I have just started my new weight loss journey. Like many others, I have a history of failed diets and temporary weight loss. Several years ago, I managed to lose 70 lbs in one year using traditional methods such as exercising 6 days a week, eating one small meal a day and taking prescription diet pills. I ended up looking great except for the hair thinning, heart palpations and tachycardia and the loss of 3 teeth and gum disease. Starvation is not a good plan so I started eating 3 meals again. I only kept it off for a short while and within a year it was all back plus 30 lbs more. I now weigh more than I ever imagined I could ever weigh. I am pre-diabetic, borderline hypertension, borderline hyperlipidemia, have probable sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and severe GERD. I am way overdue for a lifestyle change but I need help.

I had a consultation with a weight management doctor last week. He recommended bariatric surgery right off the bat. He suggested I have the gastric sleeve procedure. My insurance will not pay for it so he then recommended gastric bypass surgery or gastric banding. My insurance will pay for either one. He told me that he felt that the Lap-Band is a waste of time and that most of his patients end up having it removed. He recommended that I have the gastric bypass surgery. He has a stellar reputation as a bariatric surgeon. BUT.....

Here is the problem: I do not want any part of my body cut off or re-routed. I do not want my intestines altered in any way as I have enough trouble with them as it is. I do not want my digestive system altered and suffer the effects of mal-absorption. Before I had the consultation with a bariatric surgeon, I had already decided I wanted the Lap-Band to use as a tool to help me lose the weight in a healthy way. So, why are some doctors now saying that it is a waste of time??? Is it really true? What to do now?

I am more confused and frustrated as ever.

Maybe a waste of his time. But not mine. Thrilled with my decision.

Find a doctor who supports the type of surgery YOU intend to get. If they are not on board they are not the right doctor to band you.

I love my lap band, didnt even look at anything else as I didnt want my insides rerouted either. The only thing im not "wasting my time on " is sleep apnea, exhaustion, size 18 clothes, and hating how I looked and felt , etc. Now im "wasting my time " swimming , running/walking, shopping for smaller clothes, traveling , climbing stairs easily, and having fun !!! Find a Dr. that supports YOUR wants and needs, NOT just his/hers !!, because you are going to want/need his/her support for a looooong time, so you both need to be on the SAME TEAM. Just sayin' Good luck !

I am a RN and have been for 41 years. There are physicians/surgeons and as many as there are there are that many different opinions. Not saying that one is wrong or the other right, just different views and experiences. I opted for the band because I didn't want to have the risk of something going wrong with the incisions, since I am a diabetic and there is increased risk of postop complications. I know that I can still have something go wrong, but I wanted the least invasive procedure. Go with your gut. Get a second opinion. Good luck.

I agree with everyone else. It hasn't wasted my time. Find a surgeon that is an advocate for you. Also, with your history of hair loss and gum disease, have a surgeon review the issues of nutrient consumption post-gastric bypass. You avoid those issues with the band.

Edited September 8, 201411 yr by kayzoog

Like you, I didn't want anything done to my insides. One of the great things about the band is that it is adjustable. Another is that it can be removed if necessary. I have had my band for 5 years and I would do it all over again.

Do your due diligence. I also loved my band and lost 100 pounds in 2 years. The band then slipped and I gained back 60 pounds and had to have the band removed. I revised to a gastric sleeve.

What a waste of time for a surgeon to have to pay all that pesky post-op attention to his patients rather than going right back into the OR where there's more money to be made and the patients don't talk back. I have had probably a dozen interactions with my surgeon in this first year and I'm grateful that he seems to be as committed to the followup band appointments (assessing for fills, etc.) as getting into his scrubs. For the right kind of doctor, being a lapband surgeon provides a nice variety of patient interaction along with the actual surgical activity, but this isn't for every one. We all know surgeons who have no people skills; lapband is not the right field for them. I personally feel the importance of the followup is key to the whole thing -- having the surgeon available as-needed and on your team. They all perform well in the OR, I'm sure -- it's not brain surgery, it's laparoscopic.

Good luck to you. I love, love, love my band! If something ever happened and it had to come out I'd go through it all again. I'm glad to have my whole stomach.

What a waste of time for a surgeon to have to pay all that pesky post-op attention to his patients rather than going right back into the OR where there's more money to be made and the patients don't talk back. I have had probably a dozen interactions with my surgeon in this first year and I'm grateful that he seems to be as committed to the followup band appointments (assessing for fills, etc.) as getting into his scrubs. For the right kind of doctor, being a lapband surgeon provides a nice variety of patient interaction along with the actual surgical activity, but this isn't for every one. We all know surgeons who have no people skills; lapband is not the right field for them. I personally feel the importance of the followup is key to the whole thing -- having the surgeon available as-needed and on your team. They all perform well in the OR, I'm sure -- it's not brain surgery, it's laparoscopic.

