Thinking about the lap bad! Questions!!!

[Marissa]

I am very strongly considering getting the lap-band done and im just scared because i ahte pain. I hope you dont mind me asking you a few questions that you have probably been ask a million times!

- Are you in pain after the surgery?

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?

- how often do you have the band ajusted?

- are you glad you did the surgery?

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?

- are the scares bad?

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?

- do you have alot of saggy skin?

My doctors seem to discourage this surgery and push the the bypass but im in willing to get all cut up, hopefully you wont mind answering my questions! thanks alot!

Marissa

[nita57]

I am very strongly considering getting the lap-band done and im just scared because i ahte pain. I hope you dont mind me asking you a few questions that you have probably been ask a million times!

- Are you in pain after the surgery?

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?

- how often do you have the band ajusted?

- are you glad you did the surgery?

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?

- are the scares bad?

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?

- do you have alot of saggy skin?

My doctors seem to discourage this surgery and push the the bypass but im in willing to get all cut up, hopefully you wont mind answering my questions! thanks alot!

Marissa

Are you in pain after the surgery? I can't speak for anyone else but I had no pain at all except for tenderness at the port site.

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?I have lost enough to be satisified at this point. Weight loss is always a commitment and the band is only a tool. It is placed to help us, but it doesn't do all the work for us.

- how often do you have the band ajusted?every person is different. There is no way to tell in advance how many fills you will need to reach your sweet spot.

- are you glad you did the surgery? VERY

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?My surgery was on Friday, I went to work on Monday. No vomiting, no pain, and I was a bit tired, probably due to the liquid diet.

- are the scares bad? I assume you mean scars? not bad at all

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?No

- do you have alot of saggy skin?I still have alot to lose so this remains to be seen. I am working out to minimize this problem, but I see saggy skin as way less of a problem than this weight....

My Dr. also would have prefered I do gastric bypass. I refused and I am glad I did. I recently heard of one hospital in the US that has quit allowing bypass and now will only let physicians do lap band because of the amount of complications associated with bypass.

Hope this helps a little, at least gives you an idea. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do and be sure to do massive reseach before you have any surgical procedure done. Nita

[Marissa]

Are you in pain after the surgery? I can't speak for anyone else but I had no pain at all except for tenderness at the port site.

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?I have lost enough to be satisified at this point. Weight loss is always a commitment and the band is only a tool. It is placed to help us, but it doesn't do all the work for us.

- how often do you have the band ajusted?every person is different. There is no way to tell in advance how many fills you will need to reach your sweet spot.

- are you glad you did the surgery? VERY

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?My surgery was on Friday, I went to work on Monday. No vomiting, no pain, and I was a bit tired, probably due to the liquid diet.

- are the scares bad? I assume you mean scars? not bad at all

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?No

- do you have alot of saggy skin?I still have alot to lose so this remains to be seen. I am working out to minimize this problem, but I see saggy skin as way less of a problem than this weight....

My Dr. also would have prefered I do gastric bypass. I refused and I am glad I did. I recently heard of one hospital in the US that has quit allowing bypass and now will only let physicians do lap band because of the amount of complications associated with bypass.

Hope this helps a little, at least gives you an idea. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do and be sure to do massive reseach before you have any surgical procedure done. Nita

WOW you lost almost 50 pounds since September thats sounds good to me, and thanks for answering my questions it did help. Also, I see alot of people are almost at their goals but has anyone actually reached their goals 100% and if so how long? ANyone have a problem with slippage or erosion with the band?

[Littleroo27]

I have not had the surgery yet, but I've done a lot of research so I thought I would answer your questions based on gastric bypass VS lap-band.

- Are you in pain after the surgery?

Most people say they aren't in much pain after - some don't even take the pain meds. I would say you will be in less pain then the gastric bypass, simply because they cut less things open. The biggest complaint is gas pressure/pain from the gas they pump into your abdomen during surgery.

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?

