I used to think surgery was a lazy person's alternative, but I no longer feel that way. After many ups and downs--the most recent struggle being Weight Watchers--I have carefully weighed the options and scheduled a date for Lap Band surgery.

I have explored the pros and cons, talked to people in person who have had the procedure done, and decided at this point in my life that I'm going to take the chance and have this done. No amount of hard core dieting and exercise on Weight Watchers would get my weight to budge permanently. I started Weight Watchers in early 2012 and after about 1.75 years, I had lost 30 lbs. Not bad, but not spectacular. I had one difficult semester recently where I ate a moderate amount of food (still turning down a lot of things), and didn't log my points as closely, and I gained it all back. I have been struggling with my weight, in some form or another, since I was 14, and I'm just tired now.

I have sleep apnea, I'm fatigued a lot, my cholesterol has been elevated for a while (high LDL's and triclycerides and low HDL's), and I have been hypothyroid (treated with medication) for several years. My BMI is about 38.8. Not to mention the fact that this extra weight just makes me feel horrible in my own skin--I have a suspicion that it's keeping me from getting a job, and I don't have that many more employable years to start a career, as I'm in my late 30's.

Insurance won't be paying for this, so I've secured an out of pocket loan for the procedure. I've booked it for April, because if it works like it's supposed to, at about 10 lbs per month, I should actually be able to wear some decent T shirts by summer and not still be hiding behind sweaters.

I've weighed the risks and the benefits. So can anyone give me advice or share their story? I hope I'm making the right decision.

Thank you so much, Jamilyn....I am getting more nervous by the second...not about the surgery...but about failing AGAIN....I keep reading my nutrition instructions over and over, writing notes to myself and just questioning how am I ever going to do this? I am such a wild eater...i graze constantly for a few days and then will not eat for a few...my appetite is all over the map and after years of failing on every program imaginable, I just let go for a few years, But, this is not me....I love clothes, shopping, doing activitiies with my family...all things I no longer do, and I miss it so much.I turn down invitations and have lost friends because I always say to myself " what will you wear, you look terrible in everything". I am so tired of it.I am 56 years old but might as well be 96...I feel that I cannot go on like I am, so this just has to work for me. I have contacted a nutritionist who is going to follow me after the surgery, also. I have to be accountable to someone besides myself. Also, I am computer illeterate...how do you get those slides on your page? I wish you well, and thank you for your encouragement and great sound advice

Those rulers underneath are called "tickers". I had to go back so I could tell you how to do it. Go to your profile - go to settings and then to tickers (right underneath theres a group of tabs and you should see one that says tickers). There's different ones that you can choose from.

I tried everything too - I really did and I was afraid I was going to fail also (I'm still afraid of it because I've done it so many times). I was a grazer, a binger, and I just overall LOVE food. The lapband helps control the amount. It doesn't control your head though - so you may still have cravings (called head hunger). For me that's my addiction talking - because I was/am addicted to food & that's why I was overweight.

You are gonna be OK - you'll see - head up & think about the future! You will get the hang of everything & you have us on here to turn to. If you ever want to look something up - there's a search section right above - if you have a question there was probably a thread (conversation) made by someone on here to help you out also.

I am so tired of it.I am 56 years old but might as well be 96...I feel that I cannot go on like I am, so this just has to work for me.

I know the feeling, that's what pushed me in this direction too. I am 36 but may as well be in my 50's or 60's or something. I remember back in 2007 when my weight had started to creep up, my friend (who was 45) and I were taking a class together, and they had us do an assignment called "What's your real age?" It asked us a battery of questions, including (1) whether we wore our seatbelt (2) whether we smoked (3) what our weight was, etc. Even though I am responsible about seatbelts, helmets, medication, no smoking, etc, I still ended up in the same "real age" category as her--45. And I was only 29 at the time.

I felt that was so discouraging. I made a promise to myself then that I would lose the weight as soon as school was over (ha ha), but that was the first in a long line of lies I told myself. I'm going ahead with the surgery because I'm tired of lying to myself.

Edited February 21, 201412 yr by Skywalker

That sounds exactly like me. Good luck with your surgery and your new life.

Skywalker, maybe a different perspective will shed some light for you as well. I have always been a physically fit person. I've never struggled with weight until my daughter was three years old. She is now 16. I've tried WW, Atkins, South beach, you name it. My doctor suggested lap band surgery a year ago. I was appalled! I was really taken aback! So tried my hand again at losing on my own. One year later I visit my doc again and this time when he brought up WLS I listened. I realized that this food industry had me caught up. Portion sizes out of control. Driving for miles to work, sitting for hours only to drive those same miles and then eat a high calorie meal while watching TV.

