Lap Band or Sleeve...

Just wanted to say... YEAH DR.LOPEZ!!!! Great doctor- down 66 pounds since April and zero complications. Great guy!

Although it is a "big" surgery, RNY is still considered the gold standard.  Research all options.  The maintaince of the band with fills ect turned me off to it and all the problems folks seem to have. 

When I first started this weight loss journey I was firmly in lap band territory but after some more research I went with the sleeve. I was reading too much about complications with the band like slippage & vomiting etc plus getting the right amount filled or taken out of the band seemed very hit or miss & I'd have to pay for each time. Then there was the insurance thing & some will only pay for 1 wls per lifetime, so any revisions like having the band removed or having another surgery like the sleeve I'd have to pay out of pocket. That sealed it for me, glad I went with the sleeve. Good luck in whatever you choose.

Everyone's situation is unique so do your research. For me, after the lap band and then a revision of it, I decided to go with the sleeve because I don't think I need to the malabsorption - but I do need restriction.

Personally, I think that's where you need to have a good hard think. If you feel full, can you stop eating? If so, the band or the sleeve are probably the better choices but if you need the malabsorption then the DS or RNY are things you should look at.

I had problems with the band - slipping, vagus nerve pain, and never really getting into the green zone (where you've got just the right level of restriction).

The lap band is reversible - none of the other surgeries are. Some people do really really well on the band - I wasn't one of them.

Just remember that it's your decision, do as much research as you can and make sure you are in the right head space for whatever you decide.

Good luck.

The LapBand is revisable---meaning it can be removed, but there's just no way to guarantee that your body will EVER be the same again as it was pre-op. In that sense, NO WLS is reversible.

The RNY can be reversed, in that all the various parts are still there an can be put back where they started---but like the LapBand, there's no guarantee you'll ever be the same again. The intestinal portion of the DS can also be returned to its original configuration. The stomach portion of the Sleeve and the DS are not reversible---but both procedures leave you with a fully-functional stomach, so why would you ever want to reverse this?

I'm one week post-op lap band to RNY revision. I have a handful of friends that had the band around the same time as me (2009) and some of them are doing REALLY well and have maintained. Even though they are doing well they still have some of the common things going on like "productive burping", "Sliming" and every other day one of them thinks her band has slipped. One of my friend's band did slip and she had to have it removed and is now regaining her weight. And one of them never has any problems at all.

I ALWAYS had problems with getting "stuck" and brought food back up several times a week no mater how little food or how much i chewed and a lot of times even liquids would do it. I was lucky enough never to have a slip and didn't have any of the major complications like erosion, fusion etc. The only thing the surgeon doing my revision said was that there was a lot of scar tissue and i think that is common.

I was very informed before I had the lap band and wanted the safest choice but in 2009 it was fairly new so the things that are happening now were not information I saw back then. You can see it all for yourself with research now. Arm yourself with all of the information about each surgery. I would've probably gotten the sleeve but for my case my surgeon highly recommended RNY and i trusted his opinion. 

Again, everyone is different, the information is out there, research and be informed.

The Lap Band is a torturous device, in my opinion. Had it done in 2003, removed in 2005, still have pain from the damage it caused today. I'm seeing my doctor at the end of the month because I'm having so many gut issues directly caused by the placement of the Lap Band. I cannot stress how much I hate the Lap Band for the amount of pain it's caused. 

Google- Referred Left Shoulder Pain + Lap Band. Or Vagus Nerve Damage + Lap Band.  It's amazing that medical professionals don't mention these very common complications more often because they happen with alarming frequency. 

Good luck to you. I hope you research very thoroughly before making your decision. 

Pletase bear in mind that I am a very happy and very successful bandit now 8 years post-op.i do not regret my band, would do it all over again and if I ever have to have it removed, I would hope to have a replacement.

When I was banded in 2006, it was a miracle surgery. And for some people, who accept that they will still have to work hard, it is just that. It was and still is for me. But over the years it has become clear that serious complications necessitating further surgery are much more common than originally thought, some of these are avoidable by careful eating and by not keeping the band tight; unfortunately others are beyond our control.

We used to be warned about band slips, leaks and about ( very rare) erosion into the stomach tissue but it turns out that a build up of scar tissue round the band (causing it to tighten) is common.

It can be very difficult to get the right level of restriction and some people are tempted to keep it tight enough to physically limit food, in fact it was once thought this was how it should be. But this causes food to back up into the oesophagus and that risks problems such as oesophageal dysmotility which may be irreversible. It can also damage the vagus nerve.

We still need lots of will power. The band makes it easier by dimming hunger, but it does nothing for head hunger and, contrary to popular opinion, it does not and should not physically stop us eating. If it does it is too tight!

Having said all that, I love my band, I know many successful long term bandits in real life.

Like you, I was originally favoring the Lap Band when I first considered surgery back in Late May early June. At the time, I thought the RNY and the Lap Band were the only options. After research I found out about the VSG. The thought of re routing intestines and cutting out 70-80% of the stomach was scary to me. However after further research of the Lap Band, I found that though the surgery itself is less risky, the long term complication rate was horrific. I was scared of having to have another surgery, and of the costs of constant adjustments. It was then I decided to pursue other options. Re routing intestines was not an option for me. I did not want complications that come along with an intestinal bypass such as dumping, malnutrition, and ulcers. After looking into the sleeve, I noticed the surgery risk was not much more than the band, and it has the best track record long term as far as complications. The weight loss is comparable to the RNY and DS, and with good habits the loss can also be maintained. Now I am scheduled for my sleeve on November 6th. I certainly cannot wait! Hope this helps out in your journey. Best of luck!

I know a lot of people who got a Band, then had it revised to a Sleeve. Almost all of them say that the Sleeve does what the Band was supposed to do, but didn't.