Hi All,

I'm just starting to look into the Lap-band and was wondering if anyone has had IVF (in vitro fertilization) with the band and how it was for you?

I have been married 12 years and we are infertile (low sperm count). As far as i know i should be able to get pregnant ..had an HSG and my tubes are not blocked, no PCOS, the only thing on my end may be the obesity. I have been trying to loose the weight for years and think Lap-band is the route for me. I'm struggling to get below 250 in order to have IVF although i would like to loose a lot more than that for my health . I'm attending the seminar next week and setting up a consultation with the surgeon. I've read many positive stories about conceiving after Lap band weight loss and am hoping in 1 years time i'll be healthy enough to go through IVF. It's been a long 7 years of really TTC (I've done IUI) and i'm not ready to give up but if feel this may be the only promising option left.

anyone with a similar story?

Hi Kekebefree,

I cannot answer your questions directly but I am interested in the responses you get. My Wife and I are in a similar situation as you and your husband. My wife wanted to do the lapband but avoided it because the seminar we attended they told us if you were planning to have a baby you should wait until after a year of being banded or have the baby first.

My Wife has gone through all the testing and she only has one working tube. I also have low sperm count so it really is in the hand of science for us. I had to have surgery in March for sperm aspiration and even though they got some viable sperm they're not sure it's enough. Surgery was not pleasant but the opportunity of becoming a Father was worth it.

We are going to be starting the IVF on her next cycle which is coming up soon.

I wish you much luck and like I said I look forward to the responses you get.

Jim

Hi there....my husband and I ttc for 3 years prior to me getting lap band. We went to a fertility specialist and he said nothing was wrong with either one of us but if I could get some weight off it would help. I started at 253 lbs and within a year I lost 110 lbs which honestly was amazing! The lap band dr told me if I had the surgery then we would need to wait at least a years before trying again. I was ok with that because even though we want children bad and have been together 11 years (married 6yrs) we figured if it's better all around for my health and for children than its worth it! I hit a yr post surgery November 2011 and due to switching insurance we waited to start trying again until January 2012. We had no success on our own so we did an IUI (which was actually my second...did one pre surgery) an no success. We have been seeing a different specialist in Denver Colorado and he said the most IuI he recommends is 3 because your chances actually go down each time you do it. So we opted to try IVF! The dr is very positive of this working because again (second opinion) neither one of us had any issues. I am now at normal weight (sounds weird to say) and we are in the middle of the process. I have egg Retreival done July 2nd and then transfer done July 5th or 7th! Very excited!!!!

So that's my long story but I think what's one more year of waiting for babies if it means your and the baby health! I say go to the class see what you think and make a decision that works for you and your husband :-) I am here if you have any more questions...just stay positive and know that everyone is different and you have a different path than the rest of us do choose what makes since in your life Good Luck!

I went through 3 fresh cycles of IVF before banded and they all failed. I was advised to lose weight so I was banded in 2009. I lost 150# and 2 years after the band all my fertility labs came back NORMAL!! We were told to start ttc naturally and 4 months later I was pregnant. She turned 3 weeks old yesterday and she's perfect.

I know you said the IF was on your husbands side but if he did things to increase his sperm count and you lost the weight maybe you won't need the IVF. Good luck hun, il be watching for your updates

Obviously its a case by case situation however if he is like me he just isn't producing viable sperm. Like I said I had to have surgery to have the sperm aspirated and what they got was not that strong. They suggested we have back up donor sperm just in case. He could also have a blockage and the only way to tell that is with surgery. I wish it was a blockage for me but that's not the case.

Thanks for all of your encouraging words. It helps to hear everyone's stories.

@Jim1967 It's great to hear from a man!! I should get my husband on here..although he's not interested in the lap band. I will mention to him that he should go back to investigating what if anything can be done to improve him sperm. He did years ago..his urologist put him on clomephine for over a year and there was minimal improvement..so I think my hubby gave up...for a while he just started saying he didn't want to have kids but I know it was just because he felt defeated. When we tried IUI in 2010 they were able to get good viable sperm after it was washed but, the IUI was unsuccessful. Within the last year he's been much more sad about us not having a child yet and he's looking forward to trying again through IUI and IVF...but now I'm the one holding up the process because of the weight....it will be another year or two until we could possibly bring a child into the world if going the Lap band route....which is a little hard to swallow...but, it is better than the alternative of possibly never having a child.

The time is a factor for me also because in 2008 I found out I have Uterine Fibroids ....at the time they were small but they are growing and i don't wan't them to get so large that they cause miscarriage which is a major concern.My Reproductive endocrinologist at the time told me I should TTC right away and other issues like my high blood pressure (which I no longer have) and weight have continued to get in the way. I actually will need to have the Fibroids checked out too to see their growth in the last 2 years hopefully they are not too big.

worrying about so many things has been very stressful and depressing...i think it's the reason I haven't been able to loose enough weight on my own. I believe the lap band will help my life overall. I can't wait for the seminar next week!!

Thanks for all of your encouraging words. It helps to hear everyone's stories.

@Jim1967 It's great to hear from a man!! I should get my husband on here..although he's not interested in the lap band. I will mention to him that he should go back to investigating what if anything can be done to improve him sperm. He did years ago..his urologist put him on clomephine for over a year and there was minimal improvement..so I think my hubby gave up...for a while he just started saying he didn't want to have kids but I know it was just because he felt defeated. When we tried IUI in 2010 they were able to get good viable sperm after it was washed but, the IUI was unsuccessful. Within the last year he's been much more sad about us not having a child yet and he's looking forward to trying again through IUI and IVF...but now I'm the one holding up the process because of the weight....it will be another year or two until we could possibly bring a child into the world if going the Lap band route....which is a little hard to swallow...but, it is better than the alternative of possibly never having a child.

