Looking for good advice...have Lapband...NOT Happy!
On December 15, 2011 at 6:36 PM Pacific Time, sandyv63 wrote:
Bypass is awful. The stomach is basically bypassed and a stump at the end of the esophagus is left, which can stretch out over time and you will lose the restriction you first had. The pylorus is bypassed. The pylorus is the valve that connects the stomach to the duodenum. It regulates food going from your stomach to the small intestine. With bypass, food goes directly into the intestines and you can suffer a host of problems from that, like dumping syndrome, blockages, ulcers, etc. To add insult to injury, the small part of intestine that is bypassed is so insignificant that within 2-3 years (sometimes less) the body compensates by growing more villi and that's why so many bypass patients regain the weight, get their diabetes back, etc. There is an article on DSfacts.com that explains the differences between the DS and gastric bypass, also known as RNY (Roux en Y) and you need to read that. There are many similarities between gastric bypass and the band with symptoms like vomiting and food getting stuck. After all that, the gastric bypass loses its effectiveness after 2-3 years and why would you ever want to do that to yourself? So many people on this board have revised from gastric bypass to the DS because it didn't work any better for them than the band worked for you. I am sure some gastric bypass revisions will chime in soon. You will never lose the malabsorptive part of the DS because too much small intestine is bypassed so you absolutely must take vitamins for the rest of your life. This is non-negotiable because of the malabsorption.
There is no surgery that comes close to the DS for quality of life and long term effectiveness but it is good that you are asking questions and finding out about the different surgeries before you get another one. This way you will feel confident in your decision.
As a RNYer, I can tell you that while it's true that the intestine adapts and weight regain is a problem, the malabsorption of nutrients stays the same. Essentially this means that if you choose the RNY you could find yourself dealing with maintaining your nutrition — and understand this means that you will be taking a large amount of supplements every day— and finding yourself obese again.
I take approximately nineteen pills each day. And that's just my supplements. I figure I might have to take around twenty five pills a day after my revision. A small price to pay for the rewards I expect to enjoy. So don't let the DS nutritional needs scare you. The RNY's nutritional demands are almost the same.
Also as an RNYer, I can tell you that dumping SUCKS!!! Dumping messes with your insulin levels, which in turn causes low blood sugar. To the point that some RNYers have had seizures. SEIZURES! This should scare you. It scares me. I've never had a hypoglycemic seizure before (thank God), but I do get some pretty wicked low blood sugar crashes that come out of the blue and lays me out flat.
If you want my opinion, the RNY isn't worth it. Better to do it right the first time.
~Lynda
I agree with everyone else (and with you as well) that working on the food addiction issues is important, and I'm glad you're already doing this.
Having said that, this has little or nothing to do with the failure of your lap band. The failure rate for lap band is sky high. Yes, there are some success stories, but so many failures that there is clearly something amiss with this gadget.
And this business about how it's your female hormones' fault - I'd laugh if your story weren't so sad. Never heard that one before. If female hormones cause lap band failure, why would this treatment be marketed to women? And 75-80% of the patients who have wls are women, and at least here in CA, all the TV ads and billboards for lap band are directed to women. And how would your doctor explain a man failing with lap band? Something wrong with his sperm count? Laughable.
The DS would give you moderate restriction (which wouldn't require fills and would be more consistent that what you have experienced) along with significant malabsorption and metabolic changes that would help you to lose weight. It has the best statistics of any wls for percentage excess weight loss, maintaining that weight loss, and resolution of almost all comorbidities. It also has an excellent quality of life, with none of the dumping, food getting stuck, and inability to take NSAIDs that people have with gastric bypass. It does require diligence about eating plenty of protein (which will NOT get stuck) and taking lots of vitamins and minerals, which is vital to your health, but not difficult to do.
Keep on reading here and on dsfacts.com. Learn all you can, and when you're ready, get in touch with a real DS surgeon. I don't know your insurance situation, but if you do need to go to Mexico again, Dr. Ungson in Mexico is very highly regarded and does do revisions of lap band to the DS. He is the only DS surgeon in Mexico that I would recommend.
Larra
Having said that, this has little or nothing to do with the failure of your lap band. The failure rate for lap band is sky high. Yes, there are some success stories, but so many failures that there is clearly something amiss with this gadget.
And this business about how it's your female hormones' fault - I'd laugh if your story weren't so sad. Never heard that one before. If female hormones cause lap band failure, why would this treatment be marketed to women? And 75-80% of the patients who have wls are women, and at least here in CA, all the TV ads and billboards for lap band are directed to women. And how would your doctor explain a man failing with lap band? Something wrong with his sperm count? Laughable.
The DS would give you moderate restriction (which wouldn't require fills and would be more consistent that what you have experienced) along with significant malabsorption and metabolic changes that would help you to lose weight. It has the best statistics of any wls for percentage excess weight loss, maintaining that weight loss, and resolution of almost all comorbidities. It also has an excellent quality of life, with none of the dumping, food getting stuck, and inability to take NSAIDs that people have with gastric bypass. It does require diligence about eating plenty of protein (which will NOT get stuck) and taking lots of vitamins and minerals, which is vital to your health, but not difficult to do.
