Has anyone had the lap band surgery?

Best candidates for Lap-Band surgery Lap-Band placement How the port works Recovery and aftercare Possible complications Consult a qualified surgeon Cost of Lap-Band surgery Lap-Band surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that, like gastric bypass, alters the anatomy of the stomach to help you reduce food intake. What Is a Lap-Band?"Lap-Band System" is the brand name of the FDA-approved, adjustable gastric band used in the procedure. Most simply, a Lap-Band is a silicone belt that goes around the top of the stomach.

This results in the ability to control your hunger and achieve a "feeling of fullness," or satiety. Ultimately, you eat much less and should feel full sooner. A key component of the Lap-Band System is its adjustability.

The band is connected to a port, which enables the device to be inflated over time to expedite the weight loss. Who Are Candidates for the Lap-Band System? The NIH (National Institutes of Health) requirements for Lap-Band surgery are the same as for any other weight loss surgery.

These criteria were originally set in the early 1990s and have not changed. If your BMI, or body mass index, is between 35 and 39, then you must also have associated severe medical problems, or co-morbid conditions, in order to be a candidate for the Lap-Band. These conditions usually include diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol.

But if your BMI is greater than 40, then it is not required that there be any associated medical problems. Most insurance companies also require a history of previous attempts at weight loss. How stringent these requirements are can differ from one insurance company to another.

Many people do not meet the NIH requirements or do not have the insurance benefit for weight loss surgery, but they may still be able to pursue the procedure by paying for it themselves. How the Lap-Band Is Placed in the BodyAfter performing a series of small incisions, your surgeon would use a small camera, called a laparoscope, to visualize placement of the Lap-Band. The Lap-Band is placed around the top of the stomach and secured in place with sutures.

The port is then placed underneath the skin on the top part of the abdomen. Surgery should take only about an hour, and an overnight stay in the hospital may or may not be required. How the Port WorksInjecting saline into the port inflates the band, making the passage to the lower part of the stomach smaller, which further restricts food intake.

Fluid can easily be removed in the doctor's office if it is too tight. After Lap-Band Surgery: Recovery and AftercareFollowing surgery, you should be able to return to work within a week, with minimal discomfort. You will need to follow a nutrition plan (which may include vitamin supplements) prescribed by your surgeon and/or nutritionist.

The nutrition plan will likely include a liquid diet for a few weeks, until you can tolerate soft foods, and later solid foods. A specific exercise program, as well as behavioral-modification therapy, may also be recommended. Frequent office visits are mandatory to adjust the band.

Your surgeon or his assistant will be able to inject the port in the office. On average, patients require six to eight adjustments of the band during the first 18 months following Lap-Band surgery. Sources: http://www.yourplasticsurgeryguide.com/bariatric/lap-banding.htm .

Its not hard to recover from. I had the surgery in March. I went home later that day.

I pretty much slept the first couple of days. I just made sure to walk around more and more each day. I had my heating pad and gas x for the gass, and of course my pain meds, and my liquids.

Then after a couple more days I felt better, and I did more. The first few days you are going to have trouble bending over (you will be swolen) and doing most things. No work.

Then you can go back to work if you take it easy probably. Different people are different. One week later I felt fine.

Two weeks later it was like surgery, what surgery? But it might be a good idea to ask about actigall or something similar. So far I've lost 55 pounds and one gall bladder.

A lot of people sleep in a recliner the first couple of nights I think. No exercising the abs for about 6 weeks. It wasn't that bad..

I had my mine 2 1/2 months ago. I highly recommend it if you are willing to make the changes. The recovery is pretty easy.

One night stay in the hospital, and full recovery within 1-2 weeks. I was feeling great by about the 6th day. Some of the changes after surgery are: you are not suppose to drink while eating, you are required to wait at least 30-45 mins.

Afterwards; you must eat lean protien first, vegetables next , carbs if there is room; eat only 3 small meals a day, no snacking is asvised; you are required to drink 64oz. Of water or low-cal beverages like Crystal-lite; no alcohol for at least the 1st year post-op; 30 mins. Per day of brisk exercise; certain foods will clog the band like, soft bread, pasta, rice, red meat, and shrimp often get stuck once you have restriction; during the first month after surgery you will be expected to have a special diet while your stomach heals of clear liquids for 1 week, full liquids for 1 week, and puree for the following 2 weeks (some programs are different and these may vary from what I did); you will be required to take small bites and chew them very well (to applesauce consitancy); you will be required to take a multi-vitamin everyday for the rest of you life; you will need to get "fills" every 4-6 weeks at the doctors office to achieve your best restriction along with regular follow-up care for years and an average meal will be 1/2 - 1 cup of food.

