Question:
I am 5'8.5" and I weight 260. I am still not sure what route to take the RNY or LB.
I need some opinions on ppl whom have had the RNY or the Lap Band which one do you think would suite me better. Julie — Julie W. (posted on May 13, 2008)
May 13, 2008
Hi Julie,
When I had my surgery I was 5"7 and 267. I chose the RNY. I had
tried the VGB about 9 years before and that did not offer enough
restriction for me and I was afraid the same would be true with the Lap
Band. A friend of mine who had had the lap band told me, "You can
still suck down a lot of milk shakes if you want to." I had to have
something that would keep me away from the sugars too! I am now 10 months
and 22 days post op from RNY and have lost 100 pounds. I look and feel
great! Hoping to get off about 20 more. I wouldn't change this for the
world. I also knew with my hectic schedule it would be hard for me to find
the time for fills with a lap band. I knew this was going to be a
permanent lifestyle change for me and I was ready to make that commitment.
Best wishes to you.
Neisha
— neisha =.
May 13, 2008
Well you see, you put a very complex question and to answer you we have
tohave more details, specially on the way you eat and your food
preferences.
To decide on wich procedure your one opinion is most important. You have to
know vwry well the consequences of each operation and you have to feel
like. I mean you have to feel as you were operated and how you will do with
each procedure.
A good way is to speek more with your surgeon and also get in touch with
patients that already did one or the other operation, but not to know how
they are going, but to know if your alimentary and psichological profile is
comparable with them. Sorry if it looks complicate.
Good luck
Bruno Zilberstein MD PhD FACS
— Bruno Zilberstein
May 13, 2008
hey julie...it's a personal choice of course, but this is how I decided. I
am 5'8" and at my heaviest 286lbs. i thought about RNY and lapband. I
decided to go with RNY because I am young (35 at the time), extremely obese
and have over 100lbs to lose and I wanted to lose it fairly quick. I was OK
with having to take supplements/vitamins forever and saying no to many
foods (although, not quite as many as I thought - surprisingly) forever, as
well. I decided to make a full lifestyle change and and happy to say - I am
still 5'8" and down to 145lbs. I had surgery in 2/07 and would do it
again and again - the decision was the right one for me and I thank God,
myself and my support system everyday for this blessing.
— jammerz
May 13, 2008
Have you thought about the VSG? I am scheduled for this surgery in July. I
chose this one because you can pretty much eat whatever you want, just in
smaller portions and there is not any maintenance such as with the fills. I
too was in your situation in trying to decide which surgery to have. I at
first was leaning toward the Lap band, but as I researched the surgeries
and I found out about the VSG, I knew that one was the one for me. I didn't
want to deal with malabsortion issues especially when I get to be 80!
— NeedToLooseWeight
May 13, 2008
Hi, I started out exactly where you are.. pretty much. I'll be six months
post op Lap RNY on May 21 and have to date lost 97 pounds. The loss has
slowed as the amount I need to lose has decreased. I am so happy I did
this, I would do it again in a mili-second! Good luck on you decision and
feel free to ask any questions you would like, anytime.
Blessings, Leslie
— LuvNSummer
May 13, 2008
It definately must be an inner decision. EVERY PATIENT no matter which
they have chosen has to live with the outcome and EVERY PATIENT responds
differently to the surgery. There are not two stories alike. Research the
statistics and what the facts are rather than opinions. This will help you
in the long haul. I do wish you the best of luck in your research.
— bariatricdivalatina
May 13, 2008
— rina_mo
May 13, 2008
At 5'4" and 303lbs I chose lap band. I am a bulk eater. The band
causes enough rstriction to giv me a "full" signal early so I eat
much less, but am satisfied with that. A sweet eater usually does better
with gastric d/t the potential of dumping. But in reality, you nd to do the
research, learn how each surgery works and dcide for yourself.
Donna, RN
— Donna O.
May 14, 2008
Hi Julie!
My answer is to really reasearch ALL the surgeries. DS, RnY, Lapband and
VSG. .Visit all the forums and ask questions. Also visit the revisions
board. You really want to make a good decision. RESEARCH!! Think twice, cut
once! Good luck on your WLS journey! Take care.
— M. !!!
May 14, 2008
If I was making the choice again, I still would chose RNY. The rell issue
is you, what your problems are and where you want to go and how much of
your excess weight do you want to lose, I mean really lose. Lab Band gives
you a lot of freedom, and you usually can lose 50% of your excess weight.
