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Congratulations on your surgery! I had a very complicated first post-op day. My surgery was 5 weeks ago today. They could not get my oxygen levels to stabilize and I had very severe nausea. I wasn't even out of bed until post-op day 2. By the end of that day (surgery was Wednesday, so postop day 2 was Friday) I was well enough to go home. I felt TONS better that last hospital day. I hope that today is a better day for you. Just remember to listen to what the nurses are telling you. They kept getting on me because I was ignoring my PCA, lol. I didn't want to get constipated! Please keep us updated on your progress. I am looking forward to you posting your progress once you are out of the hospital.

I'm also highly prone to gout. Is this complication only right after the surgery or is it a long-term problem?? thanks

Yes I was banded on Dec 17th. Had some complications so was rebanded on the 20th. I get my first fill tomorrow. I am so ready.

I personally appreciate your reality check! I just had an arm and boob lift 2 days ago and I'm headed to a post op appointment in a few hours. Do they have any idea what happened to cause your complications or is it just a random, unlucky draw? I wish you a speedy recovery and I hope in the end it all works out!

Vertical gastric sleeve (VGS) to Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB) ? I was sleeved about 7 years ago in Mexico. The operation added about 90 pounds of weight loss over 18 months. However unfortunately, after several years and a couple of babies, the weight has come back on. I’m exactly where I was seven years ago. 😔 I feel my pouch has been stretched slowly over the years and my metabolism is shot. Not uncommonly, one of the side effects of the sleeve was terrible heartburn. I’ve been taking a prescription grade antacid since my surgery. I recently read that this particular bariatric side affect has been linked to stomach cancer. 😳 I recently consulted with bariatric surgeon in Mexico to see what my options are and he suggested I convert to a mini gastric bypass. He said it would resolve the acid reflux complication and also I would lose the weight I have regained. Has anyone gone from VGS to a MGB that could share their experiences with me? Either here or privately? I’d really appreciate it. 🙏🏼

I'm doing good. I was released within 24 hours of my surgery. The first major bummer was that as my husband and I were on the way to the hospital - the hospital called me and asked me when I was getting there. I was told to be there by 11:30 and the surgery was at 1:30. Apparently they changed my surgery time to 11:45 and never told me. Oh thank you. So we had to wait once we got there for 3 1/2 hours since they had to let someone else go ahead of my. Surgery went well - my surgeon did a lot of extra investigating to make sure all was okay (I am his first or second Sleeve) He said I lost the equivalent of 8 drops of blood. Biggest complaint - dying of thirst. Went 36 hours before I could put anything in my mouth and I will never again take for granted how wonderful ice chips are. = ) Pain isn't bad - just the gas startles me sometimes but that seems to be getting better. I'm having a hard time keeping my liquid pain meds down - they seem to make me puke. All I"m supposed to be able to eat for the first week is broth and Jello. But just a couple of bites and I'm good. Anyways - I'm still alive and while I was there I saw a few people dealing with their complications from the lap band - I'm so glad I skipped that option and went straight to the sleeve.

Hello all. Im struggling with not eating. I can smell the food through the walls of my apt building. I went out for the first time and I could smell the BBQ in the air. My Docs recovery is very strict compared to others i see. Will be on Protein for 5 more weeks, then mush. Ive been holding on but i was determined to have a soft scrambled egg yesterday, but its not worth the complications that may come. How are others doing and how did you over come this stage?