If you are willing to live with these changes you will succeed at losing weight with the band. My personal experience has been wonderful. I have lost 68 pounds before surgery while "practicing" these band rules and waiting for insurance approval and I have lost 12 since surgery.

I have had 14 months since I began the process and there is a total of 80 pounds less of me. That's 2 bags of water softner salt to put it in perspective. If you have any questions you can e-mail me at [email protected] .

Penny -80 .

No, but I had Gastric Bypass Surgery I had the gastric bypass. I am posting my answer from another question here, because I really think it applies: askville.amazon.com/askville/AnswerViewe... I know you are looking for people who have had the lap band surgery and I opted for gastric bypass instead. I thought my perspective may help.

I was interested in the lap band, but when I went to the seminar (I think all doctors make you attend a seminar) I knew the bypass was the way to go for me. The death statistics for the surgeries are the same. I had thought that the lap band was safer, but since most bypasses are done laporascopically, the death rate is the same.

They figure out what you are supposed to weigh and then subtract that number from what you weigh now. With the lap band they estimate that you will lose 50% of the weight that you want to lose. With bypass, you will lose 70% of that weight.To get better weight loss with the band, you will have to work out a lot.

I planned on working out, but knowing that I had to work out or my results would not come near the bypass results did not entice me. You will lose weight more slowly with the lap band than you will with the bypass. I go to a weight loss surgery support group and meet lots of band patients.

Most are happy with their decision and some wish they had opted for the bypass instead because the results they see in others is so substantial. I have lost 60 pounds in 4 months and am happy with the option I chose.No complications at all. Since you aren’t sure about the surgery, I recommend that you attend a weight loss surgery seminar.

They lay it all out for you pros and cons of the surgeries vs. each other and vs. not having it at all.It surely convinced me. Sources: my experience In your area, please check out: S.O.R. - STARTING OUT RICHT Surgical Specialists of Shrevport, LLC 949 OLIVE STREET Shrevport, LA 71104 Phone: 318-222-3132 Meeting times: 4 pm the 2nd Tuesday of each month Contact Person: Kim Sipes, Facilitator Southern Surgical Weight Loss Surgery Support Group Southern Surgical Hospital 1700 W. Lindberg Dr. Slidell, LA 70458 Phone: 985-661-2172 Meeting Times: 2nd Tuesday of every month - 6pm Contact Person: Kim Mulkey, RN Bariatric Coordinator Southern Surgical Hospital Weight Loss Support Groups are a great way to get the procs and cons right from people who have undergone the surgery.

This way you can truly make an informed decision. I recommend that you attend the meetings. They are free and you can be pre-op to attend.

Sources: my experience bippee_not_here_much's Recommendations Exodus from Obesity: The Guide to Long-Term Success After Weight Loss Surgery Amazon List Price: $24.95 Used from: $15.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 28 reviews) The Patient's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery: Everything You Need To Know About Gastric Bypass and Bariatric Surgery Amazon List Price: $15.95 Used from: $7.95 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 16 reviews) Gastric Bypass Surgery Amazon List Price: $14.95 Used from: $5.00 Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (based on 2 reviews) Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You? (Treatments That Work) Amazon List Price: $15.95 Used from: $10.20 Culinary Classics: Essentials of Cooking for the Gastric Bypass Patient Amazon List Price: $29.95 Used from: $45.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 22 reviews) bippee_not_here_much's Recommendations Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat gh-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery Amazon List Price: $12-31327 Used from: $2-31328 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 41 reviews) Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies Amazon List Price: $22-31329 Used from: $2-31327 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 31 reviews) Weight Loss Surgery: Finding the Thin Person Third Edition Amazon List Price: $22-31328 Used from: $2-31329 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 24 reviews) A Complete Guide to Obesity Surgery: Everything You Need to Know About Weight Loss Surgery and How to Succeed Amazon List Price: $22.50 Used from: $13.95 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 11 reviews) The Real Skinny on Weight Loss Surgery: An Indispensable Guide to What You Can Really Expect! Amazon List Price: $19.95 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 10 reviews) .

1 gingergoddess, regarding your answer "Its not hard to recover from. ": What is actigall? .

Gingergoddess, regarding your answer "Its not hard to recover from. ": What is actigall?

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I am considering the "lap-band" surgery. Has anyone had it and with what success?

I am thinking about lap band surgery. Can anyone that has had this surgery let me know their personal experience with it.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.