Customer Reviews

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jessie is knowlegeable, direct and deeply committed to your success with the Adjustable Gastric Band. Think of this book more as a "Banding Coach" as you make a transition from being trapped to a new sense of self honesty, freedom and empowerment. She lets you know about Banding and the changes you will be asked to make but more importantly she KNOWS from the depths of her heart that YOU CAN DO IT! and by the end of the book you are likly to accept her professional opinion as well.

Jessie Ahroni may be the foremost expert in the US on support, adjustment and follow-up of adjustible gastric banding patients. An experienced "bandster" herself, now working in a bariatric practice, Jessie is famous in our little community for her wit, wisdom and straight talk. A compilation of her know-how and best, time-tested advice is included along with case studies of people who have struggled and been successful in overcoming every obstacle, and using this tool to achieve remarkable success. Highly recommended!

First the good:
The book is written in plain english and is very, very easy to read. Jessie covers the basics of the band very well and provides good descriptions for what it's like after you have the band.

Now the bad:
I felt like this book was just a repetition for what I already knew because of prior research on the web or common sense. I was hoping to find more detailed information about after-care and diet, tips and tricks, and information about how successful bandsters went about losing the weight. Overall, I'd probably say to get the book if you're new to gastric banding, otherwise you'll probably already know all the information contained in this book.

I consider this to be the definitive book on Adjustable Gastric Banding. Jessie Ahroni has not only worked with hundreds of banded patients, she has the band herself. I have met her, and she walks her talk. This book is as credible and believable as she is.

I am a Lap-band patient. Early in my post-operative period, it was nice to be able to go to this book to find answers. Jessie's down-to-earth, "real" people language did not leave me wondering what she really meant. When information from the doctors or from the nutritionists seemed to be conflicting or confusing, I could find clarity in the pages of this book.

I highly recommend this book. If you are thinking about having weight loss surgery, please read this before you decide which surgery is for you. If you already have an AGB, but have had little post operative support, this book is for you too. AND, if you're doing well post-operatively and just want a little something to keep you on the straight and narrow, get the book!
I'm no Ebert and Roeper, but I give it two thumbs up!

I had the gastric band on 4/12/04. I have lost 52 pounds. I haven't lost any weight since the third week in August. This is my own doing --- dealing with emotional eating has to be done FIRST AND FOREMOST before this surgery will work. This isn't a "warning", persay, but certainly a precaution to anyone who is considering this surgery. I will probably get back on the wagon on 1/1/05 -- like everyone else in the country! In the meantime, this book will help anyone (including me) understand the ins and outs of gastric banding. It is truly a great choice for someone who doesn't want to have the more difficult surgeries: gastric bypass, "duodenal switch", or vertical banded gastroplasty...all very risky with as high a mortality rate as 1/100. Yes, you read that right. The more common mortality rate is 1/200. I have read the 1/100 more recently, though, since weight loss surgery seems to becoming more and more common. I am certain that once I figure out what drives me to make bad choices for food that I will get my act together and lose the additional 77 pounds that I must lose to get fit and healthy. This book is a great help and a great motivator for anyone who is dealing with the emotional side of eating. Good luck to anyone who is considering this, and please, deal with the emotional side FIRST.

I am the leader of a local Lap-Band suppoprt group and I recommend to everyone that they should buy this book. It is easy to read and answers questions for those at all stages of banding. In my opinion, it should be required reading for all considering or those who are scheduled to have this surgery. By the way, I am so happy with my decision to have this surgery over a year ago and would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

This book was not a good value for me. By the time I purchased it, I had spent so much time educating myself online that most of the information was redundant. The book is very well laid out, and has some great illustrations. It's full of clearly stated unbiased information and statistics that illustrate the benefits and the drawbacks of the lap band. If you are just starting your journey, and need to decide whether or not the lap band is for you, then I would recommend this book highly. If you have already educated yourself about the lap band, then this book is a great resource to keep handy when trying to educate your friends and family about your decision.

I am a member of obesityhelp.com and having read the message board and replied to many, in addition to having attended 5 local seminars and numerous support group meetings, I didn't learn anything from this book I didn't already know.

However, if you are just starting out on this journey, this is a great book.

I have researched lapband surgery for more than 2 years and had heard about this book but couldn't find it in the library system here nor in any local bookstores, even thought I live in a large city in NE Florida. So, I ordered it. Its a good read but not if you've already done your homework and lots of research.

This book was informative about the banding process. It is a good reference book for individuals beginning their research about bariatric surgery options. If you choose this procedure to be your tool in permanent weight loss, then the book is a keeper to re-read as you encounter different issues in your journey. I believe that it helped me in my decision-making process.

I had lap-band at Northwest Weight Loss Surgery Center where Jessi Ahroni works. She is a no-nonsense person that tells it like it is. This book is a must read for ANYONE that is deciding if Lap-Band is for them, those who have made the decision AND for their family and friends. I am one of the lucky ones that has been able to work with Jesse as well as read her book. This gives the up front approach and gives you so much information that you want and need to know. I have had HUGE success with my lap band. I was banded 5/22/07 and am down over 100 lbs at my 6 month mark. It's do-able, it's a great decision for me and this book can help you decide if it's right for you. Leigh Bergman