Gastric Bands

[Scarlett]

Does anyone here have any first hand opinions on, experience of gastric bands - either from yourself, a friend or someone you've treated? When 40 years of diets have failed, is it a good option to be looking at, in your opinion?

[TonyV]

Gastric band surgery is quite drastic.
To lose weight I believe you need to burn more calories than you take in, so portion control and exercise. Is this what you have been doing?

[ummmm]

Very drastic change.
There are a few members on here who have had it done which have been successful.

[Buenchico]

There's an account on the NHS website from someone who's had the procedure carried out:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/my-gastric-band-surgery-vickys-story/

[hc4361]

I do know somebody who had a gastric band fitted and all went well, she did lose weight. When she hit a distressing time a few months later she started cheating and put all the weight and more back on. She's now considering a different type of surgery

[BagPussAA]

If you want a not so drastic measure as major surgery, you should try a gastric balloon. I had one inserted a few years ago. It does the same as a gastric band - i.e. decreases the size of your stomach because you basically have a balloon full of saline at the bottom of your stomach for up to a year. You feel full quickly because your stomach is already full. It is a non invasive procedure as they insert it via a gastrointestinal tube whilst you are awake and you can gone home within an hour of having it done. Then they take it out again the same way a year later. I lost 9 stone when I had mine done and it was brilliant. It taught me how to eat properly without being quite so drastic as gastric band surgery. I've kept most of the weight off too. I had it done 5 years ago and I've only put about 1/2 a stone back on since.

[hc4361]

You've done fantastically well, bagpuss. Good for you :)

[cassa333]

I had a gastric band and for me it was a failure. They never found the ‘sweet spot’. The level of fill for the band to get the optimum restriction.

It was so bad that in the end it slipped out of kilter and had to be removed.

Funnily enough my sister also had a band and she couldn’t get on with it either. We both ended up with gastric bypasses.

Although to be fare my bypass wasn’t done right and I had to have two further operations to correct it but once it was working (almost as it should) it was, for me and my sister, much better.

I have a friend who had a gastric sleeve and because there is little to stop you over eating she hasn’t lost as much weight and is putting it back on quicker.

I would have preferred the band worked properly but for me it wasn’t to be.

[BagPussAA]

Thanks HC.. It was a struggle but worth it. The biggest thing for me was changing the way that I looked at food. I used it as a comforter and when I had the balloon done, I got psychological counselling as part of the package so they helped me look at food in a different way. It has helped me keep the weight off since.