#itfits

It, fits?  OH COME ON.  

The NEW AND IMPROVED LAPBAND!  

You can do better!

Apollo Endosurgery, Inc., the leader in minimally invasive endoscopic surgical products for bariatric and gastrointestinal procedures, today announced the launch of the “It Fits” campaign, aimed at rejuvenating the LAP-BAND® System and educating a broad range of patients about the benefits of the minimally-invasive weight loss procedure.

“It Fits” supports the company’s decision to place greater emphasis on the unique advantage of the LAP-BAND® System – the only FDA approved device for weight reduction for people with at least one weight-related health problem, and having a BMI of 30 or greater.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1989812#ixzz34taKYjn9

The new ad spot - from Apollo - tugs right there at your heart, don't it?  I might be tearing up over all of the completely stereotypical situations right here in this here commercial!  OMG I CAN FIT IN THE AEROPLANE SEATBELT WITHOUT AN EXTENDER COULD YOU PLEASE PUT ME IN A COMMERCIAL ALTHOUGH I WAS NEVER SUPER MORBIDLY OBESE I AM JUST AN ACTOR!

Until this and my tears dry up!

Because of course we will ignore the patient histories of thousands -- to have a procedure to lose how much weight?  

Just as a frame of reference, that makes me qualify in a few BMI points.  Confession:  when I reached my high weight about the same time the new BMI-qualifications for the Allergan-owned lap-band came around, I decided THAT WAS IT.  I could not possibly do it again, my butt was not revising band-over-bypass for that much weight, not after watching this weight loss community for 12 years.  Nope.

Lap-Band = Bad Plan?

Double-take, or three.  I didn't catch it at first.  This looks just like some of those California band billboards.  (I photographed some when I was out there.)

SF Weekly -

"I had a bad dream the other night. In the dream world, it was forbidden to publicly oppose stomach binding (aka lap band surgery). I was under house arrest, waiting for my punishment: mandatory leg removal. I had failed to use my legs for the approved activity of running on treadmills to lose weight and had instead enjoyed walking, dancing, swimming, bicycling, doing yoga, gardening, having sex, and sitting cross-legged -- none of which made me thin. So I didn't deserve my lower extremities.

I don't think my dream was all that different from our current reality, where people of lesser and lesser weights (mostly women) are encouraged to sign up for surgeries to correct such problems as normal absorption of nutrients and failure to routinely regurgitate. It's the Victorian era all over again -- "Lie back and think of England (with every bite)."

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved lap band surgery for average-height women who weigh as little as 174 pounds (206 pounds for average-height men), prompting get-thin-now billboards to spread across Bay Area scenery. Compare that with the average weight of American women (164 pounds) and men (191 pounds) according to a study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."

This is part one of a two part series "Life After Lap-Band Surgery: It's Complicated."  I know many banders who'd agree with her, and countless who will want to rip her head off.  I sit here with my gastric bypass, in a body that's nearly big enough for a gastric band and laugh that I almost qualify for ANOTHER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY at a normal body weight, after losing 160+ pounds.

As opposed to the idiot I posted yesterday -- this woman has brains and is replying to her commenters at the newspapers' website.

Gastric Band Made My Stomach Explode

Dramatic international newspaper article titles for the win!  You just don't see this type of reporting in the United States.  This young lady's band slipped.  She broke.  

"A young woman who had a gastric band fitted to help her lose weight ended up fighting for her life after it caused her stomach to explode.

Samantha Haworth, 25, had the operation when her weight soared to 28 stone, putting her health at risk.

For more than two years the band worked perfectly and it was gradually expanded to constrict her stomach and help her lose more weight.

But in February this year Samantha began suffering chest pains that she put down to heartburn. 

Swallowing food also became difficult and she began vomiting. Samantha's dietician told her to see a doctor if it continued but she never did as the symptoms came and went.

'By April I was getting stabbing pains in my chest. I lay on the floor sobbing "I'm dying"

• Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2011047/Gastric-band-agony-25-year-old-womans-stomach-explodes-lost-14-stone.html#ixzz1RKQVeHkU

FDA Approves Lap-Band for Not So Obese People. Go. Get Yours.

What's terrifying is that your ever so friendly blogger qualified today on the Bariatric Surgeon's SCALE.  I can have a LAP BAND!  "Happy day!"

People no longer need to be quite as obese as before to qualify for weight loss surgery.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the wider use of Allergan’s Lap-Band stomach-restricting device to some people who are just barely obese.

