which is better?

my husband is going for his first consult. on june 27th 2006. I we were wondering which surgurey is better, the laproscopic bypass or the lapband? pls advise any and all info will be appreciated. Thanks Lauren

I'm not sure...BUT. It also depends on how much weight your husband has to loose, if it's alot, he might want to look more into the lap bypass I hear you loose more weight faster. . I have heard the lapband people loose weight alot slower but it's not such a big surgery as the bypass & you dont get alot of your insides moved around w/ the lap. So...There are Pro's & Cons..It up to the person themselves to make that decision. I personally am choosing the bypass because I want somthing more permanant, which I think in the long run the band could loosen or slip. But that'sjust my opinion.. I know there are people on here who swear by the lapband.

There are other choices besides the gastric bypass and the lap band. There is the sleeve gastrectomy and the duodenal switch too. I think anyone who is thinking about having weight loss surgery should research all of the currently available options. I started out thinking RNY or lap band was all that was out there and I was pretty discouraged because frankly I did not like what I read about either of them. Then I found out about the duodenal switch and it made sense. And I knew it was the right surgery for me. I have been waiting for some time to get some insurance issues worked out but July 11- I get on a plane for Omaha and I will have my surgery on July 13. There is information available on this website and on other websites about the other surgeries. I would be happy to send you reference materials (journal articles and such) if you will send me an email. It is your body and your health -- so take your time, do your homework and be sure what is right for YOU. Red

Hi Lauren, I just figured I would add my 2 cents in on this one since I had the lap band and I now have the RNY. My hubby also has the lap band. Like Red said there are other options out there but as far as I know Dr. J only does the two. Anyway the lap band is a GREAT tool IF you are not a sweet eater, junk eater, carby eater, or a grazer. The lap band WILL NOT restrict you on eating these foods. They go through the band like liquids do. So if you cannot stick to the program you're going to have a hard time with the lap band. I had my band done in 7/05 and it had to be taken out due to medical complications, my hubby had his band placed in 11/05 and is down about 90lbs already and still has NOT had a fill yet!! He is doing GREAT with it. Every surgery is just a tool and it's up to the individual to use that tool properly. I can tell you that if someone is looking for immediate gratification with weightloss they are not going to acheive that with the lap band. It is a slower weight loss with an expected weight loss of 1-2 lbs a week. Which is wonderful. You really have to work with the band and it can take months to find that "sweet spot" with the band and it can be frustrating for some. You just need to have patients with it and work it because it does work!! I can write a book here so I'll end this for now!! If you want to talk further on it I'd be more than happy to talk to you about it!! I hope this was a little helpful for you and again it's just my 2 cents on the issue!! Jo Ann

Well the consult went well. come to find out with a BMI of 70 he has no choice but to do the RNY.So as we proceed into this journey pray that all goes well. and thanks for all the comments.