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It never ceases to amaze me when I read some of these comments. I have a family member who had the lap band and gained all their weight back after they had to have it pulled due to massive complications. I myself have the sleeve and I think it's truly what you make of it. Too many people expect a quick fix and think this is a miracle cure. Let's all remember that all of these surgeries except the duodenal switch are just a tool and not the cure. So remember that all and everything worth having takes determination and consistency....and like one of the comments made above stated we all have to try and make it work

first thing you need to do is see your doctor. he may want to do a endoscopy or barium swallow or take out some Fluid. do not ignore this. it is not normal to be getting stuck this often. you can cause some complications unless this is address by your md. but you are likely right in assuming that you are eating incorrectly. it is hard and the way we have to eat doesn't come naturally. right now I would give your band a break and go back to liquids for a few days. you may be swollen from all the stuck issues. call your doctor

I had the two week preop, cheated on day 9 not bc I was hungry bc I'd gotten threw that phase but bc my family went to the mall where my fav meal was. Tried it, was discusting, made me angry but I survived. So, postop day I had complications so for the next 5 day stay in the hospital, no drinking, just iv fluids, on day 6 they let me drink. Day 8 came home for another 2 wk liq. I'm no hungry, physically or mentally but my doc makes me drink the 1 oz med cups 4/hr. So I'm constantly drinking shakes, crystal lite lemon flav, some chicken broth I'd done myself prior to surgery ( low sodium) and jello in the oz cups. Ik I prob didnt help u, bc u do know what ur feeling, but the routine of drinkn that I'm on, keeps my mind settled away from head hunger. I cooked for my family today, was hard smelling it but I did good. I guess smelln it everyday in the hospital helped a lot. God bless and gl and if ur able to walk, take a stroll, read a good book, play spades on ur phone like I Do, lol. And most of all, all u can do is one day at a time, so don't waste it on the next day or the ten other days. Just get threw today.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that. I had RNY surgery. “Not obese enough”??? If you medically qualified for the lapband then I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have medically qualified for the sleeve as well. They go by BMI and I believe it is the same for sleeve and band. (40 or, if you have comorbidities then it can be 35) It sounds like you likely used a general surgeon instead of a bariatric surgeon. Both are qualified to do the procedure but a bariatric surgeon is far more educated on the actual Bariatrics aspect. They are much more informed and actually take a couple of years to specialize in WLS. As opposed to a general surgeon who only learns the procedure and then does it. He doesn’t take that extra time to learn the ins and outs of it all. Even being on the smaller side of overweight, I still don’t understand why a surgeon would perform a procedure that has SO MANY complications and such an incredibly small rate of success. Why would he perform this operation at all? It is such common knowledge within the bariatric community that the band is a hugely bad idea. If you said you had it done several years ago then I might understand more, but you had this in 2017. The surgeon should be ashamed. Did he tell you the complication rate is far higher with the band than with any other procedure? Did he tell you people lose far less weight with the band and the rate of regain over a 5 year period is almost double that of the sleeve and RNY? My surgeon told me it won’t be long before we are seeing commercials saying “if you’ve had the lapband and had complications, call the law office of...” I’m very sorry this happened to you. I am super angry for you, to be honest. Your surgeon did you a huge disservice. I actually had a lapband for a long time and the loss was incredibly slow. After several years, I developed complications and nearly died. I had to have the band removed. I chose to also have a revision to RNY and it is a completely different experience. It’s so much better. If you continue experiencing pain or the other issues you mentioned, I would strongly suggest finding a new surgeon and having a consultation. Try your best to find someone who specializes in Bariatrics rather than just a general surgeon. I had a general surgeon with my band too because I really didn’t know the difference, to be honest. It was a huge mistake. I wasted a lot of years of my life with that awful band. Again, I’m very sorry. I’m seriously angry right now. I can’t believe these surgeons are still doing this procedure. Please don’t give up. I know this is hard. It’s so hard. But just remember why you did this. You wanted a healthier, better quality life. You can still have that. It may just happen a little differently than planned, that’s all. As of October 12, 2017, I am 4 months post op and have lost 100 pounds. I have reached my goal weight and could not be more ecstatic!

