Did I make a mistake? Lap Band v. RNY

I'm scheduled to have my lap band surgery on 5/26.  My insurance is approved, I've been through all of the health screenings.  As I'm on these message boards I'm beginning to worry that I've made a mistake.  I chose the lap band because it seemed less invasive and dangerous.  But as I'm reading posts it seems like the people who've had the lap band aren't doing very well and the people who had RNY are at their goal weight.    I'd love to hear your thoughts.  I'm at 308 now.  I want to get to at least 200lbs.  What do you think.

Kelly,

    I had RNY not Lap Band but I researched both surgeries for a few years before I made up my mind to go with the RNY surgery. I needed the discipline to not eat sugar and high fat foods that was what was best for me. 

  There are successful lap banders on the PA board BethM  and RobinR both are shining examples of the lap band. Robin's email is [email protected] if you want to talk to her via email.

  You have to follow your heart and do what is right for you and what you feel at ease doing. I wish you the best on your journey.

Do you have medical issues that necessitate an immediate fast drop in 100lbs. ?
If so - It does not come off as quickly with the lap band as it does RNY.
I was 370 when I had lap band surgery on 7/27/09. I have not regretted my decision for one minute. I was 312 on saturday morning... but I have not gotten started on regular exercise yet.  Once I can do that - i am expecting weightloss to increase ...it's been about a pound per week for the last 6 months but again that's with minimal exercise and was over the holidays.  There are very few foods I treat as off limits...but i just eat far less of them.

Kelly,

There are pros and cons to both surgeries.  What it comes down to is what you're expecting or hoping the surgery will do for you.

If you know that you won't be able to control the "danger" or "trigger" foods in your life (sugar, fat, high "white" carbs), then RNY helps you be strong in limiting those choices via the threat of dumping syndrome.  Additionally, the malabsorption ensures that you are getting less nutrition and calories out of what you DO eat, which speeds up the weight loss process. 

If, on the other hand, your "only" issue is quantity, then lap band may be a good choice for you.  You'll be able to eat whatever foods you choose without fear of dumping, but with the restriction of the amount you can eat.

In either case, a plan of regular exercise (start NOW! It will make your recovery so much easier) and incorporating support and accountability into your daily life will be key.

We say "the doc operates on your stomach, not your head - but the problem is in your head" - so the key is to get your head around what your issues are.  That will tell you which surgery is the most right for you and what you'll need to work on post-surgery to reach and maintain your maximum success.

I picked RNY because I felt that I wouldn't be able to be strong in my choices with lap, and I knew that my food addictions (sugar and carbs, primarily) would be very strong demons - I wanted the strongest possible arms to fight them.  I ended up (due to an anatomical issue) with no malabsorption, but have been successing for a year and am very happy with where I am and where I'm going. And my doctor (Dr. Pupkova at Barix in Langhorne) is an amazing and wonderful surgeon.

I've seen statistics that in the first year, banders lose about 40% of their excess weight, while RNYers lose 70%... but that as the years go by, the statistics get somewhat closer, until by year 4 they are very close.  I'm not sure how "good" those stats are in real life, or whether they're biased by who did the study (lap band doc's association).  As in everything, your mileage my vary.

Of course, I'm oversimplifying the issues here, but those are generally the main decision points people use to make the choice. 

I hope this helps!

Karen

It's definitely a personal preference and both weight loss surgeries will only work if you work with them. I have a friend who lost 40 lbs with the band and knows she'd like to lose more but hasn't had a fill and pushes her band, but like Beth said, there are also very successful people out here who have bands - and unsuccessful people who have had RNY.

I also researched both and was leaning toward the band for much the same reasons you are - however, at Barix where I had my surgery done if your BMI was over a certain number they would not do the band, only RNY. For me it was the better decision anyway because I started out 80 lbs heavier than you are now.

It sounds like  you've done your research but remember, you will only get out of it what you put into it - neither surgery is a 'magic pill' that is going to make you thin overnight, or without working at it - meaning a disciplined diet and exercise program not just following surgery but forever.

And hey, don't get me wrong - I'm FAR from perfect with my RNY but it is still the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Best of luck to you in whatever you choose - and we don't discriminate - RNY'ers and Bander's alike are always welcome here!!

Did your surgeon explain everything to you clearly upfront as to your options?  A lot of research needed to be done before the decision was made.  You need to know if you are strickly a volume eater, emotional eater, grazer, etc.  Most of us had no control over what we put into our mouths and how often.  I thought I was strickly a volume eater, boy was I wrong, I had and still have many food issues.  You need to know what your triggers are and how much of a commitment you are willing to make to yourself forever.  Go over the options with your surgeon and speak to a therapist about what is going on in you.  You can't make a good decision without the facts.  Either surgery is not a quick fix, it does not fix your brain, it only gives you base to build your future on. You must learn new eating habits permanently for either surgery to be sucessful.  How many people have you heard say they know someone who the surgery didn't work for?  It wasn't the surgery that failed, it was the commitment of the patient to follow the rules forever.

There is no wrong answers.  You have to decide which one is best for you and your lifestyle.  There are many WLS options.  Looks to see which one will be the best fit for you.  Remember each one has its pro's and con's. 

When I was doing my research almost 4 years ago now Barix was using a general rule of thumb that if you had 100+ pounds to loose they were recomending the RNY if you had 50-100 pounds to loose the band.

I had about 160 pounds to loose and decided to go with the RNY. The other reason that I made that decision is the restriction I get from my RNY rules. BUT the biggest reason, I didn't want a foreign piece of plastic around my stomach and a port under my skin. When I went into the surgery I had every plan of getting pregnant in the future and didn't think that I would be comfortable with the port under my skin.

As the other ladies have mentioned it is all personal preference.

Good luck with your decision!

Liz

Good luck in your decision making.  You have a lot more research to do and decide what is best for you.

For me, I didn't want to do fills and unfills and that stuff.  I also wanted the "fear" of dumping to help me retrain my habits.

It was easy for me. My insurance BC/BS of Northeast Pa aka First Priority doesn`t pay for banding. I`m very happy with RNY.