Allergan estimated that more than 26 million Americans would be newly eligible for the surgery, more than doubling the 15 million to 18 million eligible under the old standard.

Still, Allergan did not get all it asked for. The F.D.A. lowered the weight requirement only for people who have a health problem related to obesity, like hypertension or diabetes, not for people who are heavy but otherwise healthy.

“In order to target this therapy to patients who will benefit the most, the approved indication is limited to patients at the highest risk of obesity-related complications,” said Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the agency.

Allergan said it was pleased nonetheless.

Until now the Lap-Band has been approved for people with a body mass index, or B.M.I., of at least 40 if they have no obesity-related health problems and at least 35 if they have such a problem.

Allergan applied to lower the threshold to 35 for people without complications and to 30 for those with a related health condition.

The F.D.A. agreed to lower the requirement for those with an associated health condition to 30. But it left the requirement for otherwise healthy people at 40. An index of 30 is considered the lower boundary of obesity.

Under the previous rules, a person who is five-foot-six and has diabetes would have had to weigh 216 pounds to qualify. Now that person would have to weigh only 186 pounds.

An advisory committee to the F.D.A. voted 8 to 2 in December to endorse the wider use of the Lap-Band, concluding that the benefits of the device exceed the risks for the patients in the lower range of obesity.

Some experts say the expanded approval for the Lap-Band, combined with a dearth of weight-loss drugs, will drive more moderately obese people to consider surgery. In recent months the F.D.A. declined to approve three new diet pills and forced the withdrawal from the market of an older drug, Meridia.

The Lap-Band is approved for use only in people who have failed to lose weight by diet, exercise or drugs.

The Lap-Band is an inflatable silicone ring that is placed around the upper part of the stomach. It restricts how much a person can eat and makes one feel full more quickly.

In the study Allergan submitted to win the expanded approval, patients lost an average of 18 percent of their weight after a year. Allergan has agreed to follow patients in that study for another five years.

The company, based in Irvine, Calif., is hoping to increase sales of the Lap-Band, which it says have been soft because of the poor economy. Still, it expects obesity product sales of $220 million to $240 million this year. That is a small part of its business; Allergan is best known for the Botox wrinkle treatment.

'Lap-band' weight loss surgery in very obese adults improves mental health, study finds

Of course this is a very small study done over a very short term but:

'Lap-band' weight loss surgery in very obese adults improves mental health, study finds.  I would be very curious to see the same people tested at 2,5,10 years post op.

One year after weight loss surgery with laparoscopic gastric banding, extremely obese adults demonstrate not only better physical health but also improved psychological health, a new study shows.

The results are being presented at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

"Surgical treatment, such as laparoscopic gastric banding, is increasingly recognized as the most effective means of achieving weight loss and improving blood sugar control in morbidly obese patients with Type 2 diabetes," said study co-author Andrew Johnson, MD, of Southmead Hospital in Bristol, U.K.

"However, until now, the long-term psychological status of morbidly obese individuals undergoing gastric banding has been unclear despite its increasing use," said Johnson, a consultant physician specializing in diabetes and endocrinology.

Laparoscopic gastric banding, also called the "Lap-Band" procedure, is a minimally invasive weight loss surgery. It involves repeated adjustment of a band to gradually make the stomach smaller and limit food consumption.

Four men and 21 women (ranging in age from 30 to 58 years) participated in the study and had the weight loss surgery. Of these 25 patients, 16 had Type 2 diabetes and nine did not. All had a body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat) that classified them as morbidly obese.

Participants completed psychological testing before surgery and six and 12 months after surgery. These tests measured general anxiety and depression, quality of life, and social anxiety, that is, anxiety related to what others might think of one's appearance.

Compared with before surgery, patients' psychological test scores improved significantly at both six and 12 months after surgery. They had better psychological and physical quality of life, reductions in levels of general anxiety and depression, and reductions in their levels of social anxiety.

As shown in other studies, gastric banding significantly reduced BMI and hemoglobin A1c, a measure of blood sugar control over time.

"These results provide evidence one year after gastric banding that psychological health improves in parallel with physiological health," Johnson said.

NY hospital program teaches lap band surgery post ops "how to" navigate through restaurant menus again

A hospital program in New York City teaches weight loss surgery post-ops how to eat again, well, how to EAT OUT, again. This might not seem like a big deal to you, but I s'pose if you lived in Manhattan?  ANYWAY!  What a cool idea this is!  

