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Due diligence is my thing. I do it for a living, and I make a nice one at that...so that said let me tell you my story short and sweet. 7 years ago at the age of 34 I was having major medical issues. Surgery after surgery, and finally my Dr. said Lisa what are you going to do about this weight? He gave me a doctor who was a colleague of his who did bariatric surgery. Lapband specialty. OK I thought maybe I will go and see this guy. I waited a year...then I went to see him. I loved him, he had a great practice, people were nice office chairs fit my big butt I was happy! Then he gave me the list of things I had to do..and the prep and the doctors and I checked on it some more..and I wasn't ready. Only a part of me was cheering...do it do it do it..the other half was saying...ummm I don't know...surgery...another one..complications...failure. I have personal friends I know who had the band, the 4cc one years ago and they not only failed but they had major issues...that was nearly 15 years ago...things have changed...but still. I wasn't ready. Then this January, newly married my husband facing a hip replacement and both of us over weight. Happy in love and overweight. WE went back to see the doctor and this time I was ready. I was all in. My hubby was all in, and we have never looked back! True it's only 5 months...(nearly) but I could not be happier! I am much healthier, I can walk and run I take the stairs now! It took me 3 years to get here from the time I first met the surgeon and 4 years from the time I was given his number. So take your time and be sure it's the right surgery and the right time for YOU. The band takes 100% commitment pre-op and post op. If your not ready to give that 100% your not ready.

Honestly, I had complications my surgeon accidentally obstructed my bowels so a week later I had emergency surgery, I was producing excess saliva, I couldn’t take in any fluids and my body no longer can tolerate artificial sweeteners. I couldn’t drink my favorite thing in the world like I wanted to anymore, water. I am now on May 3rd going to make 2 months out! I want to say 2 weeks ago everything got better fluids started rolling in. No more nasty taste in mouth no more excessive saliva. I no longer have diabetes and I crave healthy food. I’m getting my fluids in and I can drink my water cold and get through 20 ounces in 30-45 mins. So yes I regretted it at one point but now I don’t. Everyone reacts to the surgery differently if you do have a hard time after just let your body heal and it will get better.

Forgot to post earlier this week to update my 6 week follow-up appointment. So far so good on everything. Getting back to regular foods has been wonderful of course. That 2 weeks before surgery and the 4 weeks of liquids & pureed was rough but it also was a valuable learning period to know the difference between real hunger and head hunger. My appointment was uneventful. My weight loss has tapered off a bit in the past two weeks. It had been about a pound a day but for the past week or so my weight had been stuck around 285 with some back and forth. Today I came in at 283 and that puts be at 35 lbs down in 6 weeks. I'll take it! I admit I was starting to mildly freak out with the stuck scale but I knew things would slow down a bit at some point. I got my old gym membership going and will be hitting it for the first time in a long time starting today. Since my sciatica is doing better I'm hopeful I can have a decent workout for once without being in terrible pain. And I'm also not dreading going to the gym. May sound dumb but when I'm focused on going to lift and build muscle I love going to the gym. When it was all about weight loss and doing cardio I loathed going, so I'm actually excited to be getting back at it. I won't see my doc again until 12 weeks out and am pretty much cleared to eat all foods again. Our office has a support group meeting once a month and will be going to that in a few weeks to see some old faces and keep some accountability going for myself. At this point just knocking on wood for continued improvements and fingers crossed that my initial complications were just a matter of getting that out of the way a head of time so I don't have any future episodes.

Constipation can be a difficult problem after surgery. After several months after surgery I developed this complication. After trying several stool softeners that gave me no relief, I finally resorted to inserting a glycerin suppository up my rear end every three days. Obviously I did not want to make this fix a permanent thing. I stumbled onto a simple fix. I found that if I ate an apple before I retired for the night, I would have a good BM the next morning. The trick is that you must also eat the skin of the apple. This approach has worked for me for over a year. Constipation can be brought on by a lack of fluids, so make sure that you are meeting the requirements in this department. Other suggestions on past threads for this problem are: Smooth Move Herbal Tea Prune juice (warmed) Prunes (4 in the morning and 4 at night) Magnesium citrate Insoluble fibers (Garden of Life Raw Fiber or Renew Life Triple Fiber). Haribo sugar free Gummy Bears Aerobic Magnesium 07 Low Fat Bran Muffin (recipe). 80 calories each 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups bran Cereal 1 ¼ cups milk 1 egg ½ tablespoon applesauce optional: banana, berries, mini chocolate chips Bake 400° F for 22 minutes

Poor advice. Everyone reacts differently. Just because procedure X didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else. Conversely, just because procedure Y *DID* work for you, it doesn't guarantee it will work for anyone else. Even if you do your due diligence and your medical team is capable, there will always be a small percentage of people that have unforeseen side effects or complications to any procedure. While it is unfortunate to fall into that percentage, that doesn't invalidate the procedure.

