What is the outcome?

[BobbyH 0]

Hi there I am Bobby, I live in NC and I am 28. I have always been a big man all my life. When I was in 10th grade in high school, I weighted roughly 419lbs. I lost a little weight since then, but I am still morbidly obese. I have stayed in the range from 360 to 380lbs. I have tried diets from all veggie down to 500 calorie diets, not eating just taking Vitamins and drinking Water and milk. During that process I may have lost 6 to 10lbs but then I gained 20 to 35 back.

I was told about the Bariatric Surgey about 4 years ago. I was recently told about the Lapband Surgery by my new doctor her in NC. So I have been researching it for about a month. And I didn't really find anything out about the outcome of the Lapband. Some say you have an external object outside of your body, so the fills can be done.

Can anyone help me figure more out about the outcome of lapband surgery? I know the weight loss out is spectacular from the photos I have seen. But if that valve(if you can/could call it that) is outside the body. I doubt this surgery is for me.. But I could also be very wrong, It maybe perfect for me.

Thank you for you help and time..

P.S. I am just worried if the object is outside my body.. I will damage it in any/some way..:phanvan

[Tricia K. 0]

There is no valve, or other object, outside of your body. The band, the tubing, and the port are all inside of your body. Someone is giving you false information about the port, which is what is accessed when fills are done. It's typically placed under the skin, between the fat and the muscle. A syringe, which contains saline, is inserted into the port. Your doctor will determine how much saline is required at the time of each fill.

As far as the outcome of the surgery, most people have good results. Remember, it is a weight loss tool that should be used properly. This is a great place for research.

I hope this answers your questions. Good luck.

[BobbyH 0]

Ok, honestly... That truely help me to determine what I want. But, their might be one other peoblem.. Will medicaid pay for LB? I have been On SSI and SSDI because I have seizures... So, Thats why I was mainly wanting to go with LB.. because I do NOT want to fall and have a seizure after I have the open rny...

[the best me 6]

Hey Bobby, check us out in the NC Forum. We have a pretty active Charlotte group.

The needle goes through the skin, into the port, and the saline goes through tubing into the band. Easy cheesy.

I love my band. do lots and lots of research to be sure banded life is for you. Be a very knowledgable patient! You came to the right place. Happy researching and welcome to LBT!

[bbrecruiter2000 1]

Hi Bobby,

I have been banded almost three years and I can GUARANTEE that no part of the band is outside the body! Being as klutsky as I am, I would have damaged mine day one if it were dangling outside my body. How sexy is that!!!! lol. Please go to the website of www.inamed.com which is the manufacturer of the band so yo ucan see a good picture of it. Inamed is now owned by Allargan but if you go to the site I typed here it will take you to the Inamed site. The port is sewn inside your abdomen and attached to the abdomen wall with the titanium port located where it can be accessed with a needle to add saline.

Babs in TX

334/180 now

[BobbyH 0]

Thank you for helping me with some great information. I will look at that website right after I am done typing this. I want to thank everyone for welcoming me to LBT..

As for my last post. I edited it.. and Do to my seizures, I feel lapband Is the one for me. If I had the open RNY i could fall and bust it open and that really would not be good for me or anyone for that matter.

[the best me 6]

Just so you know, Bobby, RNY can be done laporoscipically also. But the healing period is longer and more delicate. You are smart to look into banding as your first option, just don't feel as though you have to rule out RNY definately. I'm not pushing either surgery, just informing.

[Angie C 0]

Go to texaslapbandcenter.com with Dr Jayaseelan, he has video of the surgery and a good explination

[Tricia K. 0]

Ok, honestly... That truely help me to determine what I want. But, their might be one other peoblem.. Will medicaid pay for LB? I have been On SSI and SSDI because I have seizures... So, Thats why I was mainly wanting to go with LB.. because I do NOT want to fall and have a seizure after I have the open rny...

I was a self-pay patient and I don't know much about Medicaid, but from what I understand, they do pay for the surgery as long as you have it done at a Medicaid approved hospital. Check with your local surgeon and their insurance department/people may have some better answers for you. You may also wish to contact Medicaid and ask them directly. Good luck.

[BobbyH 0]

Go to texaslapbandcenter.com with Dr Jayaseelan, he has video of the surgery and a good explination

Angie C. I want to thank you for having me go to that site. That really helped me alot. And Thank you to everyone who posted to my thread..

And to Tricia...I was looking for a surgeon in my area.. and I was on a different site that helps talk to you about the RNY.. And I found out that this surgen accepts medicaid..I just have to get my Dr. to refer me to him.. Which he said he would do once I found a surgen that accepts medicaid..

Thanks everyone.. I will be letting you know what happens soon!:clap2:

[Victoriana 10]

Dear Bobby H

I am so proud of you for researching your ooptions. I also was afraid of surgery due to the complcations. While every surgery has its risk, the overall benifits plus the fact that banding is completly reversable if needed for any reason. It really leaves you in complete controll. Taking controll of my health was the best thing that ever happened to me! Best wishes!!

[BobbyH 0]

Thank you Victoriana,

I have been Obese all my life.. Like A LOT of other is the world. But, I recently got married to a wonderful and most beautiful woman. I feel its time for me to take full control of my life. So I will have time to left to spend with her.. instead of 10 to 15 years i want it to be 60 or 70 more...

So I feel am Would be making the right choice to have the surgery, wheather is RNY(open or lap) or LapBand.

[the best me 6]

Go get 'em, BobbyH!!!! Where in NC are you? Near Charlotte?

[PhotoNut 7]

Hi Bobby! Welcome to LBT! You'll find a wonderful group of folks from NC that will surround you with lots of care and support. I love the NC group! They adopted me. :Banane56:

By the way, there is a FAQ forum on the main LBT page that has a thread called Links. There you will find so many super links to lapband information that it will take you days to get through it all. But, the more you learn, the better prepared you are to make a decision. So check it out. Give out a shout if you can't find it ok?