Ins Approved RNY-Regrets not Lapband?

How many RNY patients go back to the DR only once in a year? You don't go for checkups? And wouldnt you say that is definately NOT the average that you return to the DR only one time per year? I would say your expectations are a bit rose tinted.

After router-routtering a persons insides, slice, dice, and splice a human organs, after that major surgery, any doctor that tells you to come back in year should have his license yanked.

Wow...you really don't know a thing about the band LOL 1. Fills do wait til after healing and the patient is fully back to solids for a week or two..because the only way to know if you have natural restriction is eating solids. Losing 30lbs in a month is going to be a lot of fluid and lean tissue loss as the body cannot safely process out more than 1.5% of your total body weight per week in FAT. I prefer a safer rate of loss for medical reasons, aka my health long term. 2. If you're not getting labs done at least twice a year, you're begging for trouble with a malabsorptive procedure, especially in the first year. 3. 3-4 years out there is 1% difference in average weight loss between band and RNY....59% and 60% respectively. So statistically the same. The RNY does NOT NOT NOT average 85%...The DS averages 70-80% and has the highest average by at least 10% over the RNY. 4. It cannot deteriorite. Learn chemistry. Solid silicon does not degrade. The band has NOT been in the US only 4 years. It was in the US 2-3 years prior to its approval by the FDA in June 2001. Please do a little research, thanks. FDA approved means, by definition, that it is not experimental. Prior to June 2001 it was investigational, after that approval date, it was approved, not experimental or investigational. *sigh* 5. Why not go with the one that leaves the body in the most intact healthy unaltered state without the concern that 30%+ of RNY patients have of significant bone loss or chronic or pernicious anemia? Again, 3-4 years out, the results are in a statistical dead heat. Why do all the damage for the same result? Losing all the weight...well, dear, most WLS do not "lose all the weight"...WLS isn't about losing "all the weight". Most folks do not make goal. They do, based on averages, get to a much healthier weight. And we ALL do this for medical reasons, or do you think for most folks this is cosmetic??? Nancy

Kimberly, You've got the right idea in that you're asking questions. That is the best possible thing you can do to determine what's right for you. However, you need to base your decision on which procedure is right for YOU, not just because it's what you can afford. Please, if I may suggest, take comments on RNY from RNYers, and comments on the BAND from bandsters, since people can - and SHOULD - really only speak from their OWN experiences, not from something they read or heard second- or third-hand, much of which is incorrect and/or not based in fact. You'll find that both procedures produce people who would not, under any cir****tances, have opted for the "other" one, under any cir****tances. That being said, the only regret I have about my band is that I didn't do it sooner. I was 376 pounds at 5'10", with a BMI of 54. I was taking about 10 medications a day including 2 insulins, had Type 2 diabetes (obviously), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, edema in my legs, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. All of those comorbidities and all the meds that were prescribed for them are gone. I have lost between 215 and 220 pounds (depending on the day) in less than 2-1/2 years, have gone from that 54 BMI to 22.8, and have gone from a size 32 to a size 8. My glucose levels preop were between 250 and 350; currently they run between 90 (before meals) and 130 (after meals.) I have lost far more than my own expectations (which, I must admit, were pretty low based on prior weight loss efforts) and far more than my surgeon's. I have lost more than (I'm pretty sure, anyway) ALL the bandsters I know who had the same BMI range and the same time "out from surgery date," and have lost more than the majority of the RNYers I know. I am not telling you this to brag but, rather, to show what is POSSIBLE with the band. It IS possible to lose ONE HUNDRED percent of your excess weight. My case may be an anomoly, but it IS doable. Best of luck in your journey, whatever path it takes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them. As anyone who knows me will tell you, my life is an open book. Bette, "The Mutant" and satisfied Bandster Dec. 2003 376/157

Hi Kimberly, You are dpoing right in doing your research. This is a personal decision. My daughter had the RNY and is doing fine. She has lost 130 with 20 pounds to go and is following the rules. It works for her. It works for a lot of people as long as you follow the rules. When I expressed my desire to do WLS, she suggested the band for me. ...but she said research the pros and cons before I make my decision. I did and I decided on the band because it was best for me and she agreed. I'm sure you have heard the pros and cons. It was always up to me. I had my band placed on April 20th and to date I have not lost an enormous amount of weight, but I have lost 25 pounds without a fill. My weight loss will be slow, but it will be steady. You do whats best for you and research research research research. I think its all positive as long as you know what you are getting into. Getting the weight off is a health issue. Take care now. Mona

LOVE MY BAND!! Banded 3/21/2006 304/264 That's 40 pounds in 2 months And I don't have to worry much at all about eventually gaining my weight back (no window of opportunity) Wish you the best on your choice, whichever you decide

Wearing a size 7 nine months after banding. No pain after surgery no problems, so easy I drove myself home from the hospital. before you make such uninformed statements about the band you should do your research. Just sign me, losing weight and eating cake too.

