:help:***PLZ HELP...MY DR. CONFUSED ME....RNY VS. LAP BAND****:help:

Original Post by R. Rahi at 6:54 PM PST on 09/12/2004 Plano, TX I HAD MY FIRST VISIT WITH THE WEIGHT LOSS SURGEON LAST WEEK. I CAME HOME IN TEARS....HE BASICALLY TOOK EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW ABOUT WLS AND TURNED IT AROUND. HE MORE THAN CONFUSED ME. I WAS OPTING FOR RNY BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN PHENTERMINE A LOT BEFORE AND HAVE EATEN LESS FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME ONLY TO LOSE SMALL AMOUNTS OF WEIGHT MOSTLY. I THOUGHT THE RNY WAS MY TICKET DUE TO THE MALABSORBTION THAT RESULTS FROM IT. HE SAID THAT LAP BAND AND RNY ARE THE EXACT SAME AND YIELD THE EXACT SAME RESULTS. AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO LOSE WEIGHT. THEN HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT LAP WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO GET THE WEIGHT OFF BUT AT LEAST MY "BONES WILL NOT BE CRACKING AND BREAKING AT 50 YRS OLD" & " MY HAIR TO FALL OUT". AND THAT I HAD MISINFORMATION FROM "WEBSITES" THAT CAUSED ME TO THINK RNY WAS BETTER. HE ALSO SAID HE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE ME THE "MORE DANGEROUS" SURGERY IF THAT IS WHAT I REALLY WANTED. ONLY TO FINISH THE CONVERSATION WITH "OH YOU HAVE CIGNA AND THEY WILL ONLY PAY FOR RNY......THEN HE SAID I MUST NEED MORE TIME TO "MAKE UP MY MIND" AND PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD. I HAD MY MIND MADE UP WHEN I WENT IN.........NOW I AM A MESS. I AM HAVING NIGHTMARES AND I HAVE 4 KIDS TO THINK ABOUT. I AM NOW FILLED WITH DOUBT...WHY WOULD ANYONE GET A SURGERY THAT CAN KILL THEM IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE IF THERE IS ANOTHER SURGERY THAT IS THE SAME ...ONLY BEING LESS DANGEROUS? I REALLY WANTED THE RNY. NOW WHAT? PLEASE HELP... THANKS......

Maybe you should look at seeing another surgeon. There are pros and cons to RNY and Lap Band. I had open RNY and had absolutely no problems. I know I would not put up with a surgeon that tried to sabatoge my decision to have surgery. Please continue to do your research on the two procedures. A good surgeon will explain the pros and cons of each procedure and will not try to scare the h*** out of you. Carolyn