Why did u do it ?

Greetings All, I know there have been similar posts but I guess no-one worded it the way that I am curious to know. Has anyone on this board with a high BMI chose the lap-band surgery.. if so please tell me why you chose this over other surgeries and what has your weightloss experience been with this. I am bouncing back and forth at the last minute between the Band and the RNY. I felt so strong about the RNY at first but now I am undecided and by the way.. my time is running out. I am in month five of a six month PCP diet required by my insurance. Please Help   , Jasmin  

I did not chose the lap band over RNY. However, their are times I think maybe I should have. I have heard that you lose the weight at a slower pace with the Lap Band. Sometimes I think that would have been better for me. It would have give my mind time to catch up with my body. It will be 9 months tomorrow and I have loss close to 135 lbs. Physically I know their is a change. Mentally, I am still dealing with it and the way I feel about myself, the way others feel about me and the way I see myself. I am still dealing with the addiction to food. It has been 9 month and I still deal with did I make the right decision. Especially on days when I want a double whopper and fries.  I know you've heard this before. In the end you have to do what is best for you. Even though I deal with tons of mental issues daily, If I had to do it all over again I would have the RNY.....still.  I will pray that god guides you until you are sure.  

every lap-band surgeon I contacted wouldn't perform the surgery on me because my BMI was over 50..... it was 65+.... I finally went to a seminar for my current surgeon and he put me at such ease over the ins and outs of RNY that I opted for that surgery instead.....

Hi, I will say that I "did NOT" have the lap band.  I just couldn't see myself going back to the doctor every couple of months to have that needle stuck into my side to get a "fill".  Plus for me it was all about the diabetes.  I had my surgery in May of 2007 and so far I've lost 75 pounds,, and I'm very happy with it. Good Luck Mary Anne

I am choosing to have the RNY basically because I have seen too many people fail with the lap band and because my surgeon felt the lap band was not appropriate for me.  I have three friends who had the lap band and all three have failed to lose anywhere near the amount of weight they need to lose.  One lost only 23 pounds!  Another lost 89 but has gained back 52 of it--so I think RNY is the best choice for me.   What are the reasons you want/don't want RNY and what are the reasons you want/don't want lap band?

I really wanted lapband til I talked to the surgeon.  His commentary about the lapband's materials and so on really are sticking in my craw and that is what led me to change my mind.  Now, I realize that to decrease my weight in the timely manner, the lap rny is a better choice for me.  The lapband would be a great tool, but it wouldn't be sufficient enough for me to lose the weight I need to in order to postpone knee surgery for a bit. If you are feeling ambivalent, perhaps you need to check in with the nutritionist or the doc and chat a little more about your specific situation and needs. Janice

Thank you all for your responses. I strongly dislike this back and forth feeling. I am usually the type of person to feel secure in a decision but this is truly crazy to me. Alot of emotions in this short journey. Thanx, Jasmin

Jasmin, when I finally decided to have WLS, I would only consider the LapBand. The thought of rearranging my innards was unthinkable to me. As I researched and read on the board, and then attended a couple of orientation sessions, I switched my viewpoint. For me, it wasn't so much about how much weight lost how quickly, since the long range statistics are the same. Also I know slow weight loss is supposed to be safer, ladaladalada.....My surgeon said my BMI (57) was right on the border for her to do either surgery. What had made me decide to do RNY, was when I got past all the emotions of giving up my addiction & dependency on my eating disorder. Although I thought the back & forth was about which type of surgery, it was really about my fear of letting go and making the huge leap into a new world of coping. RNY means you have to make that leap. LapBand, being reversible, may subconsciously be saying you might be able to go back to your old pattern of using food to solve your emotional needs. Now you can, of course, re-gain your weight with both methods, but that is not what I am discussing here. There is a lot of loss and grief we have to go through before and after surgery. It sucks, but it is so worth it. Good luck either way, and keep us posted. Julie

Hi Sweetie, I did not have a lapband.  I chose RNY, frankly, because I had no confidence whatsoever in myself that I would not cheat with the lapband.  There's no dumping and no incentive to truly give up sugar.  I needed the threat of dumping to keep me on the straight and narrow.  It worked.  I have not had sugar since the day before my preop bowel prep almost two-and-a-half years ago.  I don't miss it anymore.  But I needed the threat of dumping hanging over my head to make me do right.  God bless.

 I had too much to lose with just a restrictive surgery like lap band. So I chose the one with the most malabsorption I could find and the DS was it. Good luck to you.