Hi all

New to the forums here as I've been researching due to my decisions earlier this month to seek consultation for weight loss surgery. A little background about me. I'm 36 yr old AA male that started to think about this very seriously after my wife and I finally were able to get pregnant after numerous bouts of bad luck. We experienced numerous miscarriages and in 2011 actually had an episode of still birth around 6.5 months. We were on the fringes again this past yr but am proud to say we're parents to not one but 2 of the most beautiful 6 month old boys you could lay your eyes on. This has really got me to thinking at this weight am I going to see my boys get married, go to college, or even go to high school. Thinking towards the future there aren't many 370+ pound 50 yr olds out there!

So after all that being said I had my consultation on January 18th. Dr Kellum is highly recognized in the field of obesity surgery but I gotta say I was left a little uneasy after it seemed him and his staff tried to sway me towards a sleeve gastrectomy. They in my opinion were telling me all the negatives to force me to choose another procedure. I chose the lap band because of the minimal evasiveness of the procedure. Did anyone else here battle with the decision to band vs another procedure? Thanks for your replies in advance.

You've been asked before to cough up the stats, facts and studies to back up your wild accusations? Let's see the facts? No BS, no spin, just the facts m'am?

"Wild accusations"? No one is accusing anyone, except perhaps, you? You have your band, you're doing well, keep at it. But someone who is young, responsible for little children and has his whole life ahead of him should not be told to choose a device that is failing at ever increasing rates. I belong to two different failed bands groups on different sites that each have almost 700 members. One of the groups has 3-6 new members joining per day. When I ask someone to PM me for links, they aren't banded yet or are having complications. Those are the people I'm trying to help. If you're happy, I'm happy for you. Please don't accuse me of lying, as your post implied.

"Wild accusations"? No one is accusing anyone, except perhaps, you? You have your band, you're doing well, keep at it. But someone who is young, responsible for little children and has his whole life ahead of him should not be told to choose a device that is failing at ever increasing rates. I belong to two different failed bands groups on different sites that each have almost 700 members. One of the groups has 3-6 new members joining per day. When I ask someone to PM me for links, they aren't banded yet or are having complications. Those are the people I'm trying to help. If you're happy, I'm happy for you. Please don't accuse me of lying, as your post implied.

He's not accusing you of lying, however you keep throwing out these statistics without facts to back them. Saying you know people on websites saying they're having complications doesn't mean there's a high failure rate of the band, it means there's a lot of people who are abusing their band or simply not doing what they should be to work with their band. If someone's band is having issues because they're chronically over-eating, eating around the band, drinking carbonation, or walking around with it too tight then the band didn't fail the patient failed.

Oh and links to half wit so-called "studies" don't count either. An actual study is going to take patient caused versus band caused failure into account, not just a flat percentage based on bands removed.

If you have an actual study that differentiates between patient caused failures and band caused failures, please by all means, post it here.

Even if the person isn't lying... It's 700 people at most her two sites have 1400 people that's 1400 out of how many??? Probably a million .. The band works if u work w it don't think with any of these that u can continue to eat what u have! We got these surgeries because have trouble keeping weight off at risk or have diabetes high blood pressure etc. if your on this site to just bash the band get off! We're are all here for support sorry ur band didn't work for or with u but we are here as a group with bands that WORK because we work with the band....

He's not accusing you of lying, however you keep throwing out these statistics without facts to back them. Saying you know people on websites saying they're having complications doesn't mean there's a high failure rate of the band, it means there's a lot of people who are abusing their band or simply not doing what they should be to work with their band. If someone's band is having issues because they're chronically over-eating, eating around the band, drinking carbonation, or walking around with it too tight then the band didn't fail the patient failed.

Oh and links to half wit so-called "studies" don't count either. An actual study is going to take patient caused versus band caused failure into account, not just a flat percentage based on bands removed.

If you have an actual study that differentiates between patient caused failures and band caused failures, please by all means, post it here.

Unfortunately there is no way to differentiate between complications caused by noncompliance vs those caused directly by the band and no study to date on this subject.

Basically it sounds like anything I say will be dismissed as irrelevant or incorrect, so why should I bother?

If failures are caused by "If someone's band is having issues because they're chronically over-eating, eating around the band, drinking carbonation, or walking around with it too tight then the band didn't fail the patient failed." then there needs to be a different tool for these people...the band is the WRONG choice for those who will not or cannot comply.

That said, I complied, didn't slip my band, it tightened up on its own over 15 months until almost no barium would drip thru and has caused me miserable GI problems. The OP asked the question, I answered it based on my experience.

Even if the person isn't lying... It's 700 people at most her two sites have 1400 people that's 1400 out of how many??? Probably a million .. The band works if u work w it don't think with any of these that u can continue to eat what u have! We got these surgeries because have trouble keeping weight off at risk or have diabetes high blood pressure etc. if your on this site to just bash the band get off! We're are all here for support sorry ur band didn't work for or with u but we are here as a group with bands that WORK because we work with the band....

Not my intent, just answered his question.

Unfortunately there is no way to differentiate between complications caused by noncompliance vs those caused directly by the band and no study to date on this subject.

Basically it sounds like anything I say will be dismissed as irrelevant or incorrect, so why should I bother?

If failures are caused by "If someone's band is having issues because they're chronically over-eating, eating around the band, drinking carbonation, or walking around with it too tight then the band didn't fail the patient failed." then there needs to be a different tool for these people...the band is the WRONG choice for those who will not or cannot comply.

That said, I complied, didn't slip my band, it tightened up on its own over 15 months until almost no barium would drip thru and has caused me miserable GI problems. The OP asked the question, I answered it based on my experience.

