Can't Decide Between Lap Band and Bypass...OPINIONS, PLEASE!!!!

Well I am talking on my experience.  I was a self pay with the lapband.  I will say that I believe the band is not for everyone.  It certainly wasn't for me.  I have found that it is very easy to cheat the band.  I am now looking for a revision to DS or even RNY.  If you want more info send me a PM.

I am looking on self-paying for a band.  May I ask why it didn't work for you?

I want to start by saying that the band is a great tool (keyword TOOL) for many people it just wasn't for me.  I do regret not taking the time to research this further.  I told myself that I would not cut my insides, therefore, I would not even consider anything but the band.  I was denied by my insurance but I was determined to get it no matter what, so I took a loan and had the surgery.  I will be honest I did not follow the rules all that well, however, from the beginning I was always able to eat a lot more than I should.  So I started getting fill after fill until I finally got to that "sweet spot" everyone was talking about.  Well even then I was able to eat a lot of food and every time something gets stuck it hurts like hell.  I have way too much weight to lose and in my opinion this is good for a lighter person.  I am addicted to sweets and the band certainly did not prevent me from continuing to eat ice cream and all the sweets I love.  This has been my downfall.  I am like a drug addict when it comes to sweets.  I only lost a whopping 22 lbs since surgery, 6 of which where lost the 2 days before surgery I was on clear liquids.  The band is just a tool.  You will still have to diet to lose the weight.  I have a bigger addiction than I thought and cannot feel like I am on a diet or I'll fall off track.  I love protein but I like things high in fat, such as; pork, beef, salmon, full fat cheese, etc.  You really have to limit the amount of calories with the band or else it will become a tool to help you maintain your weight.  Based on my eating habits and addiction to food I fell that the DS would be better for me.  This is why I am trying to get a revision soon.  If you have more questions don't hesitate to contact me. 

I appreciate your answer.  I too am a sweet adict!  My other concern is that I've always been a fast eater and I'm concerned with things getting stuck. I meet with a surgeon in a week, I'll discuss this with him. Thanks again.

I am also a fast eater and with the band you have no choice but to slow down.  When things get stuck it is a horrible feeling.  You feel like you can't breathe.  I have learned that if I drink a large glass of water (room temp) really fast it can take care of the food stuck, however, when the food is going through with the water IT HURTS A LOT.  With the band you will have to diet to loose the weight.  You need to have willpower.  The band will help you DIET by restricting the amount of food you eat.  I have no will power to diet and I believe that has been my downfall.  That's why I am considering the DS.   I need the malabsortion to suceed.  Good luck with your decision.

Jass28, I know exactly what you mean...I have the band and I feel exactly as you do. Problem is that I can't get the DS...my only options are to keep the band and be miserable, remove the band and gain weight, or convert to an RNY...which I'm not really inclineed to do.

I agree - you should check out the duodenal switch board.  Good luck!

Hi, I know I am late to this post too, but I just wanted to say I had the lap band (which I thought was safest too) and it failed miserably and could have killed me. Before any fill, there was almost no difference from before surgery. So I barely lost anything. So I told my surgeon at my fist fill (he was 2 HOURS AWAY--not my current surgeon!) to FILL IT UP!!! I mean, its not working at all, you gotta fill it. He filled it a lot, like I asked.Then the weight DROPPED OFF. I really couldnt eat much at all, and if I ate like 3 bites too fast, GOD it hurt so bad. I was never hungry. I felt like a skinny person. I lost 75 lbs. I looked like a model. I really needed to lose like 100. So, I got used to the pain, and cheated a little with high calorie drinks (because of the pain, these calmed me and felt good, after a while!)So this was 2003-2004. Life was good. I thought I was "healed"! Then, little by little (and I was VERY GUILTY of not very good maintenance cause my doc was so far and I thought, well, if it aint broke, dont fix it...) I started gaining, and gaining, and GAINING....Finally late in 2006, I gained half back. So, extremely depressed, I decided to investigate. After many upper GI's confusing my surgeon and unfilling not working, he did a routine endoscopy, and found 60% of my band had eaten its way inside my stomach. (erosion). Emergency surgery, same day. Cancel cruise vacation. Fix gaping hole in stomach. ICU. NIGHMARE. He saved my life. How lucky I am to be in the "<1%" of people with erosion. Yeah, RIGHT. I think its way more than that! So now I am getting a revision. I want DS, higher long term maintenance. If not, I will get the RNY. I just dont want to be someone who has to get 2 REVISIONS down the road! The band was great, but to me, looking back, it really is NOT a permanent solution. Good luck with everything....

I think that this is a VERY PERSONAL choice. I mean you have to understand that with ANY weight loss surgery that person undergoing it has to know they must change their lifestyle and the surgery is a way to help them achieve a healthy and hopefully longer life.  IF you are a sweet eater and you don't think you will be able to avoid them , u may not want the RNY due to dumping. If you are @ a job that reqires a lot of public type interaction the DS may not be for you due to that high instances of diarrhea and very foul gas after eating.  The lap band has it's own set of "problems as well, slippage, erosion, downright failure over time. They all have their own unique set of complications and they all have positives(obviously).  Ultimately you are the one who has to live with your decision and deal with the day to day BS of it all.  There is one certain lady on these boards *****ally pushes for her DS and downs all the others, be cautious, be aware, but most of all be EDUCATED in your decision making.  I know that the doctors don't genaerally want to "recommend" a specific surgery but I have found that with many of them if you ask the what their findings have been as far as LONG term success, they are pretty good about answering.  Good Luck on your decision....