It will be slower then gastric bypass. They say it evens out as far as total weight loss goes after about 3 years, though some people lose everything in as little as a year. It just depends on how fast your body loses weight naturally and how well you stick with the rules of eating post-band. Some people have trouble hitting their fill "sweet spot," but at least you don't have to worry about getting the runs all the time!

- how often do you have the band ajusted?

This is also a very personal thing. The Surgeon I talked to in La Jolla, CA said it's usually 1/3 need 1 fill, 1/3 need 2 fills, 1/3 need 3 or more fills to hit their sweet spot. The time to wait between fills also depends on you. If you aren't hungry after your first fill but are two months later, then you'll want to go back.

- are you glad you did the surgery?

I think I will be when I have it. I'm waiting very very impatiently to have the money right now, lol.

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?

Compared to gastric bypass it will be a breeze. I met a woman who'd had her surgery a week previously and she was going on daily walks and no pain pills and not hungry at all.

- are the scares bad?

Tiny scars. They only thing I could think of as a problem would be if you naturally keloid.

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?

I can't really answer this, but I don't think you can. You might be able to feel it once you lose weight. Most people can feel the scar tissue there as you heal, but only if you poke it.

- do you have alot of saggy skin?

You might once you lose all the weight, but no more then gastric bypass, and it might even be less because you lose slower, giving your skin more time to shrink with you. As for how much, it just depends on how much you have to lose.

As your doctor why he prefers one over the other. The gastric bypass does lead to faster weight loss, which is good for people with serious medical problems like diabetes that need to go away ASAP, but the overall recovery period is so much longer and it is not a guarantee of permenant weight loss. Not that the band is, but at least you can work with your fill-level.

[cyndiwilson]

Are you in pain after the surgery?

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard? i lost 12 lbs. prior to surgery and am down another 15lbs a total of 27lbs since about 10/01/06 and having surgery on 10/16/06

- how often do you have the band ajusted?I have my first apointment on 11/28/06 post op check up we will see if I need a fill

- are you glad you did the surgery? HELL YAY

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired? recovery was hard for me a mother of 3 older needy children LOL but their father threatened them with a inch of thier lives that they will do for me not me for them - I have also taken off work till after the first of the year to make sure I focus on eating correctly just a personal choice most will esume wok anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks

- are the scares bad? not at all I show mine to everyone WANT TO SEE? LOL

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt? NOT AT ALL CAN't EVEN FEEL It

- do you have alot of saggy skin? NOTICED SOME AROUND THE REAR TEH LAST COUPLE OF DAYS ---WORIED MORE ABOUT THE CHEST AREA SO i AM ALREADY SAVING TO HAVE WORK DONE THERE IF NEEDED lol

I hope this helps I know I am only 4 weeks out but hey it's all fresh in my memory now ----

Dr Ortiz and his staff are #1 so if you decide to go the Mexico way go his way ---

[HealthQuest]

I am very strongly considering getting the lap-band done and im just scared because i ahte pain. I hope you dont mind me asking you a few questions that you have probably been ask a million times!

- Are you in pain after the surgery?

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?

- how often do you have the band ajusted?

- are you glad you did the surgery?

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?

- are the scares bad?

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?

- do you have alot of saggy skin?

My doctors seem to discourage this surgery and push the the bypass but im in willing to get all cut up, hopefully you wont mind answering my questions! thanks alot!

Marissa

Hi Marissa,

I am scheduled to have the procedure done on 11/27 and have nerves. This is normal. I would be worried about anyone who didn't have questions and nerves about any type of surgery. However, you must understand that pain is subjective and we all experience it differently. I would expect some type of pain if my skin is broken by any means. Also, answering all the other questions: all those things you are concerned about are very individualized to each of us so no two people will have the exact same experiences. Just think of "no pain, no gain," pray this prayer and do what you believe is right for you.

