Dilemma

Hi All! Well I went for my initial consult today for WLS, met w/ Dr. Brient at the Center for Obesity Treatment & Surgery @ NFRMC. Dr. Brient and the whole staff there are very cool, and very well informed. However, I have found myself in a perdicament that I was not expecting ... it seems that AvMed is now starting to cover the Lap-Band surgery in addition to the regular (open or lap) Gastric Bypass, and now I'm not sure which I want to do. So my question to you all is ... is there anyone out there who has done (or knows someone who has done) the Lap-Band procedure and been able to lose 160-200 lbs with it?!? Thanks! ~ Erin ~

i know one lady from louisiana and she had the lap band and all she lost was about 50 - 60 lbs. i would do the roux n y like i have done. 9 weeks and lost 63 lbs. tim

Hi...I'd like to suggest you post also to the lap band forum here at obesityhelp - it's a very active and friendly board and I'm sure you'll get a lot of responses to your questions. You can find it by clicking forums up top in the yellow bar and then choose Lap Band from the Surgery Types drop down menu. Best of luck in your endeavors! And you are MOST welcome to continue posting on the other boards as well - just that you'll find more of those with that surgery type on the other forum. And I've read a few who've lost VAST amounts of weight with the band. I hope you research both options (and maybe even the DS) thoroughly. ~Tooter

Thanks to you both! ~ Erin ~

I have about 100 pounds to lose and wrestled with the same issue. I believe it is possuible to lose what you need to with either IF YOU COOPERATE. The lap band is much easier to work around and cheat on if you don't follow the rules and cooperate. The RNY is not so forgiviing and if you screw up too much, you pay, from what I understand. I wound up choosing the lap band (surgery date 04-05-06-because I feel I can comply with the extra benefit of restriction only. It is less invasive and can be removed. I wasn't up for the downsides of the malabsorptive features of RNY but many folks have had it and are very happy. It is an individual decison. Read other posts and talk with your Doctor and then follow your inner voice.

Hi Erin When I first decided to think about WLS it was the lab-band I was interested in.I figured that was the safest..But after meeting w/Dr, he said you have to be very patient when it comes to the lap-band the weight will not come off as fast. I have 200 lbs to lose so decided if I'm going through surgery I need to see results...I went for the lap-RNY and to date lost 111 lbs in 6 months.. Good luck with your decision. Its a decision only you can make. Priscilla

Erin, First of all, congratulations for finding Dr. Brient, THE BEST SURGEON IN THE WORLD----BAR NONE!!!! I have surgery scheduled Monday, 3/13 (maybe) I'm caught in the Medicare problem. His center is in the end-stages of applying for Center of Excellence. Nevertheless, I struggled with the same decision once I found out that Medicare will cover both lap-band and RouxNY. My husband had RNY by Brient 4 months ago, and brought up my dilemna with Brient in the hospital last week (my husband is in the hospital for complications from kidney stones, but when Dr. Brient found out he was in there, through the grapevine, he went to see him...I'm telling you....awesome surgeon) Dr. Brient has had great success with some of his patients who have had lap band, but let me tell you what he told my husband. If you have 48 months to lose your weight, then go with lap-band. After 5 years, both RNY and lap band end up about the same, however, RNY is obviously faster. Talk to Brient about it, he will help you. liz

Erin, Tooter is right- for support on the lap band look at the lap band board. Here mostly you will find RNY patients. I personally am a huge sweet eater and huge eater in general. Weight loss is slower with the lap band and it does nothing to curb sweets where as the RNY there is a chance you will dump on sugar and get sick. If you don't test it out you can think you will dump and avoid sugar. 160-200 pounds is a fair amount of weight to lose and so I would think the RNY might be better for you,,but that is only an opinion. Discuss with your doctor or nurse at Bariatric clinic they will help. I metioned it and they, knowing me, said NOOOO, but that does not mean it is out for you- we are all different . Just be honest with yourself...if you want a quicker weight loss and a way to possibly stop the sweets- this is a better way to go. Both will work ultimately. Good luck

Thank you all so VERY much for all the insight, opinions, suggestions, etc. Between you guys and the people on the Lap-Band boards, I definitely know WAY more than I did before ... You guys are wonderful! ~ Erin ~