Question:
Confused about which surgery to have gastric by pass or lapband

My daughter is 22 and has been overweight her whole life. Almost 6 months ago her and I started our journey together to have lap band surgery. After seeing the surgeon he said he didn't want to do lap band on me because of all my GI problems. I am ok with this, but I am trying to help my daughter make the right decision as to which one to have. She realistically need to lose about 220 lbs. She eventually wants to have children. It has been very stressful trying to decide which one. One of our concerns are that I have to constantly remind her now to take the meds she is on, and I don't want her to get into trouble by missing her supplements. Thank you for you help Dawn/PA    — Hilkerrt (posted on October 29, 2009)

October 29, 2009
if your daughter needs to lose 220 lbs, i would not advise her to get the band. make sure both of you investigate ALL the options. with 220 lbs to lose, even the bypass might not be a good choice. is there a surgeon near you who performs the duodenal switch? you might want to look into that. good luck!
   — greenpunchbuggie

October 29, 2009
Hi Dawn, I have seen many get pregnant after RNY surg. Have you both talled to the DR that is going to do your surgery? Have you also talked to hher GYN/OB? I have seen a few DR's that recomend RNY to Lapband when so much weight needs to be lost. There is so much to think about in the after care. Will your daughter be able to go to the fills/will ins. cover them. You also may need vitamins then..will she remember to take them? Possible she will need to take responsiblity and set up a pill contanier weekly for herself. or with your help if she is not able to handle. Then maybe..her meds will lesson after the weightloss. I would attend support groups and have a talk with the DR's. Best of luck to you both.
   — tootsie52

October 29, 2009
I agree with Dawn... but was curious does your daughter have diabetes? RNY takes care of that almost instantaniously. If she is having trouble taking her meds have her use the appointment/calendar section on her cellphone... it offers alarms. At 22 she needs to take some responsiblity in the process. (not meaning to sound harsh.)Hope all goes well for both of you
   — Wendybam

October 29, 2009
I agree lap bands require so much self discipline as you can eat slider foods and such. Also the chances of it shifting or erosion can always be a factor. I read so many lap band failures on OH and statically I think you only lose 50% of your excess weight. That would still put her with a high BMI. I personally had RNY but if I had to do it again I would probably opt for the Sleeve. There is no malabsorbtion issues and no rerouting of the intestines. I was a self pay so it would have saved me thousands had I done the sleeve. My husband was concerned about the side effects of RNY and just had the sleeve done a few weeks ago. If you have insurance they may determine which surgery as most do not cover all the different surgeries. From my understanding the sleeve is the first phase of the DS surgery. Only she knows her true eating habits/causes so she must be honest with her doctor and decide with his/her knowledge. Also attend free seminars from other doctors to learn more and read the different forums so you can see the good and bad of all options. Good luck to you both!
   — ToniLee

October 29, 2009
I agree lap bands require so much self discipline as you can eat slider foods and such. Also the chances of it shifting or erosion can always be a factor. I read so many lap band failures on OH and statically I think you only lose 50% of your excess weight. That would still put her with a high BMI. I personally had RNY but if I had to do it again I would probably opt for the Sleeve. There is no malabsorbtion issues and no rerouting of the intestines. I was a self pay so it would have saved me thousands had I done the sleeve. My husband was concerned about the side effects of RNY and just had the sleeve done a few weeks ago. If you have insurance they may determine which surgery as most do not cover all the different surgeries. From my understanding the sleeve is the first phase of the DS surgery. Only she knows her true eating habits/causes so she must be honest with her doctor and decide with his/her knowledge. Also attend free seminars from other doctors to learn more and read the different forums so you can see the good and bad of all options. Good luck to you both!
   — ToniLee

October 29, 2009
I had the band and am scheduled to convert to gastric bypass. I agree w/ the previous poster--to lose 220 pounds, the band is not likely to get her there. I didn't have that much to lose, but it was never terribly effective for me, and caused all kinds of complications that required follow up care. of course, I would follow a drs advice, but that is was my experience. Good luck!
   — rsw

October 29, 2009
My primary care Dr asked me not to get the band, he let me know that he has a few patients that he is dealing with now that are having issues. I went with the sleeve and I have not had any trouble so far. Good Luck in your journey.
   — Kelly M.

