Recent Posts
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.
- Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full-on metamorphosis.
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.
There are several VSG revisions and revision wanabees on the DS board. You might try posting this question there.
Caroline
do you mean the people you lost died??
I want to ride a horse again
May you feel Gods blessing