I don't disagree with you at all, actually. There are WAY too many people getting the band that simply shouldn't have it. They go into this completely blind and ignorant to the facts. I often wonder, are there this many doctors just shoving patients through with little or no information or are there this many people foolishly ignoring their doctor's instructions? But even so, it needs to be specified that this is why people are failing, not that the band is failing.

I know some people have issues by no fault of their own. It's horrible but it happens and it's the risk we take going into surgery. Heck there's no guarantee I won't be one someday, who knows? I just know that there has to be some distinction between patient caused failures versus band caused failures to give a truly objective and honest portrayal of the band. Just saying "I've read the stories of 700 people having problems" without mentioning that 75% have no one to blame but themselves is extremely misleading.

I don't disagree with you at all, actually. There are WAY too many people getting the band that simply shouldn't have it. They go into this completely blind and ignorant to the facts. I often wonder, are there this many doctors just shoving patients through with little or no information or are there this many people foolishly ignoring their doctor's instructions? But even so, it needs to be specified that this is why people are failing, not that the band is failing.

I know some people have issues by no fault of their own. It's horrible but it happens and it's the risk we take going into surgery. Heck there's no guarantee I won't be one someday, who knows? I just know that there has to be some distinction between patient caused failures versus band caused failures to give a truly objective and honest portrayal of the band. Just saying "I've read the stories of 700 people having problems" without mentioning that 75% have no one to blame but themselves is extremely misleading.

Ok...but where are you getting your "75% have no one to blame but themselves " statement? Isn't that the same thing? I'm speaking for myself and giving examples from my experience and others I know. The only person who knows if a person has been compliant, is that person...we don't have access to their thoughts, actions, etc. Even if there was such a study, how would you be able to determine compliance without locking them all up, standardizing their food, delivering it cut up and monitor their chewing, speed of eating etc. Pretty ridiculous proposition. If someone says they've been compliant, you have to believe them; give them the benefit of the doubt. I know plenty of peeps with band problems who beat themselves up over eating the wrong thing, or eating too fast, thinking they caused the problem. Hasn't everyone forgotten what they were doing from time to time and made a mistake. I've had the stomach flu three times since being banded and my band stayed put. A little less judgement and an open mind go a long way towards an informative and possibly helpful adult conversation.

I don't have an issue with you or your posts, but I do with those who take it upon themselves to "patrol" the complication forum and try to bully those of us who are utilizing that forum to share for the benefit of others.

Ok...but where are you getting your "75% have no one to blame but themselves " statement? Isn't that the same thing? I'm speaking for myself and giving examples from my experience and others I know. The only person who knows if a person has been compliant, is that person...we don't have access to their thoughts, actions, etc. Even if there was such a study, how would you be able to determine compliance without locking them all up, standardizing their food, delivering it cut up and monitor their chewing, speed of eating etc. Pretty ridiculous proposition. If someone says they've been compliant, you have to believe them; give them the benefit of the doubt. I know plenty of peeps with band problems who beat themselves up over eating the wrong thing, or eating too fast, thinking they caused the problem. Hasn't everyone forgotten what they were doing from time to time and made a mistake. I've had the stomach flu three times since being banded and my band stayed put. A little less judgement and an open mind go a long way towards an informative and possibly helpful adult conversation.

I don't have an issue with you or your posts, but I do with those who take it upon themselves to "patrol" the complication forum and try to bully those of us who are utilizing that forum to share for the benefit of others.

No one is trying to bully anyone, in fact I have been nothing but respectful and decent to you. I simply don't want people scared off by unfounded horror stories anymore than I want people getting banded who truly have no business getting one. People need to see the good and the bad, but not presented in such a way to make the band look horrible or like a magic bullet. Neither extreme is good or honest.

No one is trying to bully anyone, in fact I have been nothing but respectful and decent to you. I simply don't want people scared off by unfounded horror stories anymore than I want people getting banded who truly have no business getting one. People need to see the good and the bad, but not presented in such a way to make the band look horrible or like a magic bullet. Neither extreme is good or honest.

Read my post again...I have no issue with you.

"Wild accusations"? "a device that is failing at ever increasing rates"

Again, facts(proof?) please? Anecdotal assertions are not facts fyi.

Mark Twain: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes"

ok, here comes my pov from nc

any WLS has pros and cons

some have issues and some dont

the more that have complications are the ones more vocal against and suggest other surgeries..as are the ones who are not compliant

(please note that no matter what WLS one gets, things do happen, good and bad) so one is no better than the other. i feel one must do what works for them and be compliant as you can be,, if something awful happens, that is terrible but success will vary with any WLS...based on many things..

(please note that no matter what WLS one gets, things do happen, good and bad) so one is no better than the other. i feel one must do what works for them and be compliant as you can be,, if something awful happens, that is terrible but success will vary with any WLS...based on many things..

Exactly!

I knew that each surgery had bad potential outcome but

1) I felt I COULD NOT LOSE THE WEIGHT ANY OTHER WAY. I honestly felt SO hopeless knowing I had 100+ lbs to lose

2) i felt that the lapband as opposed to the other surgeries was less scary/invasive

But yes, every surgery can go horribly wrong and have complications. It's just about making sure the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks before making the decision to proceed with WLS

I see this a very talked about topic. Lapbandster I couldn't have said it better myself as I'm in the same boat. I feel I need to lose at least 100lbs and quite frankly can't do it alone. I too fear then cutting away of body parts etc that's why I'm choosing the band.

I see this a very talked about topic. Lapbandster I couldn't have said it better myself as I'm in the same boat. I feel I need to lose at least 100lbs and quite frankly can't do it alone. I too fear then cutting away of body parts etc that's why I'm choosing the band.

Good luck on your decision!

Let us know how it goes!