Has anyone here had bariatric surgery done?

If so, how was the experience? Did it work? Does it last? Is it expensive? What do you think?

had the Lap banding done in 2004 95 lbs ago. there is no stapling so it can be undone. cost then was $22,000

1) It works almost all of the time. It IS Major Surgery so you have to realize that there are risks, up to and including death.

2) It lasts...they cut up your insides...it's not like they grow back.....some patients are able to gain back some of their weight through extreme bad habits but no one has ever gone back to say 400 pounds or something extreme like that.

3) Yes it costs about as much as a new car ($25,000 to $30,000).

No way I would never do it. You can die. They do not tell you how many die with this major surgery. That is because the docs and the hospital make big money. It is expensive and insurance may cover some for extreme obesity.
The people I know who have done it would never complain about it because it was right for them at the time the made the descision.
I do know you can gain all the weight back and then some. As you continue to add food back you little pouch expands. It it expands to often you have a full size stomach again (the body is like that it does not want to starve so will expand so you can eat more).
It is just a temporary measure that is expensive. It works for those who never eat normal ever again.
When it is done you can only eat a small spoon of food a day. Over time that is slightly bigger amount. But if you eat food that is too fatty or sweet or too much you throw it up. They don't like to tell you how much you will be throwing up. Think about it. Your inner stomach is the size of a 50 cent peice. Try jamming food in and see what happens.
Don't forget you have months of recooperation and you must take vitamins and minerals the rest of your life.
And it is a hardship if you want a baby. Can you still eat for two?
Will the baby get proper nutition? Or will it be leeched out of your bones.
Many who get this end up with serious problems later in life since they are not eatting enough for their eyes, bones, joints, hearth and other internal organs.
Believe me it is only a temporary fix. Why not do it with Weight Watchers or another group that has proven sucess. It is easier in the long run.
Worried about putting the weight back on? Don't?
All you have to do is weight yourself every week. If you gained a pound or two watch what you eat for two days. You will never gain again.

Weight loss surgery-like gastric bypass /lap band surgery / stomach stapling and gastrectomy have become very common and very safe now. My cousin got her Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in India. She has lost more than 65 lbs in 5 months and is very happy with the results. The price for obesity surgery is very less in India. My cousin just paid 25% of the cost she was quoted in America. She got her surgery from a company called Forerunners Healthcare.

Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low cost, as bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery is not covered by insurance. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your Obesity surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
Hope this helps.