Let me introduce myself

[exactly150 0]

My name is Deb, I am a 51 year old housewife. 10 years ago, I had a vertical banded gastroplasty, and lost over 100lbs. I was very pleased with the results. But over the years, the staples pulled apart, and I have now regained all that I lost, plus a lot more. In fact, I have never been so fat in all my life, and it feels really uncomfortable.

I am jumping through the hoops the surgeon makes you go through before you have surgery. I was told by him that gastric bypass was not an option, because I have had other abdominal surgeries.

After reading many, many posts from this site, I am not so sure now that the banding is for me. It seems a high percentage of people have nothing but problems. I am willing to have the surgery if I were sure that the failure rate was low, but that is not how it seems to be.

How many of you are truly sorry you ever did it? And, is it as effective as it's made out to be? Deb

[TracyinKS 7]

Welcome to LBT!

Please remember that a lot of people come here to do research and post problems they are having and then leave. Most of the "Long Timers" are out living happy lives. Band Slippage, Erosion, and Port revision are the biggest problems and those happen very rarely... the complication threads can be scarey but you have to know the possible problems going in. There are MANY, MANY people who have no problems at all.

The band helps your hunger but it doesn't change your head. Emotional eating, and for me it was a process of "BREAKING UP WITH MY BEST FRIEND" food.......... no longer can I gorge myself on a pizza because I'm happy, sad, mad, or stressed....

If you eat to fast.. food will get stuck and that causes a Productive Burp or a Slime........ You really have to get to know your body.

The "filled" band creates a small pouch or stoma, the pouch fills up quickly which ceases your hunger. If you choose to fill your pouch with solid Protein and DO NOT drink with your meal the Protein will slowly disolve and empty out of th pouch very SLOWLY which means that you stay full longer and eat less. If you fill you pouch with crunchy/crumbly food it AND OR drink with meals it will flush the pouch much faster and you will be hungry more frequently. If you eat white doughy bread or other things with a high gluten content it will get Gummy and act as a cork getting stuck, and either it has to come UP or you wait til it disolves.

Personally it took me 2 years to decide to get the band. I had been sucessful with Atkins. I have lost over 80 lbs 3 times in my adult live and 20-30 lbs more times than I can count. My problem is MAINTAINING the loss.. which is were the band comes in.

It is a TOOL that I use in conjuction with LC choices to once again lose this weight, but even better the ability to get fills and unfills will allow me to maintain my loss.

I've even taken up exercise........... so for those looking for a quick fix or a magic surgery.. this is NOT it....

I STILL have to make the right choices and as much as I wish I didn't I have to EXERCISE....... but the band DOES MAKE IT EASIER TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES!

Don't get caught up in all the negatives posted here... everyone is different.. you have to look at the ENTIRE picture... the good the bad the exercise. If you follow the bandster rules you can expect to average 1-3 pounds a week.........

Look up JulieNYC, BOO, KAT, Princess in the Pep, Neal, TELLY, heck go check out the progress pic thread......... the pages are filled with HOPE, Motivation, Inspiration and people just like you and me........ then make your decision.

[TracyinKS 7]

Also: I thought I'd post today's menu

coffee w/sf Creamer

b: SouthBeachDiet Protein bar

l: 1 cup of cottage cheese w/blueberries and splenda

d: chicken breast w/ranch, brocoli

Water: 64-100 oz's

Also: I was at the gym at 4:30 a.m. where I did 45 minutes of exercise.

[faithmd 14]

:welcomeB: to LBT! I agree with what Tracy said. Having been through a purely restrictive process once, you know what you are getting yourself into. I'm flummoxed as to where the nothing but problems part of your post comes from. I do not see nothing but problems posted about, in fact I think they are fairly rare. If you include productive burps and getting food stuck as a problem, then I guess I can see where you are coming from. But those are merely consequences of the band and it's what should keep us a bit more conscious of how and what we eat. Just like bypass patients get cramping and dumping with sugar and alcohol in the beginning. That's what keeps them honest.

If you've eaten past a restrictive procedure once, I'd be interested in why your doc thinks a second restrictive procedure would be the right choice for you? Are you at a different place in your life now than you were 10 years ago? Would you make different food choices? Are you ready for the work the band is? I'm not getting down on you at all, I'm truly asking because these are questions that come to mind when I was considering the band, and when I read your introduction.

I think the band can be very successful, here's a few threads that might give you some different perspective, a couple are polls about whether people are happy they have the band, and in both, the number are higher than 90% that they are happy with their choice.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/happy-lap-band-36259/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-many-happy-sucessful-34980/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/poll-you-glad-you-were-banded-38781/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/ten-years-lap-band-38936/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/share-us-what-has-improved-you-37441/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/would-you-do-again-30418/

If you are leaning toward a bypass, and your doc won't do it, I would seek out a second opinion about it. You very well may find someone who would agree to do a bypass for you. Different surgeons have different skill and comfort levels. And they would never say to a patient, "I'm not skilled enough in doing RNY on patients with previous abdominal surgeries." They would think it would make them sound bad. To me it would be a breath of fresh air, for them to be honest.

If you really don't think the band is for you, then you should expand your search and look into other surgeons and perhaps other procedures such as the duodenal switch.

Good luck and again, welcome to LBT, we are glad to have you here. Anything we can do to help, just post!

[Sybaritic01 0]

Dahhhhhling.......it can be challenging to form an opinion on what you read on here......because of the nature of any chat/support sites, you are going to see the extremes of all opinions.

Look at the real medical stats......I know the Canadian stats....and people banded with any complications is less than 1%.......that is an incredible stat and it convinced me to go forward with the surgery. I've been banded a week and my only regret is not having it done sooner!

All the best to you............

