Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Failed Lapband



Recommended Posts

Hello everyone! Here is my lap-band story...I got banded on 8/2014 SW:369, I am now almost 3 years out and weigh 335lbs. Clearly I failed my lap-band. I try not to be hard on myself but its almost impossible not to be. Post-op I had 2 pregnancies (1 of which was a demise) So needless to say my weight was up and down, at my lowest I went down to 312lbs. I recently had a baby boy 12/2016 highest prepartum weight was 345lbs, I came down to 335lbs postpartum, had a fill on 5/3/2017- initially I went down 6lbs and now I'm back up! I am not a victim here..I know my eating habits play a major role. There are days where I am your regular Jillian Michaels and others where I'm eating like a 15 y/o boy going through a serious growth spurt.

Nonetheless, I feel defeated. I am scheduled to have another fill on 6/5/2017, but called my surgeon and asked for a VSG consult instead. I am lost, confuse..torn all of the above. Part of me feels like I just need to get back on track and remain consistent..the other part of me feels the band is just not enough for me and the amount of weight I need to lose. Help! I could really use some advice. Thank you in advance!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I can relate to this. I was banded back in Nov of 2011. Whereas I did lose about 60 lbs in total, I only lost 38 or so after the band. I tried my hardest, tracked all intake and expenditures. I just couldn't break 300. I'm currently floating between 300 and like 315. I felt defeated. I felt like a failure. I stopped going to my surgeon for check ups. I just kinda gave up on the band. Recently I decided that I have had enough of the getting stuck on good for you foods and was just done with failing at weight loss. I was nervous, anxious, and a bit scared to step foot in my doctor's office. But with my wife in tow, I did just that. I was relieved to find out that my experience, wasn't abnormal at all. I wasn't a failure. The band was over hyped and typical results were WAY less than promised. My doc told me that some companies have stopped making the band or replacement parts all together. One is in the process of selling their part of the company that does bands altogether. So, please do NOT take all the blame!

I'm currently working towards revision to bypass. I thought about the sleeve, but my doc will not do band to sleeve revision due to scar issue build up under the band being directly in line to where they staple when they sleeve. Scar tissue doesn't heal to scar tissue the same way that healthy tissue heals to healthy tissue. So, if I wanted the band she would refer me to another surgeon in her office, but she wouldn't do it because the increased risks of leaking were just too great for her to justify doing the procedure. That and going from a long term band installation to sleeve will *not* have the same outcome as those going from nothing to sleeve. As I'm already used to the restriction, it won't be as effective. So, I'm going to revise to the bypass.

Just understand, that the band was not the product that it was reported to be. You are not alone in the failure. The band failed you, not the other way around.

Stay strong. Stay positive. Stay focused.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just went from band to sleeve in one operation. 8/31. It was rough! Doc said so much scar tissue be bad to maneuver through and he's a surgical pioneer and professor in Bariatrics


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had my band 7 yrs. don't miss it but the recovery for me with all scar tissue was much jarder


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was banded two years ago and lost very little weight. Over time, I even gained 30 pounds with the band. Needless to say, I felt the surgery was a complete waste of time and money for me. I know many people have been successful, but I wasn't one of them. I revised to the DS this past June, and have been thrilled with the results. (I too had a lot of scar tissue from the band.) Revising to the DS was the best decision I've made for my health. Don't feel like a failure. The band just doesn't work for some people. I had about 8 fills and never felt a restriction.

Edited by Strivingforbetter

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello everyone! Here is my lap-band story...I got banded on 8/2014 SW:369, I am now almost 3 years out and weigh 335lbs. Clearly I failed my lap-band. I try not to be hard on myself but its almost impossible not to be. Post-op I had 2 pregnancies (1 of which was a demise) So needless to say my weight was up and down, at my lowest I went down to 312lbs. I recently had a baby boy 12/2016 highest prepartum weight was 345lbs, I came down to 335lbs postpartum, had a fill on 5/3/2017- initially I went down 6lbs and now I'm back up! I am not a victim here..I know my eating habits play a major role. There are days where I am your regular Jillian Michaels and others where I'm eating like a 15 y/o boy going through a serious growth spurt.
Nonetheless, I feel defeated. I am scheduled to have another fill on 6/5/2017, but called my surgeon and asked for a VSG consult instead. I am lost, confuse..torn all of the above. Part of me feels like I just need to get back on track and remain consistent..the other part of me feels the band is just not enough for me and the amount of weight I need to lose. Help! I could really use some advice. Thank you in advance!

How are you doing? Did you get a revision surgery?

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 11/26/2017 at 8:02 PM, SheLand said:

I had the lap band back in 2011 lost close to 70-75 pounds
But I have regained it all back
No restriction except I get choked on grilled chicken emoji849.png looking to have band removed and sleeve done in jan

I hated getting that choked, stabbing feeling when I ate chicken with the band. So glad that useless monster is gone.

Edited by Strivingforbetter

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×