Gastric bypass / Lap band...has anyone had it done?**update post 106**

[Dar]

Quote:
lap band is not really an option in Canada... unless you want to self pay... Our insurance will not cover it.... and to be honest I have not heard to many + things about the band... there are some success stories but I know personally more horror stories then success... and its not a matter of "I heard"... I have seen them with my own eyes...

I know 7 ppl that have had it done, and out of the 7... 1 has been successful the rest have had the band removed some due to slippage when they were having a fill

 

[HHandbasket]

You are right in that the lap band has a very low yield, and the success rate is extremely low (even in areas where the insurance pays for it, though, the doctors are still pushing the lap band as a viable alternative to gastric bypass when it doesn't even come close).

Here are some real numbers: With traditional Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a patient can expect to lose and keep off approximately 70% of their EXCESS weight for 5 years or more. With lap band, a patient can expect to lose approximately 30% to 40% of their excess weight overall and keep it off for 5 years. It has approximately half of the efficacy of traditional RNY bypass.

As far as seeing with my own eyes, I have been to a number of bariatric surgery support groups and have met approximately 25-30 people who have had the banding done. I only know of one who has lost weight. Those are not good odds in my book. I know of one woman who was well over 300 pounds and had her lap band just a couple of months after my bypass in 2008. To date, I have lost a total of about 130 pounds... she has lost about 40. She went through all that, and has lost 40 pounds in 3 years. Does not sound like it works very well. She had had 8 or 9 fills. It is filled to capacity, and she still has not lost weight. It is not very effective, but the doctors do not tell you that. She is not a happy camper because the insurance would only pay for one surgery or the other, not both, so now if she wants a bypass, she has to dig up the $20K herself.

I only know of 3 people personally who had to have it removed due to slippage, but I know a LOT of people who would LIKE to have it removed simply because it is a lot of work with little to no yield. It's not a viable alternative to gastric bypass if permanent weight loss is your goal because it plain and simple doesn't work very well.

Because I have personally seen such colossal failures with gastric banding, I would not recommend it to anyone I like.