My name is Amy Workman and I am a bandster (everyone: HI Amy). I haven't posted on here in a long time and thought I might share with you my blog post from today. If any of you watched the recent Dr. Oz show about Lapband, I thought it might be nice for those of you just beginning to see a more realistic idea of the band. I was banded January 27th, 2009. I weighed 327 and today weight 159 pounds. I love my band. My before and after pictures on here are not updated, but you can find all my pictures on my blog. If you have any questions, please email me and ask away. Sometimes we forget when we were first beginning. Do you remember the first time you googled Lapband? Or the first time you logged into the forums...frantically searching for before and afters....looking at successes and getting pumped...stumbling upon a horror story and then getting scared? Do you remember the stupid questions you asked? I remember posting on lapbandtalk.com something like "is one cup of Wendy's chili bad for you?" Well, I am going to try and remember back to when I didn't know much about the band...and what information would have been helpful. Here goes... Did you know: I started at 327 pounds. My doctor, the wonderful and handsome Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, told me that the band is not always the best choice for someone who is a grazer. They find that the band is actually more successful for men, because men tend to eat in volume (sitting down for a huge dinner and getting really full, vs eating and munching on little things all day). Some doctors say that the band will not work as well for those of us who are or were really morbidly obese. I disagree. And there are plenty of us out here who are proving them wrong. Did you know: The band may not work for you? You could have the surgery and not lose much weight at all. It is not a sure thing. BUT, if you work with the band...it can and will work for most of us.What does "work with the band mean"? Every doctor has a different regimen they want you to follow. Every doc is different, as it almost every patient. Some say no pop/soda, some say it's fine. Some have a 2 week liquid preop and scare the sweet baby jebsus out of you about not shrinking your liver enough for surgery and not being able to operate (thank you Dr. Friedman). But, you will have to do your part with the band. You will have to watch what you eat. You will have to eventually get your ass up and exercise. You will have to make healthier choices and just be better. I know you are saying WHAT? That sounds like a diet to me. And I fail at diets!!! The band is a TOOL, not the Alpha and Omega of your weight loss journey. You can "cheat" the band by eating sliders and soft food. I for one could eat cheetos all day long and the band would sleep right through it. But with the right restriction, your band prevents you from eating that large pizza, the extra value meal, the entire bovine. You have to find a doctor that you can have a relationship with. They have to be open with you and you have to be open with them. You HAVE to go see them for fills. You have to follow up. You have to be a good patient. ASK QUESTIONS. What can you eat once you are banded? At this point in my journey, I can't think of one thing I CANT eat. However, there are somethings that I try to stay away from because they are difficult with my band. Example: Bowtie Pasta. It doesnt go down well. And then it just sits in my band and expands...causing me to PB (get to that in a second). I can't eat a sandwich, or a hamburger with a bun, but I could eat a roll if I tear off little pieces at a time. Hot dogs give me problems for some reason. Dry chicken or reheated meat (with the exception of a hamburger) often give me problems as well. I still drink soda, I still drink beer. I love Soups. I can eat veggies. I can eat fruit. Eating after being banded is about going slow. It's about chewing. They say with proper restriction that 4-6 ounces of solid Protein (a piece of meat about the size of your fist) should keep you full for 3-4 hours. Most docs want their patients to avoid "slider meals". Meaning, eating a bowl of Soup for lunch or yogurt for Breakfast isn't going to keep you full or satisfied because it will SLIDE right down. You want your food to stay in your pouch, and slowly drop down. Sometimes though...food may get stuck and then you get "sick". The Dreaded PB: A couple things may happen if a piece of food gets "stuck in your pipe" as Heather refers to it. You aren't going to die. It's not like it gets stuck and you need the Heimlich. But if a piece of food gets stuck, ain't nothing else going down until it moves or comes up. The first thing that may happen is a productive burp (PB). This is not throwing up. When something gets stuck, your slobber starts to build on top of it. For me, when this happens, I get a weird sensation in the back of my jaw. And if I wait long enough, I will have to get somewhere private (hopefully) and let it come up. What comes up is this weird slime/foam combo. It doesn't hurt. And hopefully...it moves whatever is stuck. Sometimes though, it takes a little more work. Sometimes that one piece of food I didnt chew enough will be down there for hours. And then, it's not PBing. It's sort of like dry heaving until that piece comes up. There is a tightness in the chest...a pressure. It's not fun. I will say that not everyone gets stuck or PB's. And most of us would agree that when we do get stuck...it's our fault. We eat without being present, we didn't chew, we ate too fast. Restriction and Tips for Eating: Unless you are extremely lucky, you will not awake from surgery with perfect restriction. Some docs put a little liquid in your band to start with, others wait. I had to wait 6 weeks for my first fill. And again, unless you are the rare case, you probably won't get restriction with your first fill. It took me several fills before I had good restriction. ASK your doctor what his/her fill policy is. Some docs are super restrictive with their fills. They only fill on a schedule. They don't care whether or not you have restriction. All I know is if Dr. Friedman hadn't let me tell him that I was ready for a fill...and if he had made me wait regardless of what I could eat...I wouldn't have been as successful as I was. You will know you have restriction when you have it. It's sort of like having sex. If you have to wonder if you had an orgasm or not...um...you probably didn't. Restriction will keep you full and satisfied for 3-4 hours. You will be able to eat less. Restriction DOES NOT RESTRICT YOUR BRAIN. You may still mentally crave things. You will have to learn the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. This is very hard. When you do have good restriction, you will have to change the way you eat. This is easier said than done. You should be taking small bites. For example, if you are eating steak, you need to cut that sucker up into pea sized bites. You need to chew. Then, set your fork down and wait a few seconds. You should eat sitting down. You should pay attention to what you are doing. You will learn that things like eating in the car is rarely going to end well. (Always have your emergency PB kit in your car. A couple of bags, some papertowels or handywipes. Trust me.) You probably shouldnt drink with your meal or for 30 minutes after. liquids can help push your food down...thus...cheating the band. How much weight will I lose? How quickly will I lose it? Now you know that there is no one answer for this. Statistically, Lapband patients lose around 40% of their excess weight. SO, if you are 100 pounds overweight, statistically you will lose 40 pounds. I hate statistics. And remember, they are an average. 17 more pounds lost and I will have lost 100% of my excess weight...and I am not alone. It can happen. However, there are so many factors that go into how much and how fast. Genetics, age, diet history, personal support, family life, exercise. Some weeks I lost 7 pounds. Some weeks I gained 5. The weeks I gained, I gained because I ate poorly. I cheated the band The weeks I lost, I ate and made healthy choices. There are some weeks, even when I WAS doing the right thing...I didn't lose. It can be frustrating. But you can't give up. You will have to keep upping your game. At some point, even with the band, you will either have to adjust your food or exercise. But, I feel like the band is "cheating". I feel like if I have WLS, I am weak. I'm gonna tell you what. Who gives a flying monkey's ass?! Cheating what? Cheating early death? Cheating sleep apena? Cheating high blood pressure, sore joints, diabetes? I say CHEAT AWAY then. There is no shame in WLS. It's not about will power. It's not about failing. It is about trying to find a tool that works to give you some power, give you your health. I tell whoever wants to know or will listen about the band. And yes, I have heard "Oh...well...I thought you did it the hard way"...or "hmmm...that must be nice". I say listen FOOL. There ain't nothing easy about the band. It makes some things easier but it is still work. And I find that people either give you 'tude about the band bc they are afraid or jealous or because they don't understand. Either way, that is okay. I will educate or I will ignore. I feel like if I were to say "oh, I am just watching my diet and working out"...that I would be lying by omission. AND, my real fear is that someone who is overweight will think "Well, Amy did it "the old fashioned way", and they will feel like a failure when they try and do not succeed. Will my relationship fall apart if I have the surgery? We all hear the stories of what happens when someone has WLS. The divorce rate and seperation rate is a little higher for us. There are several reasons. One, for some of us....when we lose weight, we become a different person...or the person we would have been if our bodies hadn't been our enemies so long. Our expectations may change, we may want more. OR, our partners may not be able to deal with the new us. OR, as in any relationship...sometimes it's just time to move on. I don't think that having WLS should make you fear losing or changing your partner anymore than the normal person. There are tons of bandsters out there still happy and maybe even happier with their significant other. Sometimes though, even though we can't see it or don't want to admit it...we have settled. And once you start to shed your cloak of security or denial...you realize you deserve more (too bad we don't realize that to begin with. Long story short...people change and grow...with or without weightloss surgery.Are you worried about complications: No. But most days I am not a worrier about things that may or may not happen. I heard recently that the stats for band slipping are about 5% and for erosion, about 1-2%. Slipping for example, can be avoided most of the time and according to the docs...is easy to fix. Erosion is of course a little more scary. But I hope that by always paying attention to my body, my band, and how I am feeling...I can avoid it or if it ever happens...catch it early.Do fills hurt? Mine never do. My doc has never done one under fluoro. He gives me a numbing shot and then the fill.How many fills do you have to have? To get restriction, it took me 4. My first year I had around 6 fills. My second year, I had 2.Will you ever have the band taken out? Lord I hope not. Even now that I am at goal weight and weight loss is more of what I do instead of what the band does for me...it's always there. It's my safety net. It will keep me from ever being 327 pounds again.Why did you choose the band over other options? I was 28 when I decided on the surgery. I didn't want my stomach cut apart. I still wanted to be able to absorb my nutrients. I wanted to be able to eat sugar and other things without getting physcially ill. I liked that the removal of the band was a possibility if something went wrong. I liked the idea of being able to control my restriction. And even though I bitched and complained along the way, I liked the idea of a slower weight loss (vs Gastric bypass). It gave my skin and my brain a little more time to adjust.Did you know there are different brands of lapbands? I have the Allegran Lapband. Ask you doctor your choices and the differences. Mine is a 10-11cc band. Some are smaller.Were you worried about the loose skin? Barely. I figured I may look like a saggy deflated sack after I lost my weight, but I would rather be deflated then morbidly obese. And I am lucky. My skin is nowhere as bad as it could have been. Again, so many factors go into skin. Age, genes, working out, sun...etc. Would you do it again? In a heartbeat my friends. In a heartbeat. It was the best decision of my life. It was a tremedous catalyst for change. I can't think of one negative consequence of the band.