Good luck to you. I love, love, love my band! If something ever happened and it had to come out I'd go through it all again. I'm glad to have my whole stomach.

Yeah, what she said! Ditto Ditto Ditto! I totally agree! I think they just don't want to waste their time and energy providing the follow-up care that lap-band patients need to be successful soooo, they steer people in the direction of other surgeries which only require them to perform a surgery and then they're done.

I am a sleeve patient and started the journey only looking at the band.

I went down the sleeve route because :

1- I know myself really well. I will fail without permanent restriction.

2- lap band is a foreign body with a port forever. Or at least until it fails. So positive thinking. That port in my abdomen forever. Ew. Gross.

3- bypass - couldn't stand the idea of being rerouted. Sleeves have been around a long time for wls and ulcer surgery. I didn't mind losing a piece of a pesky organ

If your insurance doesn't cover it. Talk to your employer about other insurance options. They also have the ability sometimes of telling your insurance what will/won't be covered. Depends on if they are big enough to self fund.

If it's pro at insurance look for other options out there.

I'm sorry to hear that the surgeon you saw is so negative about the band. Yes, I'm still new to this whole thing. HOWEVER .... I'm happier than I've been in a LONG time. I feel great, I'm exercising every day, and my clothes are hanging on me to the point that we are taking most of them to Goodwill this week. The band may be a waste of that surgeon's time, but it's not a waste of mine. I LOVE the way I feel, and I'm proud of the weight loss I'm seeing.

I agree. You need a second opinion.

I questioned my band after surgery wondering if i made the right decision. I realized i need the restriction the band gives me. I know quite a few people who have had other wls and have gained their weight back. This is a tool that i have to be careful with and that keeps me mindful of how much i am eating. Just my thoughts. Good luck with whatever method you choose.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the feedback regarding my post. I definitely think I need a second opinion. Not sure how I am going to proceed even after the second opinion, but I will keep you posted

From your surgeons profile here:

"Dr. Dexter Turnquest is a bariatric and weight loss surgeon located in Houston, TX and affiliated with Houston Northwest Medical Center Hosp./ Memorial Hermann- The Woodlands. Dr. Turnquest has 4 years of experience performing weight loss surgery. Currently 67 of our members have Dr. Turnquest listed as their Bariatric Surgeon"

4 years experience performing weight loss surgery?

I've been banded longer than that....hasn't been a waste of my time. Quite the opposite.

Best wishes on finding another surgeon, if you decide on the band.

I have just started my new weight loss journey. Like many others, I have a history of failed diets and temporary weight loss. Several years ago, I managed to lose 70 lbs in one year using traditional methods such as exercising 6 days a week, eating one small meal a day and taking prescription diet pills. I ended up looking great except for the hair thinning, heart palpations and tachycardia and the loss of 3 teeth and gum disease. Starvation is not a good plan so I started eating 3 meals again. I only kept it off for a short while and within a year it was all back plus 30 lbs more. I now weigh more than I ever imagined I could ever weigh. I am pre-diabetic, borderline hypertension, borderline hyperlipidemia, have probable sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and severe GERD. I am way overdue for a lifestyle change but I need help.

I had a consultation with a weight management doctor last week. He recommended bariatric surgery right off the bat. He suggested I have the gastric sleeve procedure. My insurance will not pay for it so he then recommended gastric bypass surgery or gastric banding. My insurance will pay for either one. He told me that he felt that the Lap-Band is a waste of time and that most of his patients end up having it removed. He recommended that I have the gastric bypass surgery. He has a stellar reputation as a bariatric surgeon. BUT.....

Here is the problem: I do not want any part of my body cut off or re-routed. I do not want my intestines altered in any way as I have enough trouble with them as it is. I do not want my digestive system altered and suffer the effects of mal-absorption. Before I had the consultation with a bariatric surgeon, I had already decided I wanted the Lap-Band to use as a tool to help me lose the weight in a healthy way. So, why are some doctors now saying that it is a waste of time??? Is it really true? What to do now?

I am more confused and frustrated as ever.

Sweetie it's so true! While there are some who have had success with the band and love it, many have serious complications (that can cause permanent damage), and others just don't reach/maintain the results they seek. I had band surgery in 2005. I did lose a considerable amount of weight until it stopped working in 2008. In 2009, I finally found out through the company that the band I had had developed a leak, which explained why it no longer functioned as it should have. I have gone through hell with this thing and would not encourage anyone to get it. That being said, i do not regret wls. However, I do regret having the band and not getting a 2nd or 3rd opinion as to whether it was truly the right option for me. If you can, seek out the opinions of other weightloss surgeons to see if they agree with the option your original weightloss surgeon has decided would be best for you. Think long and hard about your options. Do TONS of research. Meditate/pray on it, and then make your decision.

Best,

KattattaK