Lap Band vs. Sleeve

Hi, I thought I was a 100% sure on the lap band but I started seeing information on the sleeve pop up so I wanted to check out this option too and who better to get info from but you guys! So what made you all decide to get the sleeve instead of the band. I am 33 years old 242 and BMI is 40. What do you guiys think? Thank you so very much for any help and or advice.

First, for your ticker to show up, you copy the picture, not the code and paste that in your user information... As far as sleeve vs band, I had a friend who had the band and to this day experiences a LOT of discomfort and issues with food getting stuck.  For me, I'm 32, weighed 260 at my highest (227 when I started the sleeve journey), I didn't want to think that it was reversivble. And the whole foreign object staying in your body just scared me - heard to many stories about it slipping, causing issues. I still think it's a personal choice that you have to make.  My understanding is that you don't get the first fill until 6 weeks after banding...and I wanted faster results than that. There was a similar post a few days ago, be sure to go back a few pages and read those posts.

When my band slipped I had the choice of whether to get a new band installed or get the sleeve. At that point I was sick of constant fill/unfill cycles and the vomiting from the band going bad. I am very happy with my decision to get the sleeve so far, but it's only been 14 days. I had the band from 2001-2007 and I did really well on the band the first few years, but it got frustrating at times to have the nausea reaction when I would eat something that disagreed with the band. I once had to get up and go to the bathroom to purge salad at Olive Garden, while on a date with a really sweet guy. I didn't go out with him again out of major embarrassment. At 33 years old, you are looking at many years of maintenance with a band vs. no maintenance with the sleeve. However, the band is adjustable if you start gaining weight again, while the sleeve is not. With the sleeve if I gain weight in future years, I will have to get back down the old fasioned way again. Good luck with your decision, either way your health and self esteem will be way better.

Hi,

Congrats & thanks for putting up your experience which will help others.Its very kind of you.

I am looking to do for Laproscopic Sleeve Surgery next month.Since u have already undergone with this , i have few queries to resolve:

1. Do skin sag after weight loss.

2. I am 26 year old and weight 125 Kg.How much weight loss i can expect?

3. Are their chances of any weight regain once we start having our normal diet.

Looking to get a quick response.Your help is deeply appreciated.

My Email id is [email protected]

Hi, I was dead set on the lapband for a while, but then I started checking out the other forums and learned about the sleeve.  I have about 175 pounds to lose and I was afraid I'd get too discouraged with the slower loss with the band.  I was afraid of having a malabsorption surgery.  My surgeon thought it was a good choice for me, and he has an extensive follow up program.  Keep looking at the forums and doing your research.  Good luck!

Hi. this is my first post & I am looking at the same thing. I have a 39BMI, I am self-pay & was sure on the lapband until 2weeks ago. My husband & I get transferred from time to time & I think the f/u with a band might be difficult. (finding fill dr.s) I am also worried about slips & errosions since that would most likely cost me more out-of-pocket money. Things I am really trying to learn about with the sleeve are, 1. What immediate problems did you have after surgery? Any mild dumping? Lots of nausea? 2. How often do you have to follow-up with your doctor afterwards? then after 1 year?  3. For anyone who had had the band & then converted, is the restriction as good? 4. What are the most common foods you are NOT able to eat? What's the longest anyone has had the sleeve so far. Thanks for your help.

hi can u give me a little info i just had sleeve done 40 days ago im down about 40lbs how fast  how much should i lost a month a guess i can eat just about anything smaller of couse but anything am i doing it right help thanks.....

 so, did you choose the sleeve?  I am trying to figure out which is right for me, any advice?

I originally was going to get the band just because I was a bit below the 40 BMI and I didn't think anything else was an option. However, when my Dr. told me I could have my choice of the band or the sleeve (self pay of course) I had a big decision to make. I went with the sleeve because it just seemed perminant. A good friend of my family had the lapband and she lost a lot of weight in the beginning. Now she is a little over a year out and has almost regained all of the weight she lost. Food she eats constantly gets stuck and she is uncomfortable. Of course, I know she has regained the weight because she has not followed the diet. I have seen her be able to eat a whole plate of french fries a few days after a fill which I know I could never do with the sleeve even if I tried to force it down. The sleeve, like any other weight loss surgery, is a tool to help with that bit of self control we need. So what works for one person may not work for another. From what my surgeon explained the band is just the easiest form of weightloss surgery to mess up. I am so thrilled with my choice getting the sleeve. I am 8 months post op and 3 pounds from my goal weight. I can eat almost anything except rice, bread, anything that expands a lot. I have never been happier. Best advice I can give is try to find a local weight loss surgery support group which has members that have had different types of surgeries. Good luck in your decision.

Hi, Like you, I was 100% sure I was getting the band.  But I always had the nagging thought, "What if it doesn't work for me.  What if I'm one of the people who never gets good restriction, is  always hungry and stalls with very little weight off".  After visiting the band forum every day for two months,  the band just seemed like too much of a crap shoot to me.  It seems like people did very well...unless they didn't! The VSG, on the other hand, seems like a sure thing for weight loss.  Plus, it has none of the annoying little side effects that one sees with the band, like getting "stuck" or sliming.  When I was set on the band, these side effects were not "deal breakers" for me, but once I decided on the VSG, I was glad I wouldn't have to worry about them.   You can get the "foamies" with the VSG, which I guess is similar to sliming, though. Also, once your stomach heals from VSG surgery, that's it. No slips, no erosion, no flipped ports and no fills.  After visiting this website, i see that slips and erosion are much more common than the literature would lead you to believe.  I thought with the new, improved bands that these things didn't happen anymore or were very rare, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  The band seems like it would be a lot of worry.  I didn't want to worry that my band slipped every time I had a pain in my stomach. As for the VSG, when I first read about it, I was horrified. Here were these people saying the didn't want a foreign object in their body (the band), but were willing to have most of their stomachs amputated and then lines of staples *** foreign objects) in what remained!  WTH??? But, as I read about everyone's experience with the VSG, it is a simple surgery and very low maintenace afterwards.  A multivitamin, B-12 and some calcium supplements as opposed to fills that may or may not work, IF the dr. could find your port without sticking you over and over. I also wasn't sure that I could follow the band diet for the rest of my life.  The thought of living on small amounts of protein to keep the pouch full was just not appealing.  I could probably do it for awhile, but knowing I could eat around the band by eating shakes and slider foods led me to believe that I would soon "fall off the wagon".  There is no eating around the sleeve.  You are supposed to eat a similar diet to the band diet, but if you do go off, you can only eat a small qty. and you will be full.  You cannot get large amounts of bad food in like with the band.  Finally, the weight loss seems to be similar to the RNY and stats show the percentage of weight kept off at 3 years to be a little less than the RNY and better than the band. So, that's why I chose the VSG over the band. Good luck with whatever you choose.  Everyone has different reasons for choosing the WLS that is right for them. Leah