I was told by one doctor that he didn't recommend the band for me.. and thought that the bypass surgery was a much better way to go. His reason was that I was too heavy for the Band and thought i would find other ways to eat. I am 5'7" and weigh 330. He didnt feel I would be happy with the weight loss from the band. has anyone else encountered or heard that you need to be under a certain weight to have the band?..And thank you all for the information everyone posts on here its been so helpful.

Hi, Mimi!

Welcome. Here's my take, for what it's worth. (And I think it's worth a lot cuz I mostly copied it from coffee Wench and she knows everything.)

With either surgery you will have to learn new ways to eat and deal with life. With the bypass, you WILL lose the weight, but you will gain it back if you don't do the learning. With the band, you have to make the changes to lose any substantial amount of weight.

So, let's look at the "failures." Two years out, the unsuccessful bypass people lost and then regained and the unsuccessful band people never lost. And the unsuccessful bypass patients (it used to be 20%) have had massive, organ-rearranging surgery, and need a lifetime of supplements and have an increased risk of other health problems, while the unsuccessful band patients have a band that can stay, can get deflated or can get removed (sometimes with lap surgery, sometimes with open). There are, of course successful people with either surgery. But a far higher percentage of bypass patients have complications which require re-operating ("revisions") and/or OR visits.

There are many people who have BMI's similar to yours and who are doing (or have done) well with the LapBand...including those who were much heavier than you.

By the way, most surgeons who have done well with the bypass tend to prefer it. They think it is more successful because, after the surgery, they see only the patients with complications. Band patients take more follow-up care, and most US trained surgeons are not so into the day-to-day, patient support that's needed with the band. I think they tend to measure "successes" in terms of what percentage of patients they never have to deal with again...and with the band, that's "zero percent."

Sue

Hi Mimi -

At 330, 5'7", you are NOT exceptionally large (in MO terms - lol). I am 5'6" and started at 303.

I know of people well beyond the 300's (I'm talking 400, 500 pounds, even) that have been banded. Some surgeons are not comfortable banding these larger patients, but my impression is the surgeons who do the lapband almost exclusively as their WLS do not bat an eye.

And Sue is 100% right - the surgery the doc is most comfortable with is the surgery they're going to recommend (push). Find a TRUE lapband surgeon and I think you'll find them very supportive of your choice.

You MUST be aware that most lapband patients do not have the weight just "fall off" of them, like bypass patients do. You MUST understand that proper restriction is key, and until you have possibly several fills, you may not feel as though the band is working for you.

There are banded people where the weight just "fell off", and people who got to goal without fills, but they are the exception, not the rule. You also must be aware that your banded journey will be very, very individual, and you cannot compare yourself to others, but only try and learn from their journeys, and take what you need and leave the rest.

We are all bandsters, or bandster wanna be's, so of course we are going to tell you that this is THE best WLS available today.

It is, of course (lol), but that is our own opinions after our own intensive research. You must do enough of your own research to feel that way, too - once that happens, you would not hesitate to educate the surgeon who told you that you were too heavy to be successful with the lapband.

Good luck in your journey!

Hi, My name is Nicole and I have not been here much lately mostly because I have had soooo much energy since I had my surgery I am never home. As you can see below I started out at 402 lbs and am now down to 347lbs, the funny part is that I am only 5' 3" tall and am doing just fine. I had my surgery on August 28th, 2003 and although most people want to rush right out and get a fill 6-8 weeks after surgery I have not needed one yet and my 3 month Bandiversary is tomorrow. I have lost 55 lbs and am so happy, I can bathe myself, tie my own shoes, walk through grocery stores with out have to ride in those embarrassing carts becasue my legs were rubbing together and I had a rash or I was sweating like a pig or something. If you doctor won't do your surgery get a second opinion. I went to Mexico and had the most incredible expeirience. Email me if you want more info, Mexico and Europe have larger band sizes.

Thank you all for your information... I am seeing a new doctor on Dec. 4 ... Dr. Jacobs in Miami. I hear he does a lot of bandings. Hopefully it will be a successful visit. I am so happy to have found this website. Everyone has been so helpful. Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving.

Mimi,

At my surgery orientation my doctor stated that while alot of surgeons are not comfortable using the band for heavier weights, he has done several that are 500 + and not had any problems. I agree with the others, what ever they find most comfortable is what this will want to do. My doctor does mostly bands now, but started out doing RNY's...

I'm 5'7, started out 42 pounds heavier than you, and my surgeon didn't bat an eye at my size. I'm not even the biggest person he has banded.

Just because we're bigger than the average patient doesn't mean that we're going to sabotage our surgery. The band has done a lot to quiet the physical hunger I used to feel so much of the time that made me eat my way up to 372 pounds.

Those of us who are super-sized are at a higher risk of surgery complications, so I think that the band makes a lot of sense for us, being so much safer than the bypass. Besides, even if we "only" lost 100 pounds with the band, aren't we better off than if we had stayed our top weight, or died after getting the RNY?

There is a mailing list ESPECIALLY for people who have a BMI of 50 or higher at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/extraordinarybandsters/

Check it out...when I was pre-op and had the same worries as you, I found it very inspiring to see some of the successful bandsters on that list who had started out at my size or heavier.

I am 5'9 and my starting weight was 366lbs. My doctor has done over 500 band placements and I am by far not the heaviest he has done.

XOXO~Teresa

hi mimi

i just wanted to include robins link to her webpage. her journal is great.

http://www.geocities.com/robinh26/lapband.html

and i second all the other posts. my starting weight was where you are. i dieted to lose 25 before banding.

good luck!

Hi,

I think that a doctor saying that he/she believes that you will not be able to control yourself based only on your weight is insulting! I am currently at 320 and I am 5' 7" and will be banded on the 29th. My Dr. thought that it was a good choice for me. I think that some doctors try to steer patients to gastric bypass because it is much easier insurance-wise, and some have much more experience with gastric bypass. I would suggest getting another opinion. Good luck!

Sultana