Hello, my name is Mona and I am new to this board. I will be having the Lap-Band sometime in December, as soon as I decide which doctor to use. I am weighing my options between Dr. Aceves and Dr. Kirshenbaum right now but will be making my final decision within the next week or so.

I am really worried about being put under anesthesia because I have heard that with a BMI over 60 it can be really dangerous. Has anyone heard of this or can anyone give me some advise on this? Is it normal to be afraid that you will not wake up?

Also, if any of you had a BMI higher than or close to 60 and can give me some support, I would really appreciate it. I haven't any co-morbidities, but I do think I may have sleep apnea and I cannot afford to have a sleep study done before the surgery.

I appreciate any advise you can give.

It's normal to be afraid......but almost unheard of to not wake up!! Lapband is a very safe procedure altho of course any time we have anesthesia we are at risk.

A year and a half ago, I had a BMI of 62 (same as my age!) and lots of co-morbidities - heart attack, 4 heart stents, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc etc etc!! I doubted they would even let me have surgery.....but after a very extensive physical, they cleared me, said there was no reason for me not to have the surgery. I went in to the hospital at 10 a.m., walked out to the my car at 2 p.m. and haven't slowed down since! I am now off all meds and my BMI is 37 (lost 160 lbs) and am still losing.

Have you talked to the surgeon yet? Most require a sleep apnea test before surgery because that is a risk factor. If your insurance pays for the surgery, they should also pay for the sleep study. Check it out. That little CPAP machine brought me much relief and improved how I felt before I had surgery.

Check out this link....it should be very helpful.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/thread-super-sized-bandsters-starting-bmi-over-50-a-16168/

Good Luck with your surgery,

Maureen

I had surgery with an over 50 bmi. My surgery went very well. I had no problems with the anesthesia. That was some of the best sleep I have ever had.

I had my surgery done by Dr. Kirshenbaum. My experience with him was wonderful. I wouldn't change a thing.

About the sleep study. Do you have any insurance at all? My insurance wouldn't cover the band, but it covered the sleep apnea test. I had concerns before possibly having sleep apnea while I was thinking about weight loss surgery and my general pract suggested I get one. You don't have to get it, but if you have any concerns it may be good to take the test. Both my parents have sleep apnea and they have improved a lot since getting their CPap machines.

Good luck w/your decisions.

I have a BMI of 53 and just had an endoscopy a couple of weeks ago and had no problems whatsoever with the anesthesia. I had never been put to sleep before so I was anxious about it too but everything went well. Good luck to you!

I am also going to be banded in December (10th). I had the gall bladder removal surgery my doctor recommended in August. I have sleep apnea and it seems that coming out of anesthesia was worrisome I had to be re-intubated. I needed an asthma treatment when I awoke and then released same day. Just make sure the anesthesiologist knows she suspect sleep apnea so that they can be more alert. I had the sleep study done, and they couldn't really get a good reading on me because I was up so often during the night. Who can sleep with all those wires?

Surgery is always risky, I make sure I pray before I go in.

Good luck with your surgery, I have about 160 lbs I need to lose and hope that at my age (54) I will be successful. I think if I'm not banded now I will die too early.

Thanks so much for all of your advice. I just have to get me head into it as much as my heart is into it.

Every operation has a risk. You need to realise things can go wrong but thats something you have to decide for yourself. Being very obese is a very high risk also. You have to decide if you want to go on like you are now or take a risk. I for sure would never have lost so much weight on my own.

I had an bmi of 50 when I had my lapband placed. I was desperate and very depressed and frankly did not care anymore if something went wrong or not. I was one of this 1 perc of which things did go wrong during the operation. I died during the operation and they had to reanimate me. I was in operation for 6 hours and woke up in intensive care after. That was a big shock but if you ask me now would you do it again I would say yes. Thats my personal decision. I weighted over 150 kg with 1.68 meter. I could not walk had enormoush bloodpressure and did not see how I was ever going to get out of that. The enormousity of losing all that weight seemed impossible to me. Now one year later I weight 90 Kg. I still have a long way to go but I can fit in a airplane, I can move and walk and my bloodpressure went back to normal. I can actually buy clothes in an normal shop. I feel so much better. I dont feel like I am so gross anymore. People used to stare at me on the street. Kids would point at me and men used to look at me in disgust. Now I am feeling more normal. It is a risk you take and only you can decide if it is worth that risk.

Hello, my name is Mona and I am new to this board. I will be having the Lap-Band sometime in December, as soon as I decide which doctor to use. I am weighing my options between Dr. Aceves and Dr. Kirshenbaum right now but will be making my final decision within the next week or so.

I am really worried about being put under anesthesia because I have heard that with a BMI over 60 it can be really dangerous. Has anyone heard of this or can anyone give me some advise on this? Is it normal to be afraid that you will not wake up?

Also, if any of you had a BMI higher than or close to 60 and can give me some support, I would really appreciate it. I haven't any co-morbidities, but I do think I may have sleep apnea and I cannot afford to have a sleep study done before the surgery.

I appreciate any advise you can give.

I recommend reading this thread:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/thread-super-sized-bandsters-starting-bmi-over-50-a-16168/

Thank you all so much for the encouragement.