sleeve vs. lapband????

I am def going to have wls, I have been reading posts on this msg board since august and I am just trying to decide between lapband and the sleeve.  At first I was set on lapband, then the sleeve, now I am having a hard time deciding.  I am planning for feburary for surgery and just wanted some info from anyone who has had either and what it was like surgery,after surgery, time in hospital, weight loss, any complications.  I just really want to make the right decision.  My sister had rny and had problems with it after.  Five years later shes doing good but I dont think I want rny.  lapband and sleeve are the two I am interested in.  Lapband seems like its good because no cutting or stapling but then theres a chance of erosion the fills and that seems hard to come by in the us if you had surgery in mexico.  The sleeve seems like good weight loss no after fills but then it does involve cutting of the stomach so I just wanted to find out from others who have been there and can tell me what its like.  Im loving this msg board though, the best info is from those who have experienced it!!!   Thanks Jenn!!!!!!!!!

Hi Jenn...I haven't had the sleeve surgery to date, but it is my choice of surgeries...
I have been on this site for close to a year, and I have studied each surgery...I feel for me, the sleeve is the best choice...I just can't feel comfortable with any other in my spirit...
I have two friends that have had the RNY for one and the other the Band...They both had a lot of trouble with the two...My one friend that had the RNY passed away just a few months ago...He had problems from day one...My other friend that had the Band, had trouble, but
did lose around 80 pounds and then one day, had to have the band removed because of complications; she was very ill...She is doing good now, and is thinking of having the sleeve...
With all that said, There are a lot of people that has each of these surgeries and they do
well with each; no problems at all...and then, there are people that have the sleeve and they do very well and others that don't...

With all that I have read, studied, and heard from others that have had the sleeve; The sleeve is the safest of all the surgeries...That is an A+ in my view...!!

You are going to have to do what YOU FEEL is the best choice for you...What YOU are comfortable with...You will know...there will be NO doubt and NO question, if you have made the correct choice for you...you'll just know...it'll fit like an ole fuzzy pair of slippers, all comfy and cozy in your spirit...!!!

Blessings to you, as you search for the right choice for you, my friend...!!!

cyndy

I've had both, I'd never get another band.  I never suggest banding for self pay folks, it's just too expensive long term.

Here is something I wrote to someone else who was asking about band vs. sleeve... I'm going to copy and paste since I'm lazy. ;o)


>>I'm curious about the long term risks and complications you mention - besides the need for a replacement once every ten years or so?<<

Esophageal spasms (I had this)
Esophageal dilation
Esophageal motility issues (I have permanent damage due to the band)
Pouch dilation
Erosion
Slips
A slip causing necrosis of the stomach
Stoma spasms (I had this)
Port pain (I had this)
Port infections
Band intolerance (I had this)
Scar tissue begins growing on top of the stomach and under the band causing additional restriction that we don't necessarily want and even with an unfilled band you can have too much restriction and an inability to eat solid food.

Mechanical problems:
Tubing disconnected from the band
Tubing disconnected from the port
Port flips
Kinked tubing
Leaks throughout the band, tubing, or port

The ONLY way to fix a mechanical problem with the band is surgical.  Studies range from 30-50% of people need another surgery in the first five years to correct something with the band.

If you need your band surgically repositioned such as after a slip or if you have your band replaced for any reason your odds for a slip are 70% in the first couple of years after re-op.

Banding provides the slowest and the lowest weight loss of all procedures.  When I got a band I knew I'd have to work harder to lose and maintain than with a more drastic procedure and I was fine with that.  I was not fine with puking, sliming, foaming, and all the assorted ways to vomit.  I was prepared for it to be hard, but not that *kind* of hard.  The kind of hard that I had no control over.

>>With the sleeve, are the results still the same? I've spent 25 years overweight and while I'm not looking for a "quick fix", I really don't want something so drastic as surgery only to have it take years and years to actually loose a noticeable amount of weight.<<

No, the results are better with a sleeve.  You'd be surprised at just how NOT drastic a sleeve is.  It takes just a few minutes longer to do than a band and recovery is about the same as a band.

>>I am currently doing portion control and healthy eating and while I might lose a pound here or there, for the most part it's not doing a bloody bit of difference (SO frustrating). I know with the lap band that your portions become miniscule compared to what someone without the surgery would eat - is the sleeve the same?<<

Good questions, btw. ;o)

With a band absolutely everything affects restriction.  Everything.  Time of day, TOM, weather, humidity, altitude, stress and various emotions, food temp, types of food, swelling for unknown reasons, everything.  Anything can affect restriction.  When I was banded I was always one extreme or another.  I could either eat an entire porterhouse or I couldn't keep my own saliva down due to obstruction for unknown reasons.

With a sleeve most people report that restriction is about the same all the time.  I can eat 2.5oz of solid protein and that's it, I'm done.  No more food.  Or, I can eat about 5oz of soft foods such as tuna salad, refriend beans, etc.  No more of "Today I have restriction, yesterday I didn't."  I have restriction 100% of the time across the board.  One thing that does make a difference for me is that if I drink something ice cold before a meal I can eat about half what I usually would.  Other than that, it's the same all the time.