Hi Kekebefree,,,

I have been and still am on clomiphene 3 days a week and I take Arimidex once a day. My Urologist found my estrogen level was a little high and was interfering with my testosterone. His hope was correcting this issue would increase my count and it did but very very little. For 7 months we monitored and I had analysis done. Doctor informed me after 7 months we did all we could with medicine and that Surgery was the next step to see if there is a blockage and see if he could extract specimen to use for IVF. On March 28, 2012 I had the surgery and no blockage was found but they managed to extract a little viable sperm. Doctor said it was very little and it would be wise for a back up plan for donor sperm just in case. My Wife and I are still on the fence on that one but a decision needs to be made soon as the IVF is going to start on her next cycle.

As you can see I am pretty open guy and perhaps I over shared here but you're husband has nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Sexual dysfunction comes in a variety of ways and it is a serious health issue for men and women. It can play havoc both mentally and physically.

Here is a link that has an overview of the procedure: http://malereproduct...erm-aspiration/

I can go into more detail on the surgical procedure and recovery if your interested. We can even have a private conversation if you like. Either through here or I can message you my email address.

Also, I still continue to take the meds listed above and will continue to do so. Without getting too much more into TMI I take those meds because of the increased drive and performance and on the non-sexual front I have increased motivation. I have blood tests and see my Urologist every 6 months to ensure all is well.

All the best,,,Jim

I had my lap band put in on June 12 th. It was a long process. I finally decided to pursue it after being rejected by a fertility clinic due to my weight which at the time was around 150 and because I was 40. I started going through the process of getting the surgery authorized when I decided to get a second opinion from another fertility clinic. They were willing to work with us. I am using my younger sister's eggs. Thank you sister! Any way because I was fearful of failure of either procedure failing I went through the process of both without informing one of the other until I knew for sure. I had to go through several appeals and hoops to get the lap band approved and as luck would have it they both were coming to fruition in June. So it was time for disclosure and Decisions. I went first to the lapband team at park nicollet in mn. I had had a very brief conversation with a nutritionist ptior to my second opinion and eas somewhat hopeful. The response from the surgeon once ascertaining my reasonings for waiting was that life is complicated, that the main concerns with bariatric and pregnancy is directed at nutrition. My surgeon noted minimal nutritional issues with the band, that the females bodies put needed nutrition to the baby first, and that people in poverty have healthy births. also noted was the majority of healthy births to women with lap bands. It was also pointed out that with the band that less weight gain during pregnancy the healthier. The fertility doc didn't care as long as the surgeon stayed away from my pelvic area. So. Surgery was completed and I am feeling geat and in about 7 days I will ( hopefully) have my Ivf implantation. I wanted to share my story to give a different experience or prompt new conversations with your treatment team. I wish you the best. Sorry for the length of this. I just ran across this site and was so excited.

Wow!! @ Sara I...Thanks for sharing your story....I wish you much success with both the Lap band and IVF...that's quite an undertaking all at once. good to know that i may not have to actually wait a whole year before going for IVF

just one question and maybe it was a typo but you said you were rejected by a fertility clinic due to your weight at 150lbs? was that correct? I know they told me below 255...so that's what i've been trying to reach for 1 1/2 year to no avail i'm down to 275 but it's been yo-yo up and down and i get so angry when i'm working so hard at loosing and then they pile back on so easily.ugghhh so frustrating....going to the lap band seminar tomorrow...yay!!

Keep us updated on your lap band and IVF progress.

Yeah that was a typo! 250lbs. Wishful thinking I guess. The first place said I had to lose 75 lbs for them to work with us. The second place didn't blink. I highly recommend second opinions. The second place did have a weight requirement for stuff retrievsl but my sister is a healthier weight so no problems there. Good luck to you!

Hi,

I had IVF and my babies before the band, but from my perspective, you should get banded and wait one year and then try IVF. First, my understanding is that the science is advanced but the hormones they pump into you are all affected by how much you weigh, so the numbers and calculations can be off with someone significantly overweight. If you lose a modest 50-70 lbs or so beforehand, you increase the chance of IVF being successful. My doctor made me lose 20 lbs before IVF when I was at 210.

Also, if you are pregnant at 250 and gain 40 lbs with the pregnancy, which is not abnormal, you are at high risk for diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and other issues. As someone who was on bed rest for 12 weeks, trust me it isnt pleasant and you can lose your mind. You have a higher risk of multiples with IVF and that is also riskier with additional weight on you. Not to mention a likely c-section. (I had twins)

On a selfish level, if you get to 275 with a baby, your stomach is going to be crazy stretched out. If you get banded first, you will have less stretching and ultimately reduce damage that may have to be corrected only by surgery.

Wishing you the best of luck. I know right now you just want that little bundle of joy NOW but a healthy mommy is very very important. Not to mention that it's very hard to NOT pick up your 12 mo old for 6 weeks after banding (what I did) because they weigh too much!

Sending love from someone who did the other option...

My doc said I needed to wait at least 18 mos. before getting pregnant, I even had to sign a paper. It's good when they work with you, good luck

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