Lapband or Gastric Bypass...???

I'm Back!!!

Ok... here we go...

I have learned TODAY the Trust will cover the funds for the Gastric Bypass...  But call me weird...  I might have changed my mind.  I have been fighting with everyone about whether or not this surgery is the right thing for me.  I am super confused and have put soooo much effort into having the procedure and changing my lifestyle forever... but now I'm not so sure whats good for me.  Everyone I know has some horror story to tell me about their sisters, best friends, mom who... had the Gastric Bypass done and had complications and little or no weight loss / weight gain.  Maybe I should have the Lap Band procedure? I have always said NO to the Lap Band because the research has always said that the gastric bypass has better weight loss and quicker results.  I super confused...  I could use some support ... right ....now.  

 

 

You are right, GB does have faster results.  The weight loss is typically the same after so many years.  I read that in many different places.  Now thye have a "new" band out with less complications and higher/quicker weight loss. I have that one, and in 4.5 months I have lost 55 lbs.  Pretty awesome if you ask me?  Yes it takes longer.... but if its for you its for you. Feel Free to check out the LB board and ask questions.  Only you will know if GB or LB is right for you!  They both have the same end result, Better health

what lap band do you have?

 

Hey Trasea!

So i totally know what you are going through except kinda the opposite... i have the lap band and for a while i went back and forth between getting it, but then wanting the rny bc of the faster results.  Im not gonna tell you what to get but I will give you my opinon about the lap band.  I knew that the weight loss would not be fast and it would be harder.  I like the lapband bc I never liked the idea of having my stomach and intestants cut and re-routed. Also I like that with it the doctors can adjust it so if something happens and i need a complete unfill they can do it, also the fact that it is reversiable and can be taken out is a good concept.  Now i know they wont take it out just because, but in my family we have a history of cancer especially in the stomach and kidneys so in x number of years if i get some sort of complication and they need to remove it they can.  I call it my tool its something that is with me and that i know that if i dont have enought restriction i can go to the drs and they can give me more to help me loose more weight.  Any questions about lap band feel free to ask or go to the lap band bored.

Okay my story is somewhat similar to yours. I was contemplating the band or nothing else. I never wanted to have something sooooo drastic done to my body but then agian i didnt want to have a device implanted and have to find the "sweet spot" with the fills. So i did TONS of research and then finally i saw this new surgery called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomey (SPELLING!!) And i did even more research and i kind of liked it. Its in the middle between the lap band and the RNY. Your not having you intestines moved around but you are having the stomach cut down.
Do some research and make a decision for YOURSELF because then if you dont like it you can be like wow i was dumb...but if you do it for someone else you might be mad at the wrong people..if that makes sense
Well i really hope my words of advice helped
read on people from all different ones and see which one fits your life and liking
i have surgery feb 18 and ur more than welcome to check my page in the future to see my results if that would help your decision

I had the gastric bypass. Never had one single complication. Never had any food problems. I can eat anything. I don't get sick, I don't dump. Not everyone has problems. Sometimes I feel so normal I forget I've had surgery! I personally chose GP over lap band because I didn't want to be bothered with fills, I know a lot of people who haven't been successful with it, and I wanted something permanent. The choice has to be made by you. Both are GREAT surgeries!

I would look at the pros and cons of each surgery and why you think each one would work or wouldnt work for you... get it all down on paper so you can see visual results. I would NOT choose a surgery based on 'quicker results'... its not about how quick you lose the weight - its a matter of being able to MAINTAIN the weight loss - who cares if you can reach goal in 6 months - 1 year if you cannot keep that weight off?  I feel its harder for some of us young people to decide... the more major WLS surgeries are such a drastic change versus the lapband being a less major, and reversable, surgery. Again I would just look at the pros and cons of each. Also a surgeon who performs BOTH surgeries should be able to very objectively tell you if they feel one is better than the other based on your medical history. If you pick a surgeon that only does one surgery they will, of course, push you towards that surgery. As for the post about the VSG... that is not a new surgery, it came out some time ago but didnt 'catch on' like the RNY has... still worth looking into all your options including the DS.

It is totally your choice.  I'm glad to see that you've already gotten some great information from some others.  I can't tell you what is right for you, but I will tell you why I chose RNY over the band (those were the choices I had - truth be told, if I had it to do over again I might have a DS surgery, but don't tell any one I told you that....). I wanted RNY instead of the band because... -I am a sweet eater and so I wanted "dumping" and the fear of "dumping" to help me change my ways (and I do dump, and I am glad I dump, because it does help me stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to food). -I didn't want a foreign object in my body.  It goes both ways between band and RNY, some folks have a huge problem with the thought of having their intestines re-routed (and I can appreciate that fear) and others (like me) just don't like the idea of having something unnatural in their body. -I am impatient and I wanted imediate results.  The band does work, it just takes longer, and I know that when I don't see results I get very frustrated. -I had 160+ pounds to lose and generally if you have more than 100 pounds surgeons will recomend RNY over the band. -I wanted something permanent.  The band is permanent too, I just wanted the drastic-ness of RNY.  It is hard to explain, but I needed to know that I was making a huge alteration to my body and that helped me force myself to make the necessary changes to my lifestyle. -The thought of fills freaks me out.  I have a friend who had the band shortly after I had my bypass and he is only down 50-70 pounds (he also started out a good 150+ pounds heavier than I did) because he has yet to find a "sweet spot", though he has had 7 adjustments.  What happens if your surgeon moves away (like my bypass surgeon did)?  I just couldn't reconcile myself to that.   There are also good things about the band - like the prospect of getting an "un-fill" when you are pregnant and no malabsorbtion issues.  But it is up to you.  Probably the only other person who might be able to give you insight would be an objective surgeon (as in someone who does both procedures) who can help you decide what would best work for your personal situation.  I wish you wisdom and discernment when you make this decision!

A lot of the reasons I picked to have RNY over the band are the same as Amy's reasons. -pre srugery i was a sweet eater, cakes, cookies, doughnuts were my friends, i knew that i needed to have dumping if i ate those things.  I do dump and thank god because I know it will keep me on the straight and narrow!! -honestly the idea of having something foreign in me freaked me out, and fills are not appealing to me. -I had 200 pounds to lose so my surgeon suggested the RNY over the lapband because of the amount of weight i needed to lose. -I also wanted something that was permanent, i wanted to make sure that i could never have it reversed and that it was going to be a change for life.  it has forced me to make the changes that i have needed to make! I have been lucky I dont need any extra vitamins beyond a post bariatric vitamin and extra calcium, no b12 problems here!!  The idea of getting an unfill when you get pregnant is interesting, but from what i have gathered from the pregnancy after wls board if you wait the time that the surgeons tell you to your fine with RNY to have children just fine, so in the end that was not enough of an incentive for me to change my mind In the end i think you have to make your own choice, i would spend some time talking to your pcp or surgeon.

http://www.lapband.obeseinfo.com/bariatric-surgery-chart.htm This website lines up all for WLS's side by side with each one's pros and cons.  It helped me a lot when I was deciding.