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Do you know of many people over 65 that have had the band operation and was it successful?

Last year I was amazed at how much weight Randy Jackson on Idol had lost, but it looks like he's packing it back on this year. I searched this forum without success to find out what operation he might have had, if any. There was some speculation he had the Fobi, but does anyone know for sure?

This thread is a hoot. I read the best incentive for a man to lose weight in Men's Health magazine was that for every 35 lbs a man loses he gets back 1 inch in the woody.

I had my gallbladder out about 2 weeks ago and have not yet returned to anywhere near normal energy levels. A 5 min walk on my treadmill (very slow speed) is about all I can do. I go back to work next week and worry that I won't make it through the parking lot to my office! Am I expecting too much in only 2 weeks? I've read here, and elsewhere, that lap gallbladder operations are a snap and an easy recovery - even more so than the lap band which I was considering too. As a result, I'm concerned that something isn't right with the operation. The doc said it was a difficult one for him and he wouldn't have done the lapband at the same time. I'm no spring chicken - male 63 and 375lbs (down 35 since July when the gallbladder started acting up). I'm eating pretty well, very low portions as I'm just not hungry like before, and still losing weight. Any suggestions?

Fear is the greatest motivator towards weight loss, according to my doc. He said the same thing for my gallbladder as I lost 35 lbs over 4 months worrying about what I could eat and couldn't without a gallstone flare up. I suspect the lapband is much the same - eat the wrong food and up it comes, or worse - it makes you feel like calling 911 for a heart attack.

I found out about my gallbladder problems in June this year when i caught pancreatitis due to stones. After it was cured, the lap surgeon ddn't feel confident operating on me due to 390 lbs and 60+ age, referred me to a lap band surgeon who wanted to take it out and put on the lapband - one operation. But that assessment was made based on conveninence and less on where my 'fat' was distributed and the problems that might cause in gallbladder removal alone. I was concerned about whether I was strong enough to recover from both, honestly. Personally i felt unsure about the lapband due to the erosion concerns expressed here, and felt rushed into making that part of the decision so decided to go with just the gallbladder. Good decision. It has taken me a long long time to recover - almost 6 weeks and at least I know the whole problem was the gallbladder and not the lapband too. The doc, when he got in there, had big problems - instead of 3 lap cuts I have 7 and he had to call another lap doc in to help out as the 'trocars' (?) were not long enough to go throught my layers of fat. It was all he could do to just take out the gallbladder without 'opening' me from my breastbone to my hip - so I am thankful for that. The operation took a lot out of me, a whole lot. The additional lapband would have just added to that complication and the doc said he wouldn't have done it then even I had approved both because the gallbladder was so difficult. Operating on big people is not easy - and the gallbladder fits this class. If I decide on the lapband, now I have time to make a proper decision and go into it with my eyes wide open ... and to realize that this is another 'major' operation. Hopefully I've reached that point in life where my mind will work with me to fix my weight problem without to need of another operation for a process that has risks of its own. At least when the gallbladder op is over and recovered, it's over. Do rely on your surgeons and doctors - but all mine promoted having both at once - only I had to live with that decision - and now feel I made the right one. The doc feels the same...but didn't until he got in there. There's a lot of swelling over the gallbladder operation too - perhaps all operations - and it took me a long time to feel 'better'. Getting my strength back from major surgery was very difficult, took weeks, and thank God for my treadmill starting out at the slowest speed for only 5 min a day and increasing.

tough drug - miracle cure - easy out? For me, I had ITP where my immune system was eating my platelets - predinsone was the only thing that stopped the process until I had my spleen removed. Was on it for over a year - took 3 months to get weaned so the adrenilines start working again. I was always hungry, but so was i before prednisone. Gained 100 lbs and still have them today, 9 years later - but I'm not dying of low platelets either, just fat. Brian

I read a lot here about 'erosion' and wonder if you could explain it to me and the dangers. Obviously it seems to be something serious and of concern to a lot of you. Is it something you can die from if left untreated? Does it require another surgery and removal of the band? Does the stomach require surgery? I understand the risk is that only 3% or less have the problem, but perhaps there aren't enough years of study available to really say what the long time percentage would be? Brian

The thought of chest pains scares the hell out of me due to a fear of a heart attack. How do you know that it's not a heart attack and there's no need to call 911? Brian

What is an NSV? I'm new and see it mentioned everywhere but I guess everyone else knows what it means. Brian

When you lie in bed do you feel the port - does it get in the way of a comfortable sleep in some positions? When I have the op I don't know if the doc will listen to my request for positioning, but it's worth a try. Brian

When she sang "I Want To Know What Love Is" on Oprah, standing right up there after all that emotion, I had shivers run through me. Rushed out and bought that album that day. She is an incredible singer, big or not. Brian

I'm male, 64 and 390 lbs on a 5ft 8in frame. Diets never worked long term for me. I have to have my gallbladder out and the doc said he does lapband and I could have them both done at the same time. Rather than jumping in with both feet I decided it best to study the lapband and that has delayed my gallbladder surgery. The doc said he'd do just the gallbladder if I wanted. My GP thinks I should go for both at once. I've looked at the Yahoo groups and they are mostly positive and I pretty well decided to go ahead. But I'm having problems coming to terms with 'can I do it' and 'do I want to do it?' I've recently read that Medicare is not going to support any 'old' person 65 and over due to a 13% rate of males dying within 1 year -- they grouped all types of weight loss surgery in this total, so it's probably misleading. Even so, it's not the money -- I want to live. Then i read here about erosion and general concern over the long term effect of the band. Help me decide please. Should I have both done at once at my age? Should I go ahead with the band if I'm so unsure? Brian

Is there a best place for it? My surgeon told me it would be in the center just under the breastbone. Brian

Congrats on your double operation. I need my gallbladder out too, and saw a bariatric surgeon who said I needed a lapband too - and he could do both at the same time. Which came first for you - the need for a lapband or the removal of the gallbladder? I'm 64 and quite worried about having a double operation. Brian

I'm not yet banded and my date is late January ... but I'm 64 and really scared that I'm too old for this surgery and the erosion thought makes it even harder to decide to go ahead. I'm 390 lbs, male. I read Medicare won't cover people over 65 because 13% of men die within a year ... wow. Any thoughts?