FAQ
Q: Will I be sick a lot after the operation?
A: The LAP-BAND System limits food intake. If you feel nauseated or sick on a regular
basis, it may mean that you are not chewing your food well or that you are not following
the diet rules properly. However, it could also mean that there is a problem with the
placement of the band so you should contact us if this problem persists. Vomiting should
be avoided as much as possible. It can cause the small stomach pouch to stretch. It can
also lead to slippage of part of the stomach through the band, which would reduce the
success of the operation. In some cases, it would also require another operation.
Q: How long will it take to recover after surgery?
A: If LAP-BAND surgery is performed laparoscopically, patients typically spend less than 24 hours in the hospital. It takes most patients about a week to return to work and a month to
six weeks to resume exercising. In the case of open surgery or if there are complications, recovery may take longer.
Q: How much weight will I lose?
A: Weight-loss results vary from patient to patient, and the amount of weight you may
lose depends on several things. The band needs to be in the right position, and you need to
be committed to your new lifestyle and eating habits. Obesity surgery is not a miracle cure,
and the pounds won’t come off by themselves. It is very important to set achievable
weight-loss goals from the beginning. A weight loss of 2 to 3 pounds a week in the first
year after the operation is possible, but one pound a week is more likely. Twelve to eighteen months after the operation, weekly weight loss is usually less. Remember that you should
lose weight gradually. Losing weight too fast creates a health risk and can lead to a number
of problems. Your main goal is to have weight loss that prevents, improves, or resolves
health problems connected with severe obesity.
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Q: Does the LAP-BAND require frequent office visits after surgery?
A: Check-ups are a normal and a very important part of the LAP-BAND System follow-up.
Q: Does the LAP-BAND limit any physical activity?
A: The LAP-BAND does not affect or hamper physical activity including aerobics, stretching
and strenuous exercise.
Q: How is the band adjusted?
A: Adjustments are sometimes carried out in the X-ray department. They are done there so the access port can be clearly seen. When X-rays are used, your reproductive organs should
be shielded. Adjustments are mainly carried out in Dr Nicholson's rooms. Local anaesthesia may or may not be needed. A fine needle is passed through the skin into the access port to add or subtract saline. This process most often takes only a few minutes.
Most patients say it is nearly painless.
Q: Do I have to be careful with the access port just underneath my skin?
A: There are no restrictions based on the access port. It is placed under the skin in the abdominal wall, and once the incisions have healed it should not cause discomfort or limit
your movements or any physical exercise. The only sensation you may have from the port
is when you go in for adjustments. If you feel persistent discomfort in the port area, let us
know as soon as possible.
Q: Can the band be removed?
A. Although the LAP-BAND System is not meant to be removed, it can be. In some cases
this can be done laparoscopically. The stomach generally returns to its original shape once
the band is removed. After the removal, though, you may soon go back up to your original weight or even gain more.
Q: Will I need plastic surgery for the surplus skin when I have lost a lot of weight?
A: That is not always the case. As a rule, plastic surgery will not be considered for at least
a year or two after the operation. Sometimes the skin will mold itself around the new body tissue. You should give the skin the time it needs to adjust before you decide to have more surgery. You should have held your goal weight for at least 3 months before considering plastic surgery. Some people who have a great deal of weight require abdominoplastics and are reconstructions to remove excess skin.
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Q: Is it true that the LAP-BAND seems “tighter” in the morning?
A: This is a fairly common feeling, especially for people with bands that are tight or just after
an adjustment. During the day the water content in the body changes and this may cause
the band to feel “tighter” some of the time. Some women have also noticed that the LAP-BAND feels tighter during menstruation.
Q: Will I feel hungry or deprived with the LAP-BAND?
A: The LAP-BAND makes you eat less and feel full in two ways – by reducing the capacity of your stomach and increasing the time it takes food to get through the digestive system. After
a small meal, the amount of which varies from person to person, you should feel full. If you follow the nutrition guidelines when you choose your food and then chew it well, you should not feel hungry or deprived. Remember that the LAP-BAND is a tool to help you change your eating habits.
Q: What will happen if I become ill?
A: One of the major advantages of the LAP-BAND System is that it can be adjusted. If
your illness requires you to eat more, the band can be loosened by removing saline from it. When you have recovered from your illness and want to lose weight again, the band can be tightened by increasing the amount of saline. If the band cannot be loosened enough, it may have to be removed.
Q: What about pregnancy?
A: Becoming pregnant can be easier as you lose weight. Your menstrual cycle may become
more regular. If you need to eat more while you are pregnant, the band can be loosened.
After the pregnancy, the band may be made tighter again, and you can resume losing weight.
Q: Will I need to take vitamin supplements?
A: You may. It’s possible you may not get enough vitamins from three small meals a day. At
your regular check-ups, your specialist will evaluate whether you are getting enough vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron.
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Q: What about other medication?
A: You should be able to take prescribed medication. You may need to use capsules, break
big tablets in half or dissolve them in water so they do not get stuck in the stoma and make
you sick. You should always ask the doctor who prescribes the drugs about this.
Q: What if I go out to eat?