My bags were packed. I was ready to go. I was at my lowest weight and psyched. Got to the hospital at 9 am this morning and sent to Pre-Op to ready for the 11 am surgery. Stripped down to the hospital gown with an IV in my arm and waiting the green light. At 11:15 am I was notified it was delayed 2 hours due to complications with the patient before me who was in surgery at that moment. At 1:30 pm I was notified it was delayed at least another hour. At 3:00 pm I asked if I stayed could the surgery still be performed and more importantly was the surgeon in any condition to do it ? They passed that question along and to my surprise the surgeon showed up. He asked me to cancel. He said his regular team was going off duty and this was major surgery. For my safety he recommended it be rescheduled. I was bummed but what could I do. I'll get my new date in the morning. UPDATE: 5/26//12: I've been rescheduled for June 6th.

I feel sorry for you as I know what you are dealing with. Having three surgeries back to back is so hard, I can only imagine. I had to do a endoscopy and had a 2 days rest and then went in for surgery. I think you can get PTSD from all of this, and it hurts to know that this is a elective surgery. We all went into this with high hopes and dreams of changing our life for the better and instead we dealt with more trauma. I had a spinal surgery in 2019 and I developed a drop foot, which was a complication from the surgery, which I still deal with. I have struggled with depression prior to this and it just hurts. I have went back to the ER and I get good support there but where I live it is overrun with covid patients, so it isn't the best place to go. My surgeon is very kind and I have his number. He comes to see me in the hospital every morning. I am doing a bit better but I still stay in bed most of the days. Your advice is great and I agree that I need to get back to a routine. I am less emotional now, I also think the meds they us on make us more emotional. I wish you a speedy recovery!

You're certainly welcome! Folks often become concerned when they read or hear horror stories following surgery. There are risks and there are no guarantees. But I always try to remind everyone that there are approximately 200,000 bariatric surgeries performed every year in the U.S. alone. If you personally heard or read 2,000 horror stories, that would be one percent of the surgeries performed in a single year. The major complication rate (usually defined as requiring re-hospitalization) for gastric bypass is now less than four percent according to a study done by Cleveland Clinic and published day before yesterday. The minor complication rate is less than 15%. And the death rate as the result of surgery is less than one-tenth of one percent. Consider that in conjunction with the other benefits of the surgery outlined in the same study: 40% reduced risk of heart attack over a ten year period 42% reduced risk of stroke over a ten year period 18% drop in the five year risk of death from cardiovascular disease 45% drop in the risk of developing moderate to severe kidney disease over five years 47% drop in the risk of developing circulatory and other complications including diabetic retinopathy (diabetes induced blindness) On average patients lost 60% of their excess weight and had a 61% remission of diabetes The overall risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke or peripheral vascular disease within the next 10 years dropped 27%. All of this research was presented in Atlanta, GA at the 30th Annual Meeting for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) during Obesity Week 2013. http://www.newswise.com/articles/new-cleveland-clinic-study-shows-risk-of-heart-attack-stroke-among-diabetes-patients-significantly-lower-after-gastric-bypass Bottom line - the odds of having a life-changing, successful surgery are overwhelmingly in your favor. And the weight loss is just one of a very long list of benefits.

It sounds like fills are a heap more complicated in the states than here LOL. I go into my doctor's office, have my fill and am back out in 5 mins generally. I'm not charged by the doctor, nor by his office. He doesn't do flouro - I'm not even sure what it is to be honest? But he's never missed and I've been very happy with the results thus far. I've not had to pay for an unfill either. I'm assuming that it's so different because its relatively new in the US? My surgeon has been doing it for over 7 years now and works with the group here that has done all the research for banding. From my understanding (and often, I don't understand lol), gastric bypass is pretty much unheard of here, as its just not done - banding is always the first choice.

