I’m looking into this because its cheaper than a bypass, less invasive and reversible. The way i see it, there may be a drug cocktail or nerve implant in 20 years that i can get instead of surgery, so i want to look into something reversable that i can get removed when less restricting methods of weight loss are created.
Does anyone know if a gastric lap band is reversible after a looong period of time, like 15-20 years? Has anyone had one?
I have not had the surgery. I do work with a medical research group who looks into new medical technology.
First of all, this surgery, like all the obesity surgery, is intended for the very obsese. There are various ways of defining that, among them being twice your ideal weight, more than 100 lbs over your ideal weight, body mass index of 40 or greater, and so forth. Even if you’re 50 lbs overweight, you probably aren’t in the group this is intended for. On the other hand, if you weigh 450 you might be the sort of candidate this surgery was developed to help.
Now, on to the concept of surgery - anyone in that obesity category will be at a higher risk of complications for any surgery, even if they’re not displaying signs of “co-morbidities” such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. And there are complications and even death from any of the obesity surgeries or in the immediate recovery period. It’s never risk-free.
Now, there is a period of time after such surgeries when you have to re-adjust to eating. You must be very careful not to overeat. You must be very careful to eat properly and you may require supplements for the rest of your life in order to get all your proper nutrition. At least with lap-band your intestines will retain all their ability to absorb nutrients (unlike the bypass surgeries), but with the vastly diminished quantities you will be eating care will still be necessary.
There have been NO long term studies on lap-band surgery. If you choose to go this route you will, in a sense, be a medical pioneer. Early indications (2-3 years out from surgery) indicate that some people will have some problems with the mechanism allowing for adjustment of the band. A more serious potential problem is stomach wall erosion. In other words, the lap-band device wears through the wall of your stomach. This is a Bad Thing. Will it happen to everyone? Probably not. However, some folks have shown a significant thinning of the stomach wall and other signs of the problem developing. You will need to be monitored for the rest of your life for these complications - you can’t just have the surgery and forget about it.
Also, the surgery alone is not enough. You MUST combine it with regular exercise and proper eating. That doesn’t mean you need to become a marathon runner - but you do need to keep moving. Sure, the weight will come off after the surgery, but if you don’t make the necessary lifestyle changes it is possible (and it has happened) that after any obesity surgery you can put the weight back on… after which you are really stuck. Really stuffing yourself, see, will expand the size of that “pouch”, enabling you to go back to consuming way too many calories. Also, consuming of calorie-dense food is still possible.
So… yes, this sort of surgery can be a wonderful thing, transform your life, and perhaps improve your overall health. But achieving the best results requires some effort on your part, and it’s not without risk. But then, remaining obese also carries risk.
Do your research, think carefully, and good luck with whatever you decide.
I know two people that had it about 7 years ago.
Both have gotten down to average size. Both have also been ill from abusing their ability to eat only small amounts. The big problem for one was that every time he ate too much, he’d throw up, and he developed all the health problems bulimics have (erosion in the throat, teeth, etc. from gastric fluids.) His wife (OK, ex-wife) didn’t throw up, she passed out. Eat too much (or unwisely), pass out, then go to bed with a headache.
The doctor who did the surgery pointed out that they had no self discipline. I was their employee, and ran their business while they had surgery and adjusted to the aftereffects, and I already KNEW that.
The ‘rules’ are strict. Decide if you can follow them before you have the surgery.
I helped one of my friends research the LapBand and we found everything that Broomstick wrote to be accurate (natcherly!). The stomach erosion was the biggest factor in why she didn’t go with it. There was also growing evidence that LB patients didn’t lose as much weight, as in getting to their goals, and had a higher regain rate. She eventually went with a Roux en Y type gastric bypass and is doing quite nicely. Good luck to you!