Gastric Banding for Obesity

**Admin** · 03-05-2006, 11:35 AM

For adults who are mildly to moderately obese, gastric banding appears to be more effective in reducing weight and improving health and quality of life than behavioural modification plus drug therapy according to Australian investigators writing in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Source: Reuters

**racheljane** · 03-05-2006, 03:03 PM

My friend turned 40 last year and decided that after 20+ years of fighting obesity she would have gastric banding. It cost her £7k and she had to stay in for 17 days due to an infection developing. She was in a lot of pain and took some weeks to fully recover once home. Just over a year later, she has gone from a size 24 to a size 14 and more importantly has gone from a suicidal depressed unhealthy lady to a happy confident lady who now sees herself in a completely different light and is looking forward to the rest of her life. She knew the risks and is 100% sure that despite the trauma of the weeks after the surgery she has done the right thing.

Before all this, had anyone asked me my opinion on this type of surgery I would have said it was an unecessary risk and that diet & behaviour changes were the answer; seeing my friend go through this and the resulting change in her (mentally & physically) has changed my opinion and I think for some people it really is very effective.

**pilly84** · 03-05-2006, 04:16 PM

Good for you Amanda. I'm glad to hear that it's working well for you.

What makes me worried, however, is the number of people who will go abroad for these operations on the cheap. We have had a few come into A+E with complications e.g. having their bands tightened too quickly to avoid having to go back abroad. Unfortunately, there are very few surgeons who will take on someone elses work.

It's a big decision, but if it works, that is great. Maybe this news will make these operations available more often on the NHS. However, I do believe that a lot of thought should go into the decision beforehand (as with you Amanda).

**racheljane** · 03-05-2006, 09:00 PM

I can't imagine why anyone would be against someone having this treatment, if it's been given a good amount of consideration... a lot of willpower is still required even with the band.

I think the controversy would lie with whether a treatment like this should be given on the NHS... would the cost be justified by the money saved on other treatments for disease caused by obesity? Or would people see it as giving patients an 'easy way to diet' instead of spending the money on more 'politically correct' treatments? It's the sort of thing the media has a field day with.

**medics_rule** · 03-05-2006, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by AmandaPollitt

I had one in January.

Yes dieting and excercise is the normal way to do things, and trust me i have really tried everything, i would not have forked out my money and put myself through the pain, and have to live with it if i had not tried everything. Its the best thing i could have ever done, I even went for a interview aT UEA 3 days after the operation (and got a offer), since january i have lost 4 stone and its still coming off.

Slag me off if you want and tell me that it was not worth the money or that i should have had more 'will power'. I DONT CARE. my will power is amaizingly high otherwize i would not have been able to get through the first 8 weeks after surger when all i was alowed was fluids. Its hard to some times realise that you wont be able to sit down to a nice big meal eve again, as i get full very quickly, but it does not stop me from eating the things i like........ like chocolate, it just makes sure that things are eaten in moderation.

Its not a quick fix and the decision to have it done should not be taken lightly, it took me over a year to finaly decide to have it done. But like i say its the best thing i could have ever done!

Well Done Amanda I bet your confidence has boosted no end. It's sad but some people do judge others by sight!!! Keep up the good work and you'll knock em dead, just one thing you should have come to Soton!!!

**racheljane** · 04-05-2006, 12:51 PM

I think you've done the sensible thing Amanda, given that you saw your parents with the same problem and obviously didn't want to go the same way. If someone saw their parents die of alchoholism they'd want to ensure they didn't go that way, or smokers, or any other disease/addiction so if anyone's knocked you for what you've done it's through ignorance... I'm sure they would have different views if they had actually been in your shoes!

My friend (as above post) ended up having a really dreadful article written about her in a national newspaper, she talked to them about it in a positive light, about how much it had done for her etc. and they printed some really awful judgemental stuff (she dealt with it wonderfully by the way, with her new found confidence!)

Do you think that someone who has this op on the NHS would be less likely to have the motivation to follow it up as you did? Getting something 'for free' might make you more relaxed about it not working than having the push of 'I paid £8k for this I'm not going to lose that!'

**the_last_1_left_again** · 04-05-2006, 02:15 PM

so how doz dis gastric band exactly works?
i mean if u r using a gastric band which reduces ur food intake.... surely there will come a time when u will want to maintain ur weight. So, is the band taken off? and if it is taken off dont u go back 2 normal eating regime n put da weight bck on i.e. 'yo-yo dieting' effect?

i personally think that a procedure like this should be available on the NHS, perhaps as a last resort. Simply because obesity is related to very serious medical conditions..... from manic depression to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal problems, infertility and the list goes on.... all this results in long-term NHS costs as well as economic costs to the government in the form of lost taxes, disability benefits etc....Therefore, it would be a great idea to make this available on the NHS as opposed to certain cosmetic procedures (already available)

**skittles** · 04-05-2006, 06:35 PM

[quote=AmandaPollitt]I had one in January.

Yes dieting and excercise is the normal way to do things, and trust me i have really tried everything, i would not have forked out my money and put myself through the pain, and have to live with it if i had not tried everything. Its the best thing i could have ever done, I even went for a interview aT UEA 3 days after the operation (and got a offer), since january i have lost 4 stone and its still coming off.
Quote]

Well done Amanda,..

**pilly84** · 04-05-2006, 07:04 PM

I find it more than a little worrying that there are adverts on the bottom of this page for gastric band surgery in Mexico!!!!! I wonder if Admin could get them removed - it's not exactly good to encourage people to have this kind of surgery done abroad is it (see previous post)?

**racheljane** · 04-05-2006, 07:40 PM

Gosh I never noticed that Pilly, I don't tend to look at the ads... worryingly there are not only several for Gastric Banding abroad but also one for a gastric 'pill' that (quote) 'fills your stomach like a balloon making it virtually impossible to eat'... I really don't like the sound of that