Patient Testimonials

Before	After

The day I found Dr. Eric Pinnar was the luckiest day of my life. As soon as I attended his seminar, I knew that I wanted to have wls. I was tired of being overweight and needed a solution. I had considered gastric bypass in the past, but I liked the way his office explained the adjustable gastric band. It seemed like the perfect option for me. I had tried and successfully lost weight in the past—but I never kept it off. I was tired of the roller coaster. “UNBUCKLE me and let me off this ride please!” July 25 of this year will be my 2 year anniversary, and I have lost 115 pounds. I am a solid size 10 and I feel fabulous. At goal weight I will be a size 8...can't wait! Dr. Pinnar's aftercare was phenomenal. Whenever I had an issue with being too tight, they had me come into the office immediately. The office staff always welcomed me with a smile--and wanted to know where I had been if I hadn't visited them in a while. AND I never imagined that I would one day work for him. (I live in SE, DC--but it is worth the distance!) Nonetheless it became a reality in November of 2007. It is worth the commute. As a part of his team, it brings tears to my eyes to think about how many lives we transform on a daily basis. Haven't you ever wanted something so bad it kept you up at night? Or maybe you yearned for it so deeply that you cried yourself to sleep each night? Maybe it was all you could think about. That was my life for as long as I can remember. I never thought I would be able to lose weight and keep it off, I am eternally grateful that I have found peace, resolution and satisfaction with my body.

