I can't believe it (x-post)
I was denied the VSG and last week we submitted for a bypass thinking it was my only option. But being faced with rerouting of organs and malabsorption I started thinking about the band, when what I really want is restriction.
See in my case I weight 330 and want to ONLY lose a certian amount of weight. Im 6ft 7in tall and have always been large. I weighed 260 in 9th grade. I played college football. If I only lost 60, or 70, or 80 lbs and it was permanent weight loss then I would be perfectly fine with that.
I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE TOO MUCH WEIGHT because at my height, if I weighed 200 lbs I think i would look silly.
I think the lapband is safer to preform and is easier to preform since there is minimal cutting and not cutting of organs and recovery time will be less.
Please chime in here and tell me if I am nuts.
I never wanted a foreign instrument in my body but have decided that is way better than having my organs rerouted and being faced with malabsorption.
See in my case I weight 330 and want to ONLY lose a certian amount of weight. Im 6ft 7in tall and have always been large. I weighed 260 in 9th grade. I played college football. If I only lost 60, or 70, or 80 lbs and it was permanent weight loss then I would be perfectly fine with that.
I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE TOO MUCH WEIGHT because at my height, if I weighed 200 lbs I think i would look silly.
I think the lapband is safer to preform and is easier to preform since there is minimal cutting and not cutting of organs and recovery time will be less.
Please chime in here and tell me if I am nuts.
I never wanted a foreign instrument in my body but have decided that is way better than having my organs rerouted and being faced with malabsorption.
No matter what surgery you have it is just a tool and will give whatever you put into it. That being said the band will require more WORK from you. The other surgeries have components that will remove the sensation of physical hunger do to cutting or removing sections of your stomach. The band has no such component so it is 100% you. The band from what I have been told will require more maintanence as far as fills and such, and it is much easier to eat around the band.
The bypass will allow you to drop weight fast but your body will typically lose quickl until it reaches the weight that IT feels best for you wether or not this is your goal weight is a completely different story. How much weight does your surgeon feel you should lose? One way you can work the bypass, is when you reach your goal you ca enter maintanence to slow or stop your weightloss, this is as simple as eating more calories, but still making them calories that count. Other things you can do is workout. Start early and work on weights not just for toning and such but bulk up. A 220 pound guy that has 20 pounds of muscle looks totally different than the same guy at 200 pounds, while physically you may be the same sizes and such you will fill out different.
Last if you want the VSG then fight for it. Just because you were denied doesn't mean you can't make a case and appeal the decision. Get with your surgeon and PCP and make a case on why the VSG is a better option for YOU! than the other WLS surgeries. Include stats in your appeal on things such as time to lose weight, long term success, and lifetime maintenence, also include the fact that you don't want a foreign object in your body due to chance of slipage and such. Besure ot include all the negative aspects you feel you want to avoid from the band by getting the sleeve, things like slipage and such.
Sell your case and you may be suprised. However if you have comorbidities such as Diabetes High Blood Pressure or High Cholesterol then be prepared for them to make a case on why bypass is the preffered surgery.
Good Luck
The bypass will allow you to drop weight fast but your body will typically lose quickl until it reaches the weight that IT feels best for you wether or not this is your goal weight is a completely different story. How much weight does your surgeon feel you should lose? One way you can work the bypass, is when you reach your goal you ca enter maintanence to slow or stop your weightloss, this is as simple as eating more calories, but still making them calories that count. Other things you can do is workout. Start early and work on weights not just for toning and such but bulk up. A 220 pound guy that has 20 pounds of muscle looks totally different than the same guy at 200 pounds, while physically you may be the same sizes and such you will fill out different.
Last if you want the VSG then fight for it. Just because you were denied doesn't mean you can't make a case and appeal the decision. Get with your surgeon and PCP and make a case on why the VSG is a better option for YOU! than the other WLS surgeries. Include stats in your appeal on things such as time to lose weight, long term success, and lifetime maintenence, also include the fact that you don't want a foreign object in your body due to chance of slipage and such. Besure ot include all the negative aspects you feel you want to avoid from the band by getting the sleeve, things like slipage and such.