I wanted to sleeve to begin with but my insurance didn't cover it at the time. And I was impatient and didn't want to wait for the time that my insurance would cover it. So I went with the band. The first Year I did pretty well with it, I lost about 35 pounds and kept it off for about 5 years but I didn't put in as much effort as I should have to lose more. But as time went on food started to get stuck more and more frequently and it got to the point that I was vomiting every day....so soft foods were my go to. And soft foods are not the healthiest thing in the world...so the weight came back on and the vomiting continued. I finally had enough and went to my doc and he recommended the revision which I wanted anyway. I have had more trouble with it than what she it's been worth. There are some people that have been very successful and happy with it, but I'm not one. My surgeon even said he doesn't do lapbands anymore from the high rate of complications he's seen. He told me the sleeve has been the most successful with the lowest rate of long term complications that he has seen in his practice. I hope this helps. No matter what you decide just remember WLS is a tool and it still takes a lot of work on your part. Good luck to you.

radink, my sister had the Bypass surgery. She lost a lot of weight fast but it left her with a lot of sagging skin and unfortunately, her insurance refuses to approve the surgery to have the excess removed. Due to other complications/issues, she was nearly 450 lbs when she had the surgery and now down to about 250 but I would say a good 35 is skin. If you choose GBP, make sure your insurance company will approve the surgery for the tummy tuck and removal of the excess skin. You lose much slower with the band but I believe that gives your skin more time to shrink naturally (not to say there won't be some excess).

My Story I am 42 years old, 5’5” and weigh 243 lbs. I wear size 20/22 pants and 2X tops. I never really thought about my weight one way or another until I wanted to join the military (18 years old). When I went to check out all the branches I actually choose the Navy because I had to lose the least amount of weight – 30 lbs (I was 180 at the time). I put myself on a crazy crash diet and exercise program to lose the weight as fast as possible. I could only get to 25 lbs down and the day before I had to weigh in I took a bunch of laxatives (NEVER AGAIN!). I was over my weigh in by 2 lbs but they gave me a waiver and I joined the Navy for 5 years. The good thing about the military is that they give you a PT test and weigh in every six months so I kept myself within my weight range (not easily but I did it for five years). The moment I left the military and restrictions of weighing in and exercising came off I started a progression of gaining weight. Getting married, moving, new job, college, graduate school, and an uncertain future helped add more weight on. I work very hard to not let my weight interfere with my life. We live in a coastal region so summer clothes and swimsuits are a staple. My husband (not overweight) loves the water and I love my husband so I am good about not letting my weight become an issue in our marriage (which means even if I feel uncomfortable in my 22 size bathing suit I fake my enthusiasm for spending the day on the water). I never thought about WLS until my sister had lapband surgery a few years in Mexico. She actually had a bad situation with her band slipping and had to go into emergency surgery and now she is battling the insurance company to cover the emergency surgery. Up until then I hadn’t know about medical tourism or about the many WLS options. This past fall I started to research different WLS surgeries. I have to lose 100 lbs and that is beyond overwhelming to me. The most I lost was 30 lbs on WW but gained that back and more. I liked the sleeve option better then gastic bypass. My insurance does not cover it so I knew I was going to be self pay. My husband isn’t very chatty and I he said if that is something I wanted to do then fine but he is fine either way (I married an easy going guy). He won’t be going with me….no sense in both of us going if he’ll be bored. I am not telling anyone about the surgery. I don’t want to be talked out of it (it is enough to keep myself from talking myself out of it!). I think I am a good candidate for surgery. My health is very good (minus the 100 excess pounds). My weight related ailments include – lack of energy, knees that bother me, and snoring. Our only son is married and serving in the military (so no small children). I am on temporary assignment outside of the classroom this year so I don’t have the crazy and stressful teacher schedule (which will make recovery easier for me). I am mentally preparing for a rough few months after surgery (I am not a complainer and can tough out a lot). I am worried about the normal things – complications, insurance not covering complications, dying, long term ramifications, dealing with my eat out friends. However I am looking forward to buying clothes in normal sizes, fitting into airplane seats, crossing my legs, having more energy, enjoying being outdoors. My surgery is on March 28th.

