self payer and have the money for sleeve, would you still chosse the band?

  i was sorta of joking - but it's true the expense of the band if your self pay.   luckily for me my insurance has covered everything band related in the 4 yrs i had it.   most insurance companies don't do that with self pay patients.
that includes thousands of dollars worth of tests (mri, cat scans, sonograms, colonoscopy's, endoscopy's & on and on, & on).

after reading all the responses, an interesting poll might be to those who are seeking/wanting a revision from the band, how many are caught in an insurance 1 WLS per lifetime and can't afford to self pay to either remove or remove & revise to another surgery?

it's real consideration for you to think about - even though your sleeve surgery might be double now, how are you set up for aftercare?

.
Problem here in the middle east, doctors are not well organized and patients are not well informed. you have to do your own researches  and get as much information as you can.
Insurance does not cover this sort of surgeries in this parl of the world. I think sleeve is a better option for me. We are trying hard for a baby and already had 8 failed IVF. will keep you posted.
How is the sleeve working for you though?

oh i hope it all works out for you, especially the baby part !!!

the sleeve was / is a much better fit for me, not 2 months out & i'm back at goal.   
check out the sleeve forum to get a better idea of how everyone lives with it.   again, all the best !!

 I really don't know which I would choose if $$ wasn't a consideration.  I think I would probably stay with the band as it has worked well for me with only a very minor problem (overfilled x1 .. fixed by an unfill).  And I really like that it's adjustable...

Good luck on your decision.

 Having had both, I would say hands down that I would NOT get another band (and kinda wish I hadn't gotten one to start with!). 

I have had great success with my band --- but, if I had to do it again, I would find the money to have the sleeve.

Some days I feel as though I am just waiting for my band problems to begin -----

mines was free because i had medicaid and out of all wls surgery i got the lap band and would do it AGAIN AND AGAIN :) for me its been so good so far i lost 42 pounds in 3 months and i couldnt be happier!!! i think other surgeries are too invasive and i am not cutting any organ out!!! but ultimately it is your desicion for me it was band or nothing at all!!! check out other forums theres alot of conplications for all surgeries and i have 2 friend *****cenlty had RNY and they donot feel well at all!!!

I am still pleased with my band going on 7 years and yep, I would still choose the band again because I do not want my insides rearranged or stomach removed especially if I have to do the exact same thing such as exercising and watching my carbs with RNY or the Sleeve.

If you are interested in how the band works here is a guide to help you.


Link to How the Lap band works
http://www.laplose.com/Media/Forms/LapBandDietGuideNew.pdf

Good luck on choosing.

Naomi ,

Would it feel good to not have to work for the weight loss?  I've always only wanted to be healthy and active.  I think I would despise myself if I could eat like a pig and sit around like a couch potato.  My psyche would absolutely be screwed.  One of the things I loved when I was first banded was that  my hunger was quieted - the monkey was off my back for the first time in my life - my obsession to eat dimmed.  It was a freedom like any other.  Now that is what my sleeve does.  Yes, I still love food - I mean I love food.  I love cooking, baking,  and feeding people.  I love looking at food and smelling it, the textures of food and the nostalgia attached.  No surgery makes you get over being a foodie UNLESS something tragic happens - like a messed up surgery or maybe us losing our minds with dementia or something.

Anyways you are right for me anyways - I will for the rest of my life have to watch my carbs and exercise.  I love that challenge though.  Exercising makes me feel strong, accomplished, it makes me value myself more.  I like  that I don't have to OD on carbs too.  For me in my younger years I used to calm my fears, soothe my pain etc with simple carbs - like give me a bowl of plain white rice or saltine crackers swell from running water on them to remove the salt.  Simple carbohydrates I used as an anesthetic. Years after low carbing, the band etc. it comes easily.  I don't want non-beneficial crap in me  . . .  well wait a minute if I plan for it and it is something I love, love, love  I am going to have it just like I did with the band.  Usually nothing ordinary, it's got to be extraordinary.  My cravings are usually hormonal and therefore valid .

I have no adverse effects from my sleeve stomach.  Having my stomach sleeved has been pretty awesome.  Yep, I was mortified at the thought of cutting out my stomach and I probably would be the last person in the world to do something like it.  You've got to be in a place that no longer feels comfortable, you've had had to have tried your best.  I cancelled my surgery last minute, I cried and cried and talked then I went under.  After I still couldn't believe I mutilated myself.  I was me and did not feel like anything was missing inside me.  I could not believe I had survived and was alive - it felt strange.  For the first couple of weeks I had a few episodes of waking up from a nightmare in a cold sweat on my fours thinking I swallowed  a razor blade.  I had the most morbid thoughts  I - thought I would rupture my staple like etc.

My doc said stop thinking in such a bad way.  "Now  you have the stomach you wish you were born with, Now you are just like your other girlfriends".  And it is so true.  I can eat every single thing under the sun with no adverse reaction I just have a smaller stomach capacity.  It is cool.  It is different than the band - when I had the band it was the upper/lower stomach - now it is just a small stomach I have.  I swear it is awesome.  For someone in their 50's or 60's+ I don't even know why they would consider the band - set it and forget it. For a women, their child bearing years are coming to an end, they don't have to worry about carrying a baby or anemia etc. Why bother?  But one thing for sure is that I would advise no one to have surgery it is something that we come to on our own and surgery type is certainly a choice that we must chose to live the rest of our lives with.  I however am so glad I had WLS.  No regrets here at all.  There wasn't a diet program or plan that I did not try first. Even right now I've just joined WW again. I am a lifer.  I love WW and missed it, my people, the accountability, and support.

I wish anyone who has the band, is having the band all the best of luck.  Heck I wish anyone who is fighting obesity with any type of fight they have to win and be happy in this lifetime.

Blessings,
Leila

 Lelia,

I am glad to hear you are at peace now with your Sleeve and it is working better than your band did.  If my band gave me much grief I would get it removed. I've never had eating issues or vomiting or a hard time with my band so I really cannot relate on your bad band experience, although I've had a lot of fills and a few unfills, I've never had any unpleasant problems that lasted longer than a few days with my band in over 6 years that I've had it.

I would not trade my carefree life now with my band for nothing. I really don't want anymore fills, I was thinking about getting another one in January, but I think I will pass. Right now I eat normally no vomiting or getting stuck or reflux and I still have good restriction and plus if I get more saline added I would not be able to enjoy eating with my husband at our favorite restaurants on weekends, I want my life to be as normal as possible at this stage in the game at almost 7 years I am thankful that I don't have complications. I would rather to have *some* restriction to help me rather than too much and cause band slippage or erosion and then be left with nothing. 

I still wear a size 12 and I am getting older now and I don't want to be too thin, I wear normal size clothing and I can enjoy my life and wear cute clothes and my husband like me with a little meat on my bones, he said when he met me I was a bit too thin and he tells me I look more healthy now especially in the face, I am not getting paid to be a size 4  nor do I wish to be a fashion model, so I have no desire to get any thinner.

I am happily maintaining my weight loss and I am grateful for my health and If I want to eat yummy treats and sweets I can enjoy it with no side effects and I very grateful for my health and my banded life.

My older sister had her stomach stapled back in the 80s similar to the Sleeve, and I saw what she went through daily with all her vomiting and stomach pain and that scared me away from getting any surgery that would staple my stomach. But I wish you well and very uneventful journey.