I need your opinion

I'm on the fence about which WLS is right for me?  I think the Lap Band would be safer, but then again I would see a greater weight loss with gastric bypass.  Has anyone had any negative side effects to either one.  Please give me your honest opinion.  Also has anyone experienced hair loss with WLS?

 Hi Kelly,

From what I understand, the weight loss from the lap band is slower but you can still lose as much weight as the bypass.  My friend had the bypass in November and has lost lots of weight but has problems with nearly everything she eats.  Another friend who had the bypass can eat most things but in very small amounts.  

Robin

PErsonally I didnt concider the lap band very much. I Initially wnated the Bypass but there were a few things that didnt sit right with me with that surgery either-- hair loss being only one of them. It wasnt till i was on this website that I learned about VSG. It is right for some people but not everyone same as all of the surgeries. Do your research and figure out which fits your lifestyle and which you really feel good about.
Good Luck!

I had the lap-band because I thought it was safer. I just got switched to RNY because I never had any real weight loss, my port was crooked, fills were miserable and it was overfilled so I puked all the time. In my opinion, the band ISN'T safer, you just have different risks. The band causes scar tissue to develop all around on your insides and it's not as easy as people think to just have it removed because the scar tissue usually causes some sort of permanent damage. You have the risk of it slipping which a lot of times leads to another surgery, band failure where it leaks so you need to get it replaced, the port location could be severely crooked or flipped... etc. etc. not to mention it is a foreign object in your body. Anyways, as for weight loss, I know people who can be just as successful with either, I wasn't one of them with the band but I know you can. Hope that helps at all :)

Oh, and as far as I know.. most people WILL notice thinning hair w/RNY as your body adjusts and gets used to your new way of eating. It grows back. What happens is your body isn't absorbing like it used to (including proteins). So what it does after a while is freaks out and starts sending all of your nutrients to your important organs and so your hair gets left behind because obviously you don't need it to live. Contrary to popular belief, you don't lose any more hair than you normally do every single day but it just doesn't grow back at the rate it usually does... so you start to notice thinning.

 It sounds like you need to do more research before you make a final decision.  Talking to your surgeon will help.  I was set for a Lap Band but I realized after I talked to my surgeon and reading every book I could find, that I would probably be able to cheat it.  You may do well with it.....it's different for everyone.   No one but you can make the final decision. 



Just an FYI, you can lose hair with other medical/surgical procedures that will involve hormone changes....not just WLS 

After I had my son, I lost quite a bit of hair...it look I had a receding hairline actually.  Not a big deal, it grew back and no one but me noticed.  In my opinion (and not intentionally to sound snarky) if the only problem you encounter with WLS is hair loss, then you should consider yourself pretty lucky.  I, consider myself pretty lucky.   

~Emily~

Hi Kelly,

I think as far as which surgery would be best for you would be best discussed with your doctor. I was sure about lapband and my doctor told me for someone my size the weight loss would probably not be enough or what I was hoping for and I'd be most likely to acheive that goal by having RNY instead. And since his speciality was RNY I felt even more comfortable with my decision to have the RNY. His partner specializes in lapband.

Now with the hair loss. I definitely noticed it almost immediately. So I went to a hairstylist who introduced me to Phyto haircare products and my hairloss has been minimal...definitely nothing noticable. INFACT my hair seems healthier now more than ever. There are so many vitamins and shampoos that can be used to counteract the hair loss!

I like you considered having lap band becuase i figured it was safer and if anything went wrong reversable. Then I started talking to my friend who had lap band and said after her first fill she was missarable. she said she was allergic to the fill solution. her band is curently not filled and she can eat just about anything she just works hard on her own to keep her weight down. also with the lap band i would need to be near my dr. to get filled and unfilled and after i graduated i might not be in texas or in the area any more so i didn't want this burden on me. after talking with my mom and notcing that we could both be more sussfull b/c of more restriction with bypass that is what we choose. also i am addictied to sugar and knowing that if i eat sugar it could make me sick really helped my desion. just read on the boards and see which one is right for you. i hear if you are 300 plus it might be better to get gastric bypass so you will see a result from the surgery. like i say its up to you and im happy with the desion ive made. even though ive come with the terms i may never be able to eat bread of any kind again its just what ill have to live with. hope i helped.

wow. sounds like a lot of people are having band issues, or saw something that made them think twice about it. I'm really a bandster at heart, even though it's been taking a long time for it to work (can't get filled enough yet). I guess I just feel like I'm too young to alter my life they way bypass does. and my doctor has only had 2 slips so far, so I felt like that was pretty good odds. anyway, just thought I'd balance out some of the commentary. most important besides all of this is that you talk to your doctor- they know more than any survey of people here could tell you, and there info is more accurate, etc etc. I cansay that if I were to do something over again, I would have looked into the vsg more. good luck!

Most certainly select based off your needs and doc's reccomendation.  I personally have recently elected to have the VSG done.  The sleeve - removes 90% or so of the stomatch.  For me - the lapband was ideal until I heard from many who have it and my surgoen who "doesn't reccomend" the lapband but will perform if you want.  As I understand, weight loss doesn't occur until after your first fill which is about 6 weeks post op.  I think I'd feel cheated if I didn't lose weight right after a WLS procedure.  So... I visited the idea of RNY.  At first I was SOLD!   Then I started to get scared of the vitamin requirements, dumping, malabsorbtion etc.  So... VSG was suggested and I never looked back.   Do your research.  NEVER take someone else story or suggestion and be sold on it.  Only you have to live with the end results. 

It's such a HUGE decsion I know... I've been on a emotional rollercoster for weeks now and are ready to make the leap of faith with VSG.

All the best in your WLS adventure...

-To Be Me Again

that its something you have to figure it out by yourself do alot of reserch. i think that the most importatnt thing to consider its long terms results.  talk to your dr. he can help you to make a decision according to your needs.
good luck
hugs
mariana.