I'm almost a year out...march 3rd is my anniversary of the lap band. I've lost 18lbs. About 17% of my excess body weight. My surgeon thinks it's going to be a failure. Soo he wants to convert me to a gastric bypass. I've thought about it a lot and was gonna have the bypass last year but then chickened out at the last minute and got the lap band. So i go back in 2 weeks to give my for sure answer. Could have the surgery as soon as next month.

***THOUGHTS***

If you are eating celery and apples with skin(you didn't say) I think you may need more restriction.

Wow! Such strong opinions.....I am 5 days post-op for the lap band and I can tell you that there is no way I would ever consider gastric bypass. The banding has been so hard on my body that I cannot imagine bypass. I do know of several people who have had the bypass and their lives will never be the same. They had to commit 100% to all of the supplements and truly make lifestyle changes. It does sound to me like maybe your band has a leak, I can't understand the lack of restriction otherwise. I guess for me, if the band fails, I would choose psychotherapy about why I mis-use food as my next gameplan. It really frustrates me that I ever even allowed myself to become obese in the first place - wish I'd figured it out earlier!

If it was me, and I had gone a whole year and only lost 18 pounds I would consider the Gastric, but hell, that was when I weighed 478, would have been 460.

Your less than 200 pounds, hell my goal is 220!

In your case, I think you need to look more into what it up with the band, it seems to me you need a fill.

If your current doctor is not working out, you should get a second opinion.

I know I thought about losing wieght, and the having the band removed and getting gastic, but I'm having such great results with the band, I wouldn't consider gastric at this point, definitly not without a second or third opinion.

I guess for me, if the band fails, I would choose psychotherapy about why I mis-use food as my next gameplan.!

Probably a wise move for any of us who don't lose weight with the band, assuming we do have restriction and the band is doing its job.

The fact is that even if the band is giving good restriction where we only eat about a cup of food and are not hungry for 4-5 hours, there is still nothing to stop someone from continuing with their bad habits of drinking sugared soda pop, eating sweets or high calorie slider and/or junk foods or even (as it appears one bandster is doing) eating until they're full and then throwing it up and starting all over.

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If you are eating celery and apples with skin(you didn't say) I think you may need more restriction.

May I ask... Are you getting at least 65 grams of protien a day?? ur lunch should consist of mostly protien. Infact all meals. It doesnt sound like you are doing the proper eating for the band. Do you have a nutrionist?

Also, I have talked to a few people who no matter what couldnt feel restriction. After almost a yr of pain and frustration and some Rebanding. it was found their bands were not even connected to the port, port leaked or in 2 instances the band was not even ATTACHED around the tummy. this was ALL found out either in their rebanding surgery or after they had a UPPER GI Series. food for thought.

I can understand your frustration, and am certain that, in your shoes, I'd be looking at alternatives, too.

The alternatives I'd seek, however, would not veer immediately toward gastric bypass. I'd first do EVERYTHING in my power to achieve good restriction (even if that means switching doctors for fills), and would eat very, very, VERY carefully. (You know, like a bypass patient is required to eat.) That means, aiming for at LEAST 60 grams of Protein a day (80-100 is better), starting with protein and eating other foods ONLY after protein needs are met (if there's room), taking a good-quality bariatric Vitamin, exercising daily, getting adequate Water and rest---the WHOLE SHEBANG.

With gastric bypass, weight loss is more effortless. AT FIRST. But once the honeymoon period's past, you have to work it as much as you have to work the band---only, well, there's not the leeway for increasing the restriction that the band gives you.

Bypass is a great solution for many. It really is. But it's not going to make things easier for you if you haven't been able to manage to do them with the band. It's a much more difficult surgery that requires far more nutritional vigilance for life.

The risks are also far greater--not just operatively, but in terms of long-term malabsorption and malnutrition.

Why not see if you can find another surgeon in your area who (a) can help you assess your nutritional intake (take a few weeks' journals to your first appointment), (:wink: GET YOU TO APPROPRIATE RESTRICTION, and © broach the subject of revision only when it is apparent you are doing everything possible with the band.

The declaration of failure of the band seems premature to me.

But I totally understand your frustration.

Do you want to have more children? I was under the impression that with Gastric Bypass you shouldn't have kids b/c you can't eat enough for you and your baby.

