Hi there,
I chose VSG because it was so much simpler and had so many less complication possibilities.

And here's an interesting fact--as I went surgeon shopping, when I told them I was interested in VSG, 4 out of 4 of them said they thought this was a much better choice than lapband, that they always end up having to re-operate sooner or later, and they told me that they though the VSG was going to become the "gold standard" within the next few years.

Good luck with your decision!

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]

no one can answer these questions for you.  these are all individual issues.  this is a very old post.  post a new post and ask how others have done.  your personal experience will be your own though.

I too originally thought I would have the lap band, but I did lots of research.  Axtually my insurance would have paid for the lap-band or the RNY, but after researching the subject I came out of retirement for a year to earn the money for the Sleeve.  I was that convinced that it was the best for me!  I am still convinced.  Good luck and keep us posted.  pat

Lap Band vs Sleeve result with a lap you lose at 40% of your goal weight with a sleeve it is about 70% and bypass 95%. I weighed 297 in 2007 when I had the lap band put in it took me 6 months to lose 60lbs and then I just couldnt seem to lose any more. I was constantly going back and forth to fill/unfill and being stuck with a needle in my stomach numerouse times was no fun.  If they filled to much it cause acid reflux and I would have to go back to have some fluid removed.  If they removed to much I would be able to eat large servings of food and would have to go back to refill.  Got tired of all the Dr's visits regained 30lbs. Also the port was placed near my waistline which cause slight discomfort when wearing a belt.  Had the band removed and a sleeve done last week and already down 20lbs. Looking forward to reaching my goal weight in 6 months. No more time off from work for pokes in the stomach

I walked into the WLS seminar thinking I wanted the band, then I saw the model of the stomach with the band around it and the tubing with the port.  All I could think of was "mechanical failure."  To many parts for something to go wrong with.  Continued researching and realized that the band is NOT reversible - it's removable.  But it often causes damage to the stomach and esophagus.  Not to mention problems with the port.  It's sewn to a muscle and has been known to come unconnected, flip, and leak.

I didn't go back to a seminar for a few years and that's when I learned about the sleeve.  It has all of the advantages of the band without the downside.  Yes, it's permanent - but were you planning on having your band removed?  The biggest surgical risk with the sleeve is a leak along the incision line right after surgery.  Your surgeon should check for a leak either in surgery or before they discharge you.  When the stomach is reduced, it takes away the part that produces the hunger hormone, ghrelin.  Most (not all) people experience a reduction in hunger.  I did.

Hi Everyone: I am new to the site. I'm about 4 months into the program and cannot decide between the lapband and the sleeve. I'm 32, 5'3, 265 pounds.

Is there anyone out there who has gone through a pregnancy after the band or the sleeve? I'm pretty sure I'm heading for the sleeve - but, not sure if the band is a better option for pregnancy reasons. I know you really should not try to become pregnant for atleast one year after surgery.

Your thougths??

Also, sagging skin issue with the sleeve? Has the weight loss been so rapid that you have moderate to sever sagging skin?

Thanks, everyone. I'm really glad this site is available.

I'm into my 2nd pregnancy post-VSG, I'm so glad I never got pregnant with the band considering I could rarely eat decent food because food would get stuck, I would puke on some water some days so ya know, it just isn't worth it. The complications keep climbing, climbing and success stories without major trips to the doc for fills/unfills, or complications are declining.

I can say my skin is not horrible even after losing 137lbs with VSG alone in 10.5 months. My extra skin served me well in my last pregnancy, and I'm sure it'll work out great this time too. I delivered Tatum on 30 October 2011, and now I'm 10 weeks pregnant again. So, least to say, life is hectic yet pretty dang normal. The band gives NO better pregnancy stats at all. VSG did not complicate my pregnancy in any fashion. I know women who have had to have their bands removed during pregnancy, or gained weight and could never get back down or get a good fill after delivery.

I've had both the band and sleeve. The band nearly killed me, I lost additional tissue during my revision, had complications from the damage the band did. That's the short personal story, here's some stats for you on the band:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16839478&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

A 10-year experience with laparoscopic gastric banding for morbid obesity: high long-term complication and failure rates.

Suter M, Calmes JM, Paroz A, Giusti V.