My road towards LAP-BAND® surgery has been a long and arduous one, but I would not change it for the world. I hope I can successfully explain and justify how the LAP-BAND® surgery has impacted my life both physically and mentally. I also want to explain the preparation I took before my surgery, and what I have experienced since having the surgery. Let me begin by introducing myself, my name is Aimee and I am 23 years old. I started to research and look into weight loss surgery (WLS) spring of 2002. At that point and time in my life, I have been making a conscious effort to reduce my weight since I was 10 years old. The approaches and methods I had tried prior to my surgery were: 6 years of weight loss camp, Jenny Craig, personal training and eating right. As you can see, all of these options were basic and not too extreme, but is what I personally believe to this day is the way to go. During the fall of 2001 I went into counseling and soon discovered that I have Bipolar Disorder II, and PMDD (Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder). I started to see a psychologist and a psychiatrist began medications, and counseling. The counseling and medications helped open my eyes towards the life I was living and gave me the ability to have dreams and most importantly the desire to live life. As the first major part of my counseling began, I came to terms with my weight, which was always an issue in the back of my mind. This is how I came across the LAP-BAND® surgery. I started by looking into tummy tucks, but quickly decided that the tummy tuck would not take care of the problem internally but just physically. During my research soon I stumbled across information about the LAP-BAND®, in my information search I found there were a limited amount of surgeons that perform the LAP-BAND® surgery in the US (but I did inquire about LAP-BAND® surgeons in Switzerland .) At that point in my life, I was not sure if it was a just a passing phase or frame of mind due to my mental health so I decided to wait it out. I waited for about 10 months and I found myself continuously researching the LAP-BAND® surgery and finding out as much as I could about the other WLS available. My goal was become as educated, comfortable and to locate a surgeon. I also searched for a surgeon who was familiar with the LAP-BAND® procedure and had a great after care program since I did not want to be lost in the shuffle after the surgery. I learned that my research into this surgery was not a passing phase or a frame of mind but it was something I truly wanted for myself and felt would make a huge difference and a positive impact in my life. December of 2002 I talked with my parents about the surgery, costs, and qualified surgeons available. They were naturally hesitant but gave me the go ahead to make appointments with the surgeons in the area and that is how I came across Dr. Eric Pinnar. I met with Dr. Pinnar and Sue (his nurse assistant) in the middle of February and immediately I felt welcomed. I instantly knew I was in the right place. I was seen right away and talked with Sue about the procedure, I answered some questions about my health, I was told about the office, and was given some more information about the LAP-BAND® and the surgery itself. Afterwards, I met with Dr. Pinnar in his office and talked with him about the procedure. He then thoroughly went thru details of how the surgery works and the procedures, which I had not fully understood until my informational meeting with Dr. Pinnar. I truly appreciated his patience, and never felt rushed at anytime. I left the office, excited and with the feeling in my gut knowing that I had found the right place for me. The next step was payment and pre-op testing. I have a PPO and my BMI (body mass index) was 35.1 at my height of 5'9 ½". I have no co morbidities and my parents and I knew it would be a struggle, so we decided to self-pay. My parents decided that they wanted to pay for it since they felt that this would be what I needed to help with my weight loss. I went ahead with all my appointments, blood work, EKG, and Barium Swallow. Soon I had my date for March 28 th 2003 at 7:30am. As the date for my surgery approached, my nerves, excitement and my moments daydreaming increased. I worked closely with my psychologist to make sure that I was aware of what could happen to me post-surgery and also gained a better knowledge of what drives me to eat. I also learned how it would affect me, my interactions with others, and many more things. This left me with lots insight and helped me enter the liquid phase both pre and post surgery. The hardest part in the first few days was with starting a liquid diet, the reason for the struggle was because I wanted to eat and gradually that desire went away and I did end up getting used to the new diet. I do recommend buying a good strainer though and do what you can to create a chewing motion because I found it quite remarkable how much tension is built up in your jaw area. I did have stomach problems throughout this time pre and post surgery and since it is a major change for your body, my body argued with me for a while. Soon after my surgery procedure date came, I packed my bag the night before, with magazines, hard candies, a book, and my laptop. I was determined not to have a dull moment. After I arrived I was soon brought back into the changing room and put on the nice outfit they give you and then I was brought into the prep room with my mom. This is when I was given my IV and the anesthesiologist came by to ask me some questions. Later Dr. Pinnar came by to talk to me about the surgery and answer any of my last minute questions. The next thing I knew the nurses were wheeling me in to the OR and then I was out like a light. After the surgery, I found myself in the recovery room and was not coherent. I remember my parents coming in to say hello and I felt very groggy. Since I felt very groggy, I found myself trying to beat it with my excitement of the hospital having the Style Channel on their cable access, but soon the grogginess won. The nursing staff was fantastic to me and I never found myself waiting more than 2 minutes for any assistance that I needed. All the staff was very kind and attentive. The pain that I felt was of course in my stomach area, but it was not the incisions themselves but it was more from body movements that I did. I had a tendency to over extend myself by moving too quickly or thinking I was more healed then I actually was. Everyday that passed I felt a fair amount better. In 3-days post surgery I drove around in a car and 1-week post surgery I worked a half of a day. Pain in my port area was the most common pain for me, especially when I was working at a desk or wore pants that were high waisted. I did come down with one odd problem, which was a rash that broke out around one of my incision's area. I called Dr. Pinnar's office they fit me in for the next day, which is a fantastic example of their aftercare and follow-up. Other than that single problem, my healing process has been progressive and wonderful and all I can recommend is listening to your body. Today, I am now 6 weeks post surgery and feeling in high spirits, I followed the post surgery diet closely and was very excited to start eating normal foods again. I eat most of the foods that I want, with exception of foods that cause me some pain, such as breads and foods that are just unhealthy. I recently started to workout again and I am doing Pilates 4 times a week and I love it. I now refuse to do anything I don't enjoy. I don't see myself lifting weights and doing "cardio" in a gym anytime soon; I did that for too many years. So far I have lost 30lbs and I have not had a fill yet, I am waiting for a plateau then I will get to one. I am so grateful that I was able to have the LAP-BAND® surgery, this has truly changed my life beyond my expectations, above what I had already experienced. I am looking forward to everything else it will bring. I could not of done without Dr. Pinnar and his Staff and it just would not of been the same without them. They have made the difference with every step of the way. I would be happy to share more if you would like some questions answered or any guidance regarding LAP-BAND® Surgery. Please email me at AimeeRebeccaL@yahoo.com , and my yahoo IM id is the same. Feel free to contact me with any questions, statements, or anything else you can think of. An Update 2/12/04 It has now been 1 year since my surgery, and 10 months since I first introduced myself to you. So I am sure the big question on everyone's mind is where am I now, how am I finding life with the LAP-BAND®, and how has it impacted my life. I will do my best to answer those questions. As I lost weight I found myself gaining more energy, I noticed it in many areas of my life from walking faster, wanting to incorporate more into my day, I wanted to be noticed and didn't mind if people noticed me, and most importantly I didn't have to remind myself to hold my head up high anymore it just started to do that naturally. Losing my overweight identity was difficult, and is still something I struggle with. Before I started to loose weight, if someone would have stated to me that you would experience mourning for your overweight self I would have told them that they were crazy. When I enter plus size stores now, and I get the comments asking about why I am in here. I want to say to the customers and employee's, I once was overweight too, I know how it is and I want the acceptance from them. When I sit down on chairs, tables or other odds and ends, I hesitate because I am scared it will not hold me, when I was heavier I had broken a few things from sitting on them. I find that I still struggle with seeing myself as a healthy sized woman, I can accept my face as being thinner but I am working on accepting my body. An unexpected struggle that I have faced in my weight loss was adjusting to the new world of clothing. I grew up in a plus size world of clothing, where the choices were few and far between and the colour and style choices were limited. When I was able to start shopping the majority of clothing lines, I had difficulty putting colours, styles and most importantly I had never developed a personal style. I now had a whole new world of clothing to choose from, I felt so overwhelmed by the choices that I found myself not shopping for a long time. Now I am developing my style, and finding the stores I enjoy shopping. People interact with me differently now, or is it that I interact with people differently, I think its falling in between the two. I have more confidence in my presence, and being. When I was heavier, I always was a kind and open person, but now I am engaging and I want to put my self into situations that allows outcomes that are not always safe, or known. I want to take risks, and the majority of them have paid off. Currently I am living in NYC, living a life that I never could of dreamt possible. I am in school full time studying for a bachelor in fashion merchandising, working part time at an amazing retail store, and getting my feet wet in plus size modeling. Never in a million years would I have thought I these things would happen. I am now down 85lbs, have had a total of 3 fills and my last fill was in October. As of today I am not planning on having another one. I am still loosing weight but at a slow rate, but I am not really trying to loose anymore. My workouts consist of Pilates 3-4 times a week and walking all around NYC. I am not a cook, but I do defrost. I eat pretty much everything healthy in moderation except bread; I have not had a sandwich or anything else bread related in a year and I don't miss it one bit. I am not an angel and I go out have dinners and drinks out, but like I mentioned all in moderation. The three aspects that contributed most to my success with the LAP-BAND® have been: The time I took working with my psychologist to discover the reasons behind my eating, and working with how I interact with myself and others, without this I do not think I would have been as successful as I have been with the LAP-BAND®, I believe the mind has to be ready for this major change. My family support has been vital, it took them a little bit to wrap their brain around my request of getting the LAP-BAND® done, they are forever proud of me and so pleased of the fact that I knew what I needed and was brave enough to speak up. Last but not least, Pinnar Surgical, I am so blessed to have their support and encouragement. The warmth and the friendliness of their office is a rare gem and even if they try they are never going to get rid of me. There is not a day that passes by where I have to remind myself to chew more, and to go at a slower pace while I eat. I can't expect to change a lifetime of habits in one year; I am well on my way. It's an adventure getting to know this new version of me and getting use to all this attention. I never expected it, but I have managed to welcome it with open arms. I can guarantee you will find yourself in similar situations. I mentioned earlier but if you have any questions feel free to email me at AimeeRebeccaL@yahoo.com I would love to talk to you!