Although this seems entirely directed toward the gastric bander, it would be really neat to see something like this for a gastric bypass post or other surgery type as well.   "Picky Pouch Pleasing Parties?"  Take a bunch of RNYer's out to dinner, and hope for the best?  ;)

-MM

 

Click the link to watch the video at NY1  -

Fielding says lap-band patients can eat pretty much anything if they just follow a few key rules. Those rules include eating slowly – taking small bites and waiting at least 30 seconds before taking another, and paying closer attention to portion sizes and the texture of foods they eat.

“Bread, for example, is difficult. One of the things we teach them is not to eat the bread rolls that are invariably put out with the meal because the bread will often block the band and then you can't eat normal food,” Fielding explains. “The objective with this is to eat normal food, but just eat a much smaller quantity.” 

Four Gastric Bypasses, Three Near Successes, Two Major Complications, And A Lap Band In A...

My sister in law informed me yesterday that she's going to have Lap-Band surgery.  I am not surprised, as she has been considering weight loss surgery for years, but she has been scared of the process.  She's watched four of us go through the process in succession - with varying reactions and results.  I was first with a roux-en-y gastric bypass, Mr. MM was next with the same five weeks later, Mr's Mom a couple years after with another RNY, and finally Mr MM's oldest sister with ANOTHER RNY.  

(Looking back, it would have been cool to do it all in one shot, and get discount or something.)  

Four gastric bypasses.  How are we doing?  Mr. lost a shit ton of weight initially, and has gained back a few a couple times, I would venture to guess he is about 185-190 pounds right now.  He doesn't weigh often or in front of me, he swears by the "but the pants still button" feature.  I lost 170 lbs originally, and I have gained back 55 lbs, lost most of it, gained 20, lost, gained 30, and here I am at 170something and stucked like superglue. I am right where the surgeon said I would land.  Bah.  Grand-Mr. MM is the smallest of all of us so far.  She went from pushing 400 to 140 lbs.  I am still wearing her hand me downs, because she's a size SMALL.  Mr. MM's sis has struggled since early post op, and wants a revision, I think the surgeon is talking her into some sort of band-over-bypass, a revision to get her intake down.

I guess if the final SIL isn't scared to DEATH from the various side effects from the four of us, she's doing well.  The best thing about having surgery after four others -- you damn well know what to expect.

She's seen all of the various side effects, and some serious complications.  Between us we've had severe anemia, reactive hypoglycemia, protein malnutrition, dehydration, kidney stones, gallstones, strictures, vomiting, dumping, diarrhea, severe constipation, stoma dilations, fainting, dizziness, seizures, regain, miscarriages, vertigo... and then all the plastic surgery escapades and problems to this very day, etc, so forth, and on and on.

But, this would be the first band.  She will have issues that we have not experienced, although I am totally aware of most, and could probably help her find the info that she needs to navigate those issues.  But, frankly I am concerned that she will not see the success she expects.  

Out of four bypasses, we had nearly full excess weight loss in three of us, at least in the first year and a half.  Had we been banded, I guarantee you there would be no goals reached between the four of us.  

Mr. would be back to banging Little Debbie, and I would be screwing Ben + Jerry.

And... I doubt she will ever see that with a band, honestly.  It's not the band -- it's her intake.  She's a sweets girl. I've known her for what, 16 years?  And I have lived with her.  She loves candy, soda and other simple carbs, much of which will sliiiiide riiiiiight down through a band with time.  

She looked a bit shocked when I told her she could still eat those things with a gastric band.  "What?"  

There's no negative consequence for eating a Reese's Cup.  I told her that "Yeah, I can eat sugar too, I can have a 'Reese's' but -- if I push my luck -- I get sick, and that keeps me from overdoing."

I know a lot of people frown on the fact that RNY'ers have this immediate slap on the hand when we screw up, BUT?  It works.  At the beginning, it scares us enough and into ultimate discipline.  For some, dumping just never happens, but for most of us that do have it, it's AWFUL enough to keep us from diving into a stack of Double-Stufs.

If I had a gastric band?  I might drink three Frappuccinos today -- because I could.  I might eat ice cream. I might eat a Reese's Cup or four.  I might have that Baklava... fudge.... or... spray frosting in a CAN.

"But, Beth, YOU DO EAT THOSE THINGS."

Yeah, some of them, but there's a drastic difference in my intake because I HAVE A RNY.  I can have a taste, a few bites, but I can't have a whole pint of Haagen Daz over the course of the day because I want to.  Blergh.  

