Who's had the lap banding?

Has anyone had the lap banding that can tell me anything about how it works? I thought I was doing a bypass but Dr. wants me to go with lap. Please if you have, could you fill me in on all of the ends and outs of it.

I have the lap band and I'm very pleased with it. The rate of weight loss is slower, but eventually you get there. The lap band is a tool and there's a whole lot of work involved (eating right, drinking plenty of water, taking vitamins, exercise) Healing time is pretty quick. You will have the lap band divice inside of you and you will need to get the band filled to get restriction. Go to the Lap Band Forum and you will get a lot of answers from people that have been banded for a while. That's where I go to get the help that I need. You can also see weight loss success on the profiles. I hope this helps. Karen

Cynthia, I also have a lapband and love it. The band goes around the upper part of your stomach and creates a kind of hourglass. The top portion is the pouch, and it's designed to hold around 1/2 cup. When you eat solid proteins first (meat, fish, cheese), followed by veggies and carbs, the food stays in the pouch longer and you feel full (or satisifed) for several hours. The food works its way on through the stomach and digests normally. The band is adjustable, meaning your doctor adds saline to it to reduce the diameter of the opening between the pouch and the rest of the stomach, creating more restriction and helping the food stay in the pouch longer. Some people feel restriction after just one fill, but most people need several fills before the band really works for them. But once it is adjusted properly, restriction is good, and you make the right food choices, the weight will come off! And you won't feel hungry and desperate to eat. You can read more about my experience on my profile page, or you can get answers to your questions on the lapband forum page. The initial loss is lower than with RNY because of the need for the band to be slowly adjusted, but after 3-5 years, the losses are about the same. Kathy

I had the band done in November. I am pleased with my decision. It is NOT an easy way out...NO NO NO!! I don't LOVE my band but I LOVE what it is doing for me. I still fight my band from time to time. The loss is slow and I am not patient but I didn't have more than 100 pounds to lose. So, slow loss is a good thing for me. I would also suggest looking at the lap band forum. I would be happy to tell you more....you can message me if you want. The bottom line is this.....whatever surgery you choose....it really needs to be YOUR choice. I have no regrets with my decision. I have heard many people that do. You need to think about why you are deciding one over the other. I have a friend that chose lap band because she wants to have another child...soon. This was the safer surgery for her due to that reason. The loss is slow and she said that if she didn't want another child within the next year or so....she would have gone with RNY. She also has more than 100 pounds to lose. Think about it....read profiles....ask questions...research research research.... Good luck!!