New, questions on Realize Band vs. VSG

Hello, I hope you don't mind me jumping into your forum to ask a few questions.  I attended a seminar about gastric surgery a few months ago.  At the seminar I thought I was all for the sleeve.  I then discovered that my insurance would not cover the sleeve.  Since I would like to have a baby my doctor suggested lap-band.  I accepted that but was worried because I have had aquaintances tell me that with lap-band food is always backed up in your esophagus or to think twice about it because everything I eat for the rest of my life will have to be able to fit through the opening of a straw.

Today, I was very excited to learn my insurance will now cover the sleeve, so I have been reading about it and don't know for sure how I feel about the long term results. 

Does anyone have any opinions to offer?

Misc info that may influence advice--- I am 31, 5' 4, 210 and have been "okayed" by my surgeon due to HTN, Sleep apnea and PCOS.

Thanks so much!

aquaintances tell me that with lap-band food is always backed up in your esophagus

Food is not always backed up in your esophagus...in fact that should be avoided at all costs.  Being too tight and eating more than 1/2 to 1 cup of food at a meal will cause food to back up and is a cause of esophageal dilation, one of the reasons for band failure.
If you are to be successful with the band, you must be very compliant with the guidelines given to you by your surgeron, and don't get too tight.  I have only 3 cc and am limited in what foods I can eat (some just don't go down) and I can eat about 3/4 cup of food.  You will be able to eat socially, because so many "party foods and appetizers" are slider foods.
Do the research and make a firm commitment to your future health and children...you won't lose 3-4 lbs per week, but will lose about 1-2 lbs if you exercise regularly.
Good luck to you!

Hello

If a banded person feels like or has food backed up in their esophagus then they are wayyyy overeating.  They will likely lose their band and their esophagus might get permanetly damaged if they keep that up.  You do have to be careful with your chewing (make sure you chew thoroughly) and eat slowly.  But that is something they say all people should do if you want to lose weight, because it takes our bodies 20-30 minutes to register fullness.  So if you eat too fast, you tend to over eat...and that goes for all people. 
I do disagree with the comments some of the people made about the band but here are some of things I don't like personally that has happened to me (and might not happen to you)

It took me over a year of fills before I had decent restriction.  So basically you are on your own till your band will work for you.  In the meantime I was losing weight really, really slowly..sometimes no weight loss at all for a few months.

My weight loss has been very slow.  With the band you lose at a slower rate.

I have trouble eating some things that are healthy for me- white chicken, raw fruit for example
 

I also got really tired of coming in every month for a fill (getting time off from work)...and a copay for each visit made it expensive too.  I knew this was something I would have to do but I guess I didn't realize how much I would hate it after awhile. 

Also, if you are needle-phobic think twice.  I am not and it doesn't hurt.

 

 

I agree with much of what the previous posters have already said. The acquaintances that say food is always backed up in your esophagus are full of beans. Either they don't have a band themselves and are repeating hearsay or, if they have a band, it is either overfilled or they are eating too fast/too much (or all of the above). A properly adjusted band does not cause food to back up.

Don't worry too much about food having to fit through a straw. With a band, food has to be chewed thoroughly so there are no large pieces. You will have to say good-bye to gulping food down without even tasting it. Anything solid must be chewed first. This really isn't too much of a burden and I find I'm being more adventuresome in my cooking since I'm enjoying the tastes so much. Rather than stuffing myself with large quantities of high-fat/high-carb foods I buy more quality proteins like seafood, pork tenderloin and boneless chicken breasts. Since I'm eating less food, I haven't noticed my grocery bill increasing due to buying better foods.

It can take a long time to reach the proper restriction on your band. Ask your surgeon how often you'll have to come back for fills. Mine had me come in about once a month at first but now we're at 2 months between fills. While you are striving to reach the "sweet spot" of a properly restrictive band you will essentially be dieting. The band will not be doing much to limit the amount of food you can eat.

One of the most shocking things I've learned since getting banded is how little food my body actually requires! I always ate until I was full (actually, I was stuffed but I didn't know that was different from full), usually a large dinner plate completely covered with food. I've stopped using my dinner plates and now eat off of a salad plate. I'm probably consuming less than 1/4 of the volume I used to consume and I'm better nourished for it. I have 3 meals and a snack every day and am satisfied. I was scared to death of the idea of only eating 1/2 cup of food but it turns out to be plenty.

The important thing to remember is that all bariatric surgery options are just tools. They all work when the guidelines for that particular type of surgery are followed. They all can fail if you refuse to follow the guidelines. No one surgery is "best" for everybody. If it were, the insurance companies would only cover that type of surgery. Do your research and talk at length with the surgeon before making your decision. One of the best things I did was to attend support group meetings months before my surgery to get an idea of what to expect and what issues could be encountered by "real" people who had already had the surgery.

You never want food to be backed up in your esophagus – band or no band. So that assertion is a falsity.

With that all said, the big question I think you want to know is either go with a sleeve or band. While I am very happy with my band, and I would recommend to anyone, I always tell folks to go with their first choice.

FOR ME I rather have the operation I wanted, and fail – then to fail with an procedure I didn’t want, and always question “would I have been successful if I had the operation I really wanted …".

And I always say, if for some reason I would ever need to have the band removed, I would go to a sleeve with no hesitation.  

Of course there are other factors involved: your current medical condition; your ultimate goal(s); your eating habits (very important); etc. You need to discuss this VERY FRANKLY with your Doctor. Remember, none of these operations are a 100% cure-all and/or successful. YOU WILL NEED TO WORK WITH ANY OF THESE TOOLS!!  

Just know, no matter what procedure you decide – I will be willing to help you along your journey. I have many bariatric “siblings" – all with difference procedures, who I can always call upon.  

Good luck on your journey!!

Food is NOT always backed up in the esophagus, however there are LOTS of other problems associated with the band!

Please research completely before you make a decision. Check on the revision forum. See what most ppl are revising FROM! There must be a reason for that..........right?

Also this article by the ASMBS basically states that the band is very ineffective!

www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/20919