[exactly150 0]

Faithmd,

Thanks for your honest reply. When I had the gastroplasty, my surgeon made me believe it was a true panacea for weight loss. Afterwards, I found out that the percentage rate for this procedure failing in the long run is 100%!!!! It is only natural that the staples pull out after awhile. No, I did not eat an enormous amount of food at all. But, year after year, I could feel the pouch getting bigger, being able to hold more than I would like.

Yes, I am very new to these boards, but it seems like whatever post I read, most of them have had revision surgery, slippage, erosion, etc......even the one post you had me read, the successful person 10 years out...she too needed a revision. I don't consider vomiting a problem. In fact, I vomited for two years with the gastroplasty, and I could have cared less. I only took in about 500 calories per day, and loved the feeling of control I had. the monster inside had truly died. But now, it has reared it's ugly head once again.

I can't have RNY because I have had 8 abdominal surgeries, so it's not a possibility. the Lap band is the only thing I can do. I guess I don't have a choice. Since regaining the weight, I now have sleep apnea, diabetes, very high cholesterol, and fatty liver disease. So - onward I imagine!!!!!! Deb

[faithmd 14]

I included positive and negative posts to you to be honest.

I don't think anything is 100%. You can eat through all of the surgeries, or they fail in the long run. But the band can be loosened and then retightened and you can start fresh. You've been through a restrictive procedure that worked for you once before, perhaps it will work again. And the nice thing is that it can be removed if something happens to it. If another surgery comes along that is better, you can remove the band without having had anything rerouted or cut inside. If they can eventually do a surgery despite your multiple abdominal surgeries, then the band can be taken out and the new surgery performed.

I wish you all the luck in the world. If this is all you can do right now, then I say go for it. As I mentioned earlier, it looks like restriction helped you lose in the past, no reason it wouldn't help you again. You are older and wiser and know how to work the restriction.

[TracyinKS 7]

I realize that as time goes by there is a chance I will need a revision, but heck I view that as a chance to be at a healthy weight for years and then get a new and improved version of the band! Who the heck knows what will be invented down the line. Obesity is a REAL problem and Billions of dollars are being invested to come up with a solution....

Thats why you need to make your own decision... your own path.

My mom and step dad could both really benefit from a band and they have both set their minds against it, because neither of them want another surgery..... and that is THEIR choice..their path.. and I don't begrudge them in the least.

I have two RL best friends who've underwent the RNY.. one OPEN one LAP, 4.5 years out my friend B has regained almost all the 120lbs she lost because after the 1st year the honeymoon was over and her pouch stretched. She is now working on getting a band around her stretched pouch. Friend 2 has lost 130 lbs and just had a boob lift and Tummy Tuck she looks freakn awesome, but had to fight a 15 lb regain because again she is over two years out and the honeymoon phase is over......

I don't begrudge them either.. that is THEIR path... the band just happens to be mine..............

I would do it again in a minute...

I would recommend it to EVERY PERSON WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM IT!

I will happily get a revision if needed..........

sorry I've got to go

[RoseNewLife 0]

Welcome to LBT!

Please remember that a lot of people come here to do research and post problems they are having and then leave. Most of the "Long Timers" are out living happy lives. Band Slippage, Erosion, and Port revision are the biggest problems and those happen very rarely... the complication threads can be scarey but you have to know the possible problems going in. There are MANY, MANY people who have no problems at all.

The band helps your hunger but it doesn't change your head. Emotional eating, and for me it was a process of "BREAKING UP WITH MY BEST FRIEND" food.......... no longer can I gorge myself on a pizza because I'm happy, sad, mad, or stressed....

If you eat to fast.. food will get stuck and that causes a Productive Burp or a Slime........ You really have to get to know your body.

The "filled" band creates a small pouch or stoma, the pouch fills up quickly which ceases your hunger. If you choose to fill your pouch with solid Protein and DO NOT drink with your meal the Protein will slowly disolve and empty out of th pouch very SLOWLY which means that you stay full longer and eat less. If you fill you pouch with crunchy/crumbly food it AND OR drink with meals it will flush the pouch much faster and you will be hungry more frequently. If you eat white doughy bread or other things with a high gluten content it will get Gummy and act as a cork getting stuck, and either it has to come UP or you wait til it disolves.

Personally it took me 2 years to decide to get the band. I had been sucessful with Atkins. I have lost over 80 lbs 3 times in my adult live and 20-30 lbs more times than I can count. My problem is MAINTAINING the loss.. which is were the band comes in.

It is a TOOL that I use in conjuction with LC choices to once again lose this weight, but even better the ability to get fills and unfills will allow me to maintain my loss.

I've even taken up exercise........... so for those looking for a quick fix or a magic surgery.. this is NOT it....

I STILL have to make the right choices and as much as I wish I didn't I have to EXERCISE....... but the band DOES MAKE IT EASIER TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES!

Don't get caught up in all the negatives posted here... everyone is different.. you have to look at the ENTIRE picture... the good the bad the exercise. If you follow the bandster rules you can expect to average 1-3 pounds a week.........

Look up JulieNYC, BOO, KAT, Princess in the Pep, Neal, TELLY, heck go check out the progress pic thread......... the pages are filled with HOPE, Motivation, Inspiration and people just like you and me........ then make your decision.

Hi Tracy!

I just wanted to say what an excellent response :clap2: . . . I'm new here myself, and what you wrote was so helpful. I'm really looking forward to getting my lap-band more and more . . . just gotta get through all these tests first!

Thanks again!

[TracyinKS 7]

your welcome Rose..... you'll get through it!

[TOOSLOW 2]

Amen!!! I Second Everything You Said!!!! It May Take Awhile For The Weight To Come Off But It Does Come Off And The Band Will Keep It Off If You Follow The Rules!

[Chickie 15]

For my money, banding is a effective as it is made out to be.