I've been banded for almost three years, and am one of the longest-term members of this board. The band has only been approved for use in the U.S. since June of 2001, so you won't find a lot of Americans who have been banded longer than 5 years, and not all that many of those. I haven't had any serious complications, beyond having had my band unfilled a couple of times to help deal with reflux. I'm hoping that my long-term experience will be completely uneventful. :biggrin1:

I was banded on 3/17 08 at NYU by Dr. Ren. If there were only one thing I could say about the whole experience it would be WOW!. I am so happy. I had NO complications after the surgery, and have continued to lose weight every month since. The comprehensive program at NYU has made everything go smoothly. First there are several opportunities to go to meetings to listen to what others who have faced the same issues have to say. I wholly recommend this. Maybe everyone is not on the same page as you, but in the long run you always learn something new that can help. Second, the after care is outstanding. I have heard so many stories from friends who have had the surgery, and from other patients in the waiting room, and even from the young woman who was in the hospital with me after surgery (for gall bladder ) about the "special"care they have received. Finally, what doesn't get said often enough: the Dr.'s are wonderful. I,personally, can only speak for Dr. Ren. She is an expert. And she is extraordinarily kind and caring. My recovery and subsequent fills have convinced me that I chose the best possible place to have this life-altering surgery. Yes, what many people on this forum have said, the office staff leaves much to be desired in terms of communication and efficiency sometimes, but the professional medical staff is truly outstanding. I know you will be thrilled with your decision.

The goal of the prep op diet is to help you prepare for your dietary changes and to shrink your liver to reduce complications during your surgery. If your liver is too big, they may cancel the surgery. My pre op diet was no more than 30 carbs and no sugar.

thank you! i actually havent been cleared to workout yet due to medical complications ive been having! im hoping that i will soon though!!

