Hello

I have been aproved by my insurance to have the Lapband process!

I was looking on the web to get more info on the side affects of the Lapband and to see if i could get more information from people who have had the procedure. Before i got to this site i was reading that 20% of the people that had it done had it reversed. Also the artical said that 60% have experanced naseua, vomiting, and abdominal pain. i am not sure how old this information is but wanted some inpute.

I am 6'4inch tall about 330 lbs with Hyertention, Diabetis and Acid Reflux deseas and bad circulation. Do you all think this could help me?

Last, i have lost the weight a few times but i put it back on realy fast, i dont think that is healthy do you?:embaressed_smile:

Thank you

Ed, I think you are right, your info may be dated. The lap band is a very successful weight loss surgery and I can recommend a book or two (available from Amazon and most likely your local barnes and noble or borders store)....

I got my band 8/29 and never had a moment's nausea or vomiting. HOWEVER (caveat) the point of the band is to FORCE Portion Control by restricting how quickly one can eat and how much one can eat. If you try to sit down with a plate of fried chicken or a big juicy steak and chow down like the "old days" (just naming 2 favorite foods of mine here) you are going, once your band is tightened, to be one very unhappy camper. food that can't go through your "stoma" (the small opening to your stomach that is formed by the placement and tightening of the band) will get "stuck". If it can't go on down, it goes back up! That is unpleasant because it involves esophageal spasming, gouts and bunches of thick mucous affectionately called "slime", and an enraged stomach. No bile or acid comes up so it isn't really normal "vomiting" but it is still mighty unpleasant.

You can begin to see that, most times, this is caused by user error....if you don't chew at least 30 times before swallowing, if you take too large a bite, or if you are full but keep eating, BAM! up it comes.

The big plus of the band, of course, is that you CAN eat steak (especially once you've lost your excess weight) and be full and happy (and healthy) with a much smaller portion that what used to satisfy you.

Some people prefer their band super tight and so will be prone to PB and Slime (PB means "productive burp, by the way) Others, like me, will prefer to follow the rules, use a little will power, listen to the old body, and hope to avoid EVER doing that PB thing. Not all vomit, slime, PB. Just some.

As to having it removed? Maybe in the early days. Bands are more kindly devices now. They slip less and rarely erode, but the first ones were larger and more rigid and had more concommitant problems.

If you (god forbid) get a disease and need "more" nutrition, the band can be loosened (unfill, they call it) and in rare instances where you develop an autoimmune disorder of some sort, the band can be removed. (try that with another bariatric surgery!)

Aside from any surgery being risky, the band requires one to change eating habits. (no drinking with meals; it washes food through and negates the positive effects of the band) No carbonated beverages ever (champagne, soda, beer, tonic water) because the gas they cause is misery and can in extremes do damage. If you eat out of boredom etc the band can't stop that; it only curbs true physiologic hunger. The "head" hunger is in your boat.

So you can see it may be an effective tool for one to use to lose weight. I liken it to a hammer; it won't build the house unless you pick it up and use it. But for driving a nail, it's very very useful to have it!

Thanks again Restless Monkey - you said pretty much everything a person who is considering WLS needs to know. :girl_hug: