LapBand Revision
Your starting stats are about where mine were. I thought that since I wasn't hundreds of pounds overweight, the more involved surgeries would be overkill. I was wrong. The lapband did very little for me. Luckily I did not have serious issues with it as many do. After fighting the band for three years, I decided to have revision surgery. I knew that I wanted this one to be the last, so I insisted on getting the one that has the best weight loss results. I had the DS two and a half months ago and I know that it will get me to where I need to be.
Mary
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.
Yeah that part is proving difficult. I've been all over this site checking everyone's profiles that have a band and no one has had it for more that 5 or 6 years. That tells me something right there. Even before I started talking to people about their bands I was worried about some of the complications attatched to the thing: flipped port, floating port, disconnected port, scar tissue building up around the band and/or port, slipping, erosion, GERD, sliming, band leakage, etc. But I was more attentive to the fact that it is minimally invasive, reversible, adjustable, and had minimal recovery time. Now that I've talked to people and have read some of their posts about the troubles they're having with the band I'm doubting that it's the best choice for me. So I'm rethinking my decision and looking more towards VSG.
Yeah that part is proving difficult. I've been all over this site checking everyone's profiles that have a band and no one has had it for more that 5 or 6 years. That tells me something right there. Even before I started talking to people about their bands I was worried about some of the complications attatched to the thing: flipped port, floating port, disconnected port, scar tissue building up around the band and/or port, slipping, erosion, GERD, sliming, band leakage, etc. But I was more attentive to the fact that it is minimally invasive, reversible, adjustable, and had minimal recovery time. Now that I've talked to people and have read some of their posts about the troubles they're having with the band I'm doubting that it's the best choice for me. So I'm rethinking my decision and looking more towards VSG.
Starting and current weight: 217
Height: 5'0" BMI: 42.1
Height: 5'0" BMI: 42.1
I had mine for 2.5 years. Worked fine for 1 year...then the nonstop vomiting and Gerd started. my port flipped twice, and my surgeon was very, very good. I am having rny revision in 3 weeks. I wish I would have done it in the first place. Don't do the band. The more I read, the more complications I read about after people have had it in for 2+ years...
Heather
Heather
After reading everyone's posts I have come to agree with you. I'm definitely counting the band out, for more than just the health risks, although they do play a major part in my decision. My husband is in the military and we move around a lot. I don't think it would be wise to have a surgery that requires as much upkeep as the band does. Thanks for all the advice and for sharing your stories. :]
Starting and current weight: 217
Height: 5'0" BMI: 42.1
Height: 5'0" BMI: 42.1
If you are moving around a lot the sleeve would be the most convenient. You wouldn't have to worry about finding a WLS surgeon if you were to need anything since many won't work with anyone they didn't do the original surgery. With a sleeve let's say you do have a problem down the road, you can go to any general surgeon, GI surgeon, OR bariatric surgeon. But long term there is just not a lot that can go wrong. Your PCP is the one that would draw annual labs and such.
Well, I don't think I can add anything that everyone else hasn't already said. I had my band in for five years....lost maybe 20 pounds during that whole time. It was always either too tight or too loose. Plus, I also learned that I was never a good candidate because of my type 2 diabetes. Turns out that I needed a malabsorptive surgery in the first place but no one ever bothered to share that information. My band surgeon made it seem like the lap band would cure all of my problems...NOT! I'm surprised that surgeons are even still doing the band. Most of the band surgeons are now revising to the sleeve. I had my band removed and revised to the RNY on September 21st. The weight loss is slow but it's more than it was with the band. Revisions are generally slower than if you get the RNY first. But, I guess it's a lesson learned! Do it right the first time, please do your research. You don't want to end up having to have two surgeries. Learn from our mistakes!
314 highest / 270 surgery / 196 cw / 149 goal
I have just revised to a DS. Feel free to read my profile to see what kind of lapbandhell I have lived thru. I have also worked at a bariatric clinic, so I have seen the worst of the worst of RNY, so I would never recommend that.
(Just an FYI before I go on, just in case you are unaware... The sleeve is the first part of the Duodenal Switch. They use to do the sleeve part on super obese patients, let them lose some weight, and then go back and do the intestinal part when it was "safer" for the patient. For a long time it was a two step process and then they figured out that some people did not need that second step... so now they have the sleeve as a stand alone procedure.)
Now back to topic:
My thought process is this: I would rather have the sleeve vs the lapband (no artificial parts left inside the body), and the DS over the RNY.
My reasoning:
If you have the sleeve and find you need the malabsorbtive part then they can go in and do the intestines to give you the full DS.
If you have the RNY and need to revise, then it becomes more dangerous. They can revise to a distal rny, but then you have the sucky "rules" of the pouch along with the intestinal issues that both RNYers and DSers have. If they convert from RNY to DS that becomes tricky because you have to rebuild the stomach and then convert to the sleeve part of the DS.
But if you have the sleeve converted to the DS you have the pleasure of eating like a normal person (as with the sleeve) and the bonus of the malabsorbtion.
So my recommendation is: Sleeve if you only want restriction and DS if you want to add in the malabsorbtion.