Strengthen me, your servant, O God, to do what I have to do and bear what I have to bear; that, accepting your healing gifts through the skill of surgeons and nurses, I may be restored to usefulness in your world with a thankful heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A side bar: I am an ICU nurse, and have the opportunity of caring for patients post-op gastric bypass and I will tell you they are terribly sick, and have many, many complications. With the fears you have, this definitely may not be an option for you. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[NinnyEd]

I am very strongly considering getting the lap-band done and im just scared because i ahte pain. I hope you dont mind me asking you a few questions that you have probably been ask a million times!

- Are you in pain after the surgery?

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?

- how often do you have the band ajusted?

- are you glad you did the surgery?

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?

- are the scares bad?

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?

- do you have alot of saggy skin?

My doctors seem to discourage this surgery and push the the bypass but im in willing to get all cut up, hopefully you wont mind answering my questions! thanks alot!

Marissa

Hi Marissa!

I am just three weeks into my journey... But here are my answers up to now:

There is very little pain... Of course there is some pain, but I have had a lot of surgery and this one had the least amount of pain, I think even the biggest pain whimp could handle it!

I have lost 25 pounds. I think the hardest part was about week two of the three week liquid diet I started getting hungry, but it was not THAT big of a deal.

I am not sure about adjustments yet, have not had one yet!

I am very glad that I had the surgery and look forward to regaining my health again!

The recovery was really a piece of cake... no vomiting, just a little bit of pain, and I went back to work in 7 days - I probably could have gone back on day 5, but it was the weekend so I got 7 days. The first week I was a bit more tired than normal, but nothing that kept me from my normal routine.

My scars, now that the "glue" has fallen off are nothing more than pink lines. I bet in another 6 months they will be hardly detectable.

I cannot see my port and can barely feel it.

As for saggy skin, already had that from 3 BIG babies. I figure when I get down to my goal weight I will "tuck" anything that regular exercise has not taken care of.

I was very disappointed when I talked to the local bariatric doctors about this procedure, they are so into the RNY surgery and I do not know why, this surgery is far safer and the long term studies are showing that the weight loss is almost identical. I had this surgery to regain my health, re-routing my plumbing and putting myself into irreversable malabsorbtion syndrome is not getting healthy, I feel it is just loosing weight at the cost of my long-term health.

Just my opinion! Good luck with your decision!

[Canada Julie]

I am very strongly considering getting the lap-band done and im just scared because i ahte pain. I hope you dont mind me asking you a few questions that you have probably been ask a million times!

- Are you in pain after the surgery?

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard?

- how often do you have the band ajusted?

- are you glad you did the surgery?

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired?

- are the scares bad?

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt?

- do you have alot of saggy skin?

My doctors seem to discourage this surgery and push the the bypass but im in willing to get all cut up, hopefully you wont mind answering my questions! thanks alot!

Marissa

I also am recently banded - Nov 6, 2006. As far as the pain goes, from the lap band surgery it was quite insignificant. I had pain near the port as they stitch it to your abdominal muscles and if I moved a certain way you could feel it kind of pulling. It is important to not let it pull too much so that the port can become secure. I did have a large hiatal hernia repair and I was in quite a bit of pain from it. I was on strong pain medication for five days after the surgery, but the pain is subsiding a lot now. Dr. Martinez was very good about explaining the extra surgery and giving me medication and advice to help with the extra pain.

So far I have lost 16 pounds with the pre-op and post-op diet. It has been hard to stick to the liquid diet. I am starting soft foods soon, so I am hoping that won't be as bad. I did "cheat" on the post-op diet and found that it was not worth it because the pain of eating things not on the list is not worth it. The pain is just a pulling sensation in your tummy, but I paid for this surgery and I don't want anything to go wrong.

I have not had an adjustment yet, but my opinion on the adjustments is that you need to have them always done under flouroscopy. OCC always does them that way and I think you get a better fill. Dr. Martinez told me that by having a more accurate fill, most patients only require one or two fills to get to goal. I met a lady in the office getting her second fill which was one year after her first fill. During that year, she lost 130 pounds, so I think the one fill was great for her, she just need a bit of an adjustment to lose the rest of her weight, which would be quite normal since the thickness of the stomach does also thin as you lose weight.