Surgery was 6 months ago, and I'm loving it! I now weight 175, which is actually below my goal weight of 180. I'm happy though, everything went well and I'm enjoying my life. I feel better, healthier and it has changed my life for the better. I never had any major complications, or nausea. Thank you for supporting me and helping get through everything.

Nerves are normal. Complications are rare. You can do this. Follow your doctors instruction and things should go smoothly. Do you have any friends in the area that would be willing to help if there was an issue?

So sorry to hear of all your troubles! Please hang on to that determination and hope you've mentioned throughout your post - you will get to the other side of this. This isn't your fault, it's an unfortunate series of events and complications that could have happened to any of us. I'm sure your husband is upset and scared, rather than hating you. One thing to consider is getting another opinion. The best physicians can benefit from consulting with others, and in no way implies he doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sending prayers and good thoughts your way for a speedy recovery.Please keep us posted as to your progress!

I had my surgery on 4/4/2012. So let me start by saying EVERYONE IS UNIQUE. Right after surgery I was out of it on morphine and slept most of the time. The next day was bad. I was in pain and nausea set in because of the morphine. I had to do the swallow test and that was pretty bad too. All those feelings were the next day after surgery. That evening I felt much better watched TV in my hospital room and the nausea went away. The next day I felt even better now that I was off the morphine the nausea was gone and I had some apple juice. I ended up staying 2 nights before going home. No complications. Now about the pain, feels like I did some serious stomach exercise. First week energy wise... I took 2 hour naps EVERYDAY I had a friend stay with me that first week and on day 9 we went out to SAMs club and walked around for an hour and a half! I was so tired on the way back home I swore I was going right to bed for a nap but when I got home I felt so full of energy it surprised me. My friend went home that weekend and I started feeling better. By day 14 I was out and Around, cooking And going up and down stairs. If your hubby will be with you for the first week you will be fine. Don't do anything for a week except for drink your protien and water and nap. In 2 weeks you will turn that corner and feel great. I am about 3 months out now. I feel normal like nothing happened. I am down a little over 50LBS this weekend I crosses over to regular misses sizes and I have so much energy! Good luck to you and I wish you a quick recovery.