Source

Department of Surgery, Hôpital du Chablais, Aigle-Monthey, Switzerland.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Since its introduction about 10 years ago, and because of its encouraging early results regarding weight loss and morbidity, laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB) has been considered by many as the treatment of choice for morbid obesity. Few long-term studies have been published. We present our results after up to 8 years (mean 74 months) of follow-up.

METHODS:

Prospective data of patients who had LGB have been collected since 1995, with exclusion of the first 30 patients (learning curve). Major late complications are defined as those requiring band removal (major reoperation), with or without conversion to another procedure. Failure is defined as an excess weight loss (EWL) of 50%), LGB should no longer be considered as the procedure of choice for obesity. Until reliable selection criteria for patients at low risk for long-term complications are developed, other longer lasting procedures should be used.

http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/146/7/802

ONLINE FIRST
Long-term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

Jacques Himpens, MD; Guy-Bernard Cadière, MD, PhD; Michel Bazi, MD; Michael Vouche, MD; Benjamin Cadière, MD; Giovanni Dapri, MD

Arch Surg. 2011;146(7):802-807. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2011.45

Objective  To determine the long-term efficacy and safety of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) for morbid obesity.

Design  Clinical assessment in the surgeon's office in 2009 (12 years after LAGB).

Setting  University obesity center in Brussels, Belgium.

Patients  A total of 151 consecutive patients who had benefited from LAGB between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1997, were contacted for evaluation.

Intervention  Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

Main Outcome Measures  Mortality rate, number of major and minor complications, number of corrective operations, number of patients who experienced weight loss, evolution of comorbidities, patient satisfaction, and quality of life were evaluated.

Results  The median age of patients was 50 years (range, 28-73 years). The operative mortality rate was zero. Overall, the rate of follow-up was 54.3% (82 of 151 patients). The long-term mortality rate from unrelated causes was 3.7%. Twenty-two percent of patients experienced minor complications, and 39% experienced major complications (28% experienced band erosion). Seventeen percent of patients had their procedure switched to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Overall, the (intention-to-treat) mean (SD) excess weight loss was 42.8% (33.92%) (range, 24%-143%). Thirty-six patients (51.4%) still had their band, and their mean excess weight loss was 48% (range, 38%-58%). Overall, the satisfaction index was good for 60.3% of patients. The quality-of-life score (using the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System) was neutral.

Conclusion  Based on a follow-up of 54.3% of patients, LAGB appears to result in a mean excess weight loss of 42.8% after 12 years or longer. Of 78 patients, 47 (60.3%) were satisfied, and the quality-of-life index was neutral. However, because nearly 1 out of 3 patients experienced band erosion, and nearly 50% of the patients required removal of their bands (contributing to a reoperation rate of 60%), LAGB appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes.

Author Affiliation: The European School of Laparoscopic Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Saint Pierre University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.

Hello people!
I'm 23, unmarried, 5.3' in tall, weigh around 178.2 lbs. (81 kilos) (BMI = 31.6).
Been overweight & obese all my life.
Recently, I started reading about these bariatic surgeries. Lap Band particularily caught my attention since it doesn't make major changes to the body.
Consulted a local bariatic surgeon too but he dismissed Lap Band & recommended Sleeve surgery, but the idea of stapling my stomach really scared me.

I watched a lot of youtube videos, read a hundred articles but never posted a query like this before.

My questions are:

1. I read that only people with BMI > 40 & who have around 100lbs to lose are eligible for bariatic surgeries. Whereas I weigh only 178.2lbs & my BMI is only 31.6. (Obesity Class 1), should I go ahead & get a permanent solution?
Since I've been obese since always, I'm sure I'l grow up to gain more, if I dont act now.

2. Are you expected to start exercising soon after the surgery (after 3 weeks, of course)?
Will exercising movement hurt the staples? Will thowing up hurt the tummy (& cause bleeding)?

3. I've been detected with PCOD & on medication. Will I require to stop the medication for PCOD? If I continue, will it affect the surgery-recovery?

4. I also read that during pregancy, due to lack of nourishment for the mother & child (since the stomach size is reduced), the growth of the unborn gets affected (the child is born weak, small in size etc).
How far is this true?

5. On a scale of 1-10, which one is the ultimate surgery for weight loss? Considering I cant afford the follow-up of Lap-Band (filling/unfilling).

If anyone can answer these, my life will change forever. I'm really looking forward to do it but these questions are holding me back from changing my life.