Fair warning – This was a lot longer than I thought it would be. You might want to have your Water bottle with you before starting! Today (plus one day that I've confessed to above) makes one year out for me. WOW! What an incredible year. In some ways it seems like forever and in other ways, just like it was yesterday. As my signature states, I’ve gone from an 18W to size 4/6. My BMI changed from 32.8 to drum roll please .... 20.1. Hard to believe!!! My surgeon was Dr. Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas, NV. I found him through Medical Tourism and am very thankful that together we’ve made sure I have a nice long, healthy life. The typical question – would you do it again? YES, YES, YES! I was known as a “lightweight” since my BMI was “only” 32.8. Was I fat? Definitely! Did I have risk factors? Definitely! I’ve often said that I was the smallest obese person in my family, but I had to personally realize that I was still obese. I really considered this surgery due to my father. I lost him in March 2009 due to complications from his obesity – congestive heart failure and uncontrolled diabetes. He was only 64 years old. It broke my heart to lose my dad at such a young age. I want to be around for my kids (currently 20, 17, and 9) and their kids! Not only do I look better, I feel better. I can run up and down our stairs all day! No more having to sit down because I’m tired after one trip up. I can go to costco, shop, put the food away & still have energy for more chores/tasks. INCREDIBLE!!! With that being said, I still have not been good about regular, planned exercise. My stomach may look better if I had (but part of me thinks not – skin just isn’t going to bounce back but so much). I am thinking breast augmentation, but I probably won’t. Just invest in more push up/padded bras. Do I want to punch out people that say I took the “easy way”? Yep! Is it hard? Yes. Do people who say I’ll gain it all back annoy me? Yep! Does my new tummy give me a tool that can make me successful? Heck yeah! Am I already successful? YES I AM! Am I concerned about maintenance and gaining again? Yes, but with continued dedication & support groups like this one, I can make it! The next question – how much can you eat now? Slider foods – more than I thought I could/should. I can pack down close to pre-surgery amounts of Cookies, ice cream, popcorn, etc. I have been testing a bit with “normal” foods … the other day, I was able to eat almost all of a McDonald’s hamburger with just the top bun & all but 3 slices of the Apple Dippers (no caramel sauce). I had one or two more bites left of the top bun, but knew I was done. I can eat about 3 ounces of steak with a bite or two of salad & maybe 1/4 of a baked potato. My biggest battles right now are (1) head hunger at night and (2) not counting foods as “bad” or “good”. I am trying to change my thinking to “good for me” or “tastes good, but not very nutritious”. I met with a nutritionist last week to talk about my eating plan for life. While she questioned if I still needed to track every bite I eat, I told her that it helped me be accountable. I am now tracking to 60g Protein, 64+ ounces of water, 100+ grams carbohydrates, and somewhere between 1500-2000 calories a day. I will add a confession here – I track Monday to Friday, but rarely on Saturday & Sunday. I just kind of eye ball/mentally track on the weekends. OK – enough rambling … Just want to leave with 2 more things. (1) If you are on the fence about this surgery, I want to strongly encourage you to investigate further. This surgery has truly saved my life & given me a new future and (2) At one year out, I thought it would be fun to go back and read some of my old posts – my worries, fears, doubts and successes. I don’t know if it will help anyone or not, but I’ve listed a few here: Surgery & Post-Op: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3255-on-my-way-to-the-airport/page__p__29783__fromsearch__1#entry29783 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3363-weird/page__p__30519__fromsearch__1#entry30519 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3403-surgery-recovery-sucks/page__p__30905__fromsearch__1#entry30905 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3471-im-gagging-over-here/page__p__31374__fromsearch__1#entry31374 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3538-concerned-should-i-be/page__p__32047__fromsearch__1#entry32047 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3602-finding-the-time-to-stop/page__p__32545__fromsearch__1#entry32545 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3687-advice-for-road-trip/page__p__33232__fromsearch__1#entry33232 Losing: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3884-took-measurements-today/page__p__35215__fromsearch__1#entry35215 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3944-time-to-increase-the-portions/page__p__35826__fromsearch__1#entry35826 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4565-need-some-support/page__p__40607__fromsearch__1#entry40607 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4263-wanting-to-eat-more/page__p__38113__fromsearch__1#entry38113 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4778-size-12s-and-medium-tops/page__p__42293__fromsearch__1#entry42293 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4827-gotta-get-serious-about-exercise/page__p__42772__fromsearch__1#entry42772 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3769-am-i-the-only-one-wanting-sweet-liquids/page__p__34103__fromsearch__1#entry34103 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5217-its-a-fat-day/page__p__46024__fromsearch__1#entry46024 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5065-post-op-when-did-you-have-your-first-carbonated-drink/page__p__44749__fromsearch__1#entry44749 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6305-my-funny-nsv/page__p__55830__fromsearch__1#entry55830 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5869-normal/page__p__51835__fromsearch__1#entry51835 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7060-why-cant-they-just-say-congratulations/page__p__62386__fromsearch__1#entry62386 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7964-irritated-with-people/page__p__69470__fromsearch__1#entry69470 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7376-i-cried-tonight/page__p__64804__fromsearch__1#entry64804 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8064-need-to-be-accountable/page__p__70372__fromsearch__1#entry70372 Moving to Maintenance · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8602-calling-those-on-maintenance/page__p__75039__fromsearch__1#entry75039 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6171-weight-regain-with-vsg/page__p__54548__fromsearch__1#entry54548 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8392-today-7-months-out-and-642-pounds-gone/page__p__73224__fromsearch__1#entry73224 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9506-goal/page__p__83431__fromsearch__1#entry83431 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9995-almost-9-months-out/page__p__87012__fromsearch__1#entry87012 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10260-i-am-not-controlling-my-sweet-tooth/page__p__89285__fromsearch__1#entry89285 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10135-holiday-strategies/page__p__88283__fromsearch__1#entry88283 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10981-nsv-nsv-nsv-for-me/page__p__95104__fromsearch__1#entry95104 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11548-so-discouraged/page__p__99499__fromsearch__1#entry99499 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12379-this-is-why-journaling-food-is-so-important/page__p__106369__fromsearch__1#entry106369 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12406-fruits-and-veggies/page__p__106553__fromsearch__1#entry106553 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12769-not-quite-a-year-out/page__p__109462__fromsearch__1#entry109462 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11607-i-have-a-question-about-alcohol/page__p__99986__hl__alcohol__fromsearch__1#entry99986 For newbies … this is a great place to start: http://www.obesityhe...or-New-Members/ (yes, I know this is another website, but many of us frequent there as well as VST.J)

I'm not pro band or pro sleeve or anti RNY. I do think that each is appropriate for certain patients. And each person needs to make the decision with their health care providers. Dr. Trace Curry out of Cincinnati area is my surgeon. He's done over 300 sleeves, lapband is far and away his mainstay. When he did my band, he was the only surgeon in the state certified to teach other surgeons the procedure. I don't know the numbers on the RNYs but it's in the thousands. I actually learned about him through a RNY patients who by the way is 6 years out and doing very well. Most of his staff, including his wife have been banded. I would think that with his vast experience he would have a good sense of the complication rates of each type of WLS. In addition, he was banded himself within the last year. It stands to reason to me that if a large portion of his patients (not to mention staff whom he sees everyday) were having such high rates of complications he would have gone to the best surgeon he could find to sleeve him. But he opted to be banded. That speaks volumns to me. My guess would be that he has access to very reliable statistics not only in his own practice but nationwide.