You will find that there are more lapband people converting because of problems with the device and low/no weight loss. You will find RNY people revising because of regain a few years out, and Sleeve people go for the full DS if they do not meet their weight loss goals...some people don't have to worry about the second step... but at least it is there if you need it.
(Just an FYI before I go on, just in case you are unaware... The sleeve is the first part of the Duodenal Switch. They use to do the sleeve part on super obese patients, let them lose some weight, and then go back and do the intestinal part when it was "safer" for the patient. For a long time it was a two step process and then they figured out that some people did not need that second step... so now they have the sleeve as a stand alone procedure.)
Now back to topic:
My thought process is this: I would rather have the sleeve vs the lapband (no artificial parts left inside the body), and the DS over the RNY.
My reasoning:
If you have the sleeve and find you need the malabsorbtive part then they can go in and do the intestines to give you the full DS.
If you have the RNY and need to revise, then it becomes more dangerous. They can revise to a distal rny, but then you have the sucky "rules" of the pouch along with the intestinal issues that both RNYers and DSers have. If they convert from RNY to DS that becomes tricky because you have to rebuild the stomach and then convert to the sleeve part of the DS.
But if you have the sleeve converted to the DS you have the pleasure of eating like a normal person (as with the sleeve) and the bonus of the malabsorbtion.
So my recommendation is: Sleeve if you only want restriction and DS if you want to add in the malabsorbtion.
You will find that there are more lapband people converting because of problems with the device and low/no weight loss. You will find RNY people revising because of regain a few years out, and Sleeve people go for the full DS if they do not meet their weight loss goals...some people don't have to worry about the second step... but at least it is there if you need it.
Come to the Dark Side!!! Band to DS revision 11/09/09.
Learn about the Duodenal Switch at dsfacts.com ! Off site comparisons of the 4 WLS
http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/wls-basics/w eight-loss-surgery-comparison.html
http://www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html
Hello,
The best way to approach a question like this is to look at the data objectively. No matter what operation you talk about, there may be individuals that had good outcome, and those that did not.
The objective data is what the manufacturer says in their literature, but is not in the mass media, or the bill boards etc.
See the link on http://dssurgery.com/newsletters/oct-11-09.pdf
The amount of weight loss after Lap band is limited and the data shows. It also needs to be worked with. I would tell my patients that with the Duodenal switch operation, my primary procedure that I recommed, the work is mostly done by the time the patient leaves the operating room. You will be able to eat normal meals... With the Lap band (that I recommend for a small percentage of patients that I see) I will tell them that the work starts when they leave the operating room.
The best advise from a surgeon is do your objective research, seek second and third opinion from surgeons that do different procedures.
Good luck.
Ara
The best way to approach a question like this is to look at the data objectively. No matter what operation you talk about, there may be individuals that had good outcome, and those that did not.
The objective data is what the manufacturer says in their literature, but is not in the mass media, or the bill boards etc.
See the link on http://dssurgery.com/newsletters/oct-11-09.pdf
The amount of weight loss after Lap band is limited and the data shows. It also needs to be worked with. I would tell my patients that with the Duodenal switch operation, my primary procedure that I recommed, the work is mostly done by the time the patient leaves the operating room. You will be able to eat normal meals... With the Lap band (that I recommend for a small percentage of patients that I see) I will tell them that the work starts when they leave the operating room.
The best advise from a surgeon is do your objective research, seek second and third opinion from surgeons that do different procedures.
Good luck.
Ara
On November 21, 2009 at 10:26 AM Pacific Time, keshishiana wrote:
Hello,The best way to approach a question like this is to look at the data objectively. No matter what operation you talk about, there may be individuals that had good outcome, and those that did not.
The objective data is what the manufacturer says in their literature, but is not in the mass media, or the bill boards etc.
See the link on http://dssurgery.com/newsletters/oct-11-09.pdf
The amount of weight loss after Lap band is limited and the data shows. It also needs to be worked with. I would tell my patients that with the Duodenal switch operation, my primary procedure that I recommed, the work is mostly done by the time the patient leaves the operating room. You will be able to eat normal meals... With the Lap band (that I recommend for a small percentage of patients that I see) I will tell them that the work starts when they leave the operating room.
The best advise from a surgeon is do your objective research, seek second and third opinion from surgeons that do different procedures.
Good luck.
Ara
~~The objective data is what the manufacturer says in their literature, but is not in the mass media, or the bill boards etc.
See the link on http://dssurgery.com/newsletters/oct-11-09.pdf~~
With all due respect there is nothing "objective" about Allergan's info they put out. The link you posted has studies done in 2000 using less than 300 people. They still aren't fessing up to WL stats on their website. If I was selling a product that was uber fantastic and did a GREAT job I'd be boasting of the numbers and posting them on every page of my website. Allergan does not do that.
Drug companies are trying to sell a product and it can be seen time and time again that they will lie, cheat, and do just about anything it takes to sell their snake oils and in this case, their band that has slow weight loss, low weight loss, highest regain, and has a HUGE number of long term risks and complications.
I believe this is why the country of Chile is not using banding anymore, many of the more respected revision surgeons are not using it anymore, MANY WLS surgeons are not banding anymore because the band is not effective, sales are going down but revisions are sky rocketing.
Why do you suppose that is?
Most Active
Recent Topics