Keep on reading here and on dsfacts.com. Learn all you can, and when you're ready, get in touch with a real DS surgeon. I don't know your insurance situation, but if you do need to go to Mexico again, Dr. Ungson in Mexico is very highly regarded and does do revisions of lap band to the DS. He is the only DS surgeon in Mexico that I would recommend.
Larra
Thanks for the advice and info. It's not that my doctor is blaming being female for the failure. She has to be right about the issue I was having with my band. How can one explain being really tight one day where I can only drink water and then a day or two later, I can eat all most anything without having my band adjusted? I did see a lil bit of a pattern. Right before my period I will slam shut than a day or two into my cycle, I will be able to pigout! Tried to regulate it by being on a certain type of BC pill but if I forgot to take one...bam! Slam shut! It's like the friggin thing had a mind of it's own! I don't know if this only happens to some women but it happened to me. Also because I don't have insurance I have to pay for adjustments out of pocket. So $200 for a fill and $150 for unfill. I also had to drive out of state to my doctor because most US doctors do not want to touch Mexican banded patient.
It sounds like the DS is what I should have done initially but I guess I will start saving for a revision because I want this band out and want to lose this weight for good!
It sounds like the DS is what I should have done initially but I guess I will start saving for a revision because I want this band out and want to lose this weight for good!
I wish I knew about the DS first. Wouldn't have wasted my time or money with the band had I known how heavenly the DS life is. I am a carb addict. Recovering carb addict. Once you learn how good you feel with the DS and how satisfying meat, cheese, eggs, and butter are you forget all your carb craving woes. Bacon is a DS health food... literally. So if you are ok with eating your fill of steak/eggs/bacon instead of brownies you will be in DS heaven.
But, at the same time... if you want the brownies you can have them without fear of "dumping syndrome" like bypass patients have. You may fart, I call carb little bites of stinky air, but that will be the worst of it.
Get a revision to DS as soon as you can (That is my advice.)
But, at the same time... if you want the brownies you can have them without fear of "dumping syndrome" like bypass patients have. You may fart, I call carb little bites of stinky air, but that will be the worst of it.
Get a revision to DS as soon as you can (That is my advice.)
Come to the Dark Side!!! Band to DS revision 11/09/09.
Learn about the Duodenal Switch at dsfacts.com ! Off site comparisons of the 4 WLS
http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/wls-basics/w eight-loss-surgery-comparison.html
http://www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html
Hi I am a fairly recent revision from band to DS. Most DS surgeons can do this operation. Would however visit DSfacts.com and research your choice of Dr.
Yep I'm a food addict too. Which is why the DS is a better choice for me, IMHO. I was barely able to eat any solid food with the band. Eating out with clients was awful as I could not do more than 1-2 bites of food which always resulted in questions. This of course lead me to binge on liquid calories. At least with DS I can eat enough to look like I am capable of eating. And it is easier for me to get satiated. However, I really struggle with the mind issues of being able to eat more with the DS than with the band.
I lost nearly a hundred pounds with the band and gained back about 60-70 pounds. So far I have lost about 75 and am coming up on my 6 month anniversary. I am losing slower as a revision. However, I become more committed everyday and starting to see results (although it IS the holidays).
HTH
Ann
Yep I'm a food addict too. Which is why the DS is a better choice for me, IMHO. I was barely able to eat any solid food with the band. Eating out with clients was awful as I could not do more than 1-2 bites of food which always resulted in questions. This of course lead me to binge on liquid calories. At least with DS I can eat enough to look like I am capable of eating. And it is easier for me to get satiated. However, I really struggle with the mind issues of being able to eat more with the DS than with the band.
I lost nearly a hundred pounds with the band and gained back about 60-70 pounds. So far I have lost about 75 and am coming up on my 6 month anniversary. I am losing slower as a revision. However, I become more committed everyday and starting to see results (although it IS the holidays).
HTH
Ann
-Band to DS revision on 06/21/2011!
Highest known Wt/ Lowest Wt (Banded)/ Regain-Starting Wt/ Current Wt/ Goal Wt
379.6/ 272/ 342/ 169/ South of 200
I know what you mean about the questions...I find myself avoiding going to lunch and dinners with friends because if I eat one bite too many I end up in the bathroom vomiting. My husband can't just say "Babe let's go out to dinner tonight" because he don't know if I can eat today or not. And the liquid calories...know all about it. I find myself searching for foods that can go down because I'm starving all the time. A few days of being too tight and I am eating everything I can get down as soon as it loosens up....starve, eat...starve, eat!
I can't wait to get the DS...I just gotta save up
!
I can't wait to get the DS...I just gotta save up
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