Seeking Info About Lap Band Procedure

Hi T.,

Read these stats at http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23298... I know that this is an article from Australia but the procedure has been done down there for years. I have found several sites that show death as a complication.

There are always pro and con opinion of anything on the web. If your sister's obesity is not life-threatening, I personally would avoid it, but of course that's not my decision. My husband successfully lost 110 pounds and has kept it off for 3 years now. He is tall and carries it well but he was terribly worried when he saw the scale say 398. He was successful with getting his nutrition and balancing his body with a good absorbable multi-vitamin.

If your sister in law decides not to do the surgery or would just like to talk to me about my husband's weight loss, feel free to contact me. I would be glad to help.

Regards,

M.

Hi, T., My mother just had her procedure February the 12th, 2008. She is doing well. She has had no problems with it except nausea when she eats a litle too much. Within the first 2 weeks, she lost almost 18 pounds. Her lap band isn't even filled yet! They want you to wait until you heal to fill the band. She is due to have the band filled soon. She is feeling great on it and was up and out of the house doing normal stuff by the weekend. (Not housework or anything straining) Just normal grocery shopping and things like that. I am hoping to have the procedure myself. She is doing so well on it, I am looking forward to having it done. There are many stories from others as well, anything can go wrong...but, my moms outcome is great thus far. Good Luck.

Hey T.,
I know someone who did have the procedure done and didn't have good results..and it was 100% her fault..when she had the procedure done a few years ago there wasn't much help in how to eat different..and she didn't change her lifestyle..so yes she ate less but not the right kinds of food..so basically she wasted the money for the surgery..I am sure the lap band works well but it is not an instant cure..I highly in favor of a lifestyle change (not diet) and exercise..nothing beats it! I hope this helps. :)

Tell her to go to www.obesityhelp.com
That is where I went to fond out info on my surgery. I have my surgery in November 2002. I had the Roux en y surgery and recommend it to anyone that is serious about a better life for themselves

Most of the people I know got their stomach stapled instead of the lap band, but only because insurance will cover stapling, not that.
The things I have heard are from a girlfriend of mine who was considering it, but again is going in for stapling instead, just because insurance is covering it for her. She actually wanted the lap band.
The main concern is the band slipping out of place. Surgery is required if this happens to fix the problem, but it will only cause issues if it gets tangled with the smaller intestine.
It does take more work then stapling because the band is not a permenant device. You have to actually work on your diet and exercise more. It is less evasive then stapling and when you are ready to have your life back to normal and eat foods you love, you can have it loosened or removed.
There are less risks involved, but again, more of a commitment to lose weight.
I would keep in mind that there is probably a reason insurance companies cover stomach stapling and not the lap band. Especially since the lap band is quite a bit less evasive.
Hope this helped.

I had a friend that had that done and the band grew into her stomach. She had to have it removed and gain a lot more weight than she lost. Also they can leak and cause a serious infection. Please be careful with these things.

Through Lapband.com, your sister can sign up for an information session/seminar given by the doctors and nurses at Emory that do the whole process. It is a very eye-opening meeting that gives all the good, bad, and ugly including what the surgery entails, what happens before surgery, after, what you'll eat, what is required of you... EVERYTHING. At the one I went to, they even had a former patient speak about his expereince. They also tell you how to find out if your insurance will pay for it, and what that process is. They have a pretty well-rounded program there: insurance help, psychological, nutritional, and the doctors that do the surgery. You're not alone though any of the process. The experience is different for everyone, so other people's stories might not be the best way to get information. I went to this meeting, and stayed to ask questions afterward that applied to me, personally. The surgeon, the nutritionist all stayed afterward to answer one-on-one questions. I recommend going to one of those meetings together with your SIL so that you can get all the information together. I was skeptical before I went, and now I know that I definitely want to do it. That's my personal decision. Right now, I'm going through the process of trying to pay for it. (My insurance has an exception for it.) Ayway, I hope all this rambling was helpful.

The patient that spoke at the meeting told us about a blog site that most of them use to tell about their journey, but the site name escapes my memory right now. If you're interested, I'll see if I can find it for you.

Hi T.. My name is S. and my mom has had the lap band done. She lokks ten times better than what she did before she had the surgery. As long as your sister sticks to the plan that the doctor gives her and does not cheat in any way she will suceed her goal for weight loss. My mom has went from a size 24 in pants to a size 18. She is still working as her diet continues and looks better each day. She was a big person but she is a great person now. It will not hurt her like I said because you have to stick with what the doctor tells you to. She will be fine. I hope this helped you out a little. Sincerley, S.

I have a friend that just had it done a couple of weeks ago and she is doing good on it, but her main complaint is eating stuff she shouldn't be and the reaction you can have to it, even a small portion. I would highly recommend changing your eating lifestyle before you get the band so that it's not so much a shock and it's more a habit after you get it. good luck!