Here are some good questions to ask before or at your initial meeting with you band surgeon. I found this when I was cleaning out my computer of all band related items. Seems to be a pretty good list actually. I will make this a sticky for all future bandsters.

Questions about surgery

About the surgery

What is the exact name of the surgery and how is it done? Write down the name if you don't think you will remember it.

Why do you need the surgery?

Will you be able to go home the same day of the surgery (outpatient surgery)? If so, will you need to have someone take you home after the surgery?

Does the surgery require an overnight stay in the hospital (inpatient surgery)? If so, how long will you be in the hospital?

What will you need to do to prepare for the surgery?

What are the risks and benefits?

How often is this surgery successful? What does a successful outcome mean?

What can you do to improve the likelihood of success (such as changing your diet or beginning certain exercises)?

What is the risk of death or disability?

What is the next step if the surgery fails?

What is the likelihood that your problem will return after surgery?

What kind of anesthesia will be used (local, regional, or general)?

How long will the procedure take?

What is the cost of the surgery? Is it likely to be covered by medical insurance?

About your choices

Consider your preferences for treatment. If you are not sure what treatment is best for you, get a second opinion.

Have you considered all your options? Are there any nonsurgical options to consider?

How critical is the timing of the surgery? Is there any flexibility in when it is scheduled? Be prepared to discuss your scheduling preferences.

About your surgeon

What is the surgeon's experience with this procedure? How many procedures has he or she done per year? What is his or her success rate?

Does the surgeon have board certification in this area?

Will another doctor be assisting your surgeon?

Will the surgeon be using a new instrument or piece of equipment during the procedure? Has the surgeon been fully trained in the use of the instrument or equipment?

Who will be giving the anesthesia? Discuss the anesthesia options with your surgeon ahead of time.

Will anyone be in the operating room other than the doctors and nurses needed to perform the surgery (such as a person involved in training the surgeon on a new piece of equipment)?

About your recovery

What should you expect during the recovery period? What is normal?

What kinds of self-care could you be doing to help your recovery?

Will your activities be limited during the recovery period? If so, which activities and for how long?

What help might you need while you recover?

What symptoms should you call your doctor about?

Partnering with your doctor

Tell your doctor your preferences for treatment. Are there other options you would like to consider other than surgery?

Discuss your biggest concerns about the surgery.

Tell your doctor the results you expect to get from the surgery. What outcome would you consider to be a success? What would you consider a failure?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Information is a good, you never can be to informed

I am a new member to this sight, I was banded on 4/29/06, I lost 11-1/2 lbs right away, but I could drink 2 liters of water and never feel full, I think I need a fill and I don't know why I can drink so much water, I have not had any problems except I am hungry all the time, the first 2-3-weeks I didn't have much hunger, but now I do, I am kind of discouraged and I am calling my doctor tommorrow! I have had no side effects, and I can eat about anything! if anyone would like to respond please do! I am wondering what the deal is?

I am a new member to this sight, I was banded on 4/29/06, I lost 11-1/2 lbs right away, but I could drink 2 liters of Water and never feel full, I think I need a fill and I don't know why I can drink so much water, I have not had any problems except I am hungry all the time, the first 2-3-weeks I didn't have much hunger, but now I do, I am kind of discouraged and I am calling my doctor tommorrow! I have had no side effects, and I can eat about anything! if anyone would like to respond please do! I am wondering what the deal is?

You should always be able to get water down even a lot of water.... And it's normal to be hungry until you get the sweet spot on your fill... it could take two or three fills... don't get discouraged it takes time. I know it's hard to hear - I was ready to cuss people who told me to just be patient (spelling)... but know I know how true it was.

I appreciate your words of encouragement, when I first had it done, I didn;t want to eat hardly anything a tomato juice a protein drink and I was good almost for the whole day, now I am constantly thinking of food and I am really hungry, I did see the doctor at 2 1/2 2 weeks and he tried to give me a fill, but I think he only put in 1.2 ccs and I had this feeling like I could not swallow, but then, the next day I was right back to the hungry thing again. do you know how many ccs are normal ?

Everyone is different. I have 2.8 cc's some people are happy with 1cc... It all depends on your internal workings...

That's why it's called a sweet spot, you have to keep getting small comfortable fills until you hit the right spot. My doctor went a bit too fast and I was too full for awhile and that doesn't feel too good.

so when you say to full do you mean like you have hard time swallowing when the doctor is doing the fill? I just think that it is strange I could not eat much at all the day of the short fill, and then the next day I was starving, I can eat alot more than 4-6 ounces?

No "too full" is when you can't keep food down after a week or so...

The day of the fill you get swollen so that's why you could think you are too full when you really aren't. That is why most doctors have you do liquids for a day or two after the fill. So the swelling can go down with out you PB'ing.

It takes about a week or more to really know how the fill is going to be...

I appreciate your answer, I thought this would be easy the way I was feeling the first 2 weeks, I loved my doctor, dr. carson Liu, but I was very dissapointed in the lack of knowledge and no support group for me to talk to. thank you so much, would you say on average the weight loss is about 10lbs a month or a little less? and how much did you lose in your first month, I know everyone is different, how many fills have you had?

Well I started really slow. My surgery date was 2/8/06.. I was hungry day one after surgery. I didn't stay on liquids as long as I was supposed to because of my hunger (but I got my doctors permission to move to the next stage).

I didn't lose anything during the liquid phase which was soooo discourging. My doctor was really nice and he said since I had started with a lower BMI and because I had a bad history of yo-yo dieting that it could take awhile to start losing.

I lost about 6 pounds on my first fill of 1.7 cc on 3/21 .... I lost about 5 more before my second fill on 4/18... since then I've had great restriction though a bit tight for about three weeks and I had to be careful what I ate or I'd PB.

I've started losing but still my average is only a bit more then 1.5 pounds per week. I exercise about 30 - 60 minutes 5 days a week with cardio and weights.

I know it's kind of slow but I'm not unhappy becasue I'm finally going down and I'm thankful for that. I know that had I not done this I'd be 28 pounds heavier then I was and not 28 pounds lights.

I was very discourged in the beginning not losing and hungry all the time and that's why I responded to you. I really depended those first few months upon the help of the people here to guide me though what was normal.

I didn't know at that time it was "normal" to be hungrey until you achieved the proper fill level. Some people are lucky and have restriction right away but some don't.

I didn't have an unfill since my body seemed to adapt to the fill I had and I'm very comfortable now with what I'm eating and "not eating".

thank you so much for answering questions, I had about 100lbs to lose, and I have lost 11 1/2 lbs so I have got a long way to go! keep in touch with me , it helps to not feel like the only one. I am just getting used to this sight! your doing great and I guess it is just going to take time,

I am just considering doing the lapband, but not sure if I want surgery, has anyone had any problems with lesions, scar tissue or any after surgery problems?

I read you talking about fills, but I haven't consulted a doctor yet, so what do mean by fills? Also was it a long process to get approved for this surgery? Would kinda like to hear a beginning to end short synopsis of someone's journey. Thank you, Deb

Bermy

Here is a link on band size

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthrea...130#post231130

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http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8926&highlight=sized+bands

I have a question that I'm going to ask my surgeon's staff tomorrow.

I'm self pay, and so far it appears I will be paying "up front", so say worse case scenario and the surgery, or I do not go as well as expected. Who pays for the emergent/extra patient care, ICU, extra days in the hospital, extra medical care, etc.? Will I even receive emergent care since there's no insurance involved? Will they help me out of the crisis and nurse me back to health and put me on some sort of payment plan or what?

If you haven't had this question(s) come up before, I'll let you know what I find out.

Excellent questions to ask pre-op. I didn't ask those questins and had some complications but the Doc and hospital were very willing to work with me to get it to something I could afford. Also, my insurance paid for some because I ended up in the ER.

Just though Id stop by and say hi..Im going to the Dr.s tomorrow to pay for the lapband sice I have been denied 2 times. My wifes insurance opted out of putting weight loss surgery on their insurance. So fighting it is useless..So im paying out of my own pocket. O'well. Hope all the bandsters are doing good. I cant wait to get mine. Of course im nervous as hell..

See ya.

Scott