SOme lose more, but the histor is there is a gainback with it. RNY is a
perminate solution, requres diciplin one your side and if not, you will get
sick. Eating sweets, fats, fried foods, are mostly out. You can tast
them, but your ability to process a resonable amount is gone, and you will
feel sick for an hour or two if you break the rules. Howevery the weight
loss is greater and the results are more stable. I lost over 100 Lbs and
still losing. I love it and would do it all over again. Got to a
seargeons lecture and maby one or two others, find the right doc and listen
to what he has to say. They will help guilde you. Best of success to you.
— William (Bill) wmil
May 14, 2008
Hi Julie,
It took me two years to decide on WLS. You have to make a decision on what
will work for you. I did a lot of research on the types of surgeries and
opted for the lapband because the thought of cutting off my stomach in two
places and intestines in two places for RNY scared the daylights out of
me...but so did my health problems before surgery. I read about a long
term study at Princeton University that over a seven year period, lapband
was just as effective as RNY but that weight loss is more gradual. But my
mother-in-law had RNY and was expected to be in the hospital two days but
had pneumonia and complications with getting food down and ended up in the
hospital for two weeks. She then went on to lose a lot of weight and had
cosmetic surgery and went from a size 26 to a size 8. She still has a
sweet tooth and did gain about 20 pounds and went back to her diet doctor.
I think that you have to make a personal decision to commit to a healthy
lifestyle and use which every surgery you decide upon as a tool to help you
reach your goals. At the last Bariatric Seminar that I attended, the
surgeons talked about new surgery procedures that are in the
development/testing stages. They have a new tool to create an internal
"band" by going down through the throat rather than
laproscopically. It may be years before it is approved by insurance
companies but it pays to research as to what is out there. I have lost 60
lbs since deciding and getting the lapband surgery. I would like to lose
140 pounds more. I wish you the best. Regina
([email protected])
— Bigwyfan1964
May 14, 2008
i would go with the lap band...
— Kimberly F.
May 14, 2008
Someone once put it this simply,if you indulge in burgers and fries but
don't really care about sweets, go with the Band. If sweets are your
passion, go with the gastric bypass. Each surgery has it's own advantages.
I have the LapBand and love it, but it seems to me that people with Gastric
Bypass get smaller than with the band. Of course, there's more risk in
surgery with bypass. It's a tough one. Go with which ever one your
insurance will cover...Good Luck
— pattyann
May 14, 2008
Julie,
I was 250 & 5'8", too. March 2005 I had the RNY & have very
few problems. I'm now 160 pounds & in a size 12. I have so much energy
& there aren't enough hours in the day for me to get everything done!
The biggest problem I have is my blood sugar drops to as low as 29......I
have no reserve fat to burn when I'm running around doing all my projects
and forget to eat. Imagine that! Not having enough fat to
"pull" from for energy....heaven! I keep Ensure Butter Pecan in
the frig to boost my sugars up. It's delicious!
— Lilkonza
May 14, 2008
I chose RNY after talking it over with my surgeon. I was going to get the
LB but decided against it because they told me that they take out more than
they put in. They also said that the port that leads from the band to your
side that they put fluid into the band from gets infected and has to be
sugically repaired. Also they said the band can corrode and need to be
surgically removed. In that case the weight comes back. The stomach can
also flip over on itself . The bottom part of the stomach that is beneath
the band can flip over. That would also need to be surgically repaired. I
wanted the RNY because not only did I not want those complications but I
don't want to gain my weight back. I love my RNY. I am 3 months post op and
have lost 70 pounds. Also, I have never thrown up. The only complication
that i ever had was a stricture which was very easily repaired. The most
that i had to go through with it was discomfort when I ate and then the IV
when they sedated me. They inserted a scope and opened it back up. I didn't
have any recovery time or discomfort whatsoever. I would do it all again in
a second.
I'm not trying to scare you about the LB but that is what I was told.
God Bless!!
— Sillyguts
May 15, 2008
Hi Julie. I agree with the previous posters that it is definitely a
personal choice between you and your doctor. I was all ready for the
lapband until I started reading about the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. That
became my choice. I am very happy with the results I am getting. The weight
is dropping off, but I don't have lifetime malabsorption issues, or the
maintenence of the lapband. Read about ALL the procedures on the boards.
They each have their own forum. I weighed 268 and am 5'4. After my first 5
weeks I had lost 35.5 lb. Every surgery is just a tool. You are the one
that has to make it work. Good luck.
— corky1057
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