Health Dept Magazine Health Dept Magazine

9Sep/115

How much overweight do you have to be to have lap band surgery?



I was just wondering how much overweight you have to be to have lap band surgery? I am 5' 6" and I weigh about 205. I have tried dieting, weight watchers and diet pills. I was just wondering if I would be a good canidate for the surgery??



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  1. definetly not.

    while you are overweight there is absolutely no medical research that can determine the long term effects of that procedure. however common sense would tell you that changing the physical nature of the gastro intestinal tract is not good.

    you have not been given the proper tools to lose weight, shoot me an email.

  2. As a general rule, or at least in the state of Maryland as an example, to qualify for gastric bypass surgery you need to have a BMI of 35 or higher (with co-morbidities such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, etc). Now, at 5 foot 6 and 205 pounds, you’re at a BMI of 33.1. If you don’t have any co-moribidities, then usually they set the bar higher at a BMI of 40 or higher. Also, some doctors say that if you’re 100 pounds overweight, then you’re a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery. I understand that lap band surgery is different to gastric bypass, but hopefully the above will give you some insight into this matter.

  3. You sound like a good candidate but it does not work all the time. Diets and pills do not work. Try something that does work. Nourish your body thin, instead of starving your body fat. Good carbs like celery and carrots will never make you fat. Bad carbs like cake will, but you don’t need to know the whole science of glycemic load. You need to re-learn how to eat so you can become thin and healthy. Salt has no calories but makes you fat and burning more calories does not help this fatness.

    Find out about fastest way to lose weight, most effective exercise, good and bad fats, water retention and secret trick used by models to flatten their tummy before an event. Reading a book will take you hours but the information on a post, taking minutes to read, is not enough. The webpage below has just enough to know what you need to know. Links page has gov. BMI calculater to find out just how much overweight you are (teens plug in your age to compare to others your age).

    http://www.phifoundation.org

  4. You must be under BMI of 50 to get lap band you are 33.1 BMI. If over 50 you will qualify for the gastric bypass. Be sure this is the option for you. do your homework on the surgeon. ask how many patients have had complications and if any have died under his care. A good surgeon should be honest about those figures. Also be sure you have it done at a "Center of Expertise" these hospitals know about this surgery and can help you through it. This is a lifetime committment and is hard to take back. Be ready to change your eating habits permanently. Good Luck!

  5. It goes by your BMI

    I had gastric bypass surgery in April 2005. I started out at 268, now I’m 180 and holding. These links will help you in many ways to make a decision if this is for you or not. I vote yes, because it made such a difference in my life. I was taking 8 pills a day, and after my surgery, I lost my diabetes. The way they do the surgery, takes your diabetes away. I no longer have to take glucophage, and I no longer have high Cholesterol or high blood pressure. I’m down to 2 pills a day. I went from a size 26-28 to a 16-18.
    http://obesityhelp.com/member/rjpoole/
    Most people struggle with paying for the surgery. Go to this site, it is a great support system for you, because it’s only people who have had gastric bypass or lap band. Every insurance program has been rated, and you’ll get tips on how to deal with your insurance company, as well as, surgery tips, food tips, and just support. This site is free! I’d have to rate it a #1 site if you want to learn about the surgery and how to deal with the insurance companies and get support from other people in the same boat as you.
    This is the #1 site for gastric bypass and it’s free! Extremely helpful! http://www.obesityhelp.com/
    This explains about the surgery:
    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gastric.htm
    I really researched my surgeon, and I made a wise choice. Always get a surgeon that has done at least 200 of these surgeries. Get someone with a lot of experience, and you will do well.
    Here’s all about my surgeon…
    http://obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/bariatric+surgeon+profile+James+Pilkington+djp.html
    http://www.cmch.org/profile-pilkington.html
    You just can’t find a better surgeon than him! He’s probably done at least 500 of the surgeries, so far. I did so well after my surgery, I thank him every time I see him.
    I made it to 175! It’s been almost 2 years since my surgery. I haven’t had any complications at all with my surgery! My health has been very good, and I’ve lost the weight nice and slow, so my body doesn’t look that much out of shape. I’ve been faithfully taking my vitamins, and my blood work came back excellent! I still think very highly of Dr. Pilkington, and would recommend to anyone thinking of this surgery, to have Dr. Pilkington as his or her surgeon. I’m walking proof, that he is an excellent doctor. I just spoke to another patient of his who told me she had a very good experience with him, and she is in excellent health, as well. He is a very caring doctor. I live in Florida in the winter. I see alot of folks down there because of my job, and I see people from all over the USA and overseas. Since my surgery, I’ve talked to lots of others that have had the surgery in Florida, and some of them didn’t do as well, and I tend to think it’s because their doctors weren’t as competent as mine. I feel that part of how you do, is because of your general health and attitude. The other major part is how good your doctor is.
    Here’s a website that tells what to look for in a surgeon;
    http://www.texasbariatricspecialists.com/gastric-bypass-surgery.html
    http://www.docshop.com/education/bariatrics/choose/

    Gastric Bypass diet: (after surgery)
    http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs22.htm
    There is a very good web site by a guy named Basil White. He’s a govt. worker and a comedian. He walks you through everything. Very interesting. He had the surgery and did well. If you want an idea how people handle the surgery, read here!
    http://www.basilwhite.com/gastric/

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass/HQ01465
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass-diet/WT00007
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass-surgery/AN01378
    http://www.webmd.com/content/article/46/2731_1654.htm
    http://www.lapband.com/lapband/aboutlapband.do
    A must read if you have questions:
    http://www.liteandhope.com/livechat_archive1003.html
    http://www.bariatricedge.com/dtcf/pages/finding_support.htm?WT_srch=1

    Check out this link, this lady put her heart and soul into it, with lots of great info:
    http://www.gastricbypassfamily.com/index.htm
    Vitamins I take… you have to be very faithful about taking them after surgery, because you can become very sick if you don’t. There were recommended by my surgeon and nutritionist.
    http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=301120&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod403359
    http://www.webmd.com/hw/weight_control/hw252819.asp
    Some other helpful links…
    http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Diseases_and_Conditions/Obesity/Gastric_Bypass_Surgery/
    http://www.stapleclub.com/general_info.htm
    http://www.locateadoc.com/articles.cfm/1454/1337
    http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=28&morg_id=0&sec_id=0&gsec_id=35507&item_id=35508
    http://www.connectionwls.com/
    http://www.mygastricbypass.com/
    http://www.gwdocs.com/health/eHA-eHA_Content_C-Generic_Content_Page_Template_1131123706877.html
    Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery
    Gastric bypass surgery is considered the safest and most effective type of bariatric surgery. But as with any major surgery, the procedure does carry some risks.
    http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=28&morg_id=0&sec_id=0&gsec_id=35507&item_id=35508
    http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=28&morg_id=0&sec_id=0&gsec_id=35507&item_id=35514
    Good luck with your surgery and new life!


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