Newbie Questions????

Hi, I am new and looking for help in my quest for WLS. I saw a commercial about some people that had the lapband and lost weight and are healthy now. I am scheduled to go to a seminar in Tempe in 2 weeks. Can anyone tell me what to expect? I am thinking of the lapband but not sure which would be best, is there a way to know for sure? Does the doctor choose? Is one better than the other? if so why?Why is a psychologist visit needed before surgery. I am not crazy, just fat.What can I expect to pay out of pocket? My insurance covers either bypass or lapband at 100 percent but I heard there are other fees like the psychologist, nutritionist, support fees almost all the doctors listed for AZ are contracted with my insurance. I know I am asking alot but I really need to get to healthy weight and get my diabetes and HTN under control. Any advice, comments or suggestions are welcome Thank you in advance, Linda Lewis

Hi Linda. Welcome to the board! Congrats on taking the first step to a new and healthy life. That is fantastic if your insurance will pay for either!! Your doctor should have a recommendation for you on which surgery to have. The very very basics are that the lap band is less invasive then the RNY, and has a lesser chance of complications, but a (typically) slower rate of loss. Of course some people on this site have disproved that as they are Lap Band and are losing as quick or faster then some of us RNY's! The RNY has a higher mortality rate, greater chance of complications. Some will disagree with this but everything my Doctor showed me, and everything i researched on the internet showed the RNY has a greater success rate then the Lap Band when it came to losing weight and keeping it off. It is something like you lose 15%-20% (estimate) more weight with the RNY. So you pay a higher price (chance of complications, even dealth) for a more sure thing. Your doctor should go over that with you. A LOT goes into it. It depends on your own health issues, and how much you have to lose. If you have say less then 100 pounds you may want to do the lap band. If you have 200 to lose the RNY might be a better option for you. There are lots of Very successful Lap Bands and RNY's on this site so you should be able to get lots of input from everyone. Which ever surgery you choose the truth is it is really up to you. Lap Band can be just as successful as RNY, and RNY can fail. It just depends on how dedicated you are. I personally chose the RNY as i was paying out of pocket and had a lot to lose. I didn't want to chance it not working so I went with the more "sure" thing. Of course it turns out I got some small complications (stricture) but i did not get the Dumping Syndrome. Honestly the dumping syndrome is sorta something you count on when getting the RNY as it makes you not able to eat the sugars and fats. So sometimes i feel like i took the extra risk and didn't get the extra benefit of not being able to eat those things. I feel sorta cheated in a way that i don't get sick. I know that dosen't make sense now, but it will later if you choose RNY. Make sure you choose a doctor that performs both if you want to consider both. A strictly lapband doctor might stear you away from RNY, and visa versa. The Seminars are great to go to. I haven't been to the one in Tempe but it should give you a lot of information. Everyone here loves there own Doctor. I had Dr. Blackstone so I will give her a shout out and tell you she is wonderful, but hard to get into. She has a really long waiting list. As far as psychologist they require that just to make sure you get any help you need with food addiction or bad habits, and to also make sure you are not suicidal. It is not easy for everyone that goes through this surgery. Especially if you have food addictions, or depression. They just want to make sure you are prepared for the emotions, and changes that you may be confronted with. It doesn't mean you are crazy. They may require you to do a few sessions prior to surgery. They will just give you some tips on how to deal with the changes you will be going through. It was very helpful for me. I had to give up food, smoking, sugar, and caffeine all at once. If was not easy. I had to learn to deal with stress and emotions in other ways. They were saying on opera that something like 30% of people who have this surgery go on to have other addictions such as drugs, sex, shopping, drinking. That is what they want to avoid. They want to make sure you have a healthy avenue to vent your stress or emotions. I personally would be weary of a doctor that didn't require you to seek some sort of physiological testing as this is truly about a life style change, and becoming a more healthy person, Mind and body. Not just about being thin. Feel free to e-mail if you want to ask any questions. Everyone here is very helpful. You will get tons of information! Please keep us posted as to your progress!