I think both types of WLS can be beneficial. As another poster above said, you have to consider the pros and cons of both. The lapband is less invasive and allows each individual to adjust their weight loss accordingly. If the loss slows down, you can adjust it. On the other hand, it also allows more "cheating" from my understanding in that the patient doesn't get ill from eating too much sugar. I know 2 people personally that have had the lapband..one has done wonderfully with it and is very close to goal weight and she is out 2 years. The other person has not lost anything (or lost and gained it all back) because she doesn't follow the eating reccomendations and doesn't exercise. I also know a couple of people who have had the RNY and have done well. In the end, either surgery is a tool to help you get healthier and lose the weight. If you follow the guidlelines, both can work wonders. They aren't an end-all, be-all, instant miracle cure. I think the decision on what type of surgery to have is a personal one and based on lots of research. For me personally, I've gone back and forth over the best choice for me. I like the concept of the lapband (less invasive, easier to remove if something goes wrong, etc), but I feel I need the stricter rules with regards to eating that the RNY offers. I am scheduled for my RNY on June 8th.

Well, I had RNY 4/17 and atfirst I was considering the band. But after researchin I felt the bypass was best for me because my problem was eatin fatty foods and sweets. With the band, I could still do that, but with the bypass, I can't, I dump. I have dumped twice since surgery and NEVER EVER EVER want to feel that way again! I don't eat or drink anything with more than 5 grams of sugar. I have lost 26 pounds so far since surgery and I was eating regular foods by the time I was 1 week post op. I was walking 2 hours after I got out of surgery and have been walking since then. Now, I've had a few bad days, who doesn't? But really it's a personal decision. My problem wasn't portion size, if anything, I would starve for breakfast, lunch and eat dinner, so I knew the band wasn't for me. Now I have friends who've had RNY and some who've had the band. My friend's father was banded, his band eroded and he got stomach cancer, so he ended up having RNY in the end. He did well with his band before he had problems and he's done well with his bypass. Either one are great tools, it's just a matter of how you plan to use them. And I was reading messages on here almost saying "i don't have to worry about gaining my weight back", if you're banded? You can gain your weight back with the bypass or the band, it's not a matter of the tool you chose. I also know people who have gained their weight back with both. I mean, if you're banded and drinking smoothies and milkshakes and eating cookies and cakes, UH, you can still gain weight back and the same goes for bypass. Now some people don't dump with the bypass, I actually do. But I'm glad I do because THAT is the tool I needed to prevent me from gaining any more weight. I was also a carb addict, but because it has no nutritional value, i can barely eat, and they always feel like big lumps going down or like it's stuck, the rice/bread/crackers, etc, are not even worth it to me anymore to eat. But that is what I needed for weightloss. Now, sometimes I feel like i'm going to die when we go out to eat and my banded friend sits there and can eat a bite of the rich cheesecake on the table while I take the strawberries off of the cheesecake (that i WISH I could have) and wash off the syrup and eat those. BUT, that's what I need for my journey. I could easily take a bite myself, but I NEVER EVER EVER want to dump again, and so it's just not worth it. Now I do have a bypass friend who has to have her M&M's. And she'll eat them and go through the duming process, but it's just NOT worth it to me!

Sherry, It seems like you got the Tool of your choice and it works for you. I was down for RNY at first, but the thought of me giving up sweets for life, made me feel uncomfortable, I wanted my life to as normal as possible without any sickness, I have a phoebia of being sick and did not want to take ANY chances with long term complications that I have seen so many folks have with this surgery. I also had my concerns that the lap-band would not work for me also and, I did not like the fact that weight loss had a risk of being slow, but I am so happy I chose the band because I am so pleased with my weight loss so far, I don't starve and be sick just to lose the weight, I am not being rude or anything but I am so happy with my decision and I did my research and yep with the band some folks don't lose any weight from the git-to, but those are folks who never follow up with their fills and never follow rules, but if you get properly restricted like I am the band will stop folks in their tracks from eating, SO technically it is impossible for them to gain weight UNLESS, they are doing mindless eating like milkshakes, candy, cookies and chips and they have to do this all day long.... But a lot of folks don't realize the secret of the lap-band and eating sweets, currently my band is so tight, meaning, I can only eat a few bites of food at a sitting and you get sooo full after eating a couple of bites, it DETERS folks from eating sweets, I went out for lunch the other day and got so stuffed on a few bites of salad I DID NOT HAVE ROOM FOR MY DESERT, BUT I WAS ABLE TO JUST TASTE MY KEY LIME PIE AND I WAS ABOUT TO BURST...OH MY... Some folks are mindless eaters and have severe eating problems I would not recommend the band for this type of eating...but gee what more can you ask for to be stuffed to point you can't breath on teeny amounts of food, this is what the band does...at least for me... Now if I was a lunatic and just ate m&ms candy all day long, the lap-band would not work for me... Naomi