Weight Loss Surgery With the Adjustable Gastric Band: Everything You Need to Know Before and After Surgery to Lose Weight Successfully by Robert Sewell M. D. M. D. & Linda Rohrbough

Author:Robert Sewell M. D. M. D. & Linda Rohrbough [D., Robert Sewell M. D. M. & Rohrbough, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781600940026
Amazon: 1600940021
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
Published: 2008-03-04T08:00:00+00:00

Can You Lose Your "Sweet Spot"?

Once the proper amount of restriction is obtained, the so-called sweet spot, most patients lose between 1 and 2 pounds each week and everything is as it should be-right? Well, not exactly. Things inside the body have a habit of changing. It is quite common for patients to go along very well for several months after getting just the right amount of fluid in their band, but then gradually the band seems to be less restrictive. This may be in part caused by a gradual thinning of the stomach wall. However, the most logical explanation is that the fatty tissue that occurs naturally around the upper part of the stomach and is actually inside the band is decreasing as the patient loses weight. As this fat disappears it allows the stomach channel to enlarge, even though the amount of fluid in the band has remained unchanged. This explains why additional minor adjustments to the band may be needed every now and then until the patient's weight stabilizes.

It has been interesting for me to observe how many patients tend to become obsessed with the exact amount of fluid in their band. This may be a product of the nearly continuous discussions that go on between band patients, each one comparing every aspect of their situation with the experience of other patients. There are numerous Internet chat sites where band patients describe in detail the exact volume that they have in their band, as well as how much they think they should have, how much their friend has, and so on. But, as I stated earlier, every patient is different. An amount that seems to be just right for one patient may not provide anything close to the proper restriction for another.

After several years of doing adjustments I have discovered an unanticipated problem with the multiple adjustment approach. I refer to it as "adjustment addiction," and it is somewhat difficult to describe. Obviously, some patients who suffer from morbid obesity also have truly addictive personalities. Virtually anything and everything they get involved with has the potential to become an addiction. This can even include band adjustments. Despite doing quite well, losing a pound or two a week, these patients believe that continually adjusting the band helps to ensure their continued success. I believe that these patients are not so much craving another "needle stick," but instead are simply insecure in their own success. Generally these patients have not yet accepted the fact that it is their behavior, not the band, that is causing them to lose weight.

In many instances, individuals with addictive personalities don't recognize their own behaviors as addictions and invariably deny it when confronted. That is the source of potential conflict between the patient and the team of professionals attempting to deal with this situation. The easiest thing for the surgeon to do is provide another fill. Put a little in-take a little out-the process can become an endless quest, searching repeatedly for just the right amount of fluid in the band.

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