Hey Linda Welcome! and if your anything like most of us you will us this board as your life savor! I am a Bander and was banded on 3/14, I have lost 31lbs since surgery and have had 1 fill and I am going in today I hope for another. Why did I chose Lapband, I did about 8mths of research into both, went to seminars about both. I personally knew several people who had had the Bypass, a few all is great, a few have gained their weight back after many years, and 2 had pretty bad situation. So I kept that in mind, but still went with an open mind. After researching I just felt that the Band was much less of a surgery, I'd have it FOREVER to use to keep the weight off and YES it was less expansive since I am a self-pay person. The only thing that I encountered with people negative about the band was "I'd have this foreign object in me" or "I have to go for fills" the forgein object....come on, fake boobs, botox, etc...... the fills...I love that idea will help me keep my weight off!!! Is there risks.....OF course with any surgery, but much much less with Lapband. I will give you a Doc website, he is my DOc not to boast or anything, but I chose him becuase LAPBAND is the only WLS he does now, so he knows it in and out! http://doctorsimpson.com/ On his site he does go over comparisons, BUT DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!!! It is MOST important that YOU feel comfortable with what you have chosen to do. Is the weight lose slower??!?!? I'm down -31lbs in 2 mths, of course I'd like it to be faster, but I have felt fine through this whole 2 mths. One thing I did not prepare myself for was "HEAD HUNGER", its just eating cause thats what we do and "EMOTIONAL HUNGER" speaks for itselfs!! And yes you will need a Phycs review probably for any WLS, no biggy though, and thats is great you will have the coverage for this, be prepared cause sometimes they make you do like a 6mth process of stuff before you can have surgery. The website is great, if you want to go onto My Profile you'll read my whole story from start to finish, I am doing this because it helped me to read peoples stories!!! GOOD LUCK!! and do what is BEST for you!! Take care - Candi

Do a LOT of research, and don't rely just on what you may hear at the seminar, as sometimes they tend to stress RNY. There is no one right or better surgery: what is best for you may not be best for me. You'll have to figure out what is best for you. While RNY is the most common surgery in the US, Lapband is the most frequently used in the rest of the world. You'll also find a lot of nurses who choose lapband (which says something to me). Sounds like you're interested in lapband, so hop on over to the lapband board here; there are lots of people there who have lost tons of weight with the lapband, and you can get answers to any question you have about it. While it is true that most people will lose faster with RNY than lapband, there are studies which show that 3 to 5 years out, weight loss evens out. (You may lose faster with RNY, but the lapband is continuously adjustable, so you may be more likely to keep it off long term).

One more thing to point out in the r.n.y vs lap band debate is the existence of diabetes as a co-morbidity. I chose rny specifically because it "cures" diabetes in most everyone who has it. It did for me. I was insulin and oral med. dependant prior to surgery and now take NO MEDS FOR ANYTHING! YEA! I recommend that you at least go to Dr. Blackstone's seminal as her presentation on both options is thorough as well as interesting Good luck, Mary

Welcome Linda, I am hoping that the seminar in Tempe is with the weight loss institute of Az. If so awesome, since my hubby and I are patients and I am the patient advocate there. You can read my profile for the specifics of my experience with the lapband. Hubby has one too. My diabetes is totally diet controlled after years of insulin and other meds. You will learn tons at the seminar, none of which you will remember later, just kidding. With any WLS you must be willing to make the changes to succeed. As with the surgeon and dietician, the psychologist is another very useful tool in your success. While I think the lapband is the best thing since sliced bread, its not for everyone. I am not the "typical" lapbander, I lost over 100 pounds in 7 months. There is no typical to weightloss but statistically RNY patients fare better in the first year than lapband patients. WLS is not one size fits all. You will learn that each person/program is different. You and the surgeon will discuss which road to take. You will know what will work for YOU. Any WLS is only as effective as YOU make it. You will need support and you know that since you are here! Good Luck!!! Jen If you have any questions or concerns email me or call me 480-677-4348.

Linda, I don't want to just keep saying the same thing as everyone else here, but I will give you my opinion on RNY vs. Lap band. My wife and I both had RNY procedures done in March of this year. I have lost 67 pounds, and my wife has lost 35 pounds. My sleep apnea is gone to the extent that I feel just as rested without my c-pap as with my cpap. We are partial to RNY, which is why we chose this procedure. When considering risks associated with RNY, I am a firm believer in trying to determine your "personal risk." When you attend informational sessions, you may discover that many of the people there may look more or less healthy than you. Think about that when you make your decision about what your personal risk is. When looking at the mortality rates, remember that some people who get this surgery are already at "death's door" as far as health conditions. I would think they would have a higher mortality rate. Another thing to consider is the insurance factor. I have been told (but am no expert) that if they pay for lap band, and it doesn't work; they won't pay for RNY later. Lap band many times will require more frequent office visits for fill and adjustment after surgery than RNY. Weight loss for the band is typically slower than RNY. That said, the lap band has less risk associated with the procedure, and has only restrictive qualities with no mal-absorptive qualities. The think that pushed me most to RNY is the many more years of medical history IN THE US. I was able to see alot more data data about long term results, and have more info on long term side effects. The data I saw showed less weight loss with the band over a 5 year period. (Granted every body and person is different.) I was also afraid that I might "beat the band." I've known some banders 4-6 months out who've lost 35 pounds. They wished they'd gotten RNY. I talked to lots of people who had RNY, and they all said it was the best thing they ever had done, even if they had had complications. --Dave