October 29, 2009
My advice to EVERYONE who is in the process of having the surgery done is: ask the surgeon who will perform the surgery what type do THEY believe is the right one FOR YOU. They are experts in the area & will know which will benefit you the best. My surgeon said for me the rny will work best for me. So that is what I will have.
   — SPIRIT2002

October 30, 2009
I have this website that is great. GO TO WWW.LAPSF.COM, ON THE LEFT SIDE BLUE BOX CLICK "WEIGHT LOSS AND REVISIONAL SURGERIES" THEN CLICK "INTRO-WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS", SCROLL DOWN TO WHERE YOU SEE THE PICTURE OF A STOMACH-CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE "SURGERY COMPARISON CHART". PRINT THIS EMAIL SO YOU CAN FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS. (I had my surgery with these doctors) These choices will help you because they show which surgery is good for the amount of weight that needs to be lost. As for your doctor not letting you have the lapband due to your GI problems, to me that should be a good reason to have a weight loss surgery. It will fix the problems. Although I guess depending on what you have wrong with the GI tract, I know the w/l surgery will fix acid reflux (GERD). If you click on OH website to find a bariatric surgeon, they can help you with insurance, and all that is included to have the surgery. I think your daughters choice to have the surgery is a good one. She will however, have to wait at least 18-24 months post op before getting pregnant. Her body needs a chance to catch up and stay at a normal weight. If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. I am almost 5 yrs post op and I had a great doctor and a problem free recovery, so I will offer all that I can to you and your daughter. Hope to hear from you. If I were you I would find another doctor (from this website) and make sure he is a bariatric surgeon. Not just a surgeon.
   — Kristy

October 30, 2009
You might want to investigate vertical gastric sleeve instead of lap band and rny. I decided on VGS instead of lap band I needed to lose about 125-140 lbs. I am 3 weeks shy of one yr and am down 90 pounds. look into it and good luck
   — Linda C.

October 30, 2009
If I was you I would really check into the sleeve. I had the sleeve in Feb. lost 80 pounds and have had no problems as of yet. I had a really good Dr. Good Luck
   — joejoe2

October 30, 2009
I had the sleeve done July 22,08 and have not had any problems and i have lost 120 pounds,2.5 more pounds to goal, Yeah. I am so glad that my doctor chose this for me, Good Luck in what ever you decide to do.
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 30, 2009
I too recommend checking into the vertical Sleeve VSG. I had it on Marc 25, 2009 and have lost 85 lbs. I feel great. This surgery has the least amount of complications. You don't need as many supplements because your stomach still fuctions mostly as it did it's just much smaller. It also has a very good success rate especially if you include exercise. I hope you both choose the right surgery for you and have great success and long fullfilled lives.
   — Lisa von Wallmenich