Hi there, Dr. Lopez and his wife Dr. Osuna did my surgery in Tijuana 20 months ago (Oct, 2012). At that time he was booking through "A Lighter Me". I was very happy with my care. The reason that I went with him in particular was that he supposedly specialized in higher BMI and at risk patients. (Previous heart attack/diabetes). However Candy Pants had some great questions on her list that I wish I had asked. "Like how many surgeries per day". At that time Dr. Lopez was traveling to 3 cities a month, and in my opinion A Lighter Me severely overbooked him. I was scheduled to have Surgery on a Monday, he had 5 surgeries that day. The Dr. decides after conferring with patients what order he will do the surgeries in. The first 3 surgeries were long with other procedures added as well. 2 - were bypasses with abdominal hernias, all that being said I finally got into surgery at 2AM on Tuesday. Out of recovery at 5:30AM, then at 8 the nurses were insisting that I get into the shower. My recovery went very well with no complications. I've done well with my weight loss, not where I want to be yet, but I have faith that I will get there.

Hello I was banded on 10/01/2011 and I have been feeling tender and uncomfortable and when trying to sleep I am continuously waking up. I should ask how long does it take to sleep back in your normal position if you sleep on your tummy??? I have had to take panadol the Doc gave me stronger painkillers however I do not like taking them. Unfortunately I experienced an infected injection site and am on antibiotics; this was and is an uncomfortable and concerning complication as it may mean that if it does not clear up I may have to be rehospitalised to have the site drained (bummer). All crappiness aside I am hoping 'this to shall pass' and I will feel better in a couple of days. Thankyou for all the amazing posts that I have read because they have helped wonderfully with answering some of my questions Take Care

It sounds as though you were not educated about how the band works prior to surgery. Having a band is not a magical cure for obesity. The band is a tool that you have to use to achieve success. It will not choose the correct foods for you, it will not stop you putting chocolate and other low nutrition, fattening foods in your mouth, it will not force you to exercise. You are the only person that can do those things. I think you need to go back to basics. Eat what you should be ating in the recommended amounts and move more than you are currently.Having your band tighter will not necessarily help. If it is too tight you gain weight and set yourself up for all sorts of complications.

I think the worry is that you may get sick (vomiting) and cause complications. I would call and see what surgeon recommends - they may be ok with progressing to pureed.

Also, check out the board "Lap Band Complications". I bet they have good insights that may help you!

Oh, one more thing. About the rumor of tissue death resulting from any kind of plication - I have never found any studies or clinical evidence of that. I'm sure it's possible, but I suspect that it's rare. One thing to keep in mind is that gastric plication as a WLS procedure is relatively new. The first patient I personally know of to have it is a Canadian woman, about 2 years ago. With such a new procedure, there just isn't enough evidence of anything (negative or positive) for us to be able to confidently state a list of risks and complications (other than those related to laparascopic surgery in general).

Yes, I my surgeon was Dr. Stephen Burpee in Tucson. His office is helpful. The surgery was very successful with no complications and didn't take long in the OR either. The best part is the affiliation he has with Northwest Hospital in Tucson (a walk from his office). The weight loss program they have there is great. Tons of infomoration and informational classes to take before the surgery so you know what to expect. An RN by the name of Gail is the head person for the weight loss program and supplies you with a great binder including what to eat at every week, and lots more information like vitamins, protein, exercise, etc. etc. She also visits you after surgery and the day after that. She makes frequent calls to check up after you and tell you what you should be eating, I guess in case you haven't read your binder. I like Dr. Burpee as well. I didn't have a lot of questions for him at all, so I just didn't converse with him much. The seminar he conducts gives you lots of information too. Office visits post surgery are at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and yearly after that. He just makes sure you are where you need to be and checks out your blood work. After reading some people here that don't know what to be eating or what they should be doing after a couple of weeks, I realized how fortunate I was to have Dr. Burpee and Gail. If possible, they provide you with TOO much information!!

And I stand by my post. 22 years old is old enough to make an informed choice. 16 years old is old enough to have valid experience. Lap bands and gastric sleeves and other forms of bariatric surgery have valid complications; in erieli's case they could last a lifetime. On the other hand, if she works it right, she could be one of the marvelous success stories here. Reassurance will have nothing to do with either result.

Agree that the liquid diet is not for weight loss but for safety. That thought alone allowed me to do it, I did not want any complications or worse to be opened up and closed back up because of the liver size, I saw some videos on YouTube that made it easier to stick it through. I was allowed a lean dinner, maybe they can let you have that?

Hi all, sorry for the complicated questions!!! Just trying to figure out a timetable and such for this. I am nervous and scared but I know its the right choice.