Can someone tell me my opinion?

Hello all,,, I am having a brain fart. I originally wanted a lap band. I have done all sorts of research on the band and made up my mind. I did not do any research on RNY because it was too scary. OK. So I decided to do the necessary research on RNY and now I don't know which way to go. I have my pro's and con's list but can't seem to make headway with it. I like the "convenience" of getting the band, ie, not out of work for (usually) longer than a week, it being reversible, no cutting of organs, just an overall less invasive surgery. What I am not looking forward to is the port in my side, the fills, the "restricition" problems, and the possibility of the band breaking, eroding or slipping. I like the RNY because it seems to be less of a "hassle" (for lack of a better word). It seems as though (from what I have seen on here and in life in general) when you have the RNY done, it is initially more of a pain in the ass but the tail end is better. I am afraid of having my stomach cut..it just feels so permanent. I also know that the RNY has more risks associated with it. I am an out of control eater. I can eat more than most men. I am not big into sweets, I am more about grease and salt. All my weight is in my stomach. I look pregnant. I hate it. Anyway,,, I am asking opinions. I asked my bosses (they are all doctors) and they did not help at all. They all said the band was good for them because I would not be out of work long, but the RNY is better for someone like me *****fers to lunch as my "four hour feeding period". My family is concerned about me having surgery *period* and they are leaning towards the band. I would like to know why you guys chose the surgery you had done (if you would not mind sharing with me). I am now at 51% RNY and 49% band. Help me out!!!! ;) Thanks all,,, sue

Sue, I wish I could help you with this but it is really a decision that YOU need to make. Everyone is different in what they need/want/expect to gain from a weight loss surgery. I went with the RNY because I was more than 200 lbs over weight, I know that for me the slower weight loss of the band would frustrate me and lead me to sabotage the tool, and I need the fear of dumping to keep me on track with my food choices. My surgeon said in his intro seminar that the band works best for those who are physically active, and tend to eat the right foods but simply need the portion control ( I am paraphrasing a lot as this was some months ago and I already knew I wanted RNY) If you need portion control as well as help staying on track with feeding your body the right foods then the RNY may be better....like I said, you have to look at what you need and decide from there. I wish you luck making up your mind.

Hi Sue, First of all...we can't tell you your opinion because it's afterall, your opinion! Secondly, if you had a surgeon like Dr Aranow who meets with you right in the beginning of the process instead of the tail end, he'd be helping you with this decision...He'd give you advice on the pros and cons just tailor met for "YOU". I see that you have another surgeon, and I have my own personal opinion on him which I will keep to myself....BUT, I will ask you, "Has he helped you make a decision? Have you even met him yet? If not, why not?" These are questions I'd be asking most. Is your doctor there for you and will he be post op also? I never thought of having a band because I wanted the most weight loss possible because I was so morbidly obese. I didn't think I could handle the band and didn't want it. The surgery (and Aranow does an open surgery) wasn't that bad. A couple of weeks sore and down, but the weight starts to really come off and it all balances out in the end. I knew that I would die a lot sooner if I stayed obese than from any surgery. I had to do it for me and noone was gonna stop me. In the end, it's your decision. Follow your heart...Read and learn all you can on both. Look up on amazon.com all the books on weight loss surgery...then go to your library and take them out. Have them order you the ones that aren't available at your branch and get them for you. I did and it was a great learning experience for me to know everything. Good luck, and keep us posted as to how your'e doing. Paula

Thank you for the responses. I am at the beginning of my weight loss journey and have not attended a seminar yet. I suppose I could just be juming the gun right now. I will be attending a seminar tomorrow night with Dr. Barba. I don't have much of a choice in going to him because he is the only one who accepts my insurance and I cannot afford to pay out of pocket. The more I look into RNY, the more I want to find out about it. I am very interested in it.

Sue, do all the research you can on both, so that you can be an informed consumer when you do meet with the doctor...and he may help you decide what is the best option for you....it may depend on some other factors individual to you...for me, the RNY was the right decision, partly because of the amount of weight i had to lose (around 150 lbs!!!), partly because I feared that I may not have the right "follow-through" when it came to fills and such...I am such a procrastinator, and it seemed like such a hassle...and there was a part of me that worried that I would just keep putting the fills of, postponing them....I dont know how much that actually influenced me, and in the end my doctor felt that the RNY was the right surgery for me....And it has been the right decision....FOR ME...... Either way, whatever you decide, good luck...... Dorota

You can be successful regardless of the surgical method you choose because both methods will reduce your capacity to consume large quantities at a single sitting (which you describe as your main eating issue). But, when you make your decision, remember to fully compare the respective risks. First, the "reversible" argument is increasingly irrelevant the longer out you go--- many RNY patients, although they will have restrictions for life, can consume more than adequate quantities in the event of pregnancy after about 2 years following surgery. Secondly, there is cutting involved in the placement of the lap band. Admittedly, there is less cutting for the band placement than there is for the RNY, but there is still cutting down around the portion of the stomach where the band is placed (the mesentery structures needs to be separated). Third, you need to balance the chance that you'll dump after an RNY (which affects about 75% of us) with the benefit of being able to tighten your band for as long as the band is in place (which allows you to always be able promote a restriction on your eating ability). Before making your final decision think about talking to an eating disorder counselor who might be able to assist you in figuring out the path you took to your current problem with food. Once you can determine what your eating behaviors are that need to be changed, you can then make a decision that will be best for you.

well said Steve- of course the surgeon she's going to doesn't allow her the option of actually meeting with him and having this discussion until she's gone through all sorts of tests, some of which she may not even medically need.

What helped me decide is I took a piece of paper and drew a line down the middle - on one side I listed all the things I considered pros' of the RNY and on the other I put all the things I considered pro's of the Band. I then did the same thing and listed all the cons for each. What I may consider a con your might consider a pro - take dumping for example, I considered that a con my best friend considered that a pro - It is a difficult decision to make, and everyone can tell you their opinion but only you can have your own and you will make the right decision. Follow your gut, it won't let you down. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide! Tammy

Sue, I agree with everything everyone said. Heres my path I followed. I wanted the band too for the same reasons you picked. I have the RNY. Becasue I had a freind who did the band 6 months before my surgery. After 3 weeks she figured out she could eat chocolate if she let it melt in her mouth. She didn't get sick. She could eat all day in small portions. its 4 years for her she's lost 70 pounds. She really needs to lose another 200. Thats the same amount she lost the first year. I"m a sweet large quanity eater. I knew I would find ways to eat just like she did of what I wanted if I went the way she did. Dr A had first thought banding would work for me because of my activity level then after we talked he agreed the RNY was for me. I'm thrilled with it. I've lost 120 and have maintained my anniversary/rebirthday will be 3 years in march. Sometimes I think he did a labodamy cause I no longer crave chocolate and haven't touched it in years. I still like my sweets but can satisfy that craving with fruits sometimes rarely casue of the calories I'll treat myself with a sugar free chocolate but it doesn't taste as good as how I feel with the weight gone. good luck and god bless. pam

Pam- I too chose the RNY for similar reasons- I knew with a lap band I'd just melt a pint of Ben and Jerrys's and suck it down like soup...no loss there LOL- witht he RNY my ability to eat ice cream is GONE- unless of course I enjoy the loss of consciousness I get when I dump......my friend however was purely a quantity issue person- the lap band works for her because she is not a sweet eater- it's amount with her. Restriction is all she needed where I needed the intolerances as well- plus my decision was made by Aetna anyways- it only COVERED the RNY not lap banding LOL- Dr Aranow- said "well that saves us a conversation-" I said " I already know what is best for me and I guess so does Aetna!"