We had a long discussion about the journey, and what this has been like. She was taking copious notes, apparently she's trying to get follow up info for patients to meet some regulatory guideline. I told her I was blogging about this ("what's a blog? Do I use Netscape for that?") and that she could read that if she wanted. Normal platitudes, "ya look great", etc. She's trying to get me to come to the support meetings as a speaker. I'm thinking that one over, not sure that I want to get in front of anyone to talk about this stuff. Talking physical changes is easy, but if they ask about the emotional/mental ones I'm not sure what to say. Besides, my complications would scare the bejeepers out of the newbies.... So my Q to the group, and the reason for the post -- has anyone been put in the position of talking to support groups and potential WLS people? If so, was that worth doing, and would you go talk to them again? I'm not a big fan of public speaking, but a small group might be ok.

There are 8,030 members of this forum. Granted not all are active members, but with the sheer number of people that are banded and post you ARE going to hear about some complications. The percentage of complications with the lapband is actually very low.....and even slips, erosion, etc...are treatable. I really weighed the risk of a complication against the GARAUNTEE that I would have health related issues if I didnt lose this weight. For me it was a no brainer....I already had borderline high BP, insulin resistance, and high cholesterol...all obesity related. I was pretty much the highest risk possible for heart disease. I am already on the road to better health. I no longer take BP meds (BP now 120/72!). I have cut my Metformin dose for Insulin Resistance. My last bloodwork showed my cholesterol has dropped to only borderline high. I wish I had done this sooner! Huge bonus is being able to fit in Misses size 16 right now and be able to wear cute clothes again, and looking so much better!