I had the band with a well known national company, my 2 friends had bands at the same time. We were in it together!! We were so excited.
The thing is – my 2 friends have had big problems. One has had to have the lap band taken out cos it’s slipped and the other is so depressed cos she can’t socialise as she’s sick all the time. They wish they’d not had it done in the first place.
I’ve lost half of my fat so far but I’m scared I’m gonna end up in the same boat as my friends. I don’t know what to do. Please help? Nobody told us about any of this and we’ve been told we’ve no chance of getting our money back.
Your Weight Loss Surgery Answer:
We have many patients telling us similar stories. Unfortunately there is still bad practice out there.
If your friend had had the correct follow up , including support and education then the band slippage could most likely have been avoided. Persistent vomiting causes slippage. Poor eating habits and not working correctly with the band cause poor eating habits. The band is a TOOL to reduce portion sizes. It does not work unless the patient uses it correctly. We cannot emphasise how important the correct follow up is.
NIOPPS (www.niopps.co.uk) should be the first port of call for anyone considering a weight loss procedure or looking for aftercare.
Regarding your friend who is unable to socialise due to frequent vomiting. This certainly should not be the case. It sounds like she is over restricted. She needs some fluid removing from the band and she absolutely needs to be taught how to use the band correctly.
The same applies to yourself – get in touch with a Niopps registered provider to ensure the Gold standard in programme practice delivery.
You have been fortunate in that you haven’t had any adverse symptoms so far. Get yourself into a good quality aftercare programme. Learn how to use the band correctly, get to the right level of restriction, learn how to get to your ideal weight and to stay there for the rest of your life.