lapband ignorance

Today I was at the surgeon's office for my pre-op.  In the class with me was a man in his early 60s, and he said he weighed 423 lbs!!  I have heard that if you have more than a hundred pounds to  lose, then lapband is not for you.  ( not to even mention all the other cons I have learned about said "crapband". )

ALSO...the lady was going over a model of a stomach with a lapband attached, showing how it goes on, etc.  Then she started talking about the portal and about "fills".  (Mind you, he has gone through the 6 months of visits, as per his insurance )  He says, " what's a "fill" ??!!!!"

Two things alarmed me about this.  A: that a surgeon would even do a band on someone that large.  And B:  that he is in PRE-OP and has no clue what he is getting himself into!

I just felt so sad that he was going through this without a clue what he was doing, and no one at the office seemed to mind, that these two things were going on!

I know nothing beats medical advice from a professional doctor, but I honestly feel that this website should be a REQUIREMENT of some sort.  They should have to read Sublimate's FAQs for the sleeve, and others should be made- if not already done, for the other surgeries.

Sorry for ranting.  I don't know...that just really has bothered me all day long!

It's sad, but the lapbands are highly marketed and covered by insurance and "easier" to do in many ways, so they get pushed more. Maybe you can tell him about the VSG and do him a favor?

I have a friend of mine whose family memeber just had the band not that long ago...and im actually suprised she didn't jump on this post she must be afk lol.

Her family member asked her something about fills the other day...and I wish I could remember off hand what it was.....Im sure if she sees the post she'll say lol.... but either way she was telling me this, and all i kept thinking was "OMG! Who the hell is this doctor, and why didn't they make sure she knew exactly what she was getting herself into!!"

I recently had to attend my..4th(? ive lost track) seminar.  And this most recent one is the ONLY one when they touched on the lap band said anything about fills or how often you have to go in after surgery. 

At the end of this particular seminar, the Surgeon looked at all of us and said "If you haven't been here yet, don't know anything about it etc.  Log on to Obesityhelp.com.  It has a LOT of information, stuff you may think to ask later, whatever.  I strongly urge you to go here and learn all you can."  I was shocked and happy at the same time.

Well, when I went to see my surgeon a few weeks ago, there was also a very large man, wll over 400 lbs. in the waiting area.  He was going to be seeing her for the 1st time, and was going to discuss surgical options, having recently attended the seminar.

Since he asked me about my surgery, we talked and I DID give him my 2 cents about the lapband.  He said he was already pretty sure he wouldn't be getting it, to my relief.  But I know my surgeon, and she doesn't seem to think highly of the band, at least not for very heavy patients, so hopefully she pointed him in a better direction.

A co-worker who got the lap band a few years ago actually lost a lot of weight, but then ended up having so much trouble with the damn thing it had to be removed.  He's slowly regained most of his weight.  I'd love to tell him about the sleeve, but he hasn't asked, and I would only tell him if he wants to know about it.  He knows I've had wls, and can see my loss, so at this point I can only assume that, for his own reasons, he isn't planning another surgery.

I also wish people would completely investigate all the procedured before jumping on the lap-bandwagon.

These kind of stories break my heart. Don't they know they are playing with peoples health and in some cases their very lives?  I wonder how they go to bed at night. 

I think its awful,  these people have no idea what they are getting into,  i was horrified the other night when the news was saying the band makers are trying to be approved for teenagers?  what they don't have enough problems in today's world?   cheesh,  Thank God i found out about the sleeve  :o) jeani

I agree, sad a lot of people don't knowand for money doc's will just sign you up. Many people go to seminars and stuff without a clue. so terrible

As an adult educator I just have to jump in with my 2cents.  I have taught both teenagers and am now working with adults.  I can't believe how many times I can tell them something important about an assignment or some other information they need and they will act like it's the first time they have heard the information.  So many people attend these classes, i.e., weightloss classes and they really have selecive hearing. 

I was at a support group and there were 2 band people who were both about 3+ years postop. They had both fallen "off the wagon" and were climbing back up on and resuming fills, going for support, etc.

So the leader starts talking about possible "slips" of the band and BOTH of these people practically had a heart attack. "What is a slip?" "How does it happen?" "Why is it called a slip?"

I was in utter shock!!! They had bands for 3+ years and had never heard of a slip? I'm a sleever for goodness sake and I KNOW what a slip is in regards to having a band!

I do wonder though about people who are given information and it goes in one ear and out the other. Or they assume they won't be 'one of those statistics' so they just ignore.

I agree with pretty much everything that has been said :-)

Another perspective is that (from a teachers point of view!) you can tell someone the same thing DOZENS of times, even have them sign stuff about it... very clear stuff, like a bright pink piece of paper that very simply and clearly, in large font, explains potential out of pocket expenses, such as ADJUSTMENTS for the band, and folks are still clueless!  Sometimes people don't want to hear it, aren't ready, or honestly aren't able to process the information. :-(

My program does a TON of education... I find it to be a bit ridiculous, but then, I am a "researcher" and it frustrates me to have to pay PT to tell me to exercise and continue what I am already doing, to pay a NUT to tell me she isn't comfortable with my pre-op Atkins and then be offended when I point out that I have lost 47lbs and will have to eat pretty similar after surgery, at least in the start ****ep my fat reasonable on Atkins...), I had to pay $165 for a psych consult to the only guy they allow... who does not accept insurance... and then $250 to take a 5 session class about stress management and such... I mean there is some value in it to be sure, but I flipping teach stress management to my kiddos :-)

But then I look around at some of the folks and am just thankful for all of the support and interventions... I suck it up and try to get what I can from it all...

I bet MONEY that there are a fair number of people who walk away from all of it none the wiser...  I see it happen in classrooms every day :-(