I had my surgery 9/16, was in the hospital until 9/20 due to complications. I run the front half of non profit medical clinic so I am up and down all day (But only one day a week). I ended up going back to work on October 9th, and it was a little early for me but I got through it. I think it is an individual thing. A lot of things fit into the equation, like age, weight, type of surgery, and individuals pain tolerance etc. I wish you the best on your journey!

I am being followed by my surgeon. He believes I have a kink that caused a stricture from folding and unfolding. I also have severe GERD. I have had Botox to my pylorus, and am doing my 3rd weekly balloon dilation today. The dilations have not done much. I believe the next step will be a stent placement for 60 days and my guess is this will happen next week. I am also being followed by a thoracic specialist i am hoping for a trial placement for a device called LINX to help the GERD. I have 2 complications going on. Thank you!

I would like to share my lapband experience. I was banded in 2003, at a weight of 245 lb. I initially lost 75 lb in about the first year, but only after several balancing acts that was adjusting. I was either too tight to eat anything solid OR I had little to no restriction. Fast-forward to now, weight is (was) 220 lbs. Started working with a new doctor. 6 adjustments and 1 EGD later I had enough of the band. I was revised to the sleeve 3 weeks ago (Nov 6). Re: Risks- The sleeve is a more involved and invasive surgery. This naturally makes the risk of complication higher than the band, at least in the short term. Leaks seem to be the worse complication from the sleeve, but it is very rare. I don't have data to support but I'm pretty sure you are only at risk for a leak for a certain time period after surgery. On the other hand, many complications from the lapband can occur at any time post surgery. Scarring, erosion, slipping, and possible autoimmune response can all be pretty serious. Re: Recovery- My recovery was longer after the sleeve than wih the band. Of course I was 9 years younger then. After the band I was fine to go back to work after a few days. This time with the sleeve I had 2 full weeks off and then 1 week part time before returning full-time. I know some people can return to work after a few days with the sleeve, I personally did not feel well enough to. Re: Weight loss not as much?- Thise who are successful with the band can lose down to goal, but is generally slower than with the sleeve. Again looking at the long term, many with the band re-gain, and often end up heavier than when they started. Not sure about statistics with gaining back after the sleeve, but I would guess it is not as much. The band does work for some but unfortunately does fail many times. Do all the research you can, connect with people from both "sides" and see what you feel is the best choice. Good luck on your journey!

Hi Leener , There are bandsters who are vegetarians and do quite well. I dont think long term you have to stick to a low carb diet, but for folks with PCOS, it is generally advised that they do stick to one because typically they are insulin resistant as well. I am assuming that because you are obese that you have made the wrong food choices in the past or have a satiety disorder like the rest of us here? Which means making some changes are a good thing because even being a veggie means that you will have the band to help you with portion control. It will be harder for you to get your Protein, but protein can be found in low fat dairy, Beans, tofu, low fat cheese etc... You will not starve and the most important thing is that you wont be very hungry since the band is a restrictive device that will help you with your portion control. Now regarding complications, yes there are some. I have had a great experience with my band and no problems. I PB very very rarely (less than 10 times in 2.7 years) All ya need to do is chew chew chew. You might have to stay away from some of the fibrous veggies, since they can be stringy and cause you problems. No one knows which foods they will not be able to tolerate. It is trial and error. Regarding the Water, I can still drink water at a pretty rapid rate. I have been tight occasionally where I sound like a drain pipe when I drink too fast, but you should still be able to drink your water without a problem. Thicker drinks do go through more slowly and you will have to be careful to pace yourself. I still love food just as much as before. I now eat foods that I would have never considered before banding. I love veggies now and I especially love fish and wouldnt have touched a piece of tilapia pre banding. Now I eat fish several times a week, love making turkey/ veggie chili with zucchini and 5 different kinds of organic beans etc... You may have to supplement your diet with some Protein shakes or bars since you will need to keep your protein intake high if you want to lose weight. But at the end of the day, it boils down to calories in and calories expended. My advice is to be aware of the pitfalls, problems or complications of lapbanding, but dont become obsessed with the negative. Nothing is perfect and nothing is foolproof. It is a tool and you will get what you put into it. Dont worry dahlinggg...... Babs in TX 334/180 -150 ish