The road to Dr. Pinnar and LAP Band has been a very long journey. I am 43 years old and I have spent my life since the age of 13 (180 pounds) battling my weight. At age 15 I began using Cocaine (the magic fix to being fat) and of course it worked, it worked so well I became an addict. At the age of 19 (1982) I looked into the mirror with discuss and prayed to God for a change. Change came by the way of the United States Navy. Now drug free, I soon began to use food again. I can't even begin to describe the experiences I endured while serving my country. Of course in the Navy they have standards my max weight could not exceed 148 pounds, my body fat could not exceed 25 %. You can only imagine how difficult I found it to stay within the standards. I spent most of the 13 years I served on the "fat program", which was diet and exercise (running) only to lead to having two knees that are now in need of replacement. I have endured four surgeries and now on pain management medication because I am too young to have my knees replaced. The year that stood out in my journey through obesity was 1992 (after I used two pregnancies as excuses to overeat) when I was contemplating suicide. I was extremely depressed, I had become a "sleep eater" getting up in the middle of night fixing meals and not even realizing what I was doing, stealing my children's snacks and blaming them, eating all day and all night long. The day I had actually made a plan to end my life - my guardian angle appeared and led me the hospital where they admitted me into a treatment program for compulsive overeaters with bulimia. I spent six weeks in a residential treatment program where I learned why I was an emotional eater. I have been abstinent from overeating for 13 years. Although I was no longer eating to my feelings and no longer overeating, I was not eating healthy. My diet consisted of fast and/or fried foods. I could only maintain my desire weight (160 pounds) for short periods of time. I would go on "Diets" (LA Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, etc) and they would work. I would stay at my desire weight for 2-3 years then BAM right back to unhealthy eating. My highest weight was 315 pounds (1992), and after treatment I lost a total of 150 pounds and maintained that for three years. When I left the Navy and went back to school, quit exercising and quit watching what I was putting in my body. The weight began to creep back on. Next thing I knew I was approaching the 200 mark once again and passed it - weighing 220. In 1996, I joined LA Weight Loss and brought my weight back to 170. Only to put back the weight I had loss and then some. I began researching possible permanent solutions to my weight issues. I researched the Bypass surgery first and ponder that solution for a couple of years. Then I tried a few more diets because I was very scared of major surgery and heard so many horror stories about Gastric Bypass. Then one day I was sitting in the chair of my hairdresser talking "girl talk" you know fat butts, big thighs, etc. when my hairdresser told me about one of her male clients having the LAP Band procedure. I went home that evening and began researching the surgery and the long term outcomes. I put the information on the back burner for about a year then one day I was watching Oprah and a commercial for Pinnar Surgical. I immediately checked out the web site and within 24 hours called to make an appointment to attend the seminar (October 2004 - weighing 265). I found out that I qualified for the surgery, so I contacted my primary care doctor and set up the pre-op appointments, I wanted the surgery done as soon as possible. Of course it didn't happen that way. My insurance company told me the surgery was experimental and they would not pay (they would pay for the bypass surgery - go figure). So I made some phone calls, and got financing through my mortgage company. I figure I am totally worth it - finally putting my weight loss issues to an end. The day I went in for my surgery December 27, 2004 I weighed 258 pounds. Dr. Pinnar's nurse Sue thought I was crazy having my surgery right after Christmas (Because of the pre-surgery diet), but I would do it all over again. The surgery it self was not really painful. During the first few days it was hard to get up and down only because my stomach muscles were tender. I had taken a week off from work (which I highly recommend), rested and was back to work on the following Monday. To be really truthful, I can't remember any thing difficult about the post op diet. The pre-op diet truly prepares you for what's to come after the surgery. Just remember to eat slowly! After 10½ months, I now weigh 187 pounds (Loss a total of 78 pounds from the very beginning of my journey) and over 41 total inches. I was wearing plus sizes of 26-28 and now in Misses size 16-18. My goal weight is 160. The weight loss has been slow but steady, losing an average of about 2 pounds a week. The first fill I was nervous only because it was an unknown. Paul - Dr. Pinnar's PA has done all my fills and he is quit the charmer. I can't speak highly enough about the staff at Pinnar Surgical. They are always helpful, available, and will spend as much time with you as you need. Today I feel so good, I am sleeping better, I have a lot more energy, and I am playing golf again. My knees are not pain free but I have notice a difference. My self esteem has taken an exceptional leap as well. I constantly receive positive comments on how I present myself - with more confidence and assurance. I have started wearing make-up again, I can look in the mirror for more than the two minutes it takes to brush my teeth, and a really great feeling is - knowing that I never have to be overweight again. Another huge accomplishment I have made since the surgery - I quit smoking!! (I had been smoking since the age of 12 and at the time of the surgery I was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day.