I also posted this on the Pos-Op board, but I thought I should share it with my December friends, too. :biggrin: It's been two weeks since my surgery, and I have updates. I lost 20 pounds on my 2 week pre-op diet, and since then I've lost 14 pounds more. I've been absolutely fanatical about following all the rules of each stage of the diet. I want to succeed, and I especially don't want complications (slips, erosions, etc.) I know sometimes that's unavoidable, but at least I won't have any guilt if it happens. liquid Phase: After reading on these boards that many people gain weight before their first fill, I was deeply concerned that I would lose my progress. So on my liquid phase, after the first few days where I could only get down broth and tea, I stuck pretty much to my pre-op diet, not eating the vegetables of course, but adding in more Protein shakes, for a total of 800-1200 calories a day. I did not drink diluted juice even though it was "permitted," sticking instead to Protein Shakes and, two times, fat-free milk. Mushy Phase: I knew from reading these boards that a major pitfall for many bandsters is the mushy phase. Being that we're hungry and mushies go down easily, the calories can easily add up - many people understandably gain weight during this stage. I didn't want that to happen, so I was afraid to move forward to mushies - but I knew I should leave the liquid diet behind already. I was trying to solve the problem, when I decided that I could do mushies but I would have to keep track of what I was eating and how much. So, I joined Weight Watchers. Diets never worked for me for very long in the past, but I figured the 3.5 week liquid diet should have shrunk my stomach a bit, and knowing I have a fill coming makes it mentally easier to hang on and not go off plan. Before surgery I didn't think I'd care if I gained a little before my fills, but now I do. I've lost 34 pounds in 4 weeks, and I just don't want to go back. I've been sticking like glue to the plan. I weigh and measure everything before I put it in the food prcessor, and I track it online as soon as I've eaten it. I eat mostly low point foods, but I've also splurged on higher point items - did you know you can process french fries? To make them mushy I mixed in some Soup, which I also have to count points for, but they still tasted like french fries, and were worth every point LOL! I've also pureed pizza with a little extra sauce - it doesn't taste like pizza by the time you add the sauce in, but it was fun. Mostly, though, I stick to low point foods: sugarfree pudding, fatfree yogurt, scrambled egg whites with fatfree salsa (pureed), boiled vegetables (pureed), unsweetened applesauce, etc. I also eat whatever my family is having for supper, measured out and pureed. All in all, I've lost 14 pounds since surgery. Anyway, that's where I'm holding now. I have my first fill next month, and I'm terrified. I hope it won't be too painful! Anyway, that's the update. Good luck to everyone on this journey!

I found out about a year ago that I have one (1) mutation of factor five leiden in my blood after suffering from a superficial blood clot in my left calf, at the time I was smoking about a pack a day and on the birth control pill Yasmin. Anyone been banded with the condition?? Any complications?? Thanks

My hernia was the largest the Dr. in Detroit had ever seen in his 30 years.....But he did both....The surgery took 6 hours!.....My wife was worried sick and never informed....Additionally, I was supposed to have a room waiting for me after post op recovery, but spent 9 hours in the recovery room "alone," only patient with a nurse and my wife.....Got my room at 4 in the a.m......I had complications with all 3 surgeries....So, believe it or not Carolina gal, I did have issues with all of the surgeries..Lots of scar tissue became an issue amongst other things!..Congratulations to both of you on your weight loss!.....Topamax is "not" a diet pill, but rather prescribed to prevent migraines and epilepsy....Off label uses include weight loss....For many it works, for some it doesn't!..You must find the right dose!.....I started at 25 mg a day per week, then slowly up to 75-100mg, and food became something I really didn't care for!....I believe that lap bands do work, and I have nothing against them....Weight loss is an ongoing battle.....It consumes us at times....But the light at the end of the tunnel after the journey is worth it no matter how we get there!.....Good luck to all and think "thin!"