Also, when people have leaks in their band (usually they don't have restriction after multiple fills) the doctor gives them a thicker solution instead of the regular saline. I've heard this works as a plug. Please get a 2nd opinion.

Gastric is such major surgery. Good luck!! Btw, your husband have any single military friends?? :wink: lol.

One more thing: Lower BMI - much harder and slower to lose weight though 18 pounds in a year would get me a bit down too.

I also think you do not have enough restriction - i couldn't eat fast food at all (no way can I eat bread). Do you have a Realize band or a Lap band - the realize band based on what I read here requires a higher level of restriction as well. You should find another doctor I'm not even sure if you said you have 2 cc in you now only, and got unfilled that huge amt when tight. When they unfill you unless you had some major problem its usually .5 cc's though I have heard of complete unfills that is usually due to some problem. Not sure we have the complete picture - are you having some complications w/ the band? I also couldn't eat carrots right now they would get stuck. Bypass is a major deal to me.

Ok... let me clear up all the unknown's I thought i had said this all before but i will say it again just so everyone is on the same page. I have had 8 fills at most 2cc and the least .5cc at a time i have 7 cc in there right now. And i do not have a leak, he's checked. when i was too tight at one point he only took out .5cc and ever since then I have not gotten enough restriction which i don't understand bc if i was so tight before why then am i not now. when i have at least 3 cc more then what i had when i was too tight! i dont get it. so that's what that's all about. I can eat anything, everything, and a lot at one time. I have to stop myself!

you should max out your band before even considering alternatives. some peoples "sweet spot" is 9.5ccs in a 10cc band!

I'd give my left nut to weigh 195!.

Just as a curiousity...why do men always say 'the left one'? Is it somehow more valuable or less valuable than the other? :confused:

i have 7 cc in there right now. And i do not have a leak, he's checked. when i was too tight at one point he only took out .5cc and ever since then I have not gotten enough restriction which i don't understand

Ashley,

I had no restriction on my first fill of 3cc or my 2nd fill of 3cc. The next time they put in 2cc and I couldn't eat solids so after a week they took out one. Restriction for a week and then nada. They put in another .5cc, restriction for a week and now nada again. On Thursday they'll put in another .5cc and I'll be back up to the 8cc where earlier I couldn't eat anything but liquids.

I think it's just a game of Russian Roullette that our bodies play. Some days we're more restricted than others or perhaps the fill was too aggressive (particularly when we're close to that sweet spot).

My doc told me that even though I couldn't eat solids when my fill took me to 8cc, he wouldn't be surprised if I needed 9cc or more to get that sweet spot since I had no restriction at all with 6cc and aggressive fills.

After having no restriction for the last week, I woke up yesterday and couldn't eat solids for most of the day. I'd eat a bite and it'd go down hard enough that I knew if I kept eating I'd get stuck, so I just drank a Protein shake instead.

There are times when I think that if I had to do it over again I might seriously reconsider a gastric sleeve so I wouldn't have to mess with these fills but it's a much more invasive surgery with a higher risk of infection, etc. and as a diabetic probably not something I'm willing to risk. A bypass though...uh uh. As far as I can tell, quality of life drops dramatically for a vast majority of these bypass patients because they're now dealing with medical problems directly related to the bypass.

Have you checked out the gastric sleeve?

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I'd give my left nut to weigh 195!

Hell, I'd give the set to be 23 or twenty anything again.

Does your surgeon have his eye on a new yacht or something? I could only imagine a Hollywood surgeon even considering bypass surgery on somebody your age and weight.

DON'T do it!!

And whomever mentioned "no more pregnancies." It's true, there is a huge chance of birth defects do to nutrient deficiency.

LMAO! I hear ya...

Just as a curiousity...why do men always say 'the left one'? Is it somehow more valuable or less valuable than the other? :confused:

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:smile2:

Hi-

If I may...I remember reading an earlier post this month by you that was stating that your husband was coming home in the spring, you were stressed, in school, small child, not following your lapband diet, You were kicking yourself in the ass for not doing what you were supposed to be doing, you saw a friend that had lost a lot of weight, etc....

I also remember reading that you stated then that you had no restriction. Your band will only work with you if you work with it. Start from scratch if you need to. Have a straight up talk with your doc if you feel he is the right one.

I wish you luck in your decision but please, please don't look for the easy way out when you are feeling stressed because of time crunch:smile2:.