WLS questions..Dr Byrnes

I have asked my family Dr. to refer me to Dr Byrnes for WLS. I was really wanting the Lap Band done, but I noticed he mostly does gastric bypasses. Does he discuss each option with you or does he lean towards one surgery over the other? I have been to a WLS seminar upstate with Dr. Ross about a year ago and it was very informative. Just kind of wondering what to expect. Thanks! Teresa in Charleston

Hi Teresa I had surgery almost a year ago and he was starting to do get, getting patients that were wanting that as opposed to the RNY he only did. When you get your appoitment, I am sure they will discuss all your options, especially if you indicate that you are interested in the Lap band. Good Luck Julie

Dr. Byrnes is WONDERFUL and you will love him and Drs. Morgan and Baker. I know he has an informational seminar coming up, so you might want to call and see when it is. Otherwise, they can answer all of your questions when you go in. I know they do both procedures now and they both have their advantages/ disadvantages...definitely a personal decision. Susann

Hi I first saw Dr byrns in jan this year and he is doing lap band but since they have not done a lot of them they can only do them on females with a bmi less than 50( i think that is the number they said****il they do enough to gat permisstion from the manufactuer to do other types of pt.

During his siminar, he will go over both procedures. He tells you the cost of each. He will tell you that they have done lots more by passes than lap band. You can tell he feels more comfortable doing the by pass. He leaves it up to you to make up your own mind. As for me, I felt that the lap band would allow me to keep alot of my same bad habbits. I needed a whole life change, and believe me, the by pass does that. It is something you will have to weigh out and see whats best for you.

I thought if your BMI was over 50 gastic bypass was the recommended way to go? You should come to one of our Thursday night or Saturday meetings. Very informative and nice group of people. Susann

he does do the banding now, but depending on your weight and other conditions about you, he will recommend which one is okay for you. I personally know that for myself, if I could have put a frosty or ice cream or other sweet treats in my mouth, I would have cheated. With banding, there is no penalty for eating wrong. I know its easy to say you have the willpower, but do you really? We are all in the situation we are in because I believe, lack of willpower, that is my excuse. I never could stay on a diet for more than one month, then I would give up. This is for the rest of your life!!! Yes you will lose weight by the simple fact that you can reduce your intake, but......banding patients do not have the long term success that bypass patients enjoy. I know that for me, having the port just under my skin is uncomfortable for some, and then you have to play around with the fills, and getting it filled, and the chance of it slipping off, and rotting your stomach in the area the band is...lots of areas for things to go wrong, and then its reversable....which they use to adverstise it, making RNY sounding like its dangerous, but what are you going to do??? Lose the weight, take it out, and gain it back? You also have to have it replaced over the years. I highly suggest you research it more. I am not a friend of the band, too many complications....bands slip, erode your stomach, lots of times it can slide down and cause a total blockage, which results in hemmorage and if you are not rushed to a hospital, you can die in a matter of minutes. Yes, RNY is a risk too, but not after you get cleared after surgery to start eating. We have all had little bouts of "complications"...me, none related to the surgery itself, but I had kidney stones last year for not drinking enough....which is a problem with both surgeries...hard to get your waters in. I did not have a gallbladder prior to this surgery, so my bile duct got clogged in October, and probably again now, but that is due to scar tissue and stones forming from losing so much weight so fast. Some people have a hard time with dumping, I did....which is a GOOD thing. yes, its awful to experience it, but you eat wrong one time, I guarantee you if you cheat once, dump, you won't cheat again on RNY. No penalty for eating wrong with banding which is the main reason RNY works...plus the fact you don't absorb a lot of the calories, fat and carbs of foods with RNY, but with lap band, the only way it works is due to reduction in portions, that's it. Portion control alone does not work, but with RNY you have a full safety net. You can't eat sugars/carbs....great thing to cut out anyway with Band, you can eat sugars and carbs, so if you can drink a milkshake, and suck a lollipop, you will....the person who does not cheat with the band is a liar!! You don't absorb all the calories by "bypassing" a lot of the intestine and tummy, with banding, you are not absorbing due to the reduction of portions. With RNY, you get the benefit of a hormone that is released by the body...scientists know this happens around weeks 4-8, and it curbs your appetite, so no more head hunger right after the first month. Just smile and know that for the first time in your life, food is not important to you. With banding, you don't get the surgical benefit that induces your body to produce this hormone....Dr Byrne told me, can't remember what he said it was called, and anyway, it kicks in and hangs around and really makes you not hungry. Don't let fear stop you from having the RNY, in my opinion, you are in the hospital more often with banding, and there are more options for failure in weight loss. When I was scared and almost backed out like most of us, I prayed and God said this to me: "feed your faith or feed your fear" If you feed into the fear, then faith can't be around, because when you have faith, fear HAS TO FLEE!!! God Bless, and as you can see, I am a HUGE proponant of the RNY, it has saved my life and I would do it again in a heart beat, and I now am an actress in Hollywood and getting roles for girls in their 20's!!! I am 40!!! I am living a dream life now, and if I was 289 again, I would never be on TV or in movies!!! I have lost 146lbs!!! A WHOLE ME!!! IF I had lap band, I would still have lost weight, but I can guarantee you that I would not have lost near as much weight. Give your decision over to God, ask Dr Byrne about it and make an informed prayerful decision. Take care!!!! Good for you for doing something!!!!!!! (sorry this is soooo long Deb

Okay, let me be a little snotty picky right now...haha, Dr BYRNE hates it when people call him Dr byrneS There is no s in his name....I got called down one day by him.... So, I am just warning you guys....he was teasing me, but I know he hates it!! I love that man, no matter what his name is!! LOL

I was there today and he said that since he's only done 18 bands so far he can only do women who have a BMI of 50 or lower with no complications. Good luck on whatever you chose but he is a wonderful Dr. My surgeon will be Dr Morgan and she was very nice and gave me LOTS of advice and answered ALL my questions. I really liked her and trust her to do my surgery.

Thank you for all the replies and honest answers. Very good points! Deborah, thank you for informing me about his name..lol. I will be very careful! Now I just have to wait for his office to get back to me. It has been over a week since my doctor referred me. I have a hard time with patience :) Teresa