Hi all, I got banded June 8th, I've had 2 weeks off work and am more than ready to get back, daytime television really sucks. I only had a few days of discomfort after the op with no complications so far. I started at 410 lbs and now at 384. Lots to go but I'm feeling really confident about getting through it. I work in an office sitting on my butt all day so I'm gonna have to get exercising real soon. It is winter down here at the moment so early morning walks dont look too tempting. Good luck to everyone who has taken this step to better health. Jase

Dont do the band! I had the band done 6 years ago... obtained successful weight loss... no major issues until 5 years later... . had it removed... in 12 months by eating well... i have gained most of my weight back. It does not teach you good food choices... actually quite the opposite. Very common problems are Food getting stuck Not being able to drink a large amount of Water The band getting tight when stressed The band is tight when ovulating and during periods Cant eat decent healthy foods No dry chicken.. meat etc And so much more. Ask your doctor to do a manometry test. This tests your esophageal pressure... if this comes out good. You should be able to address your reflux issues. I'm so confused as to why he wants to go forward with that. Honestly I think it's because insurance doesn't pay for the upkeep of the band after I believe the 3rd visit. I picked an excellent program, but this choice had me baffled. Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App Wow!!! All of the comments are definitely making up my mind. I'm already a very picky eater (you wouldn't think with all of the weight lol) but I don't need any extra complications. My reflux isn't bad, my GI really thinks it's just the extra weight. My upper endoscopy was fine with the exception of mild irritation in stomach. Thank you for the information. Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App Good luck with your weight loss journey.. keep us updated on how you go

Dont do the band! I had the band done 6 years ago... obtained successful weight loss... no major issues until 5 years later... . had it removed... in 12 months by eating well... i have gained most of my weight back. It does not teach you good food choices... actually quite the opposite. Very common problems are Food getting stuck Not being able to drink a large amount of Water The band getting tight when stressed The band is tight when ovulating and during periods Cant eat decent healthy foods No dry chicken.. meat etc And so much more. Ask your doctor to do a manometry test. This tests your esophageal pressure... if this comes out good. You should be able to address your reflux issues. I'm so confused as to why he wants to go forward with that. Honestly I think it's because insurance doesn't pay for the upkeep of the band after I believe the 3rd visit. I picked an excellent program, but this choice had me baffled. Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App Wow!!! All of the comments are definitely making up my mind. I'm already a very picky eater (you wouldn't think with all of the weight lol) but I don't need any extra complications. My reflux isn't bad, my GI really thinks it's just the extra weight. My upper endoscopy was fine with the exception of mild irritation in stomach. Thank you for the information. Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

Ask if your local bariatric surgeon has an information seminar. Your surgeon may recommend a procedure. Here is a link that may help in your research phase. https://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-complete-patients-guide-to-bariatric-surgery/ Age 45 and 254 pounds, My wake-up call was being admitted to ICU. My internal organs shutting down from diabetic ketoacidosis. My heart stopped, and they brought me back. I wish it didn’t take that moment to understand my weight was slowly killing me. I looked at how many times I’ve lost weight then had regain with extra. I needed a long-term solution to get my health back. I was sleeved in 2014. Five years out, no complications, no regret, and maintaining in the 130’s.

I suggest you make sure you're getting in your daily Protein requirements. Also make sure you're getting all of your Water in. Sometimes we confuse hunger with thirst. When you're feeling a little hungry, reach for a bottle of water first and then if you're still hungry 30 minutes later, have a snack. Snack suggestions would be sugar free Jello or puddings, add a splash of some kind of condiment/sauce to cottage cheese. There are 100 calorie snack packs available at most grocery stores, but if you're going to have one of those, make sure it's only one. If you're still hungry after that, put a stick of gum in your mouth to get you through to designated meal times and sip on your water as well. I'm guessing you're at the mushy stage of diet, so perhaps different combinations of mashed vegetables. Some of my favorites were carrot and parsnips or rutabaga and squash with some spinach added for texture and fibre, etc. Fish, ground chicken and turkey, some of the leaner meats that can be chewed up really well, but be careful that you're not eating too much too soon of these things. Remember that the first 6 weeks after surgery you should be concentrating on healing and healing only. That's why sticking in the liquid/mushy stage is important. You don't want to aggravate your band area and suffer complications as a result. You have plenty of time to get onto a controlled diet/weight loss/exercise routine, so don't rush things. I thought back to my son's baby stage and basically made food that I would have made for him both in size and ingredients. Baby food. Fresh, not the canned/bottled stuff. Exercise. One thing I've learned is that I can't eat chocolate chip Cookies while exercising. :drool: At times when the hunger really gets to me, I'll go for a 20-30 minute stroll outside just to get away from the temptations of food in the fridge and cupboards. You need to break yourself out of old habits that got you into trouble in the first place. It takes a lot of work in the beginning, but if you stick with it, it becomes second nature to have your meals, Snacks and exercises planned for the upcoming day or week. When choosing an exercise, make sure it's one that you'll enjoy. Or at the very least, one that you don't hate. If you start to feel like exercise is a chore you'd much rather avoid, sooner or later you'll find reasons and excuses to do so. Some people get into a routine that doesn't change at all, but others find they need to keep changing in order to keep things interesting and not get bored with their workout. I think the best purchase I've made since my lap band has been my iPod. It helps keep me focused when I'm on the treadmill or elliptical and the time goes by really quickly when I'm singing along; in my head, so as not to scare the public :biggrin: On the days when I've forgotten my iPod it seems like it takes twice as long to get through my exercises. :smile: Hang in there. This is a wonderful journey that at times is very hard, but the rewards of that hard work are SO worth it. I hope this helps.

