Would You Do It Again

[Summerrain 520]

It's still early days for me and my only regret is why didn't I do this earlier. The early weeks of the band can make you uncomfortable or sore but you should be back to normal within a few weeks and personally I can only feel the band if I haven't chewed my food well and feel it moving through otherwise I have no port pain or discomfort. As some have said once they loose the weight in the tummy area the feel it, I still haven't lost enough in that area so I may feel it once there isn't as much fat covering it. otherwise I'm doing everything and more before the op these days. Best thing I ever did even with the discomfort of recovery after the op.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Don't sweat the chocolate thing. I've delivered coca Beans to 2major chocolate manufacturers. If you saw their process' date=' you'd never even look at chocolate again. Even if you loved it.[/quote']

Lol, thanks for the chuckle.

[Skyvic 226]

Absolutely do it again!! 17 months banded...down to 179 from 267. Now I foget fat I even have a port, it's just part of your body like dental work or knee replacement that can stay in your body. This tool takes work but that's ok!! I'm very happy with my lapband and my surgeon.

[pink dahlia 2,513]

yes, id do it again ! im 8 months out, gone from a frumpy, old lady size 18 -1x to a cute size 14-large-, lost 50 lbs and generally feel 100% better. ive gone from walking only to jogging/walking, my joints dont hurt as much, my digestive problems have disapeared and my sleep apnea is getting better. Im getting compliments almost daily, (thankyou !!!) and i have cute, attractive clothes that keep getting bigger as i lose more weight. ( skinny jeans ??? belts ?? tucked in shirts ??, who, me ??). Yes, id do it all over again, its been a breeze !

[Lapbandster 496]

I'm a newbie, so maybe my opinion doesn't count but here goes:

I would never go back! The only other options for me were the sleeve and gastric bypass. Gastric bypass freaks the $h!t outta me because my mom had it. Don't get me wrong, she loved losing the weight, but lets face it: She is suffering from malabsorbtive problems, is always tired, and has lots of stretched/saggy skin from the rapid uncontrollable weight loss. She also is very anemic and can't seem to snap out of it even with meds, due to her malabsorbive issues. (interestingly, remember that singer carney wilson who was the "golden girl" promoting gastric bypass?? well guess what! She is now getting a revision surgery to the lapband because she stretched her pouch and gained back lots of weight http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/carnie-wilson-has-lap-band-weight-loss-surgery-again_n_1370723.html )

Plication also was scary to me since losing part of my stomach was a permament thing and I know someone who re-stretched their stomach rendering the surgery totally useless.

OF COURSE i could have convinced myself that I didn't really need surgery and I could do it on my own, but lets face it- Obesity runs in both of my parents families, i was prediabetic and not getting younger. Losing 100 pounds seemed so daunting to me that I couldn't even get the nerve to try. I'm 23 and sick and tired of watching life passing me by. all my friends are confidently dating/getting married etc etc. All these things are just dreams to me now. Sitting on the sidelines and wishing to diet/be thin just simply doesn't work for me anymore. It's time to get a tool and help my dreams become a reality.

Yes, every surgery has risks and complications, but statistically LapBand IS THE SAFEST. (not including plication which there is currently not enough data for)

[breepylatuk 0]

Lapbandster, of course your opinion counts. I am new to these forums too but I am just about 16 months post op and down 136 lbs. I am 23 and I know exactly what you are going through I felt the same way. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was the single best decision I have ever made!

[Banterwonder 63]

would do it again in a heartbeat !!! Lost 67 pounds in 6 months, very happy. Still learning everyday about food, how to eat well and stay healthy.

[Cocoabean 430]

I'm in dog heaven. This thing has changed my life. I was sleeved on may 23rd and as of today I am down 70lbs.

I was very health conscious & athletic in my youth. I feel I am getting that back. I am even considering going further into my youth and perusing dreams I had then of becoming a NUT and personal trainer. That's kinda the reason I am here. I want to thoroughly understand the effects of all WLS.

After being a very healthy person, then becoming 150lbs overweight & now returning to the old me. I really want to specialize in helping WLS patients improve their lives.

Don't worry, I won't tell you about the **** in your chocolate.

That is so AWESOME! Congrats! The idea of staying involved in bariatrics is great. That will help you maintain your focus.

