So I am so close to finishing up all my tests and everything that needs to be done to get my surgery date. Today I found out that a friend of a friend died from conplications of her lapband. My aunt and grandma and reallly hesistant about me doing this. They want me to have a talk with them tonight and tell them why I want this and why I can't just eat healthy and exercise without the band. Idk what to say....

Just lay it all out, what you've tried, what hasn't worked, and what your future as an obese person holds....Good luck, I'll be thinking about you!

hi ...this is freaky!--but it won't deter me. Odds are that you and I will do just fine like most do. I will definately be scared pre-op, but I am ready. Maybe the complication was to do with the surgeon? or maybe she did not watch whart she ate? or maybe it was one of those one in --- chances of it really going bad. stay focused---i will too. we can do it!

what kind of complications did she have that caused her death?

The rate of mortality is much lower than any other type of WLS. What were the complications? Was is something surgeon-related, or was it an underlying condition she had?

Yes, the rate of mortality is very slim for lap-band patients. I drilled my surgeon about all the possible risks and have read as much info as I could find. As long as you are a relatively healthy person, the risk is slim and success rate is high. Tell your family that you have done all the research and you know that the pros outweigh the cons. Tell them that you are at risk of dying if your stay at an unhealthy weight. If you really want this, you definitely need to be aware of the possible risk involved (as with any other major surgery). But if you've exercised and eaten healthy and tried every other avenue to lose the weight and it still hasn't happened for you, then this is an excellent option for you. It's absolutely the right option for me. My family was weary too, but they know I know what's right for myself and they support me.

I hope that this helps and I hope it works out for you!

Did your friend have co-existing comorbidities? Or issues with anesthesia?

Why is your aunt and grandmother wanting to intervene?

Edited July 19, 201016 yr by dm5201

When you set yourself out to the world and tell them about this type of elective surgery, you will open yourself up to criticism and the all to familiar "friend of a friend" scenario.

If you are 110% dedicated to this procedure then this sort of feedback should not be to deterring to your decision. If you are really intending to go forward, then do not let negative forces hold you back from your decision. In my opinion, if you do then you are not ready. If you do it, own it.

I hope the best for you.

I don't think you can make a decision to band or not based on someone else's complications. I say that b/c complications can vary WIDELY. What I mean is what exactly was the complication? Was the patient following all the rules, eating the right stuff? Where there other underlying medical conditions? Was the surgeon good?

Good Luck!!

When you set yourself out to the world and tell them about this type of elective surgery, you will open yourself up to criticism and the all to familiar "friend of a friend" scenario.

If you are 110% dedicated to this procedure then this sort of feedback should not be to deterring to your decision. If you are really intending to go forward, then do not let negative forces hold you back from your decision. In my opinion, if you do then you are not ready. If you do it, own it.

I hope the best for you.

This is why I did not tell the general public that I'm choosing to do the surgery.

I didn't want to hear the "friend of a friend" stories and "I heards"....

I think you should find out exactly what happened to this woman that she died from the lap band. I'm sure there is more to it.

I have researched this surgery greatly and have only heard of 2 people dying and they both had outside circumstances.

This is why I did not tell the general public that I'm choosing to do the surgery.

I didn't want to hear the "friend of a friend" stories and "I heards"....

I think you should find out exactly what happened to this woman that she died from the LAP-BAND®. I'm sure there is more to it.

I have researched this surgery greatly and have only heard of 2 people dying and they both had outside circumstances.

Well said!

thanks everyone. i definitely want to go forward with the lap band i was just really upset because yesterday i had plans on telling my family about my decision so it didn't really help my case that someone had just died from it. fortunately, my family didn't even bring her unfortunate experience up. they agreed that it is something that i should do and have decided to support me :]

You never did state what caused her death.

i was never given the details unfortunately. (and really don't have a way of finding out because the person we know told someone who told us. ) i don't think anyone was suppose to know but we found out. i just heard that she had complications with her lap band and died in her sleep. i am sure there were other factors involved. sorry for not clarifying.

Knowing how inaccurate third party communications (and rumors) can be, I'd not be so fast to blame the band until the specifics were known. Death relating directly to the band is so rare it is practically non-existent.

Brad