help!!!!!

my surgery is scheduled for next week (banding) I am having a lot of trouble deciding whether to change it to by pass iw ould love to talk to someonr who has had the operation thanks for comments

There are yahoo groups whose members have been banded and other who are waiting to be banded. I am hoping to have banding done as well. Those groups are very helpful. good luck!

re banding vs. bypass: there are pros and cons to both and you need to make the decision that is right for you, with your doctor. I can tell you why I chose RNY - I felt that the banding wasn't a permanent enough solution for me, and I wanted the added effect of being intolerant of added sugars. I have heard good things about the banding but you have to remember that all these procedures are only TOOLS, not magic. You can eat or drink your way through all the procedures and not lose the weight. I have read reports of the band "migrating" into the stomach, and I wasn't thrilled about having a needle through my skin to fill and adjust the band through a port which I would be able to feel underneath my skin. Then again, people have their RNY staple lines get blown occasionally as well. My insurance company wasn't covering the BPD-DS when I went for approval. That's how I ended up with RNY. Like I said previously, there are pros and cons to all procedures. You are basically trading one problem (obesity) for another (malnutrition). Good luck with your decision - make sure it's the right one for you.

Art I work for a surgeon who does the lap banding here in Melbourne, FL. Our patients have done well with the band. They like the adjustability and fewer side effects. The final decision is up to you. Remember the weight loss is slower than the bypass. Good luck on your decision. April