Tropicana

What is sex like with the band? With someone on top of you, does it smash into your port? Is there any discomfort? honest (although slightly embarrassing) question.

When you weigh in, do you weigh in with clothes on or off (gown on?) What about shoes?

Yea but recall that this is the same Star jones that wouldn't shutup about her wedding to Al Reynolds. I was so happy when they got married...I was tired of the "Oh Al this" "Oh Al that" *bleh*

Just because there is no documented proof that carbonation causes slippage does not mean it does not cause it. It only highlights that there is still a need for more research on the band. As for me, I'm going to kick this soda habit before I get banded and follow my doctor's orders.

Is the band more like a diet aid. i've been researching this thing for a year and it just kind of "lightbulbed" in my head. It facilitates diets right? you still have to eat right, you still have to count your calories, but it gives you that added edge. instead of fighting the urge to eat bc you are famished, you feel full faster. So i still can't have those cheese puffs and hamburger but now I can have a slice of pizza and not go reaching for another. Or am I all mixed up?

I read Obesity help.com and bandster websites and see ppl who got the surgery and chronicled their weight loss for a little bit and then just stopped journaling. I wonder what happened to these ppl. Did they succeed or fail? I like to think that they all succeeded and are living their best life away from a computer. I guess the ppl who failed would be way more adamant about telling the world that this isn't the cure they thought it would be. Just a thought.

Yea. It's very different with self pay. i've heard of ppl with a 30 BMI get banded on self pay.

I'm scared that my BMi might not be high enough or I don't have the comorbidities. i am tempted to lie about my weight by putting quarters in my pocket...but i don't want to do that.

I'm in the same boat. I'm really worried too.

I sent you a pm.

http://www.med.nyu.edu/news_and_views/index.html

Anybody know how Khalilah Ali did with her lapband?

Anybody ever figure out how Khalialah Ali did with her weight loss?

In summary...there is an increased mortality risk among elderly patients and patients who are worked on by inexpereinced surgeons during gastric bypass surgery. Duh.

"Among all patients, the rates of 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year<SUP> </SUP>mortality were 2.0%, 2.8%, and 4.6%, respectively. Advancing<SUP> </SUP>age and male sex were associated with early death after bariatric<SUP> </SUP>surgery (Table 2), with the highest rates of early mortality<SUP> </SUP>identified among older men. Overall, men were much more likely<SUP> </SUP>to die after bariatric surgery than women (3.7% vs 1.5%, 4.8%<SUP> </SUP>vs 2.1%, and 7.5% vs 3.7% for men and women at 30 days, 90 days,<SUP> </SUP>and 1 year, respectively; P<.001 for all time points). Mortality<SUP> </SUP>rates were greater for those aged 65 years or older (n = 1517)<SUP> </SUP>compared with younger patients (4.8% vs 1.7%, 6.9% vs 2.3%,<SUP> </SUP>and 11.1% vs 3.9% at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year, respectively;<SUP> </SUP>P<.001 for all time points). We found no differences in early<SUP> </SUP>mortality rates between patients who had primary vs revision<SUP> </SUP>surgery (2.0% vs 1.5%, 2.8% vs 2.2%, and 4.6% vs 4.3% at 30<SUP> </SUP>days, 90 days, and 1 year, respectively; all P>.10" "Patients undergoing procedures by surgeons with lower volume<SUP> </SUP>of bariatric procedures (less than the median of surgical volume<SUP> </SUP>among Medicare beneficiaries between 1997-2003) had a higher<SUP> </SUP>rate of mortality than those with at least median experience<SUP> </SUP>(3.3% vs 2.0%; P<.001). Patients aged 65 years or older had<SUP> </SUP>much higher rates of early death when undergoing surgery by<SUP> </SUP>surgeons within the lowest quartile of volume (Table 4) compared<SUP> </SUP>with those in the highest quartile (9% vs 1.1% at 30 days and<SUP> </SUP>13.8% vs 1.1% at 90 days; P<.001). Surgeons in the highest<SUP> </SUP>quartile of bariatric procedure volume had similar rates of<SUP> </SUP>early mortality in both younger and older patients (1.8% 90-day<SUP> </SUP>mortality in patients <65 years and 1.1% mortality in patients<SUP> </SUP>65 years; P = .40). The higher overall rates of death<SUP> </SUP>among older patients were attributable in part to a higher proportion<SUP> </SUP>(36%) of older patients undergoing surgery by surgeons within<SUP> </SUP>the lowest quartile of bariatric surgery volume compared with<SUP> </SUP>younger patients. The odds of a 90-day death were 1.6 times<SUP> </SUP>higher for patients of surgeons with lower volume (less than<SUP> </SUP>the median) after adjusting for age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity<SUP> </SUP>Index score (95% CI, 1.3-2.0).<SUP> "</SUP> <SUP></SUP> <SUP>"</SUP>The hazard ratio for death (Figure) at any time after the procedure<SUP> </SUP>was 2.3 times greater for patients aged 65 years or older compared<SUP> </SUP>with younger patients (95% CI, 2.0-2.7), with 9.5% 5-year mortality<SUP> </SUP>in younger patients compared with 21.6% mortality in the older<SUP> </SUP>cohort (P<.001). The odds of 90-day death did not change<SUP> </SUP>significantly based on the year the procedure was performed,<SUP> </SUP>even after controlling for patient age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity<SUP> </SUP>Index score (odds ratio, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.9-1.0).<SUP> "</SUP>

