Lap Band Surgery??
My mother has been overwieght most of her adult life. She's now pushing 60 at close to 350 pounds. Her General Practitioner has suggested she try the lap band. I want to hear from REAL people who have tried this. Was there discomfort or pain? How long is recovery after placement? How soon did you notice a weight loss? Were there complications of any kind?
Public Comments
- I will be sixty the 26th of this month and I had lap band 4-16-08. I had NO problems and the surgery took about 40 minutes, you have to stay in recovery one hour and I was wide a wake even before I got out of the surgery suite. Talked with the doctors and I wasn't in any pain and when I got to the recovery room they asked me if I wanted any pain medications, which I didn't. Just had a little discomfort where the incision was the port was located. Got to the room and I decided I wanted to walk (you have to start walking after the surgery to prevent blood clots in your legs, that was one of my health conditions that I had, dvts, before the surgery, I have heart problems) walked the halls and drank the energy drinks they give you and I could have gone home by two but, I couldn't go to the bathroom. Went home by three. I didn't even get the pain medication filled, I didn't need it, and I could drive (because of no pain medication) the next day, but I was really tired but the next day, I drove and went to the grocery store and I have been on the go ever since. No one believed I just had surgery, it just made me tired for a few days but I could do anything I wanted to do. You have a liquid diet you have to follow for a week, easy to do and your doctor will tell you how long to do it, each surgeon is different. My PCP's nurse had the lap band on a Friday and Monday she was back at work. I am down 30 pounds but a lot of inches (clothes I couldn't wear last summer) I could wear two years ago. The weight comes off slower than gastric bypass, but, I look at it this way, I didn't put the weight on overnight and I will not be taking it off overnight. I exercise now, I do water aerobics (I had two knee replacements, a metal rod and screws in my back) and water aerobics is so much easier on the body. Love doing the water aerobics, met a lot of nice people in the same boat I was in. I have a lot more energy and I feel so good, just with the 30 pounds. I have my second fill 6-25-08 and I will probably start showing more of weight loss after that. I am just happy that I did do it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Oh, your mother and I was about the same weight. There is another weight loss website that would probably help you (for support of the decision) Obesityhelp.com, great support system. Another website that tells all about the surgery and what to expect is LapBandSolutions.com If she does this, she won't be sorry. Good Luck to her..she will be fine.
- Weight loss surgery-like lap band surgery have become very common and very safe now. My cousin got her Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in India. She has lost more than 65 lbs in 5 months and is very happy with the results. The price for obesity surgery is very less in India. My cousin just paid 25% of the cost she was quoted in America. She got her surgery from a company called Forerunners Healthcare. Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low cost, as bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery is not covered by insurance. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your Obesity surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star. http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com Hope this helps.