A: Order only a small amount of food, such as an appetizer. Eat slowly. Finish at the same
time as your table companions. You might want to let your host or hostess know in advance
that you cannot eat very much.
Q: What about alcohol?
A: Alcohol has a high number of calories. It also breaks down vitamins. An occasional glass
of wine or other alcoholic beverage, though, is not considered harmful to weight loss.
Q: Can I eat anything in moderation?
A: After your stomach has healed, you may eat most foods that don’t cause you discomfort.
However, because you can only eat a little it is important to include foods full of important
vitamins and nutrients such as those recommended in the nutrition section of this website and
as advised by your surgeon and/or dietitian. If you eat foods that contain lots of sugar and fat
or drink liquids full of “empty” calories, such as milkshakes, the effect of the LAP-BAND may
be greatly reduced or cancelled.
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Q: Will I suffer from constipation?
A: There may be some reduction in the volume of your stools, which is normal after a
decrease in food intake because you eat less fibre. This should not cause you severe
problems. If difficulties do arise, let us know as soon as possible.
Q. - I'm hungry? ...
A.
not uncommon in the first few weeks, as the band does not hold up fluids and therefore the stomach empties quickly.
Try slightly thicker fluids, perhaps add more in the way of protein drinks. Talk to Dr Nicholson or his Staff.
Q.-I'm weary.....
A. Most patients are tired for a couple of weeks after a general anaesthetic, let alone a major operation. Are you sleeping well? Are you starting to mobilize, getting any exercise? An increase in all of these will often unleash additional energy.
Q.- I'm sore, my pain is increasing...
A. The pain of your surgical wounds should fade very quickly and the shoulder tip pain due to the gases used in the abdominal cavity, to give your surgeon room to work, should not persist beyond the first few days. If you are getting worse and cannot explain why (have you taken foodstuff inappropriate at this time?), you should be calling the Doctor's rooms for reassurance and management.
Q. - When do I get to eat??? O.K..... I’ve had four weeks of fluids, what now?
A. Slops!!...This is a description of consistency rather than specific food. You should refer to your dietician’s handbook at this time for nutritious ideas about this, however the band is still settling in so some caution is still required.
-Imagine squeezing your food in your hand.... if it moves out through your fingers, not leaving a plug behind, then it is slops and appropriate for this next stage.
-Try creamy rice, tinned spaghetti, scrambled egg and foodstuff such as that. The fluid intake should now be of no calorie, water or black tea/coffee, or low calorie, add a little skim milk or take low-calorie soft drinks etc.
- Beware fizzy drinks early in the piece as they may cause discomfort. Don't drink with meals, take fluids before meal or a couple of hours after otherwise the food will come up or be washed through too quickly and hunger/grazing will follow.
- Persist with this regime for two weeks and also with the start of solids; do it cautiously at first, chew well and "sneak" up on food, take some, chew it well, swallow, wait, see how you feel and then if O.K. take some more.
- You'll get used to a smaller volume and the correct consistency swallowed if you allow a little time and consider the fibre content and coarseness of the swallowed food as it goes down.
- Once again, don't drink with your meals.
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Q. - When can I finally have solids?
A. - Usually you will stay on sloppy food for three to four weeks; then you can move with due caution to “normal” solid food. Make sure you take solid foods cautiously at first, chew well i.e.: thirty (30) times and "sneak" up on food.
- As these solids resemble your present intake, in quality of foodstuff not quantity, so vitamin supplements may be tapered off. A mixture of foods, avoiding fats as much as possible but including greens, fruit, milk products and meat/fish/chicken will lead to good health and still enable good weight loss.
Q. - How much and at what rate may I expect to lose the excess?
A. - This is variable and governed by sex, age, the amount of that excess, and the adherence to the diet and of course, the amount of exercise the patient is able to indulge in. Big people lose more, they have to use more energy to carry their bodies around, and females, in particular, tend to vary during the month due to their hormonal cycle.
- Dr. Nicholson encourages people to only weigh once a week and to record this. Plateauing of the weight may occur; however an even greater loss is likely to occur later on, to make up for this period.
Q. - What if I break the rules?
A. - Don’t be scared, call Doctor Nicholson or his supportive staff. Remember we’re all human and it’s impossible to be good and follow the rules 100% of the time. If you think you’ve got a blockage, RING NOW. Always have some soda water on hand. Try this immediately, starting with small sips to see whether this will dislodge the wedge of food that’s stuck.
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Q. – What if I think my band’s too tight?
A. - RING NOW. Adjustments are very simple and easy to do and will give immediate relief. So if you find that you cannot tolerate food or fluids which you were previously able to manage in larger amounts, prior to your fill, please call and check with Dr Nicholson’s staff. If you find that you have a choking or full feeling (like a lump in the throat) when you lie down at night, or you are coughing during the night, or if you suddenly have reflux, all of these are symptoms that your band may be to tight. So ring us to have this easily remedied.
Q. – How much alcohol can I now have to drink?
A. – Very little. A lot less than you could drink previously. Because the alcohol is readily absorbed in a much smaller pouch you will usually become inebriated after just one drink.
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