Operation Type: Proximal gastric bypass 9906 (61.2%) Distal gastric bypass 3234 (20.0%) Vertical banded gastroplasty 1445 (8.9%) Revisional bariatric surgery 1225 (7.6%) Other 345 (2.1%)

Only 345 cases were not bypass or vertical banding. So maybe 345 of those 16,155 were banded.

"A total of 16 155 patients underwent bariatric surgical<SUP> </SUP>procedures (mean age, 47.7 years [sD, 11.3 years]; 75.8% women),<SUP> </SUP>with 90.6% younger than 65 years (Table 1). A total of 61.2%<SUP> </SUP>of cases were claims for RYGB and 19.9% were for RYGB with small<SUP> </SUP>intestine reconstruction to limit absorption (distal bypass).<SUP> </SUP>There was more than a 3-fold increase in the number of procedures<SUP> </SUP>performed from 1997 (n = 1464) to 2002 (n = 4814).<SUP> </SUP>The median number of bariatric procedures performed per surgeon<SUP> </SUP>(among Medicare beneficiaries over the 6-year period) was 35<SUP> </SUP>(interquartile range, 14-70).<SUP> "</SUP>

I'm reading the study right now....I'm not sure if it includes patients that are banded. Read an excerpt of the study from JAMA. "Patients were defined as having had bariatric surgery if they<SUP> </SUP>had a claim for any of the following procedures: (1) CPT code<SUP> </SUP>43842: gastric restrictive procedure without gastric bypass<SUP> </SUP>for morbid obesity; vertical-banded gastroplasty; (2) CPT code<SUP> </SUP>43843: gastric restrictive procedure without gastric bypass<SUP> </SUP>for morbid obesity; other than vertical-banded gastroplasty;<SUP> </SUP>(3) CPT code 43846: gastric restrictive procedure with gastric<SUP> </SUP>bypass for morbid obesity, with short-limbed (<100-cm) Roux-en-Y<SUP> </SUP>gastroenterostomy (RYGB); (4) CPT code 43847: gastric restrictive<SUP> </SUP>procedure with gastric bypass for morbid obesity with small<SUP> </SUP>intestine reconstruction to limit absorption (including long-limbed<SUP> </SUP>[100-cm] gastric bypass and distal bypasses such as biliopancreatic<SUP> </SUP>diversion); or (5) CPT code 43848: revision of gastric restrictive<SUP> </SUP>procedure for morbid obesity.<SUP> "</SUP> <SUP></SUP> <SUP></SUP>

I think the resentment comes from feeling lied to. For example, let's say Kirstie Alley did get banded, she's fooling thousands of women into believing that Jenny Craig will work for them (and that stuff ain't cheap!).

I swear I love my mommy. I underestimate her greatness every time. I finally built up the nerve to tell her and she was soooooo supportive. I told my brother also and he gave me the nod of approval. He said he didn't think I would be fat forever, but if this is what I wanted to go for it.

Someone on another site said Sharon osbourne but I thought she got the bypass too?

See...I ask that to bandsters all the time and never thought it was rude to ask.

I know that the band is meant to be worn for the rest of your life but how long des the material hold up? I'm 23 and have pretty good genes so I estimate I got 60 or 70 yrs ahead of me, God willing. What material is the band made of that it can hold up that long without breaking down?

Wow. You are making ME excited and nervous for you. You must feel completely blessed! Good luck with your fill. PLease please please reply back and tell me how it goes. I'm excited to hear about it. So did you have to go to a nutritionist or psych consult?