Two reasons why the Lap Band can't possibly work for everyone.

Exactly, NONE are perfect at least you get to live in most cir****tances if the band slips or even erodes and you are not injured for life..lol, with other surgeries if complications occurs it's usually death..

I was out to lunch last weekend with my sister and friend with RNY and she could not eat freely from the menu, it had to be all protein based, she was limited to baked fish and beans at 5 years post op, if she did not want to risk an embarrassing dumping attack in front of everyone, my sister with the band who is 4 years post op, ordered what she wanted, but just ate less of it.

Let's be fair here, if you are going to talk about dangerous surgeries, talk about the DS that most surgeons that I've talked to will not do, not because it's complicated but because it will kill patients easily if don't comply, if they live through the surgery itself,.if you don't comply with the band rules, you just don't lose weight or your band slips from being too tight, but if you don't comply with RNY or the DS you die or become extremely malnourished.

Your assumption regarding non compliance is utter bull****

Many band patients are caused bodily injury through no fault of their own. To assume that they failed their band is asinine at best.

I myself was caused permanent damage by my band and for you to state that, " if the band slips or even erodes and you are not injured for life..lol is misleading and false information.

The rest of your statement I will leave to the DSer's and Rny folks.

I am very sorry that you suffered complications with your band, that's a risk all patients take with ANY weight loss surgery. From what I've seen the lap band IS minimally invasive, my sister and 3 friends have one, both have had their bands almost 5 years, my sister now 4 years.

The reason I say that it seems to be minimally invasive for most people is they go home either the same day or next day and is back to normal routine whereas most gastric bypass and other surgies you have to have some type of drain tube even when you go home and most are out of work for at least a few weeks unlike the lap band that is what I consider least invasive.

Now regarding complications that is another story, I am sure most surgeons give patients a waiver to sign, like the band can slip, erod or cause esophageal dilation or even death, these are risks patients take. This is why my sister says that her surgeon is very conservative with fills to prevent complication.  More invasive surgeries like RNY, Sleeve or DS the risk is a bit greater due to rearranging the insides and removing portions of the stomach.

Again, people are very educated and informed about all of these procedures so you may be wasting your time about preaching about your lap band woes, but again, I am sorry you experienced complications and I hope your new surgery bring you happiness. I am thinking about getting the Sleeve myself, but I am not happy about getting my stomach removed, so I may get the band.

" The reason I say that it seems to be minimally invasive for most people is they go home either the same day or next day and is back to normal routine whereas most gastric bypass and other surgies you have to have some type of drain tube even when you go home and most are out of work for at least a few weeks unlike the lap band that is what I consider least invasive. "

The definition of minimally invasive in regards to surgery is as follows,

(Medicine / Surgery) (of surgery) involving making a relatively large incision in the body to gain access to the target of the surgery, as opposed to making a small incision or gaining access endoscopically through a natural orifice
www.thefreedictionary.com/invasive

If you haven't already...I strongly urge you to join my group.

You need a dictionary.  Non-invasive means does not break the skin.  Minimimally invasive includes laproscopic surgery (which is how I had my DS).

Recovery time has nothing to do with whether something is Invasive or Non-invasive.

I would agree that the lap band has less recovery time than the DS.  But if you add up all the time you spend driving to, waiting for,and getting fills and unfills you may wind up spending MORE time  doing that than the recovery time from the DS.

And anyway it shouldn't be at all about recovery time.  It should be about success rate.  Or in the case of the lap-band the failure rate.  Show me one other medical procedure that has a failure rate as high as the lap-band.  Just one.  I have NO earthly idea why insurance pays for a procedure that is more likely to fail than to work.

~Becky

Becky, hush---this poster NEEDS a Band. It's all she can COPE with.

Hand over mouth.  While banging head into computer.

~Becky

Considering that with the lap-band you are guaranteed another surgery at some point in your life, whether a revision or just a removal, even if it is well tolerated (which it usually isn't, long term) I would personally call that MORE invasive.

You are signing up for a second surgery (at least) at some future date, unless you happen to kick it before your band does.. they are not designed to be permanent.. there in lies one major downfall of many for the band.

Actually, many RNY'ers DO NOT have to have a tube (I never did) and Many of us are home shortly after surgery (I was in the hospital less than 24 hours from check in for surgery to discharge). A "normal" range of hospital stays for RNY'ers is 2 or 3 days (about the same as if you were having a c-section).  I was back to my "normal" routine in a week (many of us are, while some others take a little longer, it's an individual thing, not a surgery thing). As for the "dangers" of surgery for RNY and DS the "dangers" including death are less than 2% which is (surprise, surprise) no more than any OTHER surgery (including c-sections, knee replacements, etc.).

As for having such a "restricted" diet that you can only eat protein and very limited carbs. Most of us eat very normally. Yes, I make sure I get more protein than I did prior, but I eat very normally and if you saw me eating at a restaurant you would never think I had WLS of any type. I eat salads, french fries, lamb, steak, the occasional piece of bacon, corn on the cob, BBQ chicken (when I feel like it), fish, pork, well heck it's easier to list what I don't eat...Broccoli (shiver, ugh. hate the stuff), and um, well, I guess that's pretty much it. I can't think of anything else I don't eat. Yep, Just the Broccoli. I eat chips on occasion (not very often, but maybe once every couple of months), I love me some good ol' chocolate (again, not often, but more than once a month). Yes, there are a few people (very few actually) who can't eat somewhat "normally".

Just though I'd clear that up incase another newbie was reading this and worried that an RNY'er can't lead a "normal" life. Oh, and I'm two years out and have never had any complications from the surgery. I don't dump (only about 30% of RNY'ers do dump, so chances are you wouldn't), I don't throw up (except for a few times in the first month or so when I had a love/hate relationship with chicken, which has resolved and we once again like each other), I don't get things "stuck" and most of my food is "bite size" not the size of a pencil eraser an actual bite (sorry saw that somewhere and it made me laugh).

 Thanks for clarifying your journey, it's so funny most of the band bashers on this thread are suggesting that ALL lap banders vomit daily, have esophageal issues and inevitable band slippage and removal. But I go out to eat with my sisters and friends almost weekly and I never see vomiting or getting food stuck, not saying it never happens, it just never happens in my presence. You see, I know that all gastric bypass patients don't have complications, but many do, I've seen it in real life, it does mean everyone will have complications, there is a bias and a stereotype on this main board about the lap band, but not in real life.

My insurance will pay for RNY, Sleeve and the Band, I was initially looking at the Sleeve since it will probably yield quicker weight loss than the band. But I've decided since I am very healthy and have no medical issues, the risk is just not worth me removing my stomach when I will eventually have to diet and exercise the same way as with the band. 

It's good to know that you can eat normally, but many people are not that lucky and they dump forever, my friend who I feel very sorry for can't really enjoy a variety of food even at 5 years post op, she has to limited her carbs especially in public for fear of dumping, she thought that was a plus initially to help keep her on track with her weight loss, but at 5 years she is sick and tired of being sick on foods. This is something that I do not want to risk, but some people are happy with that. Just like many people assume that those with the lap band will not lose weight, I think I will put a whole lot of effort in exercise and eating right to lose my weight since I don't want to have my insides rearranged. I wish you much more success with your bypass.