lap band or bypass? I want healthy kids!

hey yall,
ok so im brand new to oh and this is my first time doing a blog thing. So here it goes...

For a while i have been doing research and going to seminars trying to learn as much as i could about surgical weight loss. After learning about the surgeries, i chose lap band. reason being is because i want to have kids in about a year or 2.(depends on when my surgery will be set for) and throughout my research i found that lap band is better for when you have kids.
just last week i met with a new dr and he said that bypass is whats gonna be better for me. so now im really confused. i have books telling me one thing and this particular dr telling me another. and all i want is to have kids!!! healthy kids at that!! from yalls experience which is better? lap band or bypass?

Just so you know i am also border line diabetic and have pcos.

Thanks yall,
Jennifer

I am all for bypass! I can say that I did not have the will power to diet and lose weight before wls and when they did my surgery they didn't operate on my brain so I knew the lap band wouldn't do what I needed and that was prevent me from eating the wrong things (for the most part) and also prevent me from over eating in general. The lap band only prevents the over eating and you can eat your way thru the band because you are able to physically eat the bad things still w/ out getting sick. (Or at least that's my understanding.) I was a "heavy weight" also which is another reason I went w/ bypass. I think the lap band is much better for those w/ a smaller amount of weight to lose. I needed to lose a total of 250 lbs and at 9 mo post op as of today and 7 mo pregnant I have lost 156 lbs total. My pregnancy was a surprise and we did all we could to avoid it but even w/ being pregnant I think I have done great w/ my weight loss and I can honestly say I don't feel deprived in any way! Granted I should NOT have gotten pregnant so early post op baby and I are doing wonderfully and I have had zero complications up to this point. Baby is measuring at a perfect size and all is well. I take a lot of vitamins and eat a lot of protein etc etc but it's not overwhelming. I think for many reasons bypass is the best way to go! Good luck in your wls journey!

-Ashlie

I too am an RNYer and I am almost 10 weeks pregnant with my first child. THere isn't a surgery that is healthier for the baby as far as I know. What matters is that a healthy mom is best for a healthy baby!

I was 327 pounds the day of my consult and am down about 140 pounds now. I also have never felt deprived but I need that "Control" that the gastric bypass gives me. I can't eat sugar or I get violently ill, I can't eat too much fat or I am spending a lot of time in the bathroom, I also have the restriction on the amount of food I can eat. Even at almost 3 years out I can barely eat a whole slice of pizza.

Either surgery is a totally new way of life - protein first, then fruits and veggies and whole grain carbs last. No one does anything to your brain so it is re-learning how to eat all over again - this time the right way.

I was told at my consult that if you have around 50 pounds to loose the band could be the best option for you but if you have 100+ to loose RNY, VSG, DS or one of the other surgeries is the best bet for you.

Wishing you all the best on your journey!

Oh and either way most Drs reccomend 12-24 months before you TTC so you are as healthy and stable as possibly for the pregnancy.

Liz

I had lap band and lost 102 pounds before getting pregnant. My doctor said I had to wait 18 month before getting pregnant and I did. I think from what I have read RYN is the same wait. I have to take extra B-12 and a chewable vitamin. The B-12 is because I lost weight so quickly.  The one thing I love and hate about the band is I have no absorption issue, which can be good and bad. My surgeon wanted me to do gastric but I knew what I had researched and knew what I was comfortable with. Ultimately it is up to you.

If you have borderline diabetes, and PCOS, honestly, I think that Roux en Y or Duodenal Switch would be the surgery for you. Many people have had these surgeries, and have gone on to have healthy babies after they stabilize. RNY basically cured my PCOS, and I'm currently 17 weeks pg.

We are in the same area! PM me if you have any questions...