>>I'm also curious if there are medical conditions brought on by excess weight that will make having this surgery impossible?<<

Not that I can think of.  For the most part if you qualify for a band (medically) you'll qualify for a sleeve.

>>I have GERD and a hiatal hernia. I also have arthritis, bursitis among others. I'm curious if the hiatal hernia would affect whether it would be possible to get the surgery (whatever one I end up deciding on) or if the surgery actually fixes or lessens the effects of these conditions.<<

If your GERD is from your hiatal hernia (likely, most of us have HHs due to excess weight) then fixing the hernia gets rid of the GERD.  If your GERD is not from a HH then the only surgery type that will be safe for you is bypass.

Most of us have HHs and especially if you carry a lot of weight in your stomach.  Most surgeons fix HHs at the time of WLS.

Sleeves have no maintenance and aftercare.

Bands have maintenance and aftercare for life.

Bands have the lowest and slowest weight loss.

Bands are not forever.

If you want to do yourself a favor I'd suggest finding 5 people that have been banded for 10 years or longer.  Not someone that your friend heard of or your doctor told you about, YOU find these people and YOU talk to them.  See how they still like their band.  I'll bet you won't find anyone banded for 10 years or longer.  It's been around for at least 18 years for US citizens (we've been going to MX for WLS since at least the 70s) so they should be around, right? ;o)  Bet you won't find any.  I've been posting on WLS boards for 3 years and the longest I've found anyone that had a band was 9 years and she was contacting me to ask about a revision to a sleeve.

Revisions are big big big business for WLS surgeons.  They are doing tons of them.

Never listen to a newbie about how much they love their surgery types.  They are in the honeymoon stage and they all love their WLS type and their surgeons.  At about 6 months they start getting more realistic and realize it isn't their surgeon that is doing the work to get the weight off, it's them.  But they still love their surgery type.

For bands at about 12 months out they are having problems but the scale is moving so they'll live with it.  At 18 months they are sick of the band problems and they are considering revisions.  At 24 months they are getting revisions.

There are some people posting here that have been banded 5-7 years and happy but not many.  They are certainly the minority.

Scan the band boards, scan the sleeve boards.  The band boards are all about not getting restriction, need another fill, getting stuck, dilated pouch, dilated esophagus, slow weight loss, etc.  Scan the sleeve boards, overall people are happy and losing well.  Sleeve people don't usually post long, they post before, during, and immediately after surgery.  Band people post for years trying to get support and information on how to overcome problems.

Just my experience.

Oh wow, thank you that is really good information.  The one thing I am a little worried about is having the sleeve involves removing part of your stomach and I am just scared its going to be horrible pain in recovery and for a while after.  I know there will be some pain and discomfort after any surgery which I have had surgery and two kids, one of them pretty much natural so i am not a total baby,lol, I just dont want to be in agony and then have to fly home.  Also how long  until you can go back to work after and what is after surgery like with the sleeve?? liquid diet, eating food, any aftercare of the incisions??? Thanks again, I really appreciate the info from those who have been thru it!!!!

I had the sleeve done about 15 mos ago and have had great success. 135 lbs lost and maintaining now for several months with no problems.
I had very little pain after surgery. I had surgery on Friday and was out of the hospital on Sunday and no pain meds once I left the hospital. I flew home on Monday and have had no problems post op. No problems with GERD, reflux or vomiting. Occassional constipation is as bad as it gets and Miralax easily takes care of that that.
I went back to work 10 days after surgery but could easily have gone back after a week (I do have a desk job).
I was on liquids for 2 weeks prior to surgery (not fun but not horrible either). I was on liquids a week or 2 after surgery (cannot remember exactly how long). No problems with the incisions and my PCP does my bloodwork periodically (3, 6, 12 mos) and it has been great each time.
I have had no problems with food and can eat about everything. I have been able to dirnk liquids and take pills since about 2 days post op.
Right now I take in 80-100 gms of protein daily and keep my carbs around 100 gms daily which seems to be working well for maintaining.
I cannot promise your experiece will mirror mine and I wish you an uneventful surgery and recovery.
Hope this helps

It isn't nearly as bad as you'd think.

My doc offers us the choice of a spinal block with general anesthesia.  Although you can move your legs in recovery the pain control lasts for a full day and it's the first day that it hurts.  If you opt to not have the spinal then you get morphine as needed.  Those with the block are up and walking the halls as soon as they get out of recovery and those with morphine are asleep. ;o)

The 2nd day you are sore but not true pain.  My doc keeps you in the hospital for three nights following surgery.  When I had mine there were people that were walking around the block the day before they were discharged and it was no big deal.

It's really honestly not what you would think.

Most people that I have seen go back to work in about a week.  Each doctor has their own post op diet.  Mine was 10 days of clears, 10 days of full liquids, and 10 days of soft foods.  Aftercare of the incisions was no big deal, I couldn't even see them.  They were subdermal sutures and they dissolved on their own.