Hey guys - I have been through about ten different appointments in the last week. Set to be banded on June 11th. I have a couple more to go this week. I guess I must have sleep apena, because I have a CPAP test Friday night. Also my Pulmonologist suggested a vena cava filter to stop possible PEs. He said with my BMI it is a higher risk. My BMI is about 51, but I am a 26 YO. Did anyone else get one of these? Penny for your thoughts:)

I'd say if your pulmonologist is recommending it, you should probably go with his advice. You're a big fella, and so the surgery might take a little longer. Are you a smoker, or do you have a family history of vein thrombosis? Those might be relevant factors.

The thing is, you're lying on the table for a while, not moving, and that makes it more likely for clots to form in your legs. So I think he just wants to play it safe. Which sounds reasonable to me!

The more thorough before surgery, the better. Don't need any surprises while under....

Thanks for the input. With all the blood thinners they will have me on and the compression boots I am leaning more toward not having it done. I will let everybody know once I decide for sure. Tanks again everybody. Its nice to have people to bounce Q's off of who have been through this before.

Wait - what are you worried about? The filter is an extra safety net, and is just slipped in through a vein in the thigh, if I understand correctly. Placing the filter is not a big thing.

I'd say that, unless you're, like, a researcher in blood clotting, I'd let your docs make the call as to whether the blood thinners and boots are enough to prevent clotting. Why take the risk of catastrophe?

Do you think you might be dealing with some kind of internal denial about the seriousness of our condition and the significance of surgery? At our size, I think it's very important to do everything we can to make this simple surgery as safe as possible.

Ask your lap band surgeon - maybe he can be a deciding opinion.

Either way, whatever you decide, we're here for you.

I probably do have some level of denial. After all, I did manage to get up to 542 without thinking I had a problem. I guess when I honestly look at it my only questions are: if it does catch clots, where do they go? Could eventually be blocked? and How does soemthing like this hold up over time. With this surgery I expect to live another 50 plus years.I will have to call my doc later and ask. Thanks for calling BS, maybe thats what I needed.

My brother had to have one put in they called it a Green Field Filter. If a clot hits it, it will break apart when it hits the filter. It can't travel to heart, lungs or brain. I am glad he had it done, one less thing to worry about with him.

Ha! We all had to embrace some bit of denial to get where we got!

For people like you and me - for particularly overweight individuals - the band really IS an extra lease on life, a true second chance. I'd say go for the filter, and I'll bet your surgeon will say the same. Anything to be as safe as possible!

My understanding is that the clot reaches the filter and just gets trapped, and gradually broken down - the critical thing is that it stops the clot from reaching the lungs, where it'll block the artery and stop blood from flowing, and that's all she wrote...

The filter is, of course, icing on the cake - the thinning agents (do they hold those before the surgery? I know we weren't allowed to take aspirin etc to allow the blood clotting to get back to normal) and the stockings will do a good job of keeping clots at bay. But if the icing is offered, I'd say Yes.

The other important thing is to get up and get walking ASAP after surgery, and to walk as much as you can. When you sit around, the blood stagnates, and is more likely to clot, so keep moving! And you'll quickly learn that moving is GREAT for the gas pains (in the left shoulder and back) that many of us feel in the first couple of days.

Hey PR, I second Fenton. The Greenfield is not really that big of a deal, and it has the potential to save your life. You've already lost 95 lbs, now do what you need to do to set yourself up for even more!!

And again: keep walking!

Where I got banded, they get people up and walking in the Recovery Room, shortly after they get out of the OR - and that's what you WANT!

Thanks everybody. I am scheduled to get the filter Tuesday morning, then the band on Wednesday. I will let everybody know how it goes.

I think thats the sensible choice, buddy.

You're going to be fine! We'll give you a day off after you get banded, but you better get back out here and tell us how you're doing.

And how much you're walking!