lap band vs the sleeve

I was looking for some help on trying to decide on the lap band and the sleeve.  I've heard both good and bad about the band. I've heard that you can over eat and that you don't loss weight with it.  I really need some advice I only want to do this one time.  I've been yoyoing all my life with weight issues, I'm just tried now and really need a good tool for help.
Thanks

Myself I'd say go with the sleeve, had I known about it before I would have gone with that surgery. Some folks with the band do great but there are also lots who lose 30 or so lbs. and that's it. The band is indeed very easy to eat around and myself I don't like that I can't eat bread or pastas. I have difficulty with most foods and I'm not particularly tight. Many bandsters have revised to the sleeve and I honestly haven't seen any negative things on the sleeve forum but almost daily someone has a problem with the band on this forum. Just my opinion but in the end check out all your options and make your decision based on that. Good luck to you!

Depends what you are comfortable with. I chose the band because I did not want to alter my anatomy. I also liked that it was adjustable. The band can be extremely frustrating and it requires a lot of vigilance and follow-up care. I was self pay and had a complication where I developed a port leak that required a second procedure to replace my port. So it has ended up being pretty costly for me.

If I had to do it over again, I would have made the same decision 3 years ago that I did. I lost 100 pounds with it before I lost restriction and re-gained 60. Since replacing my port last month I am back down 18 pounds.

Can you eat around the band? Absolutely. There are ways to cheat any procedure I am sure. It will stop volume, but you are responsible for quality. Chocolate, ice cream, chips... if those are your vices... probably not the best procedure for you. I knew this, and I am an ice cream addict... that was the cause of my re-gain when I had a complication. Goes down way too easy. So I have to work on that by myself... no help from the band.

VSG removes 80% of your stomach and reduces Ghrelin which is the "hunger hormone". I have heard excellent things about the procedure and was close to revising myself last month. In the end I decided to work with the band since I already had it. I would revise in a heartbeat if I develop another complication.

Good luck with your decision!!

Love the background on your blog!

I started with the band in 2008 and lost about 65 lbs in the first year, but then I had complications and spent the next 1.5 years getting a million fills and unfills trying to find appropriate restriction. During this time, I started regaining my weight. I finally had to have all the fluid removed several months before my revision and ended up gaining nearly all my weight back.

Now I have the sleeve and for me it is much better. With the band, I had frequent vomiting if I tried to eat anything of substance despite chewing and chewing and chewing. I have not vomited once with the sleeve. Personally, I love my sleeve.

Good luck,
Lindsey