My name is Ralph and I am 51 years old. I weighed 333 at my heaviest in June of 2006. I had researched weight loss surgery for nearly two years and knew I did not want my plumbing rerouted. That’s why I approached my PCP about the possibility of LAP-BAND® surgery. He was completely supportive and I began the 90-day multidisciplinary program required by my insurance company in anticipation of having the surgery. I had made an appointment with a weight loss surgeon in Baltimore for late August. I came across the Pinnar Surgical website in August of 2006. I called about their seminar and my wife and I attended. So much for Baltimore. I was impressed by the genuine concern and humanity exhibited by both Drs. Pinnar and their staff. It was at that seminar that I came to understand the importance of selecting a program as opposed to a surgeon. I made an appointment to meet with Dr. Eric that same week. He is funny and caring. He treated me like a person, not like a patient or a disease. And he was really funny but I said that. I was hooked. The psych evaluation and insurance approval proceeded in short order and without incident and I had surgery on Friday, October 13, 2006. Nothing could have been more uneventful. I woke up from surgery and felt great. I was moved to my room where I fell asleep until about 3:00 PM when I woke up and was ready to go home. No pain, no nausea, no discomfort, no nothing. I drank everything they put in front of me, got up, walked to the “kitchen” and got more. I did about a dozen laps around the floor until I got bored. I had to stay overnight because I have apnea but it was pleasant enough. I checked out of the hospital the next morning and rode 3 hours to Lexington , VA to watch my son play football. I was not winning any races as I walked to and from the stadium but I felt great. Don’t tell Dr. Eric but I actually drove part of the way back to Alexandria. I never bothered to fill the prescriptions for pain and nausea as I had no pain or nausea to speak of. The two weeks of liquids was easy, mushies have been uneventful if boring and I am looking forward to solids but not as much as I thought I would. The highlight of the four weeks since surgery has been my initial follow-up visit with Dr. Eric. My recovery had been so easy that I teasingly accused him of performing placebo surgery. That’s when he presented me with a set of pictures showing the actual placement of my LAP-BAND®. Very cool. I show them to everyone! Unlike a lot of people posting on the various message boards, I have not had lifetime weight problems, I was not particularly depressed about being fat and I did not consider this surgery to be my last chance. Quite simply, I am fat, I don’t like being fat and the compromises that being fat forces on me in terms of lifestyle and realized that I needed help to fix that problem. Dr. Eric offered me that help and it’s working. Less than a month out from surgery, I have had to buy new, smaller pants and a smaller belt and I have lost a half inch from my neck. My arthritic knees do not hurt. Individually these are small things; collectively, they mean my life and my life style are significantly improved. And things will continue to get better.