Hi Everyone! My name is Kim and I'm new here. I was looking to talk to people who have had lap band surgery that are in a similar to me in their goal. I am 5'5" tall and weigh 295lbs. I live in Southern California and have a referral for the weight loss surgery process. My medical group requires 6 months of classes (2x per month) prior to the surgery. Did anyone else have to do this? If so, was it beneficial? I have one child (almost 2 yrs old) and was really hoping to have more children. When I was pregnant I ate really well and lost 50 lbs (while pregnant) and since he was born, I have gained all of it back and another 25 lbs. One of my biggest concerns is not being to have children after the proceedure. Anyone have information on having children after the proceedure? I am terrified to have gastric bypass and feel more comfortable with the lap band proceedure but I have to do something. I really just don't want to have complications and possibly die from either proceedure, I have a child to live for. I am sure I will be posting more :smile:

The stats you quote in your initial post are about right, but I don't think it's the fault of the band or complications with it that results in the success rate not being higher. I think that complications are only a small portion of the failure rate. Physical hunger is only one thing of many that contributes to someone who is chronically obese. Head hunger and other emotional/psychological issues are a HUGE part of our problem, and the band doesn't fix those, of course. Perhaps looking at those numbers from a glass-half-full perspective is in order. 95% of people who lose weight through diet alone gain it back. 50% of bandsters gain it back. Personally, I like the odds WITH the band (or other WLS) a whole lot better than those without it.

Hi Lou. I read your story and you've really been through the ringer. I know I wouldn't be able to afford this surgery out-of-pocket, but 6 sleeves does not make for a good experience level. I know that a lot of people on this site go far away (Mexico etc...) for their surgeries. I would not want to be so far away from my surgeon. I'm lucky to have an experienced local surgeon who accepts my insurance- a sort of trifecta. It appears that you may need to give up one of those 3 things- insurance coverage, proximity, or experience. That's a really tough call that I don't envy. One thought is this: ask your surgeon who trained him in VSG, and ask if that doctor would be willing to be present in the OR. Also, ask your surgeon detailed questions about his technique, such as: size of bougie, method of closure (my bariatric practice has had zero instances of leaks b/c they over-sew the staple line, and then glue on top of that), etc... Ask if you can talk with other patients (do they run an ongoing support group?). Ask if they do a pre-op liquid diet (a responsible and conservative approach that reduces liver size and density, and evaluates patient ability and commitment to following critical liquid post-op diet). It's nice to have a surgeon with a good long successful track record in a procedure, but on the other hand, he's doesn't sound new at all to bariatric surgery, and VSG is less complicated than bypass. Just don't be afraid to ask ask ask. It's your body and your right. Good luck with this tough decision and hang in there!