I have the lap band and I love it and am so glad I chose that. However, I think RNY is a great tool as well for many people. Either way, with proper prenatal care, I think you can have healthy children. If you have weight related conditions many times the doctor will recommend RNY cause you typically lose faster and can get your conditions taken care of quicker, but it's possible to do that with the lap band too. It's a personal decision and I would talk more with your doc. I lost weight really fast with the lap band, 120 lbs since Feb and am now just about 5 weeks pregnant. Whatever you decide, healthy children can come from either surgery.

I say if you have 100 or more lbs to lose RNY is the best choice. I had diabetes and PCOS and it has cure both almost instantly. And after  9 years of infertility I am 32 weeks pregnant. I had even tried fertility drugs in the past and they never worked. The RNY cuts down your chance of cheating. The decision is yours of course but if it were me I would choose RNY. I originally wanted which ever surgery was gonna be best for mwe and after talking to my surgeon it was the RNY. Good luck with whatever you decide. P&PT's.

I am also an RNYer from 2 and 1/2 years ago.  I have a 18 mo old little boy, fantastic pregnancy, and since it was my fourth child I had three horrible ones to compare it to from when I was fat and  diabetic.  I am now pregnant with triplets.  Have some iron issues this time but doctors are testing my blood frequently and keeping on top of it.

My sister had lap band.  She has not had her diabetes leave like I did and she recently had her second child since the lap band.  She had lost 120 lbs and has gained back 90 lbs of it during the two pregnancies.  She is desperately trying to lose the weight but here it is 10 months out and she has had no loss.

I have two other family relatives with lap band surgery and both had eventual failure of the weight loss due to other difficulties ranging from slippage, scar tissue build up, port flipping, etc, etc.  One sister had allergies to the lap band material and had to have it completely removed.

I personally would NEVER do lap band, which is exactly why I went for the RNY.  I love my surgery, my results, and my health improvement.

Take the experiences as just experiences but DO take this away from my message.  Having healthy children after RNY is TOTALLY possible.

Just another point of view here: have you considered a sleeve (VSG)?  You'll have the restriction like you'd have with the band (but most likely with far less fuss and complications), and you'll still absorb all your nutrients like you would with a lap-band.  Don't get me wrong, even though the lap-band failed for me (serious infection), I am not anti-band.  It's just that having had both now, I feel like the VSG has been a lot better of a surgery in my personal experience.  No fills, no trying to find the right level of restriction, etc.  And interestingly enough, like a number of other VSG people, I actually do sort of dump when I eat too much sugar (probably because my body just isn't used to eating large quantities of sugar any more).  So I can't cheat much even if I wanted to.

Not trying to turn this into the "my surgery is better than your surgery" situation at all, but just be aware that the sleeve COULD be another option.  And more and more insurance companies are approving it daily.

I know that having healthy kids was one of my main concerns when having this surgery.  That's largely why I chose the VSG.  But it wasn't the only reason.  I also didn't have all that much weight left to lose when I had the VSG - I was sort of a light weight for a RNY.  So look at your total situation: if you have diabetes, or NEED to get the weight off pronto because your immediately mortality is at risk, I'd recommend the RNY too.  But if you are a little more patient and willing to work at it a bit (like you do with all WLS), you might want to consider the sleeve as an option.

Good luck!

Cheers!

~Katherine

I went through my surgeon's entire program to get the LapBand, took almost 9 months to finally complete, and in the end, got the Gastric Bypass instead at my surgeon's excessive urging! I had more weight to loose and a couple of co-morbid conditions caused from obesity. She also thought I would struggle with the drive to control my poor habbits and really wanted me to re-consider and go with the bypass because of this. It took some major soul searching as I was completely turned off by the bypass, but I ended up trusting her and going with it. It was the absolute BEST decision for me! I'm two years out, down 130lbs, and am 11 weeks pregnant with my 2nd post-surgery baby! I had my 1st post-surgery baby way too soon, but everything turned out well and he's the happiest and healthiest little man there is! And Mamma is pretty darn healthy now too! Hope that helps

Darcy