Let's not mention the, pcos I was diagnosed with, along with hypothyroidism, acid reflux, stomach bacteria, bad knees and back from carrying 289lbs. I'm 5'10" and weight is weight! Heavy as hell! I was tired of being "tired". I consider myself a bit of an exhibitionist. Can't do that it you're fat an unattractive feeling (speaking for myself only)

So.... I was banded Thursday 2/19/14. Day of surgery I weighed in at 275lbs. I can't wait for what the future holds regarding my weight loss. I plan to follow this by the letter. Nothing will hold me back.

Good luck to you on your decision.

Skywalker, maybe a different perspective will shed some light for you as well. I have always been a physically fit person. I've never struggled with weight until my daughter was three years old. She is now 16. I've tried WW, Atkins, South beach, you name it. My doctor suggested lap band surgery a year ago. I was appalled! I was really taken aback! So tried my hand again at losing on my own. One year later I visit my doc again and this time when he brought up WLS I listened. I realized that this food industry had me caught up. Portion sizes out of control. Driving for miles to work, sitting for hours only to drive those same miles and then eat a high calorie meal while watching TV.

Let's not mention the, pcos I was diagnosed with, along with hypothyroidism, acid reflux, stomach bacteria, bad knees and back from carrying 289lbs. I'm 5'10" and weight is weight! Heavy as hell! I was tired of being "tired". I consider myself a bit of an exhibitionist. Can't do that it you're fat an unattractive feeling (speaking for myself only)

So.... I was banded Thursday 2/19/14. Day of surgery I weighed in at 275lbs. I can't wait for what the future holds regarding my weight loss. I plan to follow this by the letter. Nothing will hold me back.

Good luck to you on your decision.

Starfish I love this!! Not gonna get many beads at my weight. I just want to get my life back and start living again and doing the things I enjoyed.

I noticed that you mentioned hypothyroidism (I have this as well)....does anyone know the answer to this question--does hypothyroidism cause obesity, or does obesity cause hypothyroidism?

I had thought this was something I'd have to live with the rest of my life, but my friend (a nurse who had the lap band done) said I might be able to get off both my thyroid meds and my cholesterol meds when this was all done.

Advice for those researching Lapband:

Ask what your doctor's experience is with removing lap bands. How long can I expect to keep my band before it needs to be removed? (Bands are being removed anywhere between 2 years out and onwards. I personally know of only 3 people who have had their bands 5+ years and one of those is on band #2.)

What long term negative effects have your patients experienced with Lapband? Lapband is a high pressure system. The band creates a great deal of pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. The esophagus, in attempting to move food into the pouch, puts tremendous pressure on the LES, as well. Over time this causes damage and the sphincter fails to open. This creates a feeling of being "stuck" but your food hasn't even made it to the pouch. This situation is becoming more and more common in the banded population and causes permanent long term damage that cannot be reversed. This is what is called "difficulty swallowing" on the disclosure. It's actually band induced achalasia. Often on the various wls forums or social media groups, people will speak of random tightness, difficulty with swallowing yogurt, liquids, etc, regurgitation of meals despite cutting their food, chewing thouroghly and eating only 1/2 cup meals.

What's your practice's re operation %?

(Re operation following Lapband is upwards of 50%) any claims of lower % might mean your doctors patients are seeking help elsewhere when problems arise.

How many of your Lapband patients have reached goal weight? (Average EW loss is in the 40-60% range...if you have 100 lb to lose, you can expect to lose 40-60 lb.)

What do you consider compliance?

-attendance at support meetings?

-weighing, measuring, logging food intake?

-adherence to a particular diet?

-steady weight loss?

-monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual band check ups?

-what is the protocol for fills?

(Many doctors consider failure to lose 1-2 lb per week noncompliance despite their patients claiming to adhere to a strict protocol.)

I hear a lot about certain complications such as: achalasia, gastroparesis, adhesions of stomach to liver, erosion, band slips, band tightening without a recent fill. What's your experience with these issues. (More and more banded patients are experiencing these complications starting as early as 1 year post op and as long as 9-10 years out.)

Will you band someone with autoimmune disorders? (This is a mixed bag...my personal experience is that having a foreign object in my body exacerbated my IBS)

Do you screen for contraindications using EGD, esophageal manometry and upper GI? (These tests should be done to evaluate your ability to tolerate banding)

If I have a hiatal hernia, what procedure do you use to repair it? What type of sutures do you use? (Nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures are never used in conjunction with bariatric surgery to repair existing hiatal hernia).