Did the idea of strictures not scare you? Nor the removal of so much of your stomach? Those are the parts that freak me about the sleeve. Please don't take it as a bash, but as seeking information about your procedure, as you did about ours. Stricture is my biggest fear. Can it happen at any time? Or is it an early on complication? How is it managed medically? Thanks for any info you can share!

I know certain parts per million are allowed in chocolate. But I figure we eat lost of stuff went don't intend to every day.

My brother used to tear down and super-clean the rotisserie chicken cookers in grocery stores, also the dairy and meat racks. He owned a pressure washing business. He said the meat and dairy was gross, but to NEVER EVER eat the cooked chicken! Thanks Bro, that chicken was one of my favorites!! He had a contract with a few of the major chain stores. He'd wash them every-other-year. They'd not be cleaned in between the full tear down when the shut down for a few days. UGH!

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Did the idea of strictures not scare you? Nor the removal of so much of your stomach? Those are the parts that freak me about the sleeve. Please don't take it as a bash' date=' but as seeking information about your procedure, as you did about ours. Stricture is my biggest fear. Can it happen at any time? Or is it an early on complication? How is it managed medically? Thanks for any info you can share![/quote']

The possibility of a stricture with the sleeve is pretty slim since the surgery never touches the esophegs or the pyloric valve. But even if it did happen the treatment to treat a stricture is so simple it can be performed in office.It is basicly handled by numbing the esophegs & stomach then sending a balloon down the throat to the stricture and inflating the balloon to open the passage.

The loss of my stomach didn't bother me as much as the possibility of a leak. Leaks are also pretty uncommon, but they do happen. Fortunately the repair for a leak is pretty straight forward. They place a stent over the leak till it heals. My way of avoiding the potential risks was to find the surgeon that specializes in revisions & repairs. The surgeon I chose has never had a complication on a virgin stomach. I wish I could say he has never had any complications, but when you are dealing with scar tissue and botched surgeries, you do your best & pray a lot.

I had considered the band before I even heard of the sleeve. Unfortunately, getting it filled was going o be problematic for me. Then one day I was doing some surfing, just being my normal information-sponge self, when I ran across a bariatric surgeons "standard package pricing" list. I noticed that it had band to sleeve revision on it. This struck me as being odd. I wondered, "how common is this revision that it has a standard price?". Which ultimately lead me. To investigating the sleeve, and the more I learned about it the more I liked it. I will say there are tons of misconceptions about the sleeve out there(as I am sure there are about the band also). Many people liken it to RNY which it couldn't be further from.

[lawson 14]

I am very thankful for my band, but I really wanted the sleeve. My mother-in-law had the sleeve done and a friend/coworker and they both have lost so much with little exercise. I did not get the sleeve. Because I would have to pay $12,500 compared to the band/ plication at $5,500. I am still happy.... I had my surgery on July 31, 2012 and weighed 197 when I went in and today is August 19th and I weigh 180 . I can't complain! I do feel my band and I am scared of something happening or me doing something to strainous that could damage it.

[lawson 14]

What exactly is the "band with plication surgery?" I've heard it mentioned many times on this site' date=' but stil do not know what it is.[/quote']

Bandwidth plication...... Plication is an alternative to the sleeve. It's where the doctor folds your stomach and sews it two times to make your stomach smaller. I've had this done!

[Cocoabean 430]

The possibility of a stricture with the sleeve is pretty slim since the surgery never touches the esophegs or the pyloric valve. But even if it did happen the treatment to treat a stricture is so simple it can be performed in office.It is basicly handled by numbing the esophegs & stomach then sending a balloon down the throat to the stricture and inflating the balloon to open the passage.

The loss of my stomach didn't bother me as much as the possibility of a leak. Leaks are also pretty uncommon, but they do happen. Fortunately the repair for a leak is pretty straight forward. They place a stent over the leak till it heals. My way of avoiding the potential risks was to find the surgeon that specializes in revisions & repairs. The surgeon I chose has never had a complication on a virgin stomach. I wish I could say he has never had any complications, but when you are dealing with scar tissue and botched surgeries, you do your best & pray a lot.

I had considered the band before I even heard of the sleeve. Unfortunately, getting it filled was going o be problematic for me. Then one day I was doing some surfing, just being my normal information-sponge self, when I ran across a bariatric surgeons "standard package pricing" list. I noticed that it had band to sleeve revision on it. This struck me as being odd. I wondered, "how common is this revision that it has a standard price?". Which ultimately lead me. To investigating the sleeve, and the more I learned about it the more I liked it. I will say there are tons of misconceptions about the sleeve out there(as I am sure there are about the band also). Many people liken it to RNY which it couldn't be further from.

