Gastric Sleeve vrs Lap Band please HELP!!!!

I had my mind made up to have the Gastric Sleeve but after talking to my psychologist she think I will do better with the Lap Band. I want to lose 170 lbs. She thinks I can lose 210 lbs. by having the band, she said" because it will give me restrictions over a period of time, the sleeve doesn't." Do you have any regret getting the band or you happy with the decision you made Please tell me. I have to make my final decision in April I'm looking to have my WLS in June!!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply.

HAPPY WEIGHT LOSS

I had the band, had it removed and now have the sleeve.

What qualifies your psychologist to make that decision for you?  Do they have experience with either?  I wouldn't listen to any choice my psychologist, that Ok'ed me for surgery, made (and he did)  I do however listen and respect my therapist as she has has WLS and attends seminars and such and even the OH convention.

That said I had the band first, as many on the sleeve board have.  The Lap band is NOT a good choice for you!  Even the manufacture has come out and said it is a limited product.  Many here start having problems at 3-5 years and most have them removed.  I was part of one of the studies on the band and they only followed us for 3 years, the time when things go wrong.  Please don't let your psychologist talk you out of the sleeve for the band.  Now at 170-120, I would expect them to try to talk you into a DS.  But, as the psychologist suggested the band, I have to believe they feel you will do good with restriction only and that makes the VSG your WLS of choice.

Check out the failed band group and the band to sleeve groups if you would like more information.

First off, psychologists aren't bariatric experts....it's rare to see someone lose 210 lb with any purely restrictive surgery, but extremely rare with just a Lapband.   The band requires a lot of follow up care, monthly checks in the first 6 months, fills, unfills and for at least 50%, eventual removal and resultant damage that may keep you from revising to another type of WL surgery.

please don't get a band...

Stephanie I appreciate that you posted your honest and true opinion. Honest and true opinions are what help others make informed decisions about their procedures preop and postop. 

Be guided by your doctor! Although maybe not by a psychologist!

No surgery is perfect. On here we have a lot of very disillusioned (understandably) and physically damaged ex-band people. On another very well known US surgery board, there is a board devoted to VSG complications. The revisions board on here often has lots of people with bypass wanting to revise. A good friend of mine has the sleeve and immediately developed severe reactive hypoglycaemia. She is now almost a year post-op and is made miserable by constant, painful hunger. And she has to live with this.

But many sleeved people are very happy and successful. There are also many very successful and happy banded people, I know many in real life, including myself.

Read widely but take the advice of your doctor. If you don't trust them, you shouldn't be letting them operate on you!

please note, this is a copy of a post I wrote a few weeks ago.

I gave you a big long answer on the main forum but will add a bit more here. Your psych is NOT the person to listen to unless she herself has accomplished that because I don't know anyone with a band who has. It is very rare to lose 100 lbs with a band, only a select few have accomplished that. The best the manufacturer will attest to is 50% of excess weight "can" be lost, not that you will lose it but that you may lose it. Why would you only want to lose 1/2 your weight? Most surgeons feel if you have over 100 lbs to lose you should have a different surgery like the sleeve where you actually have a chance of losing all your excess weight. If you have 200 lbs to lose you might want to also look at the DS it is even better than the sleeve for weight loss and leaves your pyloris in tact, which is an important thing also as opposed to the RNY which doesn't.

One important thing to remember with all these surgeries is that you still have to diet and exercise, it is not a magic pill type surgery but if you work them (except the band) you can lose great amounts of weight. It is still a life long commitment with any of them, you can't lose weight and then go back to old ways or they will all fail. Good luck to you!

I have the Lap Band and want it out asap.  It was put in in 2007 and although I did manage to lose 79 pounds in the first 2 years, a severe complication cause me to want it out.  And the weight loss, even tho I was a faithful to the program, was due more to persistent vomiting than the band doing it's job. 

I DID however, learn so very much about how we eat, how we SHOULD eat and many other very valuable things.  But I would never again advise anyone to get the band or verticle banding.

Read more, and more, and more about the band and all other options.  DO NOT ALLOW anyone to tell you which to choose without guidance from the surgeon. 

You are only allowed, with most insurances here in the states, 1 bariatric surgery in a lifetime.  Make an informed choice.

Good luck.

I thought I was the only one who felt this way about the band. I'm just grateful that I realize it for what it is now instead of years from now. Some nurses actually have the nerve to advise you to wait it out even though you're sure the band disagrees with your body. They actually would rather you wait until the band erodes into your stomach or until your esophagus swells. I don't understand that. Thank you for your post.

I was banded almost 6 days ago so I am fresh to all of this. I had been wanting the band for several years prior to surgery. One year out, I also battled with sleeve vs. band. The only reason I opted for the band is because I had more time to become comfortable with my decision to have the band knowing it was reversible if my body disagreed with it. Now I regret it with every breath in my body. This foreign object in my body is obstructing my airways and I am in pain every single day. Every single day has been uncomfortable. I'm in no way mourning the loss of food. I am mourning being comfortable and free of pain. With the sleeve (although it's permanent) your body will eventually heal and there will be no foreign objects inside of you choking you and clawing at your esophagus and chest! Bands work for some people. But I am simply not one of them. I was so afraid of losing 2/3rds of my stomach forever that I chickened out and reverted back to the band the day before the surgery. However, talk to your surgeon because they can modify and make your remaining pouch larger to accommodate you long term with the sleeve. But to live long term fearing choking on fruits with skin (grapes, apples & even stringy pineapples)? Doesn't seem like a wise choice looking back. To live long term fearing choking on any food or vomiting in public places or in private was not a wise choice for me. I can be bulimic all by myself. I don't need the band for that. Please take every single day and think about your choice. Although one is reversible and one is not, one may truly be worth the surgery and one can simply be a mistake. No one has ever had the band removed and didn't regain the weight. VSG is where my my mind is but I am definitely taking my time about making the decision this time. Don't do anything until you are 100% ready and confident. Good luck with everything! :-)

I have been following these posts and you sound like a troll, you just joined today? And you got your band 6 days ago? And you know so much about the Sleeve and choking on food with the band? I don't buy it and I hope this smart person who wrote this post don't buy it either.

You sound like someone who had already had the band a long time and had a very bitter experience with it, that's unfortunate.