As a final warning, recently there have been increasing reports of cardiac issues following banding...irregular heartbeat, arrhythmias, palpitations, etc. The heart and the esophagus lie side by side in the chest. The vagus nerve(controls heart rate, breathing and GI tract) is also in the same area. Food retained in the esophagus puts pressure on the nerve and heart. This is not good.

I'm posting this because although I lost over 100 lb while I had my band, I now have permanent esophageal damage, cardiac problems and I'm on additional medications to manage the complications caused by my band. I was compliant with diet and lifestyle changes. Part of the problem was that my hiatal hernia was repaired using a nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures. Also, upon removing my band it was found to be placed very high on the stomach. I didn't have esophageal manometry testing prior to my band placement. (My band doctor was recently named as one of Seattle's Best Bariatric Surgeons for 2013.) 3 years later I had 0% motility when tested. I never had swallowing problems before banding. I still have difficulty with many foods.

Bands are a money maker for doctors who are still implanting them. They get paid to put them in, fill them, empty them and remove them, then revise their patients. Many reputable medical institutions will no longer implant a band and many who still do, consider it a short term device and remove within 2-3 years then revise to gastric sleeve before permanent damage is done.

I thought the band was least invasive. I have 15 incisions on my belly I didn't have when I started this. 3 surgeries, dozens of diagnostic, invasive tests, $150,000 later and I don't have a WL tool. I have a cardiac condition I didn't have, esophageal dilation and achalasia + 3 new meds costing me $150/month out of pocket.

There are risks with all surgeries. Hopefully the questions I suggested will help you make a fully informed decision.

Do your research and be open to hearing the "negative" along with the positive...it might save you from years of suffering. Best of luck to you!

Bandarella

Edited February 23, 201412 yr by Bandarella

Advice for those researching Lapband:

I hear a lot about certain complications such as: achalasia, gastroparesis, adhesions of stomach to liver, erosion, band slips, band tightening without a recent fill. What's your experience with these issues. (More and more banded patients are experiencing these complications starting as early as 1 year post op and as long as 9-10 years out.)

Will you band someone with autoimmune disorders? (This is a mixed bag...my personal experience is that having a foreign object in my body exacerbated my IBS)

Do you screen for contraindications using EGD, esophageal manometry and upper GI? (These tests should be done to evaluate your ability to tolerate banding)

If I have a hiatal hernia, what procedure do you use to repair it? What type of sutures do you use? (Nissen fundoplication and pledgeted sutures are never used in conjunction with bariatric surgery to repair existing hiatal hernia).

As a final warning, recently there have been increasing reports of cardiac issues following banding...irregular heartbeat, arrhythmias, palpitations, etc. The heart and the esophagus lie side by side in the chest. The vagus nerve(controls heart rate, breathing and GI tract) is also in the same area. food retained in the esophagus puts pressure on the nerve and heart. This is not good.

Bands are a money maker for doctors who are still implanting them. They get paid to put them in, fill them, empty them and remove them, then revise their patients. Many reputable medical institutions will no longer implant a band and many who still do, consider it a short term device and remove within 2-3 years then revise to gastric sleeve before permanent damage is done.

There are risks with all surgeries. Hopefully the questions I suggested will help you make a fully informed decision.

Do your research and be open to hearing the "negative" along with the positive...it might save you from years of suffering. Best of luck to you!

Bandarella

You seem to be painting this picture there's a grand conspiracy by doctors who want to install bands only to revise them later so they can make more money? That's such a stretch I can only laugh!

I do agree that all patients perform their due dillegence as you suggest and some of your questions to docs are appropriate.

Many of your other claims such as how much weight can be lost isn't as definitive as you portray it. Many reach their goal or within a few lbs of their goal.

"(Re operation following Lapband is upwards of 50%) any claims of lower % might mean your doctors patients are seeking help elsewhere when problems arise." Or, it means that your doctors patients have a very low % of revisions and re-ops?? Other than a study of patients having surgery 15-2 years ago all new studies are closer to 5-12%.

Your other silly assertions regarding achalasia, gastroparesis, adhesions of stomach to liver are rare, few and far between. But for those of you who worship at the Facebook page "Failed Lapbands etc" I understand this is your method of fear mongering and bullying.

It's unfortunate that you had so many problems and we'll never know if these problems would have happened with or without the band will we? I have one question? Are you one of the admins on the FB site or just a crusading member?

