Would like to hear both positives and potential negatives of Lap Band Surgery. I really need to address my weight issues. I have bi-lateral knee and hip replacements and the weight is putting too much pressure on the prosthetics. Tried everything and have finally just given up. Talk to me people.......

Well, in my opinion, you're not "giving up," but you are "TAKING CHARGE." You've realized, like all of us, that DIETING does not work for you (or us), so you are deciding to take charge of your health and mobility by getting a TOOL to help you lose those pounds. You will read positives and negatives about all three WLSs. My opinion only......... I wanted the lap band because it is the least invasive surgery option. It is also adjustable, and if needed, removable. Negatives...... You MUST change your eating habits...... no gobbling, must eat very slowly, tiny bites, chew, chew, chew. You must also be patient bc for most, the weight loss is sometimes slower than it is with the other surgeries. It is such a personal decision. My only regret...... waiting till I was 53 to have it!

Best Wishes!

I second what Healthynewme said ! Everything ! Im soooo happy with my band, it gave me my life back ! The only thing I regret is that I did'nt get it sooner ! Sign me, Happy, healthy, and feeling 10 years younger !

I also agree with what HealthyNewMe had to say. I investigated Weight Loss Surgery after having a serious health crisis and decided on the Lap Band because it was less invasive.

I've been banded since Nov 2008 and I will tell you that I'd do it all again. My biggest struggle hasn't been with the eating or the workouts - it's been changing my MINDSET. Start NOW to work on your emotions and your mindset - they are critically important to your level of success.

Work on your self-esteem and self-confidence - decide why you want the surgery and what you are willing to do (and NOT do) to succeed. Boost your positive energy, make plans, and stick to them - no matter what. Treat this as if it's a case of life or death, because it IS.

Decide now to change your habits for the better - figure out what you need to do to support yourself and build a stronger, healthier you, and then do it - even before you make a final decision about surgery. It will help you to be even more prepared and to achieve your ultimate goal of being a better YOU.

Sending you all the positive energy I can...and applauding you for making the decision to work on YOU.

The positives are obvious, you get to keep your stomach, quick recovery and 50%+ excess fat weight loss if you follow the rules.

The negatives depend on what you're comparing it to? Other WLS techniques or staying obese?

Let's assume other WLS techniques: The band has a higher failure rate than other WLS but not by a lot. About 15% probably won't succeed with the band. Mostly it's due to the inability for many to change their eating habits and fail to make the necessary lifestyle changes of eating healthier foods, eating smaller bites and eating much slower and smaller.

The band is different from other WLS in that it's not a restrictive tool. Once your band is adjusted properly we look for satiety signals. These satiety signals can be ambiguous and very subtle. We call them soft stop signals. This is where and when it's time to stop eating. Some folks really struggle with these signals.

Eating demons that tell us to eat chips, dips, cake, ice cream, fast food are muted for many of us, but for others, they still exist. Banding does not reduce the size of your stomach, the lower 95% is still there. So, if you choose to continue eating, the only thing that can stop you is you.

In the past, it was believed that we filled our pouch with a small amount of food and this is why we felt full or satisfied with less food. This is not true. If you eat like a Bandster, food passes the band(stoma) and falls into the lower stomach. It's the massaging of the esophagus and pressure on the vagus nerve that is believed(theoretically) to help us feel satisfied with less food. Some folks can't help themselves and eat past this stop signal.

It's not a tool that "Makes" you eat less. It's a tool that can help you eat less. So, if you're a grazer, a binger or a closet midnight snacker, the band may work for you but will require a lot of patience and will power.

On the other hand, you might be one of the lucky ones who find the band a very easy and safe way to lose a lot of excess body fat? It's been like that mostly for me.