Lap Band vs. RNY...HELP??

Hi everybody, I am going to the seminar in Sedalia on Sept 5th. I am sooo excited. I just wanted to hear from all of you who have had either the lap band or the RNY why you chose one over the other. It seems most people on here had the RNY. I am pretty new to all this and am just doing research. Any comments would be helpful. Thanks, Terry

terry, i had dr. hornbostel do RNY last sept 8th i have lost 176 lbs in 11 months i know that there are those that can cheat the lap band (a 25 cent syringe) i knew i probably would lol thats why i had the RNY....i had to pay for it myself because my dumb-ass insurance company still considers it cosmetic....so for the small differnce in price i went with the permanent surgery! best of luck... todd

Terry I didnt have either the RYN or Lap. What I had was the Gastric Sleeve. My surgery was April 24th of 2006 and so far I have lost 88lbs. From Oct of 2005 until today I have lost a total of 147lbs. The reason my Dr. did the sleeve was due to a very high BMI and my weight. If you go to my profile you can see photos from begining until now. I dont use my bi-pap machine anymore. I dont have to wear Oxygen at all. I sleep in a regular bed now. Use to have to sleep in a hospital bed for the incline. I have more energy now then I know what to do with. I can actually walk thro a store and now and dont have to ride the carts. It has been a REAL BLESSING to me. I wish you nothing but success in your decision for this surgery which ever one you decide on getting. Please feel free to post if we or I can be of any help what so ever!!!! Best Wishes Melissa

I chose the RNY because I was afraid that I would eat around the surgery. With the lap band, there is no dumping syndrome. It's easier to resist certain foods when you know that they'll make you sick! Not ALL people who choose RNY will have the dumping syndrome. With the lap band, there is no malabsorption. This can be both good and bad. When you eat, you take in 100% of everything. This means you get all the calories, but you also luck out and get all the vitamins and minerals. With both surgeries, you are limited in how much you can eat at one time. With the RNY, you gradually become able to eat more. With the lap band, you can continue to have adjustments (fills) as they are needed, until you find your "sweet spot." Sometimes these fills are covered by insurance, sometimes not. Both surgeries will make you throw up if you eat too much or don't chew well enough. Statistically, you lose more quickly with RNY. Some studies have shown that in the long-term, the weight loss averages are about the same. Although I have had the RNY, I am quite familiar with the lap band, as my mother had it 18 months ago. I have lost 134 lbs. She has lost 10. She and I both struggle with emotional eating, head hunger, and all the other little food demons, but I have been able to lose weight and maintain that loss. This is MY perspective on these two surgeries. Everyone has a different experience, and your best research would be to read as many profiles as you can to get a general idea of what you would be facing if you had that particular surgery. I hope this helps! Pamela 352/218 on a good day/150

With lap band it works real good for people who eat large amounts of food at a time, but it you are a snacker it will not help. YOu must be real disciplined with the lap. With rny even at almost three years out I still cant eat that much and stay full a long time. I dont dump but rny changes you tastes and appetitie totally. I dont crave sweets anymore and have new favorites that are better for me. With lap band you will still crave old bad foods and you know you can eat them and it is so much easier to cheat. Many people have been unsuccessful with lap and gone back and had rny. I think the docs like lap band because they make more money on it and it has less side effects and after care problems.

Hi Terry, I think your question should be, LapBand, RNY, or VSG? (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy). I am scheduled for a VSG in St. Louis with Dr. DeLaTorre in September. The VSG, IMHO, is the best of both worlds. Less invasive than RNY, no re-routing of your intestines, and removes the Grehlin hormone which makes you feel hunger. It essentially reduces the size of your stomach to a banana shape (hence the "sleeve" name) but everything else works the same. There is minimal chance of stretching out because the portion of your stomach that remains is the toughest, so less stretching is possible. There are no malabsorbtive factors, no blockages, no nutritional deficiencies, as with the RNY, and no adjustments like with the band. This appears to be the hot new procedure whose popularity is growing by leaps and bounds on both the east and west coast and abroad. Check out this site, it's very informative: http://www.lapsf.com/vertical-gastrectomy-weight-loss-surgery.php Whichever way you go, make sure you're fully informed of all of the risks and benefits for your specific needs. I personally had been scheduled for a LapBand surgery in June, when I decided that it was VSG or nothing. I was also able to get insurance approval without a hitch. Feel free to also visit the VSG forum on here, there is lots of information there. We also have a VSG FAQ site here: http://www.beadbaker.com/VSG/ Good luck to you with your decision! Cory