I know I want to lose the weight, i'm only 23 and i'm 250 at 5 3', and I have been pushing to get banded for a while now. But now that its going ot happen I am second guessing myself thinking 'why couldn't I just diet and exercisr and do this on my own?' I know that every time before when I have lost the weight I have gained it back so logically I know this will help me but i'm also starting to chicken out.

Can anyone please remind me why lap band is a good thing and how it is better than trying to keep doing it on my own? I just need reassurance please!!!! :cursing:

And I stand by my post. 22 years old is old enough to make an informed choice. 16 years old is old enough to have valid experience.

Lap bands and gastric sleeves and other forms of bariatric surgery have valid complications; in erieli's case they could last a lifetime.

On the other hand, if she works it right, she could be one of the marvelous success stories here.

Reassurance will have nothing to do with either result.

Edited June 1, 201016 yr by AnneGG

16 years old is old enough to have valid experience.

I am usually on the fence when it comes to teens. In this case, the validity of his post went right out the window when he said that lapbands have to be replaced every 5 years.

As for the original poster, questioning and seeking reassurance is great thing. You are still very young and there is plenty of time to make sure you are doing the right thing before you get the lapband or another form of surgery.

Just keep reading. Some people have great experiences but there are many horror stories, some fabricated and some real.

I think I read every post on this site prior to getting banded myself and so far, I am happy with my decision.

My mom and me got the LAP-BAND® done in August of 2009. If you were to get any kind of gastric weight loss surgery, I would recommend either the gastric sleeve or gastric bypass. Gastric LAP-BAND® surgery is alright, but you have to keep getting fills when it stops working, it could leak and you have to get another operation, you have to take it out every 5 years to get a new one in.. it's just too much complications with the LAP-BAND®. My aunt and cousin got gastric bypass and they lost a tremendous amount of weight. My mom had to go back to Mexico to get the LAP-BAND® out because it formed a hole on her stomach where the scar from it was, and got the sleeve. We're not too sure whether or not it works yet, due to her being in the hospital because of complications such as nausea, horrible pain, pnemonia in her right lung, and 5 abscess in her stomach. So I would also recommend getting this done in the United States.

While I am sure you have seen some bad experience, the certainly outweigh the good ones. Research shows that the bypass patients gain all their weight back in 18 months...(look at Carney Wilson) and as for the sleeve there is not enough information to say that it works or it doesn't. One of my friends had the band and while in surgery her stomach tore and it put her in the ICU you think that is worth the risk?? NOT. As for your mom sorry she had some many complications but when you choose to do surgery regardless of what it is in a different country you run the risk of major complications because of their lack of technological advances!. While having a loved one suffer is hard, and your opinion is biased and I get it. But people need to look at the research and find good doctors that makes all the difference in the world.

I will pray for your mother that her recuperation is a good one and quick one~

S

Hey,

I'm in a similar situation as you. I'm 24, weight 242 and am 5'4. I have been going back and forth about the surgery for almost 6 months now. I have been reading a lot of posts on here, as well as some blogs from different banders, as well as some books just trying to get as much information as possible. I am scheduled for surgey June 18th, and have already postponed once.

I came to the realization that although it is great to see what other people's journeys have been like, no two are exactly alike. More importantly, no two surgreons are the same, and the way they approach the surgery will also be different. I read one bloggers post last night that kind of slapped me back into reality. She had a list of questions that she wanted to ask her doctor (I've included some of them below) and got me thinking that although I've been thinking about this surgery for so long, even went so far to book a date (twice) there were still a lot of questions going through my mind that only MY surgeon could answer. I printed a copy of these questions and will be taking them to the appointment I scheduled in a few days.

I highly reccomend doing this, as well as talking to your support system about it, whether that's family or friends, whoever you trust. I believe before you do this you should be 100% comfotable in your decision and educated as to what to expect. The journey will not be an easy one, and it's best we know what we're getting into before we get into it!

I wish you all the best with whatever decision you make!

Questions for the doctor.

1) What kind of band will I be getting? What size? What size port? Where will you put the port?

2) Will there be any Fluid placed in the band during surgery?

3) Do you suture the stomach over the band to help prevent slipping?

4) How long do I have to wait for my first fill? How long between fills? What’s the cost of the fills?

5) What, if any, precautions will need to be taken because of m history with blood clots?

6) Can you suggest Vitamins I should be taking?

7) Why is there such a relation between the lap-band and gallstones? Preventative measures?

8) What’s the occurrence of slippage/erosion in your patients?

9) How many surgeries have you done?

10) On average what percentage of excess weight have your patients lost?

11) How will you determine my goal weight?

12) Will I stay overnight?

13) What is the pre-op, post-op diet like?