This week after weighing in just under 300 lb ( Iam a 61 yo 5'9" female) I am considering an action I NEVER would have considered before. I am interested in lap band because it seems less drastic. I would love to hear from others who are happy with the lap band approach.

https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/4-lap-band-surgery-forums/

I'd rethink the lapband. Hardly any surgeons will place them anymore because so many people have had problems with them. Many have had them removed and had sleeve or bypass instead. I know some people still have theirs and love them, but they seem to be in the minority these days.

OP, please do some thorough research before you commit to the lap-band.

"In the best study we have on just how problematic lap band surgeries can be, published in JAMA in May, researchers from the University of Michigan looked at 16 years of Medicare data to see how common “re-operations” were after the first lap band procedure. These involved everything from removing the band to replacing it, fixing it, or following the initial procedure with another weight loss operation (i.e., the gastric bypass). They found 20 percent — or one in five — of the 25,000 lap band patients needed an additional procedure. That’s much higher than the 3 to 9 percent re-operation rate for the gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgeries."

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/5/25/15659878/weight-loss-surgery-lap-band-evidence

3 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

I'd rethink the lapband. Hardly any surgeons will place them anymore because so many people have had problems with them. Many have had them removed and had sleeve or bypass instead. I know some people still have theirs and love them, but they seem to be in the minority these days.

I concur. Do your research, but in my research I have found that lap bands have the most problems and patients are more likely to need them removed and do a different surgery instead.

CLIF NOTES summary of the two most common other gastric surgeries in laymen terms:

I think most docs now prefer the gastric sleeve for a majority of their patients (but NOT ALL). Yes, you are removing a large portion of your stomach, but your stomach still functions to do what it needs to do.... it is just a lot smaller. But the stomach is resilient and stretchable so over time it will accommodate more food than it does in the early months. And the rest of your body parts are in tact. It is a simple surgery procedure wise. Still a major abdominal surgery as any other abdominal surgery... but no more complicated than most other frequent abdominal surgeries.

Gastric Bypass makes the stomach smaller with staples and rearranges the plumbing a bit. Therefore it changes how your digestive system works. BUT... may be the preferred surgery in SOME cases... such as those with diabetes (not all diabetics do this one, but I see more that do this one). This surgery is a little more complex, but in some cases it is the recommended procedure.

Both procedures will get the job done if you work the program as prescribed by your team. Your degree of success is usually dependent on you being willing to put in the hard work that goes with ANY weight loss program... and how you use your new weight loss "tool".

Anyhow... there are a lot of great sources of information about these and other WLS procedures. Do some research. Have an idea what you might want to get done and why.... and consult a WL Surgeon. For my surgeon, the first questions he asked are what have I done to try to lose weight before, why do I want surgery, and what procedure I wanted and why. Then he went on to tell me what he thought and made his recommendation. Anyhow.... most WL Surgeons hold free group information sessions where someone from their staff or even the surgeon themselves give a presentation and overview of the procedures and the qualification requirements. I waited a long time to attend because I was so nervous about it... but I now wish I had gone sooner! Also... feel free to attend them through different surgeons offices in your area. I think locally we have 3 groups who do the surgery at 3 different hospitals. I like my team a lot... but I wish I had shopped around first for the doc team. I might have still picked the same guy... but I just went with who my referral was through.... but I am quite certain my insurance covered at least 2/3 teams.

Anyhow... do your research and whatever procedure you chose, lap band, sleeve, bypass or other..... we will support you as best as we can!

Edited March 23, 20215 yr by momof3_angels

7 minutes ago, momof3_angels said:

I concur. Do your research, but in my research I have found that lap bands have the most problems and patients are more likely to need them removed and do a different surgery instead.

CLIF NOTES summary of the two most common other gastric surgeries in laymen terms:

I think most docs now prefer the gastric sleeve for a majority of their patients (but NOT ALL). Yes, you are removing a large portion of your stomach, but your stomach still functions to do what it needs to do.... it is just a lot smaller. But the stomach is resilient and stretchable so over time it will accommodate more food than it does in the early months. And the rest of your body parts are in tact. It is a simple surgery procedure wise. Still a major abdominal surgery as any other abdominal surgery... but no more complicated than most other frequent abdominal surgeries.

Gastric Bypass removes a portion of your stomach and rearranges the plumbing a bit. Therefore it changes how your digestive system works. BUT... may be the preferred surgery in SOME cases... such as those with diabetes (not all diabetics do this one, but I see more that do this one). This surgery is a little more complex, but in some cases it is the recommended procedure.

Both procedures will get the job done if you work the program as prescribed by your team. Your degree of success is usually dependent on you being willing to put in the hard work that goes with ANY weight loss program... and how you use your new weight loss "tool".

Anyhow... there are a lot of great sources of information about these and other WLS procedures. Do some research. Have an idea what you might want to get done and why.... and consult a WL Surgeon. For my surgeon, the first questions he asked are what have I done to try to lose weight before, why do I want surgery, and what procedure I wanted and why. Then he went on to tell me what he thought and made his recommendation. Anyhow.... most WL Surgeons hold free group information sessions where someone from their staff or even the surgeon themselves give a presentation and overview of the procedures and the qualification requirements. I waited a long time to attend because I was so nervous about it... but I now wish I had gone sooner! Also... feel free to attend them through different surgeons offices in your area. I think locally we have 3 groups who do the surgery at 3 different hospitals. I like my team a lot... but I wish I had shopped around first for the doc team. I might have still picked the same guy... but I just went with who my referral was through.... but I am quite certain my insurance covered at least 2/3 teams.

Anyhow... do your research and whatever procedure you chose, lap band, sleeve, bypass or other..... we will support you as best as we can!

I agree with this - but one small correction. They don't actually remove any of your stomach in the gastric bypass. They just divide it in two with surgical staples. So technically, the bypass is reversible - but they don't do it unless you have a serious medical issue that can't be corrected or treated any other way.

25 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I agree with this - but one small correction. They don't actually remove any of your stomach in the gastric bypass. They just divide it in two with surgical staples. So technically, the bypass is reversible - but they don't do it unless you have a serious medical issue that can't be corrected or treated any other way.

Ah... yes... Catwoman is right! Thats what happens when I am giving advise while being interrupted LOL. I will Edit if it lets me