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

A little over 6 months ago, I was in your shoes. I wanted the Lap Band because I thought the RNY was for people bigger than me (I have 130 to lose to goal). I didn't want the complications. I was afraid of malabsorption. I have had malnutriton and anemia from dieting. I remember what it was like being lightheaded and almost passing out and didn't want to ever experience that again.

I chose RNY over the Lap Band because I didn't lose slowly on the last diet I was on, so I didn't want to lose slowly after WLS. Note, I am not losing fast now, but I am only 7 weeks postop. I also chose RNY over the Band because I am a sweet eater and junk food junky. People who failed the band say they had no trouble eating sweets & junk food. I wanted the side effect of dumping w/ RNY. It turns out I don't really dump that much, so it isn't much of a deterrent, but I have been keeping away from sweets 99.9% of the time.

I did not want a DS because I was afraid enough of the malabsorption from RNY. After talking to surgeons, they convinced me that taking vitamin supplements can stave off malnutrition, but I can't see myself eating 100 gm protein a day. I have a hard enough time with 80 gm. Also I am not a volume eater. I eat the wrong foods. DS seems more appealing to me if you're a volume eater.

I was initially very interested in sleeve gastrectomy as well due to lower complications, but honestly I believed I needed malabsorption to help me maintain my weight, even if RNY doesn't offer as much malabsorption as DS.

Having a revision from any surgery is risky. The Lap Band can cause damage to your stomach from erosion that makes some surgeons not want to touch you.

RNY can be reversed. Some people with RNY get Lap Bands put on their pouch. Some people get revision to DS. There are surgeons who do a complete takedown of the RNY first. Then later they do a DS. So even with an RNY you still have multiple revision options.

I don't know if that helps, but I know when I was trying to make up my mind, hearing other people's reasons for their choices helped me. I think all surgeries are a perfectly good option depending on your eating behavior and level of comfort with risk.

I've been banded for 2 years and I wouldn't do it again.  It is, simply put, not all its marketed to be.  RNY has a much higher success rate and offers many more deterrents than does the band.  It is very easy to learn to eat around the band without even realizing that is what is happening.  If you think that erosion is some remote complication, so did I.  Unfortunately, it is far more common than most people will admit.  I am currently exploring my options for dealing with my complications.  I am quite thankful that my surgeon does both band and bypass so I can be confident that he is giving me legitimate answers.   Here is what I have experienced: 1) Weight loss with the band is VERY rapid at first but once the honeymoon is over, it is VERY difficult to find the right level of restriction. Be very careful about taking testimonials from those who have been banded in the last 6 months.  Talk to the long-termers and let them give you their views. Those who've just been banded have no idea what the future holds for them in terms of continued weight loss. 2) The band makes it uncomfortable to eat the right foods and quite easy to eat the wrong foods. Chicken and broccoli make me puke but ice cream and potato chips slide right down. 3) The band requires one to stick to 1,200 calories or less a day to lose and this is quite hard without adequate restriction.  Most people are looking for a little more help than what the band can offer.  I can honestly say that other than the immediate post-op period I've had a hard time with satiety on bandster sized meals.

Just some thoughts.  I did my research and I found nothing to suggest that any of these problems would be the case because there weren't enough long termers at that point to ask.  So, learn from those here who have been banded.  Consider a different surgery long and hard before choosing the band.

Amen!!!!!! Everything you said was the truth.

Double Amen!!!!!!! I was revised from lapband to DS in August 2004. I had 4 years of blockages and vomiting. Now I'm living a "normal" life.

Hello from Northern Virginia! I had my lap band in June and it was one of the best decisions of my life.  I originally thought I would go with the gastric bypass.  However, I spent a lot of time with my surgeon who explained the pros and cons of both surgeries.  I also attended several of his support group sessions and spoke to RNY patients and lap banders.  Based on all these conversations, I decided that the lap band was best for me. I've had one fill so far and am due for my second on 25 October.  I am fortunate to have insurance that covers all but around $17 of each $250 fill.    Good luck on whatever decision you make.

I had Lapband in oct of 2004,,would I do it again,,NO !  7 of us at work had lapband and only 2 were sucessful I am currently asking for a revision,,lapband isnt for everyone,,I wished I had done the bypass or DS..I Hve been filled and unfilled so many time's in the past 3 year's..never finding what they call the "sweet" spot :(

VG'ers seem very happy, That's what I'm going to do...

I had the RNY and wish I had had the Duodenal Switch, weight loss stays off.

Hello,, I had the RNY and I'd do it again,, I woke up from surgery and never felt any pain or discomfort,, actually,, when I saw my surgeon,, I asked him why didn't he do the surgery.  He said he did.  Well, I felt great,, I was up and walking a couple hours after surgery,, never felt bad at all.,, and right now,, I can eat anything I want,, but I can only eat two or three fork fulls.  But I'm ok with it.,, I'm never hungry.  I've lost 80 pounds already and I feel great.  You have to do what you think is best for you.  Personally,, I didn't want the lap band,, because I didn't want to get going back to get that long ass needle stuck into my side.

I was probably one of the "oldest bandsters" on this forum - had mine during the FDA clinical trials. I wouldn't recommend the lap band to my dog if he were overweight. It almost killed me. I followed the rules, but had two slips and during my revision surgery, the doctor spent the first hour or two picking pieces of the band out of my stomach wall. I was very very ill. The last few years of my life - the quality of my life was very poor due to the band. I was vomiting all the time, had to get most of my teeth capped, was hungry, didn't lose all my weight because all I could eat was soft foods (i.e., not able to eat the foods that are protein dense and good for you) - totally unable to eat meat. I could go on and on. From the bottom of my heart, I feel that the band is very dangerous long-term. Long-term re-operation rates are staggering compared to other weight loss surgeries. I had a revision to RNY on 8/23/07 and have lost 52 pounds in the last 3 months. There is no comparison between the two surgeries. RNY is lightyears better than lapband. I feel like I've been given my life and my health back. I wish I could have the 9 years back and had picked RNY from the start - I think about the quality of my life over the last 9 years, healthwise and weight wise, and I think about what might have been and it just makes me so sad. I'm so grateful to have been given another chance. I can't get those years back, but at least now I have hope,
I'm seeing real success - have gone from a 22 to a 14, and I have good health, and that's priceless. I'm swimming every day, eating healthy, not hungry and happy. I never had that with the band - just hopelessness, despair and VERY poor health. Don't be afraid of RNY. My father was a surgeon and told me to have RNY back then. He said it was the "gold standard." I didn't listen because I believed all the hype about the band being safer. It's not. New studies are bearing this out. Unfortunately, there is a lot of advertising money going into promoting the lapband and people just don't realize. If I can help even one person not lose time, heart and faith, and make a better choice at the start, I will be so grateful to have helped. My band came very close to ending my life.