Isn't lapband for people without much weight to lose?

[JodyG]

I've heard that lapband is for people who dont' have that much to lose. I'd be starting at 300 and would ideally like to end up at 160. I'd like to hear from people who have lost 150 pounds with lap band, how long it took, why they didn't do bypass, etc.

Also, do you keep getting your band adjusted forever, or do you reach a "sweet spot" after a few fills and just keep it that way?

If I have to pay for fills out of pocket, how much would they cost?

Also, why do they say you can only lose so much with lapband vs. bypass. The percentages vary, but I have heard you can only lose 30-50% of excess weight with lapband vs. 50-70% with bypass. Why would the amt. with lapband be less? I can understand it taking longer, but if you keep getting fills, why wouldn't you just keep losing.

thanks.

[Clynn]

The lapband is for people who have 50 pounds or more to loose. People who start out with lower BMI's have a harder time of it that people who want to loose more. I started out at 318 and am currently at 226, so that's 92 lbs gone and still loosing. At 300 pounds you are an excellent candidate. I choose not to do the bypass for several reasons. First it is irreversible so if it causes me any problems I am stuck. Secondly, it seems a bad idea to remove perfectly good body parts and people who have the bypass often have food absorption problems and nutritional issues. Thirdly, unlike the band, bypass is not adjustable. My body is going through alot of changes and the band can be adjusted to best fit the situation whereas bypass is what it is.

Band adjustments vary depending on the person. Once you reach your goal weight you probably won't need to be adjusted often, but if you are loosing weight quickly you will need them more often. If you get banded by Dr Ortiz fills with flouroscopy are $100 for life. Fills elsewhere without flouroscopy typically run $125 - $150. I just got filled two weeks ago with flouroscopy and it ran $375. Price will vary depending on the doctor so look around for the best price.

Haven't heard those percentages anywhere so I can't speak to them. I'm over 50% excess weight loss and I don't think I would qualify as a statistical outlier so I would think those numbers are either flawed or don't tell the whole story.

[coloratura]

I've heard that lapband is for people who dont' have that much to lose. I'd be starting at 300 and would ideally like to end up at 160. I'd like to hear from people who have lost 150 pounds with lap band, how long it took, why they didn't do bypass, etc.

Also, do you keep getting your band adjusted forever, or do you reach a "sweet spot" after a few fills and just keep it that way?

If I have to pay for fills out of pocket, how much would they cost?

Also, why do they say you can only lose so much with lapband vs. bypass. The percentages vary, but I have heard you can only lose 30-50% of excess weight with lapband vs. 50-70% with bypass. Why would the amt. with lapband be less? I can understand it taking longer, but if you keep getting fills, why wouldn't you just keep losing.

thanks.

I have 100 lbs to lose and just got my lapband one week ago. I can honestly say that the worst part of the whole experience was the 4 hour plane trip each way.

The statistic that I found in my research says that after 3 years the weight loss is equal between gastric bypass and lap band. You lose at a slower and steadier rate, as opposed to the bypass where you lose a lot of weight immediately, but slow down after the initial period. The lap band does not permanently change your physiology, is adjustable and does not cause malabsorption of nutrients, which is what causes many of the very unpleasant, and even dangerous side effects. One that I have read of recently is thiamine deficiency that causes symptoms similar to altzheimers disease!

My preference is to lose more slowly and steadily because it is a much healthier way to lose and will give your skin more of a chance to rebound...meaning less likelihood of drastic cosmetic surgery.

I would suggest you get Dr. Ortiz's book LapBand For Life. It answered a lot of my questions. There is also a book called Weightloss Surgery for Dummies (yes they have those for EVERYTHING!) that I heard is pretty comprehensive.

Good luck in making an informed decision!

[PAMMIE]

I started out at 318 and am currently at 226, so that's 92 lbs gone and still loosing.

AND YOUR LOOKING FABULOUS CLYNN!!! =D>

[Clynn]

AND YOUR LOOKING FABULOUS CLYNN!!! =D>

Oh sweetie bless your heart!!