Lap-Band and Weight Loss Surgeries?
Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 1:56PM 
This morning I was saddened to read that yet another woman died after going through lap-band surgery.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Paula Rojeski was 5 foot 5 and weighed approximately 180 pounds which is not significantly overweight in my opinion – at least not overweight enough to go under the knife.
One thing I learned at UCLA as a clinical dietitian is that there is a very fine line between surgery and death. One should not consider anesthesia unless it is absolutely medically necessary.
Is it medically necessary to lose 30-40 pounds? It is extremely healthful but not medically necessary.
Many people, including this woman yearned for a better life and thought this would be the magic to take her there. Sadly, her life ended abruptly.
And the major issue not addressed regarding these surgeries is this:
They treat the symptom, not the cause
You lose weight since your stomach is the size of a walnut, but eventually research shows individuals gain the weight back within 5 years.
In addition, many patients who had this and bypass surgery are now presenting with multiple vitamin/mineral deficiencies, which are difficult to treat.
Healing your relationship with food and figuring out a plan with a qualified health care professional that will support you through the process is the most effective.
I’ve had many clients lose 30, 50, 100 pounds over time. Did they struggle? Absolutely. Was the process hard? No question. Making a lifestyle change is never an easy or a straight road.
We live in a world of instant gratification.
I want the weight to come off NOW
The turtle wins the race with respect to weight management. Losing weight where the body is not forced to change quickly allows fat versus muscle mass loss, allowing the body the dignity to change over time.
Why go under the knife to risk your life? Sure, there are many qualified surgeons who can perform this surgery without complications but there is still the issue of why the problem occurred in the first place.
If you’ve got significant weight to lose, obtaining professional help and support to get you through the tough periods is necessary.
However, your life will be yours and is not put in someone else’s hands to decide your fate.
Reader Comments (4)
Lap band is a relatively safe surgery in the correct hands. Rather than telling people not to do it, isn't it better to direct them to Centers for Excellence such as USC University Hispital. .People that have never been significantly overweight have no idea. Yes after surgery they must still deal with their food issues but to suggest there's no place for surgery for a person who "only has 40 -50 pounds to lose is shortsighted and insensitive.
I disagree with the comment above. Although there are certain situations in which it might be the right choice, and I try to judge no one, generally speaking surgery should be the absolutely last option a person has to lose weight (and I am a significantly overweight person). Beyond the tragedy of a death, there have also been endless life long complications noted and many have simply gained the weight back. The ideal -- which I still strive to find and which I am even in therapy for -- is doing it the old fashioned way and getting your head right to be able to deal with it. Just my two cents.
Thank you AngieJ and Laura for your comments. I do believe sometimes surgery is an option for those who are in the over 400 pound range and see no way out of it. However, be it due to what I've seen in my practice and at UCLA most people eventually regain their weight and have deficiencies to deal with as well as having the pain of gaining back the weight and starting over.
I have to agree with Laura that the good old-fashioned way, however painful, is in the long run the most successful. 2 things are required - motivation and how important is it? If one has the motivation and it is important to them, they will stick in there for the long haul.
Susan,
I worked with Paula in 2009. She lost about 50 pounds in less than 5 months drinking some sort of "tea" that a doctor prescribed to her. She lost her job at the end of 2009 (partly because she stayed wired on the "tea") and this is the first I've heard of her since. Unfortunately, Paula was one of those poor souls to whom you refer. She had to have the quick fix.