I noticed that you mentioned hypothyroidism (I have this as well)....does anyone know the answer to this question--does hypothyroidism cause obesity, or does obesity cause hypothyroidism?

I had thought this was something I'd have to live with the rest of my life, but my friend (a nurse who had the lap band done) said I might be able to get off both my thyroid meds and my cholesterol meds when this was all done.

Hypothyroidism slows the metabolism making it difficult for the body to burn the neccessary calories for energy and weight loss.

My plan is to only have to ingest a Vitamin and that's it! No more meds is my goal. By the way since the little bit of weight lost prior to surgery my husband says that I don't snore as bad as before. Good sign.

I concur with 2muchfun. Really!?!? This is not the forum for your negative rants.

My doctors has done over 1000 lap band procedures. He will ONLY do lap bands which makes him an expert in his field. He's admitted to having 2 errosions and 1 port flip. The errosions came from from non-compliant patients. The port flip he admitted to not securing properly. I can tell you from feeling where my port is there will be no flipping! I an honest doctor.

I think that there's nothing wrong with apprehension prior to any surgery that's a normal human reaction. But for you to come here and put out that much negativity is too much. I'm sorry your method of WLS didn't work out.

By the way, what are you doing to reach your weight loss goals other than hanging out here scaring the crap out of people?

You seem to be painting this picture there's a grand conspiracy by doctors who want to install bands only to revise them later so they can make more money? That's such a stretch I can only laugh!

Did I state anything that was untrue?

I do agree that all patients perform their due dillegence as you suggest and some of your questions to docs are appropriate.

Many of your other claims such as how much weight can be lost isn't as definitive as you portray it. Many reach their goal or within a few lbs of their goal.

And many more do not:

This study was performed to determine the long-term consequences of laparoscopic gastric banding on weight loss, body image, and life quality in morbidly obese patients. After a minimum follow-up of 9 years (mean follow-up 10 years; range 9-12 years) several questionnaires concerning weight loss, body image, and life quality were mailed to 180 morbidly obese patients following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. One hundred and twelve (62%) patients (92 females, 20 males) completed and returned the questionnaires. Of the entire sample, 73 (64.9%) patients still had the first band, 17 (15.3%) a second band, and in 22 (19.8%) probands the band had been removed for various reasons. Average weight loss, calculated as change in body mass index, was 13.9 kg/m². <Average excess weight loss (EWL) was 30.6%. >A total of 10% patients accounted for >50% of EWL. Half of the probands were completely satisfied with their weight loss and about half had reached their planned weight. Lowest post-operative weight was reached at different times, in nearly half of the probands after 2 years, in one-fourth after 4-5 years, and in about 20% at a later time. More than 90% of the probands experienced longer interruptions in weight loss; about half knew why. The findings indicate that overall quality of life was rated good to excellent by two-thirds of the probands, and fair to poor by one-third. A close correlation was seen between extent of weight loss and quality of life and body image. Despite some limitations, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is an effective and safe long-term surgical treatment for a majority of morbidly obese individuals, resulting in long-term weight loss and health-related quality of life. However, there is also a minority of morbidly obese subjects who do not benefit enough from this kind of bariatric surgery. Future research should investigate what kind of bariatric surgery is best for the particular obese individual in order to minimize unsatisfying post-operative results.

Major Subject Heading(s) Minor Subject Heading(s)

Body Image

Weight Loss

Adult

Aged

Body Mass Index

Female

Follow-Up Studies

Gastroplasty [psychology]

Humans

Male

Middle Aged

Obesity, Morbid [psychology] [surgery]

Patient Satisfaction

Quality of Life [psychology]

Questionnaires

Treatment Outcome

PreMedline Identifier: 21613809

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

"(Re operation following Lapband is upwards of 50%) any claims of lower % might mean your doctors patients are seeking help elsewhere when problems arise." Or, it means that your doctors patients have a very low % of revisions and re-ops?? Other than a study of patients having surgery 15-2 years ago all new studies are closer to 5-12%.

Your other silly assertions regarding achalasia, gastroparesis, adhesions of stomach to liver are rare, few and far between. But for those of you who worship at the Facebook page "Failed Lapbands etc" I understand this is your method of fear mongering and bullying.

I'm confused about your use of demeaning adjectives. I'm not aware of the page you mentioned.

It's unfortunate that you had so many problems and we'll never know if these problems would have happened with or without the band will we? I have one question? Are you one of the admins on the FB site or just a crusading member?

I know I did not have these problems pre band and I do now. I know what my doctors told me is causing them.

