Lap Band vs Lap Rny
first of all great doctor. lap band is less envasive, reversible, weight loss but not as drastic,20-30lbs behind someone who had rny. you are more in control. i had rny but did research firs the lap band that led me to rny. i chose rny for the drastic wt. loss. i did not like the inconvience of having to get the device tightened periodically for who knows how long. the band is a device, still a foreign object in your body that could be rejected opposed to possibly your body just adjusting to change. both are risky but you must know your body and speak more with our doc for more confirmation of what would be good for you for a better weight loss system.
Sorry to be responding so late, but I'm just catching up having been away on vacation. I had lap band surgery in March of this year. My recovery was swift and easy -- in fact, 5 days after surgery I was vacationing in Cancun with my family! I've lost about 65 lbs since last July, about 35 lbs since surgery.
I have the utmost respect for all my weight loss surgery friends. Yes, my weight loss has been slower than those who chose the RNY, but that was one of the reasons which led me to the band. Even with a pre-op BMI of 67 and with at least 200 lbs to lose, I was not interested in a dramatically rapid weight loss. Furthermore, I wasn't comfortable with surgery which alters my GI tract and which works through malabsorption. Having done some graduate work in biochemistry, I know that the final chapter has not yet been written on nutrition and metabolism.
The issue of adjustments is to me, one of the beauties of the lapband system. I am thrilled that as long as I have the band I will have the option of adjusting the level of restriction. The 18-24 month "window of opportunity" which they speak of for RNY patients doesn't exist with the band. Though weight loss is generally slower, one can continue to lose weight indefinitely. Studies have shown that though RNY patients lose weight more rapidly, several years out the results of RNY and lapband patients are fairly comparable. In addition, should your nutritional needs ever change due to pregnancy or illness, the band can be loosened to permit more food to pass through the opening. To me, the "inconvenience" of followup adjustments is far outweighed by the inconvenience of the rigorous lifetime nutritional supplimentation required after a malabsorptive surgery.
No surgery is perfect and the band has its drawbacks as well. Nevertheless, the mortality and complication rates for the band are significantly lower than for the RNY. Slippage and erosion are possible but infrequent complications. Mechanical failures are rare, but they do occur, sometimes requiring the replacement of the port, tubing, or sometimes even the band itself. Sometimes the port can be difficult to access. This happened to me and I had to reschedule my adjustment to be done under fluoroscopy at the hospital -- no big deal. My second adjustment was done last week in the doctor's office with one painless needlestick in less than 3 minutes.
One of my pet peeves is when I hear that the lapband is unsuitable for sweet eaters, emotional eaters, patients with high BMI's, etc. I am/was all these things and yet so far the band has worked well for me. So these issues should not automatically disqualify anyone from seeking this surgery. After all, it is possible to outeat any surgery one way or another. The one thing this surgery does require is patience -- it is definitely not for those desiring instant gratification!
No one surgery is perfect for all -- thank goodness we have these options (however imperfect) available to us. It is important, however, to have all the facts available in order to make informed choices. It is certainly not my intention to feed the "my-surgery-is-better-than-your-surgery" rivalry. We are all in the same boat but just have chosen different oars. I wish you the very best whatever you decide to do. Good luck with your surgery and your new life!
Warmly,
Refika
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