Cazzy

I think you may find it useful to read a British article on the band fluffy http://www.bospa.org/Information.aspx?Page=2 I quote directly from that report.. Risks and Side Effects Fortunately, complications are rare but it is important you learn about the potential problems before you decide to proceed with the surgery. Firstly, being obese makes any surgery more risky. Anaesthetics are more difficult, and obesity–related diseases that you may have can add further complications. Statistics show the death rate associated with gastric band insertion to be about 1 in 2,000 operations. The most common cause of death is the development of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Occasionally patients may develop other complications at the time of operation such as an infection in the lungs, stomach or at the site where the reservoir is placed under the skin, which may delay recovery. The placement of the gastric band laparoscopically helps to reduce the risk of complications, and the team who manage your surgery and anaesthetic are specially trained in the treatment of obese patients. They will monitor you closely in the period immediately following your surgery, and take a range of measures to prevent complications from arising, including giving you medications to help prevent vomiting (and dislodging the band) and blood clots and getting you up and about soon after the operation. Overall, international studies suggest that 1 in 10 people with a gastric band will need a further operation at some time in the future. This may be due to: Slippage. Months or even years after the operation, there is always the risk that the stomach will move up through the band and the upper pouch will become enlarged. The band can be re–fixed in the correct position. Erosion. Very slowly, and particularly if the balloon is tightly inflated, the band can work its way into or through the wall of the stomach and cease to be effective. In this case the band would be removed and and replaced if possible. Leakage. This may be due to damage of the reservoir or tubing if fills are not carried out with extreme care or if two of the band components come apart. Again, this would necessitate replacement of the damaged component. Infection of the reservoir/port or tubing. It may need to be resited or replaced if the infection persists and in the case of severe infections which have been resistant to antibiotic treatment, the band may have to be removed. The band itself is made of silicone and there are no known side effects to this material inside the body. However, you do have to bear in mind the possibility that some time in the future your band may need to be replaced simply because it has worn out or newer, better bands have been developed to replace current ones (hip replacement prostheses are replaced for these reasons). If you have a lesser known brand of gastric band from a small company, they may not be around in 20 years time when you need your band replacing. Some people will fail (lose less than 25% of the excess weight) with a gastric band and in these cases, the surgeon may advise that a gastric bypass operation is performed. However, don’t give up too soon on your band if you are one of these people – experience in Australia shows that it can take a full 2 years for people to get their heads around how to live effectively with their gastric band, and when they do, they start to lose weight. The most common cause of the worst risk which is death comes from pulmonary embolism which is a result of any surgery, the lapband and sleeve gastrectomy actually are the safest forms of WLS its bypass surgery which carries a 1:200 death risk ( according to statistics) resulting from complications of the bypass, this is not the case for lap bands. Of course you are entitled to your opinions Healthy informative discussion is good, but the US is only 1 country and if you really want to start down the line of facts and figures then you need to look at things on a more global basis.

Im not sure what the qualifying factors are in Oz as i am in the uk, so cant really help there but the questions i would and did ask were.. 1. What sort of pre-op and post op diet do i have to follow. 2. How long will the surgery take, how long is my stay in hospital. 3. What is the support available, ie support groups, or access to a weight loss nurse etc. 4. How long does the support and fill appointments last.. mine is 2 yrs. 5. Am i a good candidate for this form of weight loss surgery. 6. What is their success and failure rates. 7. I was asthmatic since a child so i asked about not being layed flat till i was out cold on the operating table 8. What could go wrong. Might be an idea to read a lot of the posts here and maybe get some other ideas on questions to ask. I hope everything goes ok for you and i wish you luck !

Is your friend thinking of the sleeve or the more invasive gastric bypass ?, the sleeve just removes a section of your stomach to leave u with a sleeve shaped stomach, bypass will actually re-route intestines and reduce the size of your stomach. This type of surgery is obviously a lot more invasive and complications can be more devastating. I recently saw a tv programme where the bypass patient actually died of starvation, through malabsorbtion of food. Personally I chose the band as i feel in control still, i certainly wasnt happy to have major surgery which is not reversible. Because of my starting weight i was an ideal candidate for bypass surgery but i just didnt feel it was right for me. There are horror stories and failures for all types of WLS so it really is just getting all the info you can and making an informed decision that you can commit to

Might be an idea to look into why you are feeling sick, are you still on liquids ? is your body detoxing ? is it after protien shakes etc, too much sugar or salt ? , i would discuss it with your Doctor if you can as you shouldnt really be feeling this way all the time, or enough of the time to need meds. Its probably something really simple that will go away after a few more days healing but its always worth checking it out with the Doctor. Good luck

Getting the right amount of restriction is very individual, some feel it when they wake from surgery, others take a few fills, some i have read dont really feel restriction, but from what i have read this isnt common. Most surgeons will only do fills on a gradual basis over a period of months as this is the safest method to do it. I have lost weight since day 1, but this was a mind set, the band helps me but also i help myself. If one is looking for fast weight loss you either have to get your mind into the right gear or maybe explore other methods/surgery .. Hope this helps.. good luck in whatever you decide

Great news well done

My biggest fear was about failing, i had a lot of weight to lose and it felt like i was having to climb mount everest, but being fearful of failure made me even more determined to make this band work. good luck for your surgery and keep us posted how you are doing

1. I was on a pre-op diet of 600 calories to shrink the liver took 2 months.. was not on a liquid diet. 2. Liquid diet post-op lasted 4 weeks. Liquid was anything that could be sucked up a straw. 3. My Surgeon and staff are great, 100% happy so no complaints. 4. I liked being on the pre-op diet as once i started eating normal food post -op it felt like i was eating a feast going from 600 calories to 1000 calories. I also like the amount of weight i had lost.

