I attended a seminar yesterday and was shocked at the idea that where I'm going they don't do alot of lapbands anymore because the success rate was low.

The presenter also mentioned that one person in a years time had lost 7lbs. I thought that was unbelievable it really made me confused as to what to pick in regards to WLS. I see so many wonderful stories hear of success. I just can't imagine getting the band and only losing that amount of weight in a year:thumbdown:

I attended a seminar yesterday and was shocked at the idea that where I'm going they don't do alot of lapbands anymore because the success rate was low.

The presenter also mentioned that one person in a years time had lost 7lbs. I thought that was unbelievable it really made me confused as to what to pick in regards to WLS. I see so many wonderful stories hear of success. I just can't imagine getting the band and only losing that amount of weight in a year:thumbdown:

HI THERE! hope all is well!!! here's the thing....the band is a TOOL. its not a quick fix. like that treadmill sitting in the corner with clothes hanging off it...if we use it for a clothes hanger, we get no use out of it....

there are some, that have not lost weight with the band....but is it because of the band? well, no...you still have to use the tool....everyone is different, and if you are determined to cheat, and eat your way around the band, you can succeed at that.

I was banded July 1. I have lost about 75 lbs thus far....(about 50 pre op) I have no fill at all, and let me tell you, I have worked for EVERY pound. but I have also not been sick once, or been stuck once.

I guess it depends where you go...my practice, all they do is lapbands, and I know many and you will find them here also, that have lost 100 lbs plus...

it is the safest, and least invasive bariatric surgery. it also gives you the best chance at living a normal life...it is normal to make Cookies with your kids at xmas...not normal to eat a dozen...but you can have 1 or 2 and be ok...not so with the bypass....

I personally would never consider the bypass....heres a website that makes it clearer...

Lap-Band vs. Gastric Bypass

if you want to change your life, you have to work at it, and if you do, the band will be your friend...if not, then you know, you wont!! its actually quite simple...ya gotta work it baby!!

feel free to email any time!

TAKE CARE!

I have been banded for a year now..........I have had a very, very hard year. FOr some reason by body fights the foriegn object and I have swelled really band with my fills. Than had to have the fill taken out...........never really made it to a good fill level due to fills/to tight than ER visits to get all the Fluid out and start over again........last time I got a fill I ended up in ER twice once for the unfill and the second time due to espohagual spasms.............

I am the only one in my group that has had problems.......just my luck. I don't think the foriegn object agrees with me.

I have lost 50 pounds but alot of that was pre op...........would I get the band again probably not but I had no idea how my body would react

Right not I am trying not to get anymore fills and trying to do it on my own..................I may convert to the sleeve if we can't figure out why I can't get fills without ending up in ER.

I also was not pr RNY and went band because of that.........the sleeve I am curious about though.

I attended a seminar yesterday and was shocked at the idea that where I'm going they don't do alot of lapbands anymore because the success rate was low.

The presenter also mentioned that one person in a years time had lost 7lbs. I thought that was unbelievable it really made me confused as to what to pick in regards to WLS. I see so many wonderful stories hear of success. I just can't imagine getting the band and only losing that amount of weight in a year:thumbdown:

It seems to me that if a practice can state that they don't have much success with the LAP-BAND®, the problem lies with the practice, not the band itself.

A co-worker told me a similar story a few days ago. I told her to check out this website, read all the success stories and go to another practice. This kind of scenario makes me wonder about the aftercare at the practice. It's been my experience that the aftercare is at least as important as the surgeon and all the pre-op education.

Cindy

Don't let that get you down - I had the same thing happen when I went to our seminar....they were actively talking up the bypass surgery and stated that the stats were not as encouraging for the lap band............but when I met with my surgeon and talked to him about it he said that the reason the stats aren't as good is that sometimes people don't follow up with their doctor -- either b/c they have gained weight and didn't get their fills, or b/c they are losing well and don't need to......he told me that as long as I understood it was a tool to be used and not a quick fix that he felt I could do very well.

Surgery was March 2009 - I have lost almost 100 lbs now...inching closer to it every day! LOL When I do make it to the support group I noticed that the majority of the folks there are bypass folks, too, and not as many banders....I am not sure why....but it is that support group that walks down to the seminar to talk to the folks thinking about surgery....so now I feel like I need to go and be a lapband example, know what I mean? Not to brag or anything, but I hate it that folks get the impression it can't be done as well with the lapband!

Good luck!

I see this trend a lot. And the main reason it crops up is because there are usually multiple doctors that do the seminars. If Doctor A is a bypass doc, s/he will always push the bypass and really downtalk the band. Vise Versa also applies. I really feel like there should be 2 seminars, one for people interested in bands, one in bypass and let the respective doc represent. There is no sense in confusing people that are wanting help by trying to line their own pockets by swaying their decision.

Like others have said: It's all what you make of it. That's why I think it's so important to research and make sure you know as close to EXACTLY what life post-op is like as you can. If you can't make the commitment to eat small portions and chew like it's going out of style, the band's not going to work for you. If you think that tighter is better and get to a point where you can't eat solids, the band's probably not going to work for you--liquid diets are usually pretty high calorie!

And yes, people do experience complications preventing them from losing. I think it's fairly rare, though.

Really. If you can make the commitment to eat small portions of "good" food and chew well, the band will probably help you.

Thanks everyone for your committments they have really helped. My seminar was done by a program coordinator for the wls. I meet with my surgeon Monday so I will discuss my concerns with him also.

I agree with previous posters if they are pushing one surgery it means they have more experience with it. If possible find another surgeon. Go on the manufacturers website and run a search for surgeons near you. When asked at my consult which surgery I wanted I said lapband. The nurse said Okay, but just so you know for someone your size the bypass would be more effective. I had a blood clot last year which means that surgery was to risky (more trauma to the body with longer surgery) so the actual surgeron did not recommend that.

When I met with my surgeon for the first time she asked me if I had considered by-pass and I told her there was no way I would consider it. I didnt want anything permanent done to my body. She said for people with higher BMI that bypass patients lose weight more quickly. I do have a high BMI but its because Im short- she said usually people who have more than 200 lbs to lose do better with the bypass but I dont have that much to lose so she thought I would do good with the band.

Regardless of what she thought I knew I did not want bypass- husband was dead set against that and I didnt like the post op complications that came from bypass.

When I met with my surgeon for the first time she asked me if I had considered by-pass and I told her there was no way I would consider it. I didnt want anything permanent done to my body. She said for people with higher BMI that bypass patients lose weight more quickly. I do have a high BMI but its because Im short- she said usually people who have more than 200 lbs to lose do better with the bypass but I dont have that much to lose so she thought I would do good with the band.

Regardless of what she thought I knew I did not want bypass- husband was dead set against that and I didnt like the post op complications that came from bypass.

Hi Amber,

First Congratulations! Welcome to lapbanded living.

There were great comments here. I'm a long-term successful lapband patient, now maintaining a normal healthy weight since late 2007. I can only reiterate the band is a tool and we have to work it to get the results we want. If you want to be inspired by an incredibly successful high BMI patient, maintaining a 250 lb weight loss you might want to read my mentors story at Sandis Story.