Hi - It has been just about a year since I did the lap-band surgery. I have lost 30 lbs going from 247 (size 24) to 217 (size 18). I still have many more pounds to go, but I still consider my surgery a success. Unfortunately, I love ice cream and it really doesn't work well on that. Besides ice cream, I definitely eat a lot less than I used to. Before the surgery I felt like I was eating a lot and gaining more and more. I haven't gained any weight since the surgery and now meals fill me up and I am satisfied. I have been able to eat anything I want, but some things fill me up more quickly than others. I am sometimes surprised at what fills me up more than others. I can only eat a little bit of scrambled eggs or hamburger, but I can eat a lot of Salad, and even steak is easy to eat. Cookies fill me up quickly. I have had a box of girl scout cookies that has lasted almost a month. But, ice cream I can eat as much as I want without feeling full at all. The weight loss for me has been very slow. I had almost only protein shakes at the beginning and didn't lose anything. Weight finally started slowly coming off. I feel like I am still losing weight but it is very slow for me. But, slow at least feels very safe. I haven't had any side effects or problems. I just eat less now. I recommend the surgery for anyone looking for a safe way to lose weight and eat less. I haven't taken as much advantage of the available support as I could, and I haven't made much of an effort to eat less ice cream :) But, that is in my future and I am not through losing weight yet!

Before	After

My husband and I have a whole new lease on life. We are down over 100 pounds each and have the energy to keep up with our lives now. Thanks to Dr. Pinnar for giving us our lives back!

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