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

The old stomach stapling made a little pouch and used a ring on the stomach.  Not like the sleeve at all.  Yes I know 2 people with that and they could not eat normal food without puking - pretty horrible!

Certainly not trying to convince you that the sleeve is the best surgery at all but I just feel the need to be clear. Not once have I vomited, had any form of reflux (not on any PPI) or any food adversions (cross my heart!).  I have however had one episode early out where my glucose level dropped due to eating blondies saturated in butter and sugar (my boss makes these ).  I would not have known but because my family is plagued with diabetes (I am not diabetic) I have a moniter at home and checked.  I didn't have a crazy reaction puking and pooping and doubled over - I just felt a little dizzy.

Anyways the answer was what it always was "stay away from simple carbs".  What can happen with the sleeve is rapid gastric emptying.  Example:  I ate this discusting brownie all sugar laden so my pancreas releases this insulin to accomadate my overwhelming selection  . . . well the response is too late it passed through my stomach faster than the insulin shot off and bang boom I've got too much insulin and my blood sugar dips lower than usual.  I don't think my body does that anymore - I hadn't had anything sugar/fat laden and it was in shock.  Lesson learned!

You know I did not hate my band (I loved it when it worked).  It didn't work the first couple of years then it did, then it didn't.  When it didn't it was heartbreaking.  My esphogus was no match for the band.  But I did not have a horrifying experience  . . . very traumatizing NOT horrifying.  If my band still worked I would have kept it.  I did want to be re-banded.  I did want to have a plication.  Those turned out to be 2 bad options that I had the opportunity to take (remember I  was on the OR table to have my band removed and a sleeve plication). Anything that would save my stomach.  Now I am as happy as a fly in poop with my little stomach.  I am so glad I decided on the gastrectomy.

I will say that there is no way that I could have afforded to maintain my band without my very good insurance.  I had so many tests, a second surgery, doc visits up the ying yang.  Wow.  So for the original poster I would not choose the band.  Just my co-pays and out of network payments for the surgical teams kept my pockets a bit empty.  You've got to be well equipped or you are just setting yourself up.  It is horrible to hear someone has kept so tight or ran across issues because they couldn't pay to get unfilled or the office was too far away and they couldn't afford to get there and pay.

We pay big to have issues with our weight in every form.  Don't know what my life will be like in 10 years or 20 or 30 or 40???  Right now my quality if life is so good and I embrace that, that's all that we can do.

I pray you get to keep your band forever as I would have if I did not have issues.

Happy holidays!  I am glad you found love and are happily married too!

Oops my whole point was that people who have WLS and rely solely on their surgeries to do all the work or most of the work for them end up failing their surgeries in the long run.  No WLS has a free ride and if one thinks so a couple of years down the line they will find themselves exactly back where they've started or probably in a worse state. 

It is our duty to exercise (especially if we can) and eat right for nourishment.  No one should have surgery if they are not willing to work for long term success.

I love my band but if I were self pay I would get the sleeve. Bands are fickle and each fill and unfill cost $$.

Hi,

I've had both and self paid for both.

For me I would NEVER have a band again and am very happy to lose part of my stomach to live a healthier and happier life.

Wish I would have had the sleeve first but like most who get the band I also thought the band was a safer surgery and reversible. Well congratulations to me! Why did I think I wanted something reversible after being fat almost all my life.

VERY happy with the sleeve it is a miracle and NOT AT ALL anything like a band.

Good luck with what ever you choose.

I was in your position 3.5 years ago. I went with the sleeve. no regrets !!!

Did not want to have to deal with the after care band finances.

When insurance isn't paying for the Band I would also take into consideration any costs as far as fills and unfills for the next several years.  In addition while some LOVE their band, others DETEST their's and it's given them NOTHING but trouble.  As a self pay what IF you are the later and have problems how will you pay for that?

I almost got the band because initially I didn't want to remove a "perfectly good" part of my body.  But in reality my oversized stomach was doing NOTHING but helping me slowly kill myself.  I did the research and found millions of people actually live lives without a stomach or partial stomach as partial and full gastrectomies have been done for the last 50 years relating to ulcers and stomach cancer.  That knowledge helped me live with my decision.  The WORST thing I have seen as it relates to the VSG is the inability of some to lose ALL the weight.  I'd take that ANY day before the worst I've seen with the Band.

Best of luck with your decision.

Ms Shell

I'd go sleeve all the way!

I went with the band because my insurance didn't cover the sleeve in 2009.  It does now.

Anyway, as a self pay, the most important thing to consider is aftercare.  The clinic I go to now charges $250 per adjustment.  I got gastritis and my band clamped down, so I couldn't even swallow my own saliva.  I've been to the ER twice for this.  Anyway, it cost me $2000 out of pocket to cover the ER visit, as this stuff never seems to happen during normal working hours!!!  

I've had 9 fills, 1 unfill and 2 ER emergency unfills due to gastritis or being overfilled by the doc.

You definitely need to consider the financial aspect of after care.  Some people never need a fill at all.  Others need dozens.  You won't know which group you'll be in until after you're banded and figure it out for yourself.  Then it's kinda too late if you fall in the need lots of fills and it still doesn't work right.

I've heard from a lot of the band to VSG revision crew that the sleeve feels the way they expected the band to.  The restriction thing that can be so elusive. 

That the band is adjustable can be a blessing . . . or a curse.  Both health wise and financially!

I have had both and for me the sleeve is the hands down winner. My quality of life has been far more normal with the sleeve and my weight loss results have been way better with the sleeve.

I think the band is a particularly poor choice for self-payers because there is so much cost associated with the fills. And there is nothing sadder than reading a post on here from a self-pay who is having problems with his/her band, but cannot afford the follow-up care or surgery for repair/replacement/removal. I would not wish that situation on anyone.

Even some of the most successful bandsters, even some of those posting to you in this thread, have required 60 or more fills/unfills in their journey or required a follow-up surgery for repair/replacement.

Some studies show as many as 50% of bandsters opting for removal by 5-10 years out. If you decide to try the band, I would just make sure you maintain a band emergency fund so that you will never find yourself in the situation where you are unable to afford a removal if needed.

Some people do view cutting part of your stomach out as drastic but...if my appendix ruptured, I'd have that sucker removed. If I had cancer that could be excised, I'd get it cut the heck out. And if my stomach was killing me via morbid obesity, then hey, why not cut that thing down to size?

Best of luck in your decision!
Lindsey

Only waste your money on the band if you have enough for a second surgery to the sleeve! I can't tell you how many people have had to revise from the band to one of the other surgeries and many of those have been to the sleeve. I personally wouldn't waste so much as one penny on a band and regret every day that I got one!!! So save your self the pain and heartbreak of the band and get a successful surgery to begin with like the sleeve.

Not in a million years or a million dollars.  I am a RnY revision from the band after a slip that nearly cost me my life.  As several other folks have stated, budget for fills and emergency surgery in case of a slip or other very common band related problems.  In my case the emergency surgery to remove cost more than the original band surgery.  With the cost of the original band, emergency removal of the band, revision to RnY, and the cost of 5 years of fills/unfills I'm nearing $70,000 dollars for not selecting the correct surgery at first.  You can't put a price on the emotional turmoil caused by the band...not for me, my husband and my loved ones.