Will I heal? yes Will I become infected? no Will I get pneumonia? no Will it be freaky because there is a freaking device wrapped around my stomach? yes perhaps for a while then you'll get used to it then no. Will I become dehydrated? no Most of us can drink plenty of Water whenever we want. I love water and drink tons! And farther out: Will I pass out from PBing? Depends, I hardly ever PB Will I have terrible pain in my chest like some people? Perhaps, but pay close attention and you'll learn how not to do that and then no. Will I erode? extremely unlikely so no Will complications from erosion in my stomach kill me? I've never heard of that happening. Emotional: Will I enjoy life without my food? You'll learn to love the fact you can have what you want and stop eating before you're gorged. Will I ever be able to enjoy food again? Yes. I eat almost anything I want. You really can eat almost anything if you eat it slow enough. I choose to eat healthy most of the time because I didn't do this to eat cheeseburgers. What will life be like without being able to just drink and eat whenever and however like before? Thinner and healthier. You'll be able to drink anytime except right before and after eating. What will I do with my time without it being centered on eating and cooking? Center on cooking healthy meals that you enjoy. Center on making the foods you enjoy in a more healthful way. Made chicken chili tonight for the first time. YUM! What will I do with my thoughts and emotions that can't be comforted with food anymore?? That's a good one. I'm still working on that. I am finding myself struggling with frustration and slight depression and that's not me. Can't figure out if it's winter blues, PMS, the band thing or all three. I get over pretty quickly (usually when my hubby apologizes whether it's his fault or not.) :puke: I will learn to deal with stress in a different way. I'll have too. But you'll be amazed at how you will be able to deal with losing weight without being afraid of gaining it back. That's a pretty cool one. Good luck to you!!! Hope this helps!

I am sooooo sooooo glad I had my TT. It's definitely one of the best things I ever did for myself. I actually had pretty significant complications and I still don't regret it, because now I am years out from it and still enjoying my results. The complications are a distant memory. Here are some pictures of my scars and a side-view pic. These photos were taken maybe 5 years post-op?

Hi there people, The more i stay on this site the less positive i am about being banded. My banding date is October 18th but.. Im not sure if all the " adjusting " being banded will be worth it. You see i,m 6,1, tall ( 185 cm )and was about 260 lbs (120 kg).BMI 36 So i do look big though it,s more of a belly, BUT since seeing the surgeon i have been on Optifast VLCD and lost 22lbs (10kg) and by surgery time i will have lost another 22lbs (10 kg) and my goal wieght is about 200lbs (90kg). So i will almost be there any way. After banding i will have to change my eating habits , exercise ect so why cant i do that without being banded and avoid all the hassles.And possible complications and disapointments the some of you have. I have been overwieght for the past 25 years and have yo yoed up and down most years Am i making sense or just confused. HELP............ Mark

This was a post about switching surgeons at the last minute. They had gone through everything and were waiting on insurance approval, but they found another hospital a few hours away with more surgeries per year and fewer complications and wanted advice on if they should switch and how to do it. Not sure why that merited a delete! *shrug*

Hypnosis is a wonderful idea. I love the relaxation aspect hypnosis brings. Good luck to you. I hope that it helps! Hypnosis helped me with anxiety and smoking cessation, but I never really tried it for weight control. It also helped with pain management. When I was banded, I had severe complications from diaphragmatic damage. Pain medication didn't help at all. Hydrotherapy and hypnotherapy did help a little. I use hypnosis techniques during dental procedures and often can manage without painkillers.