At this point I keep telling myself I am glad I did the surgery, if not for the weight loss, I am glad to have the hiatal hernia fixed. I was never looking into gastric bypass as I had so many digestion problems the last thing I wanted to do was get it all chopped up and have even more. I am hoping that by getting the hernia fixed that many of my digestion whoas will be gone. I have 100 pounds to lose, so once I feel a little more healed, I am anxious to get to exercising and eating like a bandster.

The recovery has not been tough and once the band is placed it is important that you do not vomit. They give you stuff at the clinic to help with that and if I have felt nauseated since being home I have taken Gravol. Vomiting can cause the band to slip, so it is important to avoid it if at all possible. I tried to go back to work at 8 days post-op, but found that a little soon because of the hernia repair. If it had been just the lap band, I am sure I could have gone back with no problems.

My scars are not bad and I can not see the port. As far as saggy skin, I am trying to take EFA's to help with the elasticity of the skin and hopefully it will help. Dr. Miranda said though that if you are the kind of person who naturally does not have elasticity to your skin, that even taking the supplements will not help. Clothing can hide a lot of saggy skin. I would rather be thin than worry about that.

If you decide to go ahead, I would highly recommend OCC. The doctors are very skilled and you are treated like a queen. My experience was very positive.

Julie

Nov 6/06

250/234/150

[Clynn]

I had my surgery a month and a half ago and concur with what other people have posted here. The surgery was a breeze.

I would question why your doctor would want you to have the bypass instead of the lap-band. The only reason I can think of is that the lap-band is a newer procedure and perhaps he doesn't trust it as much. As far as me and my doctor were concerned though, the bypass was NOT an option, mainly because the lap-band is 100% reversible while the bypass is not. It is also a much more involved procedure. My mother lives near a woman who had the bypass and was shown the scars. She has a trans-continental rail system on her abdomen vs the five small scars I have. The largest scar I have is an inch long and is getting smaller as the weight is coming off.

Hope we've been helpful

[Kris_TX]

My Mother had gastric bypass 4 years ago and while she has lost all the weight, she has had sooooooooo many problems. Now she's thin, but so unhealthy. From day to day, she never knows what might make her sick that particular day--so now she is actually too thin. Her scars are horrible and she really wishes that she had gotten the lap band instead.

I was banded on 3/22/06 and have had no problems. I've lost right at about 50 lbs and have another 40 to go. No pain after surgery, no problems, and minimal scars. Lap Band was the only route I was willing to go...GB was not an option for me. I am very happy with my decision and look forward to a full life of being thin and healthy! Good Luck...

Kris

[Guest marys]

The surgery is the easy part - it's living with band and being successful that is challenging. Not everyone 'succeeds' if success is judged by weight loss. Go to other chat groups and sites where you will see and hear from folks who may be struggling after the surgery. It is not all perfect and easy. Make sure if you have the surgery out of the country that you have the financial resources for a lot of aftercare and preferably a local fill and doc that will do follow up for you. Yes, like most/many you may not have any problems and drop the weight easily but if you are one of the few unfortunate folks who struggle you will need money and resources to get the help you need. If you have the finances to go back and forth to your doc regularly you will have more of a chance to succeed if you are having problems. Lapbandtalk.com and yahoo chat groups (search under lapband) will provide a wider range of experiences although this is a terrific support site for Dr Ortiz's patients. Good luck.

[CalKev]

I am very strongly considering getting the lap-band done and im just scared because i ahte pain. I hope you dint mind me asking you a few questions that you have probably been ask a million times! This is my personal experience and does not reflect everyones. I as banded by Dr. Ortiz.

- Are you in pain after the surgery? I did not have any real pain from the surgery just some discomfort from gas in my system the following days in recovery.

