[DionDi]

Hi guys

I just wanted to know the dangers of the surgery. I've been watching a lot of videos and reading on it so I know how things work but I'm not too sure of what can go wrong.

Sorry to be a downer but I need to know!

Thanks!


Di

[jiffypop]

Hi there, Dion - nice to see you here.

A lot of stuff can go wrong with ANY surgery - and nobody here can answer your question without a little more info from you. First, and main deal, which surgery are you most interested? the things that can go wrong differ by surgery type...

the other thing is, have you talked with your doc about surgery? or a surgeon? there's a lot that goes into the decision to have ANY bariatric surgery - things like how much dieting you've done before, whether you have any weight-related illnesses or conditions, whether you can stick to a plan [any plan], and many others.

it's not a one-size fits all ... nor is it magic. it's a LIFETIME commitment, and it's only a tool. The biggest battle takes place in our heads and emotions, not our reconfigured digestive systems.

[DionDi]

Thanks for the reply jiffy! I'm looking at gastric band. I had a consultation a while back and I have been dieting on and off for as long as I can remember....i'd say about 15 years. I was told to wait at the time and as you said, try other things first. The whole thing is just making me very depressed.

I've tried so many diets and nothing seems to work. Id try and figure out what's wrong with the wiring in my head but even that doesn't seem to click. I don't know what it is! Surgery seems to be the only thing that I KNOW will get me some results.

Also massive congrats on your weight loss that's absolutely amazing!!!

[amandie]

Good luck with your decision, DionDi!

[jiffypop]

OK Dion - your frustration is coming across loud and clear - all the way across the pond! why did you choose the band? I'm not saying for a second that you should or shouldn't, but knowing why you've chosen one particular surgery over the other can help you think through the information you need. it's removable, but ask yourself if you'd really want to remove something that's helping you so much?

and since maintenance is the real goal here, it's essential to learn the lessons you need in order to do that. And that statement applies to ANY of the surgeries.

losing weight - no matter how it's done - requires a huge change in everything you ever thought you knew about food and eating. folks who do it the old-fashioned way often make gradual changes. when you have surgery, it's like someone hit the RESET button and you're back to ground zero. you're limited in what you can eat, and when you WANT to eat [mostly from head hunger] you are not physically able to eat.

and then there's the whole issue of being unable to eat your emotions. and you have to figure out a whole new way of dealing with them [i hated this part - and it's still NOT my favorite].

have you noticed that i haven't mentioned a single word of the physical risks of any of the surgeries? it's not because i'm trying to ignore them or minimize them, but because it's really important that you understand and think through the implications of any of the surgery so you can figure out what you can and can't live with [like, can you live with the fills that a band entails? if you can't, can you live with the vomiting and risk of dumping syndrome that go along with the gastric bypass? if you can't, would a vertical sleeve work better for you? it's restrictive, but a large part of your stomach is gone].

but with each and every one of these, ya gotta realize that your life will change forever, and it's not really about the food.

sorry to be so long-winded.

[onalongmission]

I had the vertical sleeve surgery. I am very pleased with it. ALL surgery has risk, as was mentioned previously by another poster. You can have complications from gallbladder removal, from a tooth extraction, liposuction or any other surgery. Google "bariatric surgery complication statistics" to get real documented statistics.

I will tell you this. I would NOT recommend the gastric band to ANYONE. ALL of the people I know who got the lapband 5 years ago, NO LONGER have the band. They either had erosion, band slippage, puking problems, stuck problems, and lack of weight loss. ALL of them have gotten their band removed and revised to either gastric bypass, duodenal switch, or the gastric sleeve surgery. The band is NOT a long term weight loss tool. It does not last forever. It will eventually have to be removed and then you will be faced with another surgery. Why set yourself up for a second surgery later? Just choose a permanent tool the FIRST TIME. The gastric bypass, the vertical sleeve, or even the duodenal switch. Not many doctors do the duodenal switch, but it's extremely effective. It has the best excess weight loss of ALL the surgeries, but it requires the MOST vitamins and doctor's visits as well as surgical risk. Please just do your research. I was not comfortable with the risks of the duodenal switch so I did not get it. I chose the sleeve because I was comfortable with the risks vs. the rewards. Make a pro vs. cons list on all the surgeries. Try to decide for yourself what is best.

I hope you're not offended about my opinion of the band but I just wanted you to know that it's not really a LONG TERM solution. It's short term and an expensive one at that. You will need a second surgery later on, and you will likely have to pay for fills and even unfills. If you choose the band, I do wish you all the best and hope maybe you are one of the very lucky ones. I will admit that some people lose a LOT of weight with the band, but usualy within several years they have to get it removed and face weight regain or getting a new surgery. GOOD LUCK!! Do your research.

[mlk58]

I agree 100% with onalongmission. When I first started looking into WLS I was considering the band, but everything I learned about it made me run FAST in the opposite direction! I ended up having the sleeve, too, and couldn't be happier.

[noranoranora]

Uh huh, I agree with onalongmission, too. I've talked with so many folks who are back in surgery to have their bands removed and to have a RNY revision. While the band may be "removable" and less intrusive, you will probably still need to get the darned thing out at some point down the road. Of course, that being said, I've only heard from folks who are having revisions... there may be bajillions of happy band customers who aren't posting across the net... either way, please do your homework, this is serious business. Good luck and keep us posted, okay?