I was just wondering if anyone out there has had the band for a long time and if you had any complications? Would you do it again if you had it to do over again?

Almost 10 months here and I agree, complications free just get use to the fills and eating again. I would be second in line behind you Tanya.

My 30 pounds overwieght became 80 pounds overweight w/in 5 years. The problem is that many people can lose 40, 50 and even 100 lbs. The big question is, Can you maintain that weight? I can lose 40-45 pounds but I have never lost more than that. I knew that lapband would be the best tool for me to lose my weight and maintain it. That's what I'm hoping for. I feel very positive about getting the weight off more so than I ever did pre-band. I keep saying to myself that I did something so major as LapBand that I'm not about to screw it up. I can't think about the "what ifs". I just know that if I get the most out of my band and lose the weight, I have won the battle. There are risks and complications with almost everything we do in life. As you know, being overweight is a risk in itself. One that I'm not willing to take. The risks of lapband are far less riskier than being obese. You have to be extremely comfortable with your decision. I expected this to be so life altering as far as my eating habits. So far so good. Of course I haven't had a fill yet. So we'll see what happens after that. My advice to you is to talk to patients who have had this surgery by your surgeon. There is probably a support group that you can attend. I found once I attended the support group with patients who have had the surgery with my surgeons group, I felt much better about my decsion. Every person in the support group was thrilled and excited with their new life. Some people on this site are on it for good reasons. They may have minor or even major complications and need answers. But look around more. There are many people on this site who are very happy with their decision. Wishing you the best of luck with whatever you decide. Keep us posted.

Great to hear you had no complications. It sounds like you are doing well. Congratulations!

I think I am experiences early signs of esophageal dilatation or some type of esophageal complications. After having your lap band removed, does swallowing and other complications return to normal?

I have lost only 16 lbs at 5 weeks so I am frustrated along with you. Had hoped for much quicker weight loss. I'm grateful for no complications, however.

Bypass was too permanent for me. My doctor explained the pros and cons of both and the one that got me was that if you gain your weight or some of it back after bypass there's nothing that can be done (surgically) to help you lose the the weight again. With the band, you can always go for an adjustment. Plus, I was scared that there would be more complications with the bypass. Good luck on your decision.