Your condescending tone tells me that you don't want to hear anything negative about banding. Unfortunately, as Dr Phil says "...it doesn't matter how flat you make a pancake, it still has two sides..." Gastric banding also has two sides. Results that are great on one hand and some pretty nasty complications on the other. It's good to listen to lots of different opinions without resorting to name calling and paranoia.

Banderella,

Yes you did post something untrue. Your figures are for patients who had surgery up to 19 years ago. Recent studies indicate it's closer to 12% but you knew that?

I've already heard all the negative stories about the band over and over and all of you band deniers use the same studies and claims from patients who had surgery many years ago.

It's just the sleazy way you present your opinions that concern me. You make it seem like 50% of all patients are going to come down with what you experienced and again, we don't know if the band failed you or you failed the band. food addictions cause many people to say things to mask their own inabilities to deal with losing their pacifier.

Your over the top portrayal of the band's efficacy causes one to question your virtuosity to the facts.

BTW-You never answered my question regarding your participation in the Facebook site, "failed lapbands and realize bands" ??? Are you a member or one of the admins?

Edited February 24, 201412 yr by 2muchfun

Bandarella,

You missed this one from the same page you quoted. The surgery is much more effective now than in the first 10 years.

OBJECTIVE:

BACKGROUND:

METHODS:

RESULTS:

Ann Surg. 2013 Jan;257(1):87-94. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e31827b6c02.

Long-term outcomes after bariatric surgery: fifteen-year follow-up of

adjustable gastric banding and a systematic review of the bariatric

surgical literature.

O'Brien PE , MacDonald L, Anderson M, Brennan L, Brown WA.

Abstract

To describe the long-term outcomes after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding

(LAGB) and compare these with the published literature on bariatric surgery.

Because obesity is a chronic disease, any proposed obesity treatment should

be expected to demonstrate long-term durability to be considered effective. Yet for bariatric

surgery, few long-term weight loss data are available. We report our 15-year follow-up data after

LAGB and provide a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature for weight loss at 10 years

or more after bariatric surgical procedures.

We performed a prospective longitudinal cohort study of LAGB patients using an

electronic database system (LapBase) to track progress, measure weight changes, and

document revisional procedures. The evolution of the LAGB procedure was recognized, and

revisional rates for 3 separate periods between September 1994 and December 2011 were

described. In addition, we performed a systematic review of the peer-reviewed published

literature collecting all reports that included weight loss data at or beyond 10 years.

A total of 3227 patients, with a mean age of 47 years and a mean body mass index of

43.8 kg/m, were treated by laparoscopic adjustable gastric band placement between September

1994 and December 2011. Seven hundred fourteen patients had completed at least 10 years of

follow-up. Follow-up was intact in 81% of patients overall and 78% of those beyond 10 years.

There was no perioperative mortality for the primary placement or for any revisional procedures.

There was 47.1% of excess weight loss (% EWL) at 15 years [n = 54; 95% confidence interval

(CI) = 8.3] and 62% EWL at 16 years (n = 14; 95% CI = 13.6). There was a mean of 47.0% EWL

(n = 714; 95% CI = 1.3) for all patients who were at or beyond 10 years follow-up. Revisional

procedures were performed for proximal enlargement (26%), erosion (3.4%), and port and tubing

problems (21%). The band was explanted in 5.6%. The need for revision decreased as the

technique evolved, with 40% revision rate for proximal gastric enlargements in the first 10 years,

reducing to 6.4% in the past 5 years. The revision group showed a similar weight loss to the

overall group beyond 10 years. The systematic review of all bariatric procedures with 10 or more

years of follow-up showed greater than 50% EWL for all current procedures. The weighted mean

Display Settings: Abstract

1

Author information

PubMed 

Long-term outcomes after bariatric surgery: fifteen... [Ann Surg. 2013] - PubMed - NCBI Page 1 of 2

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23235396 2/23/2014

CONCLUSIONS:

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How to join PubMed Commons

at maximum follow-up for LAGB was 54.2% EWL and for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was 54.0%

EWL.

The LAGB study from 1 center demonstrates a durable weight loss with 47%

EWL maintained to 15 years. This weight loss occurred regardless of whether any revisional

procedures were needed. A systematic review shows substantial and similar long-term weight

losses for LAGB and other bariatric procedures.

Edited February 24, 201412 yr by 2muchfun

any WLS can and do have complications (not just the band)

and any WLS can be successful (that includes the band)

adults can choose whichever to get and no one WLS is btter than the other

results vary with patients, their doctors etc