The RNY took away ALL of the foods that Made Me Fat in the first year.  

Instantaneously.

I have called gastric bypass forced anorexia.  Because IT IS.  You cannot eat for weeks at a time.  You lose weight, massive amounts of weight in a short amount of time with many side effects that resemble malnutrition.

I have called gastric banding forced bulimia.  I do not have first hand experience with this -- but it's described to me as such.  Eat, vomit.  Repeat.

Both, work.  

Both have this window of opportunity where they work for you if you work them.  But it seems that after a certain period of time -- you cannot rely on the bypass or band to do anything for you.  (OKAY HI!!  I AM WAVING TO YOU FROM THAT CAMP!!  Who wants a cookie for breakfast?)

Most of the time, you lose the weight and that's that with a RNY gastric bypass.  Sometimes it doesn't work.  But, more often, the band "doesn't work" and then you forget you ever had weight loss surgery and just carry on, or you are looking for a revision to lose more weight.  I am totally aware that many, many people rock the band, have full 100% excess weight loss and become superheroes, however, it doesn't seem easy, maintainable or likely.

I guess what I am saying, to her, is --

Have a DS.

*snarf*  Okay.  I know.  But, seriously, I feel that she, (and myself and you and you...) would/will not utilize a gastric band in the way it is intended and will not have the complete weight loss we would expect and or imagine. What then?

Another post where I abuse the word SERIOUSLY. Banding without, the band?

Weight loss like a gastric band, without, the band? Seriously?

Announcing the poorly named: SLIMR. (Note to the creator: Y'know what banders sometimes call that nasty reflux feeling and food sliding back up the esophagus? Sliming. Mmmm.)

The graphic at the site makes me kinda want to do it, though:

  

What has happened inside HER pants?

The SLIMR-band™ is the sensation of your stomach being constricted by a gastric banding similar to a Lap-Band®.  This sensation results from a non-surgical procedure that uses hypnosis and the power of your mind. Since your sub-conscious mind regulates all of your body processes, it produces the sensation of constriction on your stomach.  You feel satiated with smaller quantities of food, you eat less and you easily make better food choices.  The result is that you steadily lose excess weight, reach your healthy weight wellness goal, and easily maintain a balanced nutrition thereafter.

So, you're saying I can go get hypnotized, and "feel" the "sensation of constriction" on my stomach?  Well, if it's THAT easy, sign. me. up.  A endoscopic revision surgery costs $10,000 CASH DOLLAHS, but this hypnotism, HAS to be cheaper, and There! I'm Fixed!

"Your stomach will be gently constricted."  Seriously?

And, it is!  In clinical trials, you too can get Hypno-banded for the low-low price of $1997, a deep discount of it's nearly $7000 price tag!  Get on this now, and you can be Slim With No Band!  *Generally not covered by insurance. It is an investment in your healthy life!"  O-o  You're not spending, you're investing in health?  Where have I heard THAT before?  Spending is spending.

Lap Band Surgery Effective For Morbidly Obese Children, Study Finds

Jamie Dukes Discusses his Realize Band

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

http://twitter.com/jamiedukes

Sugar hell

(MM adds this graphic, and says, DON'T *I* WISH!!!!)

From Jeannette:  As I said previously, I wish the band came with dumping.

Another view from a band

From Jeannette:

Hi all! My name is Jeanette I am 30 years old and I was banded on November 14^th, 2008. I can’t believe it’s been 9 months already! I read MM almost daily, her blog has been so helpful even though she had a different surgery. My story is a lot like many of yours, I was chubby all my life. I did 3 stints with Weight Watchers. Each time I was somewhat successful, but then I would hit a wall, get frustrated and deciding it wasn’t worth the expense and quit. Regain. Or I would think I knew how to do it and quit. Regain. I also took Metabolife for a while, and then Xenadrine. Again, I would get results and then decide they were too expensive and quit. Regain. I quit the diet pills once and for all on the day I was jogging into my apartment to get something (not that far, not that fast) and got a bloody nose. I never got bloody noses before, so I assumed it was the pills and flushed them.

You never get a day off from WLS

From Lisa:

OK, first I gave you the good, now I’ll give you the so-so…

Hello Banders!

My name is Lisa, aka Half-a-Lisa and I, too, am a loyal MM reader.  I am 40 years old and live in sunny South Florida.  I was ‘banded’ one year ago and whoa! has life changed.