- Have you lost a lot of weight? and was it hard? I have lost 21 lbs. to date from my surgery on 10/16/06. Hard is a relative term. I have plateaued a couple times and then continued to lose. You just take it day by day. If you are willing to spend the time off work, money and decision to have surgery, and commitment to the pre-op diet your chances for successful weight-loss increase. No one is perfect. This is a lifestyle and if you need a coach once you get home find one. A counselor, psychologist or friend that can give you support psychologically when times get tough as you transition to your new life. The mind controls how the band is used and not the other way around. It is not a cure-all for weight-loss without your commitment to the lifestyle.

- how often do you have the band ajusted? As directed by your doctor.

- are you glad you did the surgery? Yes! If you want a new healthy lifestyle it is the tool to do the job.

- is the recovery tough? vomiiting, pain, tired? My suggestion is to take 2 weeks off work and get well. Many I hear take 1 week or more than 2 but it does depend on your job. I believe stress could slow your recovery. Recovery is also different for each individual. I went home the day after surgery and had my toughest days about 1 week out due to the decrease in caloric intake and the bloating associated with how the surgery is performed working its way out of my system. Sipping water and walking off the bloat helped tremendously. I did not experience vomiting or pain closer to discomfort. Fatigue diminished day by day after week 1.

- are the scares bad? My scares are healing very well. Dr. Martinez (Obesity Control Center) explained that the incisions were "stitched on the interior and a liquid skin applied exterior". This technique increases healing time and aesthetically decreases scare tissue on the exterior of skin. My wife had laproscopic surgery 10 years ago before this technique was used and the stitching was exterior only. Her scares were minimal but mine are healing faster and will be less noticeable.

- can you see the port when you lift up your shirt? No though I have a high BMI as you can see in my ticker below and am just 1/4 of the way to my goal. So I still have a good amount of padding to lose. My mother an RN observed a surgery before mine and said the port is placed in the abdominal muscle. They actually hollow out an area in your muscle and it is stitched in place. So as you lose weight it should not show but there are reports by others of their ports creating a bulge.

- do you have alot of saggy skin? This is a question I asked also and was told that many factors determine if you will have saggy skin, age, skin elasticity, genetics, how fast you lose, how much you exercise and others they can't account for. The measure I was given was if you have saggy skin once you lose 50% of your target weight you probably will have it when you lose it all. If not your chances increase of not having unsightly excess skin.

My doctors seem to discourage this surgery and push the the bypass but im in willing to get all cut up, hopefully you wont mind answering my questions! thanks alot! Mine also. Ask them for specific reasons why they discourage it. In the states the GB is called the "gold standard" for weight-loss surgery and your insurance may cover it. The lapband is so new here and many surgeons don't have the hands on time doing the procedure. Just ask them. I consulted 5 surgeons and none came close to the approx. 3300 lapband procedures Dr. Ortiz has performed. Most were from 50 to 250 and they would charge at least double. Dr. Ortiz on the day of my surgery asked me why I came to him for the procedure and I told him that my research indicated he was the best in the field. You should consult your Dr. for best surgery for you but for myself I am %110 satisfied with all aspects of how I was taken care of by the team at OCO. I am not a health professional or affiliated with OCO other than being a satisfied patient.

When I was in your shoes several months ago I emailed Lori,Patient Coordinator for the Obesity Control Center, at lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com. She is so easy to talk to and had answers to all my questions or she would consult with the Dr.s and get me technical info if needed.

Best wishes to you in making your decision. Kevin

[nita57]

WOW you lost almost 50 pounds since September thats sounds good to me, and thanks for answering my questions it did help. Also, I see alot of people are almost at their goals but has anyone actually reached their goals 100% and if so how long? ANyone have a problem with slippage or erosion with the band?

Marissa,

Sorry for the confusion but I want you to have the whole story. I have lost 21 lbs since my surgery. The other 31 was pre-op loss. I am losing about 1-2 pounds per week average. Didn't mean to mislead anyone. nita