Wow, I love love love your story! What is an OA? Our struggles are similar, it took the death of my mom just before my 45th b-day (due to complications caused by obesity) and realizing I was following right in her footsteps, to get me serious about making a change. I realized I am 45, not 85, time to start living on the right path! I couldn't bear the thought of forcing my husband into caring for me the way hers had for her fir so long and so young! I will say that the lack of accountability is too much for me. I've had 6 months of managed nutrition and did very well, but have a 2 month lag from my last weigh in with the NUT and surgery. The fear of not being to eat certain things for months if not forever, have me wanting them all the more, add to that I thought surgery would be less than 30 days away so waited until the last minute to quit smoking! Argh! I really need to get back on track. Weighing every day: I can see the pros and cons. I haven't bothered at home because I was weighing in monthly w/ NUT and didn't want to stress myself out w/ ounces at a time, and am afraid to right now! It felt good to see pounds shredded at one time. But post surgery for me also, if I see a gain, I'll know right away to make a change. I do worry about the stalls, they are the reason no diet in the past has worked for me, I give up when I don't see progress or movement. Aaahhh... pizza is mine as well, I have not yet been able to surrender it just yet. It's the one thing I allow myself right now, and have my sights on it all week while I graze on healthy food. It's almost like a reward for me. Tracking carbs and calories sounds like a great tool, I have only been tracking Protein, sugar and fat at this point. Bread is like crack! I can do well without it, but once I taste it? It's all downhill from there! I love your statement about 300 lb brains being unable to understand portions! I've said similar things recently. There is a reason I'm fat (and don't have a problem saying that!) I had to learn why I am and how I got that way, to understand how not to return to it. No 'diet plan' has ever taught me that! A fat brain doesn't understand why it is, only how to sustain the body it sits on. And that I got the way by not paying attention. When I get busy talking while eating I pay less attention. I tried really hard to get out of the required 6 months with the NUT, really because I'm just impatient. But it truly was the best thing I've done, ever! I feel ya on the activity also! My body is screaming back at me! My knees gave in to my brain for a little while and they have finally decided they are not having this anymore! But I started doing exactly as you did. I USED to drive around until a spot close to the door at the grocery store became available, now I choose a spot at the far end and in a different aisle than the cart return is. It forces me to walk to the car and back to the store again. And after a little weight loss already I'm finding it a LOT easier! I'm no longer deciding if I want to go some place based on how far of a walk I'd have to give. I may just try the Water aerobics, I hadn't because, well, I just thought, 'I'm not going anywhere in my bathing suit where there are other people'! My surgery is Nov 3, and it will be too cold then to get outside. Fortunately I love Christmas shopping! But don't that will be enough. How great for you to be able to participate in activities with your kids now!! I was considering a Fit Bit or the like. But don't know anything about any of them. What made you decide on that one? So... I had not heard that I should expect a change 'hormonally' at all! 5 months!?!? I still have some crazy dream that a bikini is in my future before I'm 50! And in the back of my brain I know that's not going to happen, but for awhile I'll let the front drive me for awhile and worry about that disappointment later when I'm wearing a size 10 and no longer dealing with the co-morbidities! I wish you luck with the legs, is that something that can be resolved with PS? Please feel free to share away! There are so many stories online but none similar to mine, it's been hard to find a story I can relate to. I love the before and after pictures and am so happy for those with great success, but really no one has talked about what it took to get there, what worked and what didn't, so thank you for that. I was impressed by your loss in a short period if time, and thought you would have some incredible insights. I really want to know what the higher rates are that cause the average to be 60% of excess weight loss, what did those people at the higher end of that spectrum do differently than those at the lower end? I don't plan on sitting still while my body does all of the work, I need to ensure I don't return to this lifestyle. Thank you again!!

Ok this is the story, I am three years out and I have lost 80lbs.I have had one fill six weeks after surgery and a complete unfill two months ago. My current weight is 155. I have a slipped band and I will require surgery soon. I am a self pay and I have not even paid off my last surgery yet. My husband will probably divorce me because we can’t afford another surgery. My band was completely fool proof until three months ago. I loved it, after four or five ounces of food I felt like I had eaten a thanksgiving dinner. Occasionally, I would overeat, eat to fast or be too hungry, the result was vomiting. People call it purbing, “productive burping.” Perbing is the dirty little secret of having a Lap-band. Perbing is vomiting and ultimately it can cause a prolapsed stomach. After a bout of what I thought was stomach flu, I vomited more than usual. The symptoms were the onset of reflux, stomach pain and more vomiting. The night time reflux became so bad that I aspirated and contracted pneumonia. I have been on anti-biotics, Nexium and Carafate. I now have ulcers and my barium upper GI showed that I am damaging my esophageal sphincter. I had an endoscope under fluoroscope and the bottom line is I have to have surgery and have my band fixed, revised or removed. I have an appointment with my original surgeon on Friday. I am not sure how this will all turn out but I want others to be aware that you can slip your band years later, after no problems and a good weight loss. I you eat until you vomit, you are eating too fast or too much. I have pretty good insurance, but they will not cover the Lap-band. If I have any more complications with my second surgery I will be bankrupt. I never considered these possibilities when I had my initial surgery. Would I have the LAP-BAND surgery knowing what I know now? Yes, absolutely I would have the surgery again. I love the result, losing this much weight has changed my life. I will figure it out, I will figure out how to pay for it, my husband will not divorce me. I will keep you all posted…….Jennifer