Hey all....................

Its a completely different surgery. Here's a link: http://www.homanmd.com/RouxENY_Gastric%20Bypass.htm For RNY, your stomach is physically made smaller and your intestines are, essentially, rerouted higher up closer to the new stomach. Simply said, the lap band is a restrictive device that shrinks how much solid food you can hold in the upper pouch. The RNY is both restrictive (by creating the new pouch) and malabsorptive (by rerouting where the stomach connects up with the intestine -- you'll also hear of distal or proximal which identifies where the stomach attaches on the intestine). This is really very general. There are many more levels of complexity of the RNY. Lap band is a bit more striaghtforward. If you don't know the difference, I strongly suggest you take a look at WLS for Dummies because you may have problems with your band in the future and need to decide if your band will need to be removed if you're going to have a different type of surgery. Most people who have WLS in the US get RNY. By many surgeons it is considered the "gold standard" for which all other surgeries are measured. RNY patients also lose much more quickly partially because of the malabsorption component. Lori

Debbie we will have our second Support Group metting April 10th. in Auburn. Give me a call if you think you would like to come. 253-939-8865 Merrilou

Thanks Merrilou, I will keep that in mind.