I completely empathize with you. It is so hard to battle through it all...the unexpected set backs, numerous surgery from complications, the fear, the remorse, the regret (did I do the right thing having this surgery?). I have also had 7 surgeries so far to correct esophageal blockages, twisting, spasms, stomach contraction, closing off of the esophagus so that breathing was virtually impossible (Paramedic & ICU interventions x2) in less than 12 months of the initial sleeve surgery. About every 4 - 8 weeks I'm in for more surgery... I too suffer from severe depression & anxiety, accompanied by seizures, structural physical damage to my knee & back which was my initial motivation to get the weight off & get a quality of life back! The "set back" from complications has been awful. It feels as if it has destroyed my current existence because I never know when I'm going to end up back in hospital, need resuscitation (very scary), and SO want to avoid the pain and/or vomiting. I am struggling with the beginnings of an eating disorder....basically I don't wont to eat to avoid the complications from it. :(Now in the hands of professional help with this which is helping & I recommend anyone in this position to seek help too! Losing more than 1/2 my body weight in a year after surgery causes people to be amazed....but at what cost? Yes I'm also the 1%er...I wish I wasn't! There are so many success stories which brightens my day. I was in such ill health this surgery really was my only option for lasting results. Losing the weight has greatly improved my mobility, reduced back & knee pain...significantly reduced pain medications too (yeah) ALL POSITIVES!!!! I can now jog & walk for km's/miles easily, climb stairs quickly, not out of breath, can touch my toes (lol), no muscle aches....it's GREAT! No more walking stick, wheelie walker or wheel chair anymore which was humiliating at 40 years old. Great to have support here & know we aren't alone on this "bumpy" journey

Hey all! About a month out from surgery I went in because I had an unusual series of events happen. Out of nowhere, I was able to eat significantly less than I had been (just yogurt and cottage cheese), and I had even vomited after a few occasions of simple drinking (Water only). So, I went in and had a swallow study done. That confirmed my new stomach was slow to empty, and my surgeon suggest a scope to go in and verify and if needed, dilate the closing connection to allow me to eat. I got called the next day, offering me a time on Monday to go in, or I could wait about two weeks. Since my symptoms had gotten better by this time, I said I didn't need to rush in and get it done, and that I could wait for two weeks. That was another big mistake. I found my symptoms would be ok in the morning and then at night, they'd flare up and I'd end up vomiting and being unable to keep anything down. This eventually morphed in to being able to consume no Protein shakes (I was put back on Clear liquids and protein by my doc regardless of when my procedure was, UNTIL I had my procedure.) I felt fine though because my body was still burning fat. But all things being the same, I put a note in my online chart for my nurses to see Monday, asking for the next available date to do the scope. Monday I was called and told to come in Tuesday. Everything seemed very routine, and the overwhelming feeling was this procedure would fix my issue and I'd be back on track. Wrong! I got up after the scope ready to walk out and feeling refreshed from what I'd just call a nap. The nurses had different plans for me. As they wheeled me back to recovery, I asked where my wife was. They told me she had gone to get something to eat and would be up soon, in the meantime, I should order some food. I was told that I could "have whatever I wanted," which I immediately questioned. I also asked why I needed a meal if I was leaving shortly. The reply was that I wasn't leaving shortly, I was being admitted overnight. I was literally shocked. Confused, and now wishing my wife was there to answer some questions, I tried to get whatever I could out of the nursing staff. They had limited information because they're all just staff in surgical recovery, they don't know all the details of every patient, and there were a lot of them. I got ahold of my wife who told me she had actually gone home because they said it would be 2 hours before I'd even get back to a room. She told me the dilation was only mildly successful, and that I was malnourished and had to stay overnight for observation. Long story short, I ended up with a PICC Line, a massive bag of TPN, and orders for home health to help me with future daily bags of TPN for about the next 4-6 weeks until they can go back in and do another scope. I'm feeling a lot of things right now, most of that is disappointment that this hasn't gone as easily as really everyone led me to believe. I understand every patient is different, but it's so hard to hear things like "you're an ideal candidate for this now because you're so healthy and your only comorbidity is hypertension, so you're mostly healthy aside from that," or, "we don't anticipate any complications in your case." The moral here is if you think you're having issues, call your surgical team ASAP and tell them. I have no clue if there was anything I could have done to avoid this, I honestly doubt it, but here I am with a 2 liter bag of Fluid I'll be toting around for the next month and a half either way.