October 30, 2009
I am 5 years post-op, and am at my goal weight. I had the Lap-Band surgery. In fact, almost all of the members in my WLS support group have the Lap-Band. I reached my goal weight after about 3 1/2 years, and have been able to maintain it for the last year and a half. I originally chose the Lap-Band because some of the medications I take can only be digested in the portion of the stomach that would be by-passed in a rny surgery. Even though the weight may not come off as quickly in Lap-Band patients, after about 3 years both types of surgery are comparable (Lap-Band patients may even have a slight advantage after 3 years according to the latest research I saw). One of our support group members just gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She became pregnant almost immediately after her Lap-Band surgery. The timing was unexpected because she had been trying for so long to get pregnant (she thought the weight loss would help her conceive). All the doctors had to do was to take the fluid out of her band. She had no problems getting all the nutrition she needed. Once she is done breast feeding, she'll just have the fluid placed back into the band. Another advantage to the band is that we don't need to take blood tests to check on protein and vitamin levels. Being able to adjust the fluid level has been the one thing that has lead to my success. My problem before surgery was always been being hungry. When I start to get hungry more than 2-4 times a day, and am able to eat more at each meal, I just go see my doctor for a "fill". I have found that the people in my area who continue to visit their surgeon every 1-2 months have the most success with their weight loss. I still see my surgeon every other month, even after 5 years. I still make minor adjustments occasionally. Also, those who regularly attend our support group meetings, are more successful at both losing weight and maintaining their weight loss. I think any surgery type can be successful if you are having it for the right reason. You need to be having the surgery realizing that is is a life-long commitment to a healthy life style. This is not a diet to help you look thin. The weight loss is for your health, and the change in dress size is a wonderful side benefit. You'll need to change your eating habits for life. The surgery is a tool to help keep you from over-eating. You'll need to make each meal count nutritionally, because you'll be restricted in how much you can eat in a day. If you choose junk food, you'll be able to eat way too much of that and then get hungry again sooner. The number of calories you'll eat each day will just climb. If you choose nutritious foods (which can be and should be delicious), you'll get full sooner, stay full longer, and be healthy during your weight loss. Invest in yourself. Buy several Bariatric Cookbooks. I recommend Chef Dave Fouts. He is a chef who has had by-pass surgery. He has cookbooks, a website (chefdave.com), a cooking show on the web (access it through chefdave.com), and he publishes recipes in various magazines. I also recommend that you subscribe to WLS magazines like Obesity Help. An on-line subscription is great. You can get a monthly newsletter and have access to research relevant to weight loss and weight loss surgery. Build your profile on ObesityHelp.com and start making on-line friends who can inspire you. Find and join a WLS support group now. Start going and ask your questions of other people who have gone through the surgery and are at various stages of progress. If you can't find a support group, ask the surgeon who will be preforming your surgery for suggestions. Regular attendance to the support group will not only encourage you, but you'll get good information, answers to questions, be able to listen to a variety of speakers, and eventually become an encouragement to others. Success is possible and WLS is the tool that can make it happen. You and your daughter are both WORTH it!!! Be kind to yourselves, and invest in your long-term success. I wish you both all of the best on your journey toward good health. God Bless.
   — KimM

October 30, 2009
If your daughter wants the best quality of life,duodenal switch, has the longest results maintaining weight lost,with her weight ds has excellence for losing.The band and rny,gains back weight if not all the weight in many cases.Your daughter,will be able to eat more normal. Check out (ds facts.com)and if this is the route you choose,go under forums surgicals then go ds.Oh ds don,t dump,get stoma,s,dizzyness,food getting stuck,ect.
   — rebecca W.

October 31, 2009
I wanted something permanent, done the weight loss and gain before..Once you take the band off you may gain your weight back also I don't have the time or money to get all the fills. I lost 222 pounds and wouldn't change a thing. Good luck.
   — okbuffy

October 31, 2009
In reading your question and others answers, there is one thing that keeps jumping out at me. Is your daughter committed to wanting the surgery or are you wanting the surgery for her? I am not intending this to be negative, but unless it is HER decision, then none of the surgeries will work for her. You say she is 22, which means she is old enough to remember on her own to take meds. If you have to remind her now about medications then she may not be mature enough or ready enough to have the surgery. Everybody is ready at different points in their life.
   — Libby R.

October 31, 2009
I am posting a response to my own question. This is to the one who asked about my daughter wanting the surgery or me wanting it for her. The answer is she wants the surgery. SHe has wanted it since she was 17. She has a lot going on in her life, and I dont know about any of you but I myself have missed a dose or 2 of meds in my lifetime. SHe works fulltim, she goes to school fulltime, she is in partime song ministry for 2 different churches. Besides the fact she is an only child and I must admit I have let her slide on a few things in her life. We are both hoping to have the surgery together so we can help each other
   — Hilkerrt

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