Partner wants gastric band

[Elsiebear90]

Was wondering if anyone who has had experience of gastric bands could reassure me, my fiancée has struggled with her weight for the past ten years after she had a serious injury to her knees which meant she could no longer participate in the sports that she loved. She used to be very slim and athletic, but over the years has become depressed and gained weight to the point now that her BMI is 38. She’s tried every diet going, has tried low impact exercise like swimming and cycling and she can’t get her weight down.

She’s decided she wants to go for a gastric band privately, I am supportive, but I’m so scared of what could go wrong, I’ve also heard horror stories of bands eroding and slipping. Would appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences.

Please feel free to PM me. Gastric band - hell no. Sleeve or bypass - yes.

Stay away from the band, mini bypass/bypass/sleeve are better. Do lots of research

There is a drug out on the nhs I think. Something they gave to diabetics. That was noted to help in weight loss as it keeps you feeling full longer. So now it’s newly being prescribed for obesity.

If she’s not had it for diabetes then it could be an alternative?

Appreciate you’re not on to hear that though, just mentioning as it was on the news as being a new initiative.

My relative had it but 10 years along now she has put it all back on.

Even the NHS do very few bands these days. The gold standard is bypass or sleeve.
I had a sleeve 5 years ago following very rapid weight gain due to steroid treatment for another condition and the wrong long term prescription of a drug to help with insomnia- which was also used as an appetite stimulant. I went from 10st to 19st in 3 years. The weight made me miserable, made exercise painful and created a horrible cycle of misery and comfort eating.
The gastric sleeve was best for me. I am not a sweet eater my issue was quantity rather than quality . I have always cooked and not someone who relied on processed food. Just far too much of it. The bypass would be more suitable for those with sweet tooth and processed foods.
Do your research. Do not have a band. Too easy to liquidise any food you fancy in order to slip it down the restriction. They also slip and need revision Ops.

You will always get people on here who 'know a friend' who put it all back on. I am sure there must be some . I am in a post OP group of 15 who had either the sleeve or bypass at the same time as me. No one has put it back on. There is not a single person who regrets it as it has irrevocably changed their lives for the better and of course saved their lives. Obesity is a killer. Make sure there is a decent follow up plan and a psychologist/counselling input in order to understand the reason for the over eating .

Watch a fabulous documentary made by professor Rachel Batterham, Obesity expert at UCH to see why the chances of sustained weight loss via dieting is so incredibly remote in comparison to weight loss surgery.

Good luck. Best decision I ever made.

Interesting clip polly. I can't get my head around the fact that the surgeon is only doing 350 operations compared to 600 in previous years. Seems crazy.