Thanks for that! I was under the impression that you can get a stricture along the length of the sleeve. Is that incorrect? A leak is a big concern, but only in the healing phase, right? So that worry goes away after the immediate post-op period?

What about worrying about incorrect boughie choice? I see with my luck that my sleeve would be either too big or too small, can they fix that? Or is there more science to it than the surgeon saying "eenie meenie, it's a teenie"??

Truly, thanks for the info! I like to be better informed for when folks come here in the pre-op stake seeking info about all different procedures.

[Toddy 758]

The possibility of a stricture with the sleeve is pretty slim since the surgery never touches the esophegs or the pyloric valve. But even if it did happen the treatment to treat a stricture is so simple it can be performed in office.It is basicly handled by numbing the esophegs & stomach then sending a balloon down the throat to the stricture and inflating the balloon to open the passage.

The loss of my stomach didn't bother me as much as the possibility of a leak. Leaks are also pretty uncommon, but they do happen. Fortunately the repair for a leak is pretty straight forward. They place a stent over the leak till it heals. My way of avoiding the potential risks was to find the surgeon that specializes in revisions & repairs. The surgeon I chose has never had a complication on a virgin stomach. I wish I could say he has never had any complications, but when you are dealing with scar tissue and botched surgeries, you do your best & pray a lot.

I had considered the band before I even heard of the sleeve. Unfortunately, getting it filled was going o be problematic for me. Then one day I was doing some surfing, just being my normal information-sponge self, when I ran across a bariatric surgeons "standard package pricing" list. I noticed that it had band to sleeve revision on it. This struck me as being odd. I wondered, "how common is this revision that it has a standard price?". Which ultimately lead me. To investigating the sleeve, and the more I learned about it the more I liked it. I will say there are tons of misconceptions about the sleeve out there(as I am sure there are about the band also). Many people liken it to RNY which it couldn't be further from.

I appreciate your information. I like knowing that there is another option available if I ever have to lose my band!

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Thanks for that! I was under the impression that you can get a stricture along the length of the sleeve. Is that incorrect? A leak is a big concern' date=' but only in the healing phase, right? So that worry goes away after the immediate post-op period?

What about worrying about incorrect boughie choice? I see with my luck that my sleeve would be either too big or too small, can they fix that? Or is there more science to it than the surgeon saying "eenie meenie, it's a teenie"??

Truly, thanks for the info! I like to be better informed for when folks come here in the pre-op stake seeking info about all different procedures.[/quote']

The closest I've seen to a stricture along the length of the sleeve was a lady that had an excessive amount of swelling in the stomach that made it hard to ingest Water. This lead to her becoming dehydrated and made treatment more difficult. not to mention the fact that her doctor was inexperienced in this particular scenario, he misdiagnosed this swelling as a stricture and in fear of tearing the staple line chose to put her on a feeding tube. This really wasn't much of a soloution because it was so limiting.

At the end of the day what she needed was to be be rehydrated & given anti-inflamitories via IV. Ultimately her complication old have been overcome by by earlier treatment(she waited several days before contacting her doctor) and by a more experienced physician.

Bougie size is a hot topic in the sleeve community that always ends up with the same conclusion. It's a non issue. The difference in bougie sizes is quite minimal. The smallest ones have been found to make acid reflux worse, hence they really aren't used anymore. Excluding the sizes that aren't being used anymore the difference between the smallest & largest will at most be about 1oz difference in stomach capacity once fully healed. Beyond this, each surgeon is a bit different. Remember, the bougie is just a guide, not a template. Where one surgeon will staple closer to the bougie, another may staple more loosely producing the same size sleeve with different bougies.

Yes, a sleeve patient can be "resleeved" if the origional surgery fails for some reason. I have yet to hear from anybody who had a failed sleeve. But my surgeon has assures me he has resleeved a few.

Most often, as with any WLS it's not the actual tool that fails, but failure to use the tool. A mechanic can have all the greatest tools in the world, but we all know the the tools can't fix the car, unlessthe mechanic puts them to use.

[kassy_360 3]

Personally I would not rush into it again