In the Uk weight watchers have their own scales u can buy, not sure about the US but here they are made by Salter which is a long standing brand name of good rep .. I am sure Amazon sell them.

Hope this helps ! Productive Burping (PB)- or sliming is when the contents of the pouch are stuck or rejected and the food or slime is regurgitated back into your mouth .. this is due to the pouch being positioned very close to the oesophagus, the sliming is a response from your oesophagus to try get rid of the food it thinks you are choking/stuck on. Vomiting - or being sick or throwing up etc is when the contents of the stomach, not the pouch are regurgitated.. we have all been 'sick' before were banded.

I have never had an xray when being filled, surgeon knows exactly where the port is and get its first time every go. Takes seconds

Well done on the sustained weight loss over 2 yrs , that really is a great achievement . I too had a great christmas, i allowed myself to eat some christmas treats but made sure i burned them off with exercise and happily did not put on any weight over christmas at all, which was my plan. Last christmas i was on pre-op of just 600 calories a day and that was hard work but all that hard work paid off and this year i was able to enjoy myself .. keep up the good work !

good luck and hope for a slimmer 2012

I dont use protein drinks either i just get all mine from fresh food, if i am hungry in between meals i snack on 3 dried dates or 5 almonds or some 0 fat yoghurt, skimmed milk in coffee are tea also keeps me going too .

I think u should try to add another 100-200 calories a day and increase your exercise if u are doing any, If your weight loss stalls its time to change something but small changes can make a difference so dont go mad and change too much .. good luck

I hope your husband continues to improve and they find a donor for him soon. You seem to have a great reserve of inner strength but the other posters are right u do really need to take care of yourself whilst u are having to cope with everything. Might be an idea to carry some almonds/peanuts or something that has some carbs etc in it so u can snack on something at the hospital if u need to. A car cant run without fuel and u cant do what you have to do without fuel too. Hoping 2012 sees some good changes for you and your family my thoughts and best wishes to you.

I was uncomfortable when i got home but it wasnt really painful. Everyone is different good luck for your surgery.

Are you on clear liquids or just liquids ? if its just liquids i would add some skimmed milk to yoghurt to make it more like liquid, this may help with the hunger Friday is pretty close now so u dont have long to go

i try and respond to forum questions much more than i do blogs as i have limited time on here so i try and read the forums mostly

I was a type 2 diabetic but with extreme insulin resistance i would say that around 6 months i was back to normal i slowly reduced meds as i had heard that metformin if withdrawn too early can impede weight loss so i only have just given up taking it .. good luck i am sure your resistance will be helped by the band.

I am trying to compile a rough guide of do's and don'ts for success with a lapband. I know not everyone will have the same experiences but i would welcome any helpful input. The list so far : Do's Make losing this weight the priority in your life. Make the scales your friend not your enemy. Be determined that you will not get sidetracked from getting to your goal. Try to get as much Protein from fresh food as you can, fish, chicken and turkey are good, some vegetables are too like frozen peas, then milk products like 0 fat yoghurt, 0 fat cottage cheese and skimmed milk. Become your own expert. Learn from mistakes, like what food sticks and what food you can eat. Do as much exercise as you can, find what works for you then stick to it, every day without fail, push yourself a little further each week. Burn more calories than you eat. Follow your nutritionist’s/dietician’s and surgeon's advice. Use your own common sense, everything in moderation works well. Make a sharp knife and a teaspoon your essential items. Eat what your body needs not what your mind tells you Keep yourself hydrated. Dont's. Eat as little processed food as possible. Dont eat anything that is white ( bread, Pasta, rice etc) too high carbs and calories. Dont test the band to see the limits of what you can and cant eat. Dont buy food that will tempt you, if its not in the home u cant eat it . Dont try to cheat, the only person who will pay for it is you. Dont let yourself down. Dont eat junk food as a treat, find another treat ! Dont get stressed or impatient, things may take longer than u want. Dont make life difficult for yourself, have food in the freezer that you can eat, plan meals ahead of time. Dont eat with your mind or eyes, eat what your body needs. Don’t fixate on what you can’t eat, concentrate on what you can eat. Thanks

Thats exactly what u need to do to get this weight off .. gratz to u on your hard work ..

I really hope that your fill goes ok and of course u can get back on track, I am sure that after all that you have been through that you will be successful and get back to using your band. Good luck !

Gratz and well done especially this time of year, keep up the good work !

I am also coming up to a year banded and I agree with B-52 sometimes u do want to scream as an initial reaction to some questions then u just try and help as best you can. I might not be here as much as i was intially but dont mind sharing time and experiences to help other people Merry Christmas to you all !