Sell your case and you may be suprised. However if you have comorbidities such as Diabetes High Blood Pressure or High Cholesterol then be prepared for them to make a case on why bypass is the preffered surgery.
Good Luck
Paul C.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
Wow...I can see all sides on this one. I can see you being successful using all 3 surgeries. The Lap Band is ideal for someone who needs to lose about 70-80 pounds. The VSG is good since you don't have a lot you need to lose. The RNY would be successful also and you would reach goal in about 6 months. With RNY as you get near goal, you can add a bit more complex carbs and wouldn't have to drop down near or below 200 pounds. Go with what feels right...but you are one of those few cases (about 1-2%) that all 3 surgeries would work and should be successful with. Just my 2 cents...
Is paying for the VSG yourself even a remote possibility? My surgeon offers a "one-price" option for the surgery, pre- and post-surgical care and follow-up (including nutritional counseling and follow-up visits for life) for those who are self-pay. They also offer financing options. For a while, I was considering going that route, because my insurance would not cover the VSG, and it's what I initially wanted to do. After consulting with my WLS, however, I decided that the RNY procedure was better for me, and of course my insurance would pay for it with no problems.
Please do your research on the band, in this forum and elsewhere. There are people who have remarkable success with the band, just as there are people who fail with the RNY or VSG procedures. However, the statistics are what they are, and your odds of losing the weight you want to lose are lower with the band, and your odds of complications requiring follow-up surgery are higher, and a surprising percentage of band patients wind up having the band removed some time down the road.
During my surgeon's initial information session, someone asked the question "What if I lose all I want to lose, but then can't stop losing?" My surgeon's response was "I can absolutely, positively promise you that you can stop the weight loss - regardless of what procedure you have - and stabilize." He went on to explain that by increasing the amount of carbs in the diet, you can change the total caloric intake without changing the amount of food, so even the most restrictive procedures can be worked around. (By the way, he also cautioned us at the same time that we could also sabotage our successful weight loss even after surgery by NOT following the prescribed diet, which would result in weight regain, potentially back to the starting weight or even above it.)
So, if I were you, I would not be overly concerned about losing more weight than I wanted to... It's been my experience that gaining weight is not all that hard. ;-)
Please do your research on the band, in this forum and elsewhere. There are people who have remarkable success with the band, just as there are people who fail with the RNY or VSG procedures. However, the statistics are what they are, and your odds of losing the weight you want to lose are lower with the band, and your odds of complications requiring follow-up surgery are higher, and a surprising percentage of band patients wind up having the band removed some time down the road.
During my surgeon's initial information session, someone asked the question "What if I lose all I want to lose, but then can't stop losing?" My surgeon's response was "I can absolutely, positively promise you that you can stop the weight loss - regardless of what procedure you have - and stabilize." He went on to explain that by increasing the amount of carbs in the diet, you can change the total caloric intake without changing the amount of food, so even the most restrictive procedures can be worked around. (By the way, he also cautioned us at the same time that we could also sabotage our successful weight loss even after surgery by NOT following the prescribed diet, which would result in weight regain, potentially back to the starting weight or even above it.)
So, if I were you, I would not be overly concerned about losing more weight than I wanted to... It's been my experience that gaining weight is not all that hard. ;-)
The type of surgery someone chooses is such an individual choice. Study .. Study.. Study.. Learn all you can about every type of surgery possible. Talk to a few surgeons who offer more than just one type of surgery. You are the one who has to live with it and you know your food history better than anyone.
For me.. I was and still am a compulsive overeater. My RNY makes me pay if I eat a lot of sugary foods. I still get nauseous and sleepy. Not pleasant.
But I think I have the kind of personality that might have tried to "cheat" the lap band and slip some milk shakes past it.
I have to take lots of minerals and nutrients in pill form every day. But it's working for me.
Good luck whatever you decide.
For me.. I was and still am a compulsive overeater. My RNY makes me pay if I eat a lot of sugary foods. I still get nauseous and sleepy. Not pleasant.
But I think I have the kind of personality that might have tried to "cheat" the lap band and slip some milk shakes past it.
I have to take lots of minerals and nutrients in pill form every day. But it's working for me.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Max wt. 500+ WLS workshop 4/6/09 440 Surgery 9/21/09 324 9/21/10 218
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