Gastric Banding Surgery

[angelat]

I am researching information on Gastric Banding Surgery. I know someone who had it, but don't feel comfortable asking her.

I've looked at my insurance website and it looks to me like I qualify for the surgery. My BMI is 35.8 and I have co-morbidities as described in my insurances guidelines (i.e. GERD, Hypothyroidism, Asthma). While I don't want to jump into a decision, it's been something I've been thinking about for a long time now.

My question is, have you had the Lap Band or Realize surgery?
If yes, how long did it take for you to recover?

Are you happy with your results?

How long did it take before you had the surgery? 6 months from your 1st visit, a year?

How long has it been since you had your surgery?

What do you wish you would've known before your surgery, if anything?

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

 

[dawnn12]

ok i know some about the lapband but i know alot more about the duodenal switch i had the switch done on 9-29-08 since then (im alittle over 8 months out and almost 130lbs down) the lapband is a fillable tube they put around the top portion of your stomach it works by restricting the amount of food you can eat at one time(it just sits there till it gets digested)some people get around the fullness feeling by eating soft foods(ice cream,eggs anything soft that would slip thru the band) as for the switch the easiest way for me to tell you is they made my stomach into the shape of a banana and rearranged my intestines i can eat fairly normal(alot less then i used to) i do watch what i eat and since i malabsorb alot i eat mostly protein and with any kind of wls you'll have to take vitamins for the rest of your life. if you want more info on any of the wls out there go to obesityhelp.com its a great website with a great deal information.. if you have any other questions you can always pm me hth

 

[lotzasunshine]

I have had the Lapband, and am so glad I did!! I have been banded almost a year and have lost abt 65 lbs. It is much slower than some other weight loss surgeries, but it seems to have helped me change my bad habits. for more info I would suggest going to lapbandtalk. com and talking to other people who have had it